Student chapter launched at Lincoln University
A pioneering new student organisation is being launched at the University of Lincoln to produce the business leaders of the future.
The University’s Lincoln Business School will host the first undergraduate student chapter of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) in the c
ountry.
The launch of the group, the result of a collaborative project between the local CMI branch and business students, is to be held on the 29 September 2009.
The student chapter will be opened by Rob Bennett, Regional Manager of CMI, and Paula O’Brien, Senior Lecturer at the University of Lincoln.
Rob Bennett said: “The Chartered Management Institute is very pleased to support this exciting initiative at both regional and local levels. We see that by encouraging this venture we are providing the business students of today with opportunities to build their skills, knowledge and experiences of working in the business world, thus improving their employability, and most importantly, helping to create high quality managers and leaders for the future.”
The student chapter will enable business and management students to develop their employability skills by working with local branch members and SMEs in the East Midlands region. Students will be able to engage with practitioners in business forums, invite guest speakers and organise visits to companies which they feel will support their studies. Students are keen to organise events that develop their teambuilding, leadership, creativity, critical thinking and enterprise skills.
Professor David Head, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Lincoln, said: “We greatly value our association with the CMI, and we are both proud and delighted to be the first university in the country to have a CMI undergraduate student chapter. Our students are very excited at the prospect of working closely with the CMI, and I am very confident that this relationship will be of considerable long-term benefit to them. I wish the CMI student chapter every success.”
I spoke with Sarah Machin, one of the student founders of the group.
AG: Hi Sarah, welcome to the CMI
SM: Hi Adi
AG: How did the student chapter come about?
SM: At The University of Lincoln where I am studying we have a Chartered Institute of Marketing and a fellow Business Studies student - James, decided there was a 'gap in the Student Union market' if you like to develop a branch of the Chartered Management Institute. From then on his house mate Chris - now vice to James became involved and through our tutor Paula O'Brien one by one myself and seven others became involved. The team has been devised to focus on different aspects to make others aware of the CMI when September arrives for the new Undergraduates at the university. It now consists of James -Chairman, Chris - Vice Chairman, Keeley - PR, Mhairi and Michelle - Marketing, Sarah (myself) and Kelly - Recruitment and Laura General Assistant. Paula O'Brien as touched on before is a Senior Lecturer at the University and is guiding us with her knowledge as well as providing very useful with a range of contacts. Nick is a graduate from The University of Lincoln and often liases between ourselves and The Lincolnshire County Council - the location of CMI meetings.
AG: What steps have you taken to prepare for the September launch?
SM: Earlier in the year we arranged a meeting at the County Council with the members of the Institute and devised and presented a proposal for our student chapter. After the meeting and being given the go ahead we have had many meetings to ensure the CMI of The University of Lincoln is ready for September 2009. After contacting the Student Union we now have a proposed programme in place for the new students. Our main hurdle is marketing this venture in a positive light. From past experience of seeing, year on year, the hockey, netball and football unions and so on full of interested students it is noticable that the more academic groups or societies are less well populated and this is a trend we aim to alter.
AG: What will the group offer to new students?
The launch programme will include the following:
29/09/09:- Launch day 5pm - 8:30pm approx, Speed dating event (icebreaker), buffet, followed by talks from Rob Bennett, Paula O'Brien and student stories.
27/10/09:- Placement meeting (time and place to be arranged), finding out from past students about work placements to emphasise the importance possibly as a speed dating event although exact structure to be considered.
17/11/09: - RAF Cornwell for team building and leadership.
01/12/09:- Visit to Corby H/O London. A bus trip to the head office - bus organised by Student Union.
29/01/10:- Rapstrap Dragons Den - why ideas fail? Marketing influenced.
XX/01/10:- Committee members only - Regional event. Possibly have own platform.
XX/02/10:- Schools/Colleges event. - To gain interest at an earlier age.
XX/03/10:- Event Visit. 5 Managers to talk for 10 mins each. Possibility for buffet etc.
XX/04/10:- Community Engagement. Michelle working together with the Lincolnshire County Council.
XX/05/10:- End of Year Celebrations. Time and Place TBA.
AG: Sounds like a lot of stuff you have planned, best of luck with it Sarah and do keep us informed with how it goes
SM: If you would like any more information regarding The University of Lincoln Student Chapter I would be happy to e-mail you further. It's really nice to get this sort of interest and I hope through the use of Twitter and other modern resources as well as sheer hard work my self and my fellow students we can make a go of this project and make it successful for years to come.
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Comments
Chapters such as these can be very successful because they are driven by the desire of the students to improve their CV, get involved with something, and become more employable. I helped run a chapter of 'Bright Futures' which is a nationwide employability organisation.
This sounds really good Sarah, congratulations for setting it up. Will you be running your own business or any similar kind of project amongst yourselves whilst at university?
Thank you for your comments. We hope we can make it a success also Simon, with regards to getting people interested and realising the positive effect being a member of the CMI, we feel this is our biggest challenge, as I said when talking to Adrian the football societies and so on tend to have full tables of interest on freshers week and more academic societies not so. We have decided to plan a proposed schedule with exciting yet educational events on it to get the students interested from the first week. Andrea, as for setting up another business it is something I'd love to do in the future but at present I am studying for my degree, setting up cmi
and also I have trained to management level in a retail store in Lincoln and run the store on my days off university so I want to focus on my current commitments for the time being.
Sounds like a very good idea and a way of differentiating vs other universities/programmes. Good luck!
Sounds good. So will you get membership from this Sarah? Are you studying towards any CMI qualifications etc.?
It's good that the students are being introduced to the CMI and the virtues of membership with a professional organisation early. I'm sure the CMI will also benefit from having the input from the student chapter.
I do gain membership to the cmi due to our student chapter and will definately be training towards additional qualifications, I
am currently a manager which I think adds alot to my cv at the start of my career after I graduate but having membership and qualifications with a professional body I believe will only help me be more successful in my career and believe with more students having the option to join at a younger age it will help not only other students like me but the cmi also in gaining interest from a young generation.
The other great part about the CMI is the networking opportunities, so you can go along, learn something valuable and then get to meet like minded people with all levels of experience and share advice and support.
Have you linked in with other Universities / colleges to share your experiences and possibly replicate what you've achieved in Lincoln?
We haven't as yet, I think we need to focus on getting the cmi up and running and making it a success but that is a brilliant opportunity and most definately something we will do in the future. Although I am going into my final year I'd love to help run it in future years. As for networking it is a major Advantage especially during these times where graduate jobs are hard to come buy. I knuw many people who are looking with not a huge amount of luck, if anyone one of us coukd get our foot in the door through networking it would be a great help.
With students being students, it might be worth organising plenty of social events. Brand them as networking, or team building exercises. Great idea though, best of luck with it.