Becoming an ALT Trustee – Doug Gowan

Doug Gowan is a trustee and current vice chair of ALT

The procedure for filling vacancies on ALT’s board of trustees is getting underway so now is the time to think about whether you should stand.

Here are some thoughts that may help you make up your mind.

ALT is a charity that is run by its members, for its members and for the benefit of the public. It depends on a huge amount of voluntary effort by members who ask and answer questions on the forums, support and assess members going through CMALT, take part in special interest groups and regional groups, and do much else besides. Taking part in an ALT committee or becoming a trustee is just another way of becoming involved and making a contribution.

ALT is a democracy where everyone has an equal say. Everyone can vote for trustees of their choice, and any member can stand. Trustees come from many different sectors and have many different specialisms. This diversity is one of ALT’s great strengths and one that we intend to build on.

What skills and qualities does an ALT trustee need to have? The answer is: those that you have already. Common sense, a desire to work with others to solve problems and make improvements, a willingness to listen and to make your voice heard. You don’t need to have great experience of working with committees although you will likely have had some.

What does being a trustee involve? It will take up some of your time – there is a small number of face to face trustee meetings each year. Much of the detailed business however is done by email, phone and online conference and ALT is continually looking at ways of working smarter through intelligent use of technology.

What do I get out of being an ALT trustee?. In an era of quangos, agencies and competitive targeting ALT stands out as a charity which is built on the collective wisdom of its membership. I am proud to support ALT through my work as a trustee – and by encouraging others to take part. ALT is not even remotely bureaucratic and trustee business is done in a cooperative, constructive as well as businesslike manner. ALT is a respected organisation and being a trustee will certainly do your CV no harm.

Over to you.

To hear Shirley Evans & Doug Gowan talk about why they became a Trustee, what the role involves, and how you can become an ALT Trustee attend the free webinar on Thursday 22 May at 12.30 BST. Click here for full details and to register.

Doug Gowan, vice chair of ALT

If you enjoyed reading this article we invite you to join the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) as an individual member, and to encourage your own organisation to join ALT as an organisational or sponsoring member

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