dosda

Putting the fun into Fife…

People often comment about St Andrews that, in spite of its isolation, the students ‘make their own fun’ and this is spot on! We have a herd of around 160 different, student-run societies ranging from adventuring (STAAG) through to Gilbert and Sullivan, we have a portfolio of societies that is amongst the most diverse in the UK and the good news is that we are always open to new ideas for student activities. As DoSDA, one of your many responsibilities will be to ensure that all these societies, with their diverse needs, are in a strong position to function as effectively as possible and to facilitate the immense creativity and ambition of the students involved in them.

On top of this, the Students’ Association has ten Subcommittees (especially large societies with greater scope, of which every matriculated student is automatically a member) and as DoSDA, you are directly responsible for seven of them: the Charities Campaign, the Union Debating Society, Mermaids, Music Is Love, Rogue Productions, STAR and SVS. One of the most important elements to your job is to make sure that every element of their activities is well-supported by the Union and that each Subcommittee can carry out its plans and be as successful as possible.

Whilst it is a cliché to state that there is no typical day as DoSDA and with so much student activity going on, the amount of different things you could be working on will be sure to keep you busy! From helping out with the organisation to Freshers’ week, attending regular committee meetings, advising someone on how to start a society, solving random problems as they come up or helping to facilitate an event, every day will bring its own challenges and opportunities to bring your own ideas to the table.

It goes without saying that you will work closely with the Director of Events and Services, with whom you shall also share an office. The two of you are effectively responsible for co-ordinating all the fun stuff that the Students’ Association does. As well as your direct responsibilities relating to societies, you will also have the opportunity to work with the rest of the Sabbaticals on more strategic projects which affect the entire Students’ Association, such as Redevelopment.

The word ‘Development’ in the job-title of DoSDA is potentially a bit vague-sounding – essentially it means that you will work closely with the Career Centre on projects relating to students’ development. This could include being involved in the St Andrews Award, the St Andrews University Student Internship Scheme (SUSIP), or Employability Week. Simply put, you are the Student Liaison for any matters concerning Careers and you will also sit on some important University Committees concerning Student Experience. Furthermore, you will also assist the Townsend Society with their needs and requirements, trying to improve their experience of St Andrews, as well as working with colleagues at the AU to ensure that students have amongst the very best extra-curricular activity opportunities in the UK.

Whilst a lot of the work of the DoSDA is often supportive, there is plenty of scope to be as creative as you want. If you have an idea which will bring people together and make the Student Experience even more innovative, diverse and spectacular, then being DoSDA will present an unrivalled opportunity to do so.

To quote the Spiderman films, “with great power comes great responsibility” and whilst it might be clutching at straws to apply this philosophy to the role of DoSDA, like all the Sabbatical positions, being DoSDA is hard and challenging work, but ultimately is incredibly rewarding. You will experience many varied demands on your time as you strive to oversee diverse student groups and endeavour to facilitate their plans and help them progress and develop. You will learn how to operate in a tight-knit team and to work closely with the staff both in the Students’ Association and the University. You will need to have strong communication skills, to enjoy working with a diverse group of people, to relish the challenge of managing several different things at any one time and to be motivated by working on projects which affect the long-term future of the Union. However, above all else, if you are passionate about what students get up to during their time in the Bubble and have a proactive and creative approach towards your work, then DoSDA could be the dream job for you…
 

If you're interested in running for the position on 16.03.2012 and want to know more, get in touch with David on dosda@st-andrews.ac.uk.