Councillor Vanessa LaPointe: ‘You don't have to be a seasoned politician to join the University Council’
Dr Vanessa LaPointe works as an associate professor, and part of her job is also serving for the University Council. "I always saw possible areas for improvement to make the university a better place. As a member of the University Council, I can now really contribute to that." How does LaPointe experience her role as a councillor? And how does she combine this with her other work? We chatted with her about it.
Why did you join the University Council?
"I regularly saw areas for improvement at the university, but didn’t know how to address them. Thanks to the University Council, I can now raise issues with the board. The management is always open to our views; constructive discussions often arise and they really take our input into account. That’s nice to see.
In addition, as a councillor, I learn a lot about what is going on within the university and in the country, for example about policies and budgets. Furthermore, the University Council is a great group of staff and students to work with. There is an informal atmosphere and we learn a lot from each other. For that reason, too, I have enjoyed doing this work so far. This is already my fourth year of serving on the University Council."
"Anyone who cares about the university and is interested in what is going on can be a good councillor. As a member of the University Council, you can really make the university a better place for yourself and others."
How did the elections for the University Council work?
"You don't have to be a seasoned politician to run for election. I am certainly not one myself. A colleague asked me if I wanted to join her party in the University Council. That appealed to me, so I ran. In fact, the University Council is always looking for motivated people to start their own party or join an existing one. Campaigning and putting up posters with my face on was thankfully unnecessary. I was elected as a councillor without all that."
How do you combine the University Council with your other work?
"That is well regulated. My department is compensated for the one day per week I spend on the University Council. This makes it easy to take on the role, because it is not something that has to come on top of your other work. On average, University Council takes me about 7.5 hours a week, including preparation for meetings.
Meetings always take place within office hours, not in the evenings. So, you can still combine it well with your family or social life. Sometimes, I read meeting documents in the evenings, but that is certainly not a requirement."
The University Council, with Councillor Vanessa LaPointe in the second row, third from the right.
Would you recommend others to become councillors?
"Yes, absolutely. Anyone who cares about the university and is interested in what is going on can be a good councillor. As a member of the University Council, you can really make the university a better place for yourself and others. This September I have been doing this work for four years. I would not have wanted to miss it. It is great to see staff and students working together within the University Council to achieve something.
Not sure whether to apply? Join one of our public meetings. Our agenda and meeting documents are public. You are welcome to come along for a look and experience whether council membership could be for you."
Put yourself up for election for the University Council
From 10 to 14 March, you can run as a candidate for the University Council or for one of the Faculty Councils. What is it like to be a council member as an academic staff member, as a support staff member or as a student? In this series, we give council members the chance to talk about their positions as councillors.
Would you also like to have a say in important policy issues at UM? Then stand for election. Perhaps you’ll become one of the faces in the new University Council. Still have questions? Feel free to contact Teun Dekker, chair of the University Council. He’ll be up for a chat via Teams from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on 27 February.
Text: Romy Veul
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