► The Board of Trustees

What is the Board of Trustees and why do we need it?

The Board of Trustees is a requirement of the Students’ Union being a charity. It means that the overall direction and running of the Students’ Union is overseen by a wider range of people with a variety of experience, backgrounds, and skills. It helps improve decision making, efficiency and accountability of Officers and Staff at the organisation.

Who sits on the Board of Trustees?

The Board has four Officer Trustees elected by the whole student body on an annual basis. They hold the positions of President, Education Officer, Student Activities Officer and Campaigns and Welfare Officer. We have four positions for External Trustees which are filled by experienced and distinguished people from the public, private, and charitable sectors. The External Trustees are not elected by students but instead recruited by the Board of Trustees’ Appointments Committee.

The Board will be completed by two positions for Student Trustees from the wider student body. They are nominated by the Board’s Appointments Committee and elected by Student Council.

How are Trustees chosen?

The four Officer Trustees are the elected student leadership of the Students’ Union, working with the General Manager and other staff. The full Trustee Board meets on a regular basis throughout the year to discuss the progress and long term strategy of the Students’ Union. The entire Trustee Board will be involved in discussions and decisions on any major changes. It will monitor the risks, the policies and procedures, and ensure systems are in place to ensure officer and staff accountability. This ensures that the Students’ Union develops and is effective in meeting the needs of Teesside’s students.

Here’s a full list and short biographies of all our current Trustees (Get up to the minute info about the Officer Trustees here)

OFFICER TRUSTEES

Lori Wheatman - President

Lori is from Wrea Green in Lancashire and a former student staff member. She was elected President of the Students’ Union in March 2010.

Her key responsibilities are representing student opinion and lobbying for change to the most senior figures in the University as well as external bodies like the National Union Of Students (NUS). She also oversees the running of the Students’ Union on behalf of students, leads the Executive Officer team, upholds the Students’ Union constitution and works to advance democracy in the Students’ Union.

Phil Makinson - Education Officer

Phil is from Durham and a former Journalism student, he's the first elected officer to focus solely on education and academic issues following a restructure of the officer roles earlier this year.

His key responsibilities are gathering feedback from students about their academic experience and representing student opinion to key university committees or academic staff and running campaigns to tackle academic problems such as plagiarism and poor feedback from academics.

Tony Clapham - Student Activities Officer

Tony is from Leeds and a former student staff member who worked in the SU Shop, he was also Chair of the Men's Football Club. He was elected Student Activities Officer in March 2010.

His key responsibilities includes supporting the development and running of all the Students’ Union’s clubs and societies, overseeing the running of the Students’ Union’s Activities Centre and organising key events such as sports varsities, the Annual Awards Dinner and the annual Athletic Union Tour. He also works closely with the University to develop sport and recreation amongst the student body.

Jenny Gill - Campaigns and Welfare Officer

Jenny is from Sunderland and was already a familiar face at the SU having given up many hours as a volunteer and chaired the Raise and Give (RAG) Society before she was elected Campaigns and Welfare Officer in March 2010.

Her key responsibilities include running a range of campaigns to raise student awareness of health and personal safety, working with Advisers in The Link to provide support to students who are having difficulties and building the relationship between the SU and key external agencies like Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Service and the Health Authority.

EXTERNAL TRUSTEES

The Students’ Union thanks John McCoy, a distinguished local restauranter and events promoter, for his hard work and input as an External Trustee and member of the Students’ Union Board over the past year. John leaves his post with immediate effect. Lori Wheatman, President said: “John has provided terrific support, advice and ideas to the Students’ Union over the past year and we thank him for his important contribution and time as one of the very first members of the Board of Trustees.” John’s depature creates a vacancy on the board, the Students’ Union will be advertising the External Trustee opportunity in coming weeks and there will be a chance for students to nominate their “Dream External Trustee”, more info to follow.

John McCoy - Entrepreneur/Bluesman

Middlesbrough born John is an entrepreneur,raconteur, restauraunteur and rock club promoter who has enjoyed a remarkable life and career. Educated at what was then known as Constantine College in the sixties he was training as a chef when he began promoting evening events for young people in Middlesbrough and playing in legendary local band The Crawdaddies.

John then resolved to bring some of the big music names he kept hearing about from friends, who were studying in big cities, to Teesside and started to promote gigs featuring up and coming British and American acts. He quickly attracted the likes of The Who, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, legendary bluesmen like John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson, Stevie Wonder and, in their first ever gig outside London, The Rolling Stones to the area. He has sustained a long, hugely successful career which has also included setting up and running the internationally acclaimed Tontine restaurant near Osmotherley in North Yorkshire.

"I was surprised and extremely flattered to be invited to become a Trustee on a campus I have seen grow from humble beginnings to University Of The Year over the last fifty years! I will endeavour to help all I can to enhance the student experience and hopefully help the new generation realise what a great soul this area has. Perhaps we can persuade more students to stay after graduation and pursue their own careers while helping the area go forward and become a better place for future generations."

Dr Mark Fishpool - Director of Middlesbrough Environment City

Mark is originally from New Marske and has a wealth ofexperience of the voluntary sector, funding and charity law. Aside from his extensive academic achievements, this has been gained by working for a range of organisations committed to raising the public’s environmental awareness and conserving wildlife and green areas in Teesside. He has previously shared his skills and experience by acting as a Trustee on several charities or trusts with similar aims. Mark’s current role is Director of independent environmental charity Middlesbrough Environment City with whom both the University and Students’ Union have worked closely on environmental and Fairtrade projects over the past few years.

"I was flattered to be asked to be one of the first External Trustees and although I’m being asked to share my skills and experience I think of it as just as big an opportunity for me. Alongside helping the Students’ Union to keep improving I also want to work closely with the Executive Officers and the wider student body on projects designed to raise environmental awareness and sustainability. I think it’s vital to make stronger links with people who will, after all, be the generation who are set to experience the most dramatic environmental changes we have ever known."

Liz Barnes - Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Derby

Liz has worked in Higher Education for 23 years, most recently at Teesside University where she was Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Law. Throughout her career she has contributed significantly to the development of learning and teaching with a particular focus on enhancing the student experience. As a governor of a local sixth form college she was also able to develop her understanding of Further Education and to support raising aspirations and transition to Higher Education. She is now Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Derby with responsibility for the student experience and works closely with the Students’ Union to align and maximise the activities of the University and the SU.

"I was delighted and flattered to be asked to become an External Trustee for Teesside’s Students’ Union. I had a fantastic time working at Teesside and had developed an excellent working relationship with the Students’ Union. I hope that my experience and understanding of the sector and the operation of Students’ Unions will support them in continuing to provide top class facilities and support for students."

Pip Schofield - Senior Human Resources Client Officer, Middlesbrough Council

Having started her career in the private sector, Pip has spent the past 12 years working in the public sector, mainly in Local Government, with a short period in the NHS.

She is currently Senior HR Client Officer at Middlesbrough Council where her responsibilities include taking the corporate lead on managing attendance and wellbeing; recruitment, selection and retention; the employment aspects of Diversity, and developing and leading a range of strategic HR initiatives. She is also the Placement Coordinator for the Local Authority national graduate development programme management trainees.

With a first BA (Hons) degree in European Languages & Institutions and Post Graduate diploma in HR Management, she is currently completing a Post Graduate diploma in Coaching for Performance & Leadership at Northumbria University. She is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development and the British Psychological Society.

"I feel privileged and delighted to have been asked to become one of the first External Trustees for Teesside University’s Students' Union. During my time working in Middlesbrough I have witnessed the University’s remarkable growth and its increasing international reputation. I hope that I can make a positive contribution to the Students’ Union and work with them to further enrich the students’ experience of life here in Middlesbrough."

STUDENT TRUSTEES