With spring right around the corner and everything it entails for a city such as Lund, the elections for the board of LundaEkonomerna, our esteemed student union are coming up. Although this is not just another election, because this year the board is changing – and there are two new positions to be filled: Educational Affairs Manager and Corporate Sales Manager. The current board consists of nine members whereof five are full-timers and four are half-timers. Over the years, as the union and the number of students at LUSEM has grown, the structure of the board has remained the same which eventually led to a disproportionate workload. So in order to better fulfil its purpose of conducting educational surveillance, reorganization amongst the part-time positions was in order.
So, what changes are going to be made? The new structure has two primary goals – assisting the Vice President with educational surveillance, and relieving the corporate relations part of the union. In order to accomplish this, the Corporate Sales Manager will manage the external corporate business relations. An Educational Affairs Manager will both replace the previous Social Affairs Manager, and reduce some of the Vice President’s workload. While the new managers to-be take place in the new board, two positions will also be removed. As mentioned earlier the Social Affairs Manager will be replaced by the Educational Affairs Manager. In addition to this the responsibilities of the Alumni Manager will be delegated elsewhere within the organization. The number of members in the board will in other words remain the same.
But what does it actually mean to be a part of the board of LundaEkonomerna and what does it take to be a part of it? Lundtan had a chat with full time board members Charlie Widenfors, Louise Söderqvist and Måns Claeson about the board in general and the unique chance to combine studies and a position of responsibility.
What’s the main purpose of the reorganization?
Charlie: To allocate resources where the organization most need it, educational surveillance and the corporate part of LundaEkonomerna. We are a student union and need more resources on educational surveillance in order to operate optimally.
How much previous experience is needed in order to be a compelling applicant and have a shot at being elected?
Charlie: Generally for LundaEkonomerna is that we are a learning organization with continuous training and guidance. Previous experience is a merit but definitely not a requirement. Especially not regarding the new positions. The new posts are a great opportunity, if you’re interested in these areas.
What made you apply last year?
Louise: I was simply interested in educational issues and had an interest in the union as a whole and wanted to work full time with it.
Charlie: I felt it was a fantastic opportunity to not only develop myself but also the union. Each year LundaEkonomerna is evolving and I wanted to be a contributing factor in further developing the union. In addition it has proven to be incredibly fun and a great social experience.
I think the board and what you do is somewhat unclear to many of the students of LUSEM, how and where do you spend your days?
Charlie: First of all, there is a difference in being a full timer and a half timer. If you work half time you can plan your days as you wish in order to combine work with your studies. Full timers have other requirements, for example we have to be available at Skånis at certain times, but we all have to communicate with the committees in order to make the board and organization move forward. Being part of the board involves a lot of meetings with external parties such as LUSEM, the university, Studentlund, other unions and organizations.
Måns: The full timers are available here at Skånis and the half timers are situated at T-Malm (named after former professor and headmaster of LUSEM, Allan T Malm) by the entrance of EC2.
What surprised you the most about your position?
Charlie: I never thought I would learn so much about how an organization works and how to make it move forward. I’ve learnt a lot about myself as it has been challenging in many ways.
Louise: All the activities and events we are invited to. It’s incredible to see how organized the student life is and how much people it involves.
Måns: The understanding of the student life in Lund, all the commitment, involvement and cooperation within and between organizations is really impressive. And of course I’ve developed my leadership skills, and it’s incredible how much you can affect and influence the union. If you want a unique opportunity to combine studies and real life work experience, joining the board is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do so. It’s a rare opportunity to get hands on working experience with real responsibility, which may otherwise take years to achieve in your working life.
More information about the board, the new positions and how to apply can be found at www.lundaekonomerna.se/positions/. Deadline for applying is March 26th.