What you always wanted to know about being a Trustee of ALT…
As a member of ALT you hear about our Trustees and you probably know who a few of them are and what they do – but if you are thinking about standing for election as a Trustee you’d probably like to find out more. In this post we share the answers to the 5 most frequently asked questions to help you understand better who our Trustees are and what they do as well as consider whether you’d like to stand for election yourself:
What does it mean to become a Trustee of ALT?
Trustees are elected by Members of ALT and will join the Central Executive Committee which consists of 9 elected Trustees and up to 4 co-opted Trustees. The Central Executive appoints the Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, Chairs of Committees (i.e. Membership Development, Communication and Publications, Further Education and cross-sector engagement) and others as necessary, from among the elected members or by co-option.
Trustees work together to ensure that the vision and aims set out in ALT’s strategy are being met and that the Association serves and represents its members. You can find out who our Trustees are here. We also set out the role and duties of being a Trustee in summary.
Who are ALT’s Trustees?
You can find out about the current Trustees via the ALT website, where we also list former Trustees and Presidents. We aim to have representation from across all sectors and covering all parts of the UK amongst the group of Trustees.
Trustees also have a broad range of professional roles and experience from senior management and research to technical, academic and support roles. Trustees commit to upholding the values of ALT, which are to be:
- Participative, working with and for our members and encouraging them to take active roles in the Association
- Open to all learning and training contexts across the UK and internationally
- Collaborative and supportive
- Innovative, agile and responsive
- Welcoming and inclusive
- Independent and self-funded
- Transparent, democratic and fair
We actively encourage individuals who can contribute to the diversity of ALT’s Central Executive Committee and the professional roles it represents including learners to consider standing for election. Under the ALT Constitution, election is open only to individual members of at least 12 months’ standing and aged 18 years or over on the date of the AGM at which they take up office.
What kind of experience does a Trustee of ALT need?
You don’t need any specific experience to stand for election. We provide a full induction for new Trustees and we have a Code of Practice that sets out what Trustees do as well. This is regularly reviewed and updated.
However becoming a Trustee of ALT means committing to participating actively in the governance of the Association and making sure Members’ are served and represented as well as possible. We suggest you have a look at the minutes from Trustee meetings (published openly on the ALT website) to get a better sense of what business Trustees conduct.
What’s it like being a Trustee of ALT?
Here is what some of our current Trustees think:
“Being a Trustee for ALT has provided me with insights to a much broader range of educational activities. It has also given me the chance to meet with and share views on a whole range of activities that ALT is involved in the EdTech world. I have met so many interesting people, develop new skills but most of all it is a very rewarding experience to feel part of something much bigger than your own institution, I do feel that I am contributing which gives me great satisfaction.” (Fiona Harvey, Chair)
“ALT is the biggest membership organisation in its field, has amazing reach and is involved in a wide range of projects. As a Trustee I have been able to learn more about these and make a contribution in my field of expertise. I would recommend it to anyone interested in developing their knowledge, skills and network, as well making a contribution to the wider community”. (Daniel Clark, Honorary Treasurer)
“I found that as a Trustee of ALT I have worked with colleagues from a variety of backgrounds and with diverse skills. However, we all have a common interest in ensuring that learning technologies are used effectively to enhance learning experiences in all sectors of education and to this end there is a great sense of collective commitment and mutual support. There is no single type of person who can be a Trustee of ALT – our strength comes from our diversity.” (Alastair Clark, Trustees)
“I have gained so much from being a Trustee of ALT both in terms of offering my skills and experience and developing these and my knowledge and expertise. I have been Chair of the Membership Development Committee and also played a key role in taking the CMALT scheme forward. I have represented ALT in a number of different fora and am proud of the Association and what it stands for and what an amazing supportive community of and for practitioners it is”. (Shirley Evans. Trustee)
“I consider being voted to the Board of Trustees as one of the highlights of my career. It truly is a privilege and a pleasure to be part of the Board. ALT really is a community and it thrives on the commitment and passion of everyone involved with it. I am constantly impressed by the level of commitment, vision and passion of the full time ALT staff. Being able to contribute and their support this work is incredibly fulfilling. The Board are a fantastic mix of people and we all learn and support from each other”. (Sheila MacNeill, Trustee)
How can I stand for election to become a Trustee of ALT?
All relevant information is provided online on the ALT website. You can also access and download the 2016 Call for Nominations directly via the ALT Open Access Repository at http://repository.alt.ac.uk/2366/ . The closing date for this year’s nominations is 10 June 2016.
If you are interested in getting more involved in ALT, but standing for election as a Trustee is not for you, then there are a lot of other ways for you to engage. We are always in need of more active members so drop us a line to enquiries@alt.ac.uk and we can help you find what works for you.