Policy_Plan_2012-2013_Engels

Policy Plan 2012 - 2013

Date : 18-9-2012 Student Association : of CoUrsE!

Author : 10th Board University : University of Technology Eindhoven

Contact : [email protected] Master Program : Construction Management and

Website : www.ofcoursecme.com : Engineering

Policy Plan 2012-2013 Student Association of CoUrsE! 2

Preface

In front of you lies the policy plan of the 10th board of Of CoUrsE! For September 2012 –

September 2012. This is also the year in which the board celebrates its second lustrum. Of

CoUrsE! is the student association for the master track Construction Management and

Engineering (CME) at the Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/e). In this policy plan are the

main goals described for the student association for the upcoming year. This policy is based on

the experiences of the previous boards of Of CoUrsE! But it is also based upon experiences and

ideas from the last academic year. From this the general objectives for the next year are formed.

Besides the general objectives there are general and specific policy issues described, based in

the present and the future. The policy issues always have a link towards the objectives. These

objectives and policy issues form the general line for the next board year.

With kind regards,

On behalf of the 10th board of student association of CoUrsE!

Chairwoman : Nathalie Kerstens

Secretary/Vice-chairman : Bob van Thiel

Treasurer : Thomas Borger

Commissioner Education : Uasima Chaibi

Commissioner Public Relations : Javad Alizadeh

Commissioner Activities : Luuk Wijnholts

Commissioner Study Tour : Jakko Heinen

Commissioner !ntervisie : Guido van Veen


Content

1. General objectives ....................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1 General points ......................................................................................................................................................... 4

1.2 Target 2012 – 2013 ............................................................................................................................................... 4

2. Specific objects ............................................................................................................................................ 5

2.1 Activities .................................................................................................................................................................... 5

2.2 !ntervisie commission .......................................................................................................................................... 6

2.3 Education .................................................................................................................................................................. 6

2.4 Public Relations ...................................................................................................................................................... 7

2.5 Secretarial tasks ..................................................................................................................................................... 7

2.6 Finance ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7

3. Board members 2012 – 2013 .................................................................................................................. 8

3.1 Chairwoman ............................................................................................................................................................. 8

3.2 Secretary and Vice chairman ............................................................................................................................ 8

3.3 Treasurer ................................................................................................................................................................... 9

3.4 Commissioner !ntervisie ..................................................................................................................................... 9

3.5 Commissioner Education ................................................................................................................................. 10

3.6 Commissioner Public Relations .................................................................................................................... 10

3.7 Commissioner Activities .................................................................................................................................. 10

3.8 Commissioner Study trip ................................................................................................................................. 11


1. General objectives

1.1 General points

The student association has the main goal to provide additional value to the master track CME.

Objectives that flow from this perspective are:

Look after the interests of the students of the master track CME, and other students that

are in some way involved;

Improvement of interaction between the students/members and the enterprises;

Improvement of interaction between the students/member themselves;

Improvement of interaction between students/members and employees of the TU/e;

Safeguard and improve the quality of the education;

Safeguard the continuity of the student association by acting as an active association

towards new members;

Providing information related to the education;

Providing of possibilities for students to participate in certain self-development programs

(e.g. commissions);

Providing an alumni network for graduates.

In the first place, the board is responsible for the realization of these objectives. Supportive are

the different commissions, the Board of Advice (Raad van Advies) and the Committee of

Recommendations (Comité van Aanbevelingen). To achieve these objectives a good interaction is

required between Of CoUrsE!, the active members and other related members. Also of

importance is the communication towards students. A pro-active approach will aid the student

association to involve the members on what the association is doing.

1.2 Target 2012 – 2013

The objectives of the next year arise from the general points of Of CoUrsE! and the

brainstorming sessions of the new board. In these objectives the importance of the interaction

between the different parties is constantly addressed. This can both be national and

international parties. Especially on international grounds, we want to improve the connection Of

CoUrsE! has with other companies and players. From our own experience we want to address

this issue. Therefor our target for 2012-2013 will be:

´Professionalization and internationalization of CME´

As far as professionalization goes, the association Of CoUrsE! does not want to be just an

organization that organizes activities for its members, but also wants to be an organization that

wants to improve quality, reputation and involvement of different disciplines. Also, we as board

want to take an advising role towards the members/students. The main target group for this

would be the transition students.


2. Specific objects

The general objectives are there to transfer the mind-set of the board towards the members and

all involved parties. Subsequently the 10th board has also specific objectives that we want to

achieve. In the upcoming paragraphs these specific objectives will be discussed. To make it clear,

a subdivision is made between the different functions within the board.

As is shown in the general objectives, is the goal of the 10th board to continue with the work set

in motion by the 9th board. This are topics like the further improvement of the involvement of

the members, the further improvement of the awareness for the master track CME along with

the awareness for the student association. These points require a tight interaction between the

board, members, any involved players and future members. By improving these points, Of

CoUrsE! is able to act as a single entity externally. Internally are members, divided over several

years and from different surroundings, able to support each other by getting in touch with each

other in an early stage. To achieve this goal, there will be meetings with either a noncommittal

or a study related approach. The commissions will also help to improve the involvement

amongst the members. More involvement leads to a heightened sense of involvement and

knowledge, to finally convey this knowledge to the surroundings; the 3TU and the HBO

institutions.

2.1 Activities

To increase the involvement of members, the board wants to organize activities throughout the

year by and for its members. A distinction can be made between study-related activities such as

visits to companies, case studies and instructions, but also fun activities including the annual

bowling night and the barbecue. For the large, study-related activities, which grand the

possibility to take a peek into practice, the members of CME can join a committee to actively

contribute to the work of the association. The committees are:

!ntervisie commission: Twice a year Of CoUrsE! Distributes the !ntervisie. This is the theme

sheet with current issues / topics, linked to fields which are relevant for CME students. To

get these articles for the magazine collected, combined and pushed a motivated committee is

needed. Interesting aspects include business visits, interviews with senior figures within the

business community and alumni and developments in the relevant markets. At the head of

the committee, the Commissioner !ntervisie. This will be further explained under 2.2.

Study trip commission: With the successful conclusion of the study trip to Brazil in 2011

(http://www.ofcoursetour.com), craves the board for a new destination. Of course, because

it's also lustrum year. This study trip will be one of the leading activities of this lustrum year.

Commissioner concerns the study trip has already been appointed, but active members who

like to take part of the planning for this trip are always welcome!

Conference commission: This committee will have to be formed. If the committee fails to

be formed, then the conference for November 2012 will not occur. The opportunity lies in

the 2nd semester. As board, we would like to see the return of this annual conference. Those

interested to participate in this committee are welcome!

Public Relations commission: This committee has his focus on the connection with

companies and maintaining these contacts. But also to maintain and establish new

sponsorship contracts. This committee will be represented by the Commissioner Public


Relations, Javad Alizadeh, and Nathalie Kerstens, Chairwoman of student association of

CoUrsE!

Lustrum Commission: Because this year the 2nd lustrum anniversary of CoUrsE! will be

celebrated, a separate committee is composed. This commission consists of alumni and a

representative from the 10th Board; Luuk Wijnholts, Commissioner activities.

Another purpose of Of CoUrsE! is to optimize the binding of the Members through sociability

issues. By offering early activities to get to know each other this binding may occur. The first

activity to support this is the CME-lunch for all new and current students, along with teachers,

getting to know each other is the main objective. As the year progresses, more activities will

occur like the aforementioned bowling night.

2.2 !ntervisie commission

Although similar to the aforementioned, the !ntervisie commission will be discussed separately,

there in imitation of the 9th Board this year a Commissioner !ntervisie will be on the board in

the person of Guido van Veen. The knowledge gained by his predecessor Ruud van Beek will be

transferred by means of a script. Along with this acquired knowledge, a new committee will be

brought together during the year in search for suitable themes, interviews, 3TU collaboration,

Alumni and relevant studies to bring these under the attention of the members and stakeholders

of or CoUrsE!

With the continuation of the function a sound basis for a good magazine is provided to convey

the knowledge to the subsequent years. The committee also holds a direct link to the board,

allowing the exchange of information will take place faster. The Commissioner !ntervisie will,

with the acquired information from Ruud van Beek, release a new !ntervisie sheet next academic

year. In the search for suitable topics and interviews, there will always be a visible link with the

objective within the policy, professionalization and internationalization.

2.3 Education

There are a few general objectives that play a role in the tasks of the commission of education.

These are:

Safeguard and improve the quality of the education;

Safeguard the continuity of the student association by acting as an active association

towards new members;

Providing information related to the education.

In line with the central objective of the Education Board the main objective will be the

improvement of the interconnection and communication between teachers and students, which

will also result in a better quality of education. The Education Commissioner remains the point

of contact for any complaints and questions from the angle of both students and teachers.

Besides this passive form of information provision, there is the ambition to actively offer

information about education, as two years ago is done through the lecture on Systems

Engineering in the context of the course Orientation & Integration. With all this, extra attention

will be paid to monitor the international character of the master CME, in both the content of the

courses and the communication to the students. Also, the distribution of subjects over the year


and the associated workload are examined. In addition to the objectives and ambition set in

previous years, the new board would also like to take an active attitude to the students. Students

can make use of the opportunity to enter into a personal conversation with one of the board

members about the possibilities within CME, but also for advice on how to personally organize

the study.

2.4 Public Relations

The old board was faced with expiring contracts of companies in sponsorship. For the

administrative year 2012 - 2013 additional efforts will be made to these companies to set up a

new contract. A particular focus should be looking for a main sponsor for years to come. There

will be a good look at what we can offer companies and what the companies are looking for. This

will require a separate policy to be developed. That way there will be attempted to extend the

sponsor contracts and maintain them for a long time. Integrating students, education and

industry is a main objective of the 10th Board of Of CoUrsE!, where a varied program of activities

and excursions will ensure that students get a good impression of what the industry has to offer

to the student in the future. Students can thus orient themselves upon the industry and already

make contacts for graduation.

2.5 Secretarial tasks

The secretariat will mainly take care of a well-structured communication between the board and

students, professors and external stakeholders. In the context of the internationalization of Of

CoUrsE! communication will often be bilingual or English only. From the international students

it is more and more clear that they also like to become involved in the study association. In

addition, every year more international students start with CME. Of Course! cannot and does not

want to evade this matter and will continue where previous boards have ended this year. The

information present on the website will be maintained; any new topics and features can be

added.

2.6 Finance

It is known that the balance of study association Of CoUrsE! is healthy. This stable financial base

is constructed by the previous boards, which the 10th year of administration of CoUrsE! will

seek to build up slightly. Besides the fact that there will be attempted to slightly heighten the

balance, there are a few main objectives that are considered important:

Knowing the fact that this year is the second lustrum of the association, there will be a

larger spending to facilitate activities. With this knowledge there should be a critical note

towards the budget for the next year.

Another point are the sponsor contracts; several contracts are expiring and will have to be

extended. A number of sponsors already confirmed that they want to continue their

sponsorship. In collaboration with Public Relations these companies will be contacted for

a possible extension of the sponsor contract.

Finally there should be effort in achieving new sponsor contracts. It is preferred to find a

new main sponsor for a longer period of time.


3. Board members 2012 – 2013

3.1 Chairwoman

My name is Nathalie Kerstens. I am happy to fulfill the task

of chairman of the 10th Board of CoUrsE!.

Five years ago I started the study of industrial building

engineer in Belgium. The focus of this study was mainly on

structural design and construction techniques. When I

received this master’s degree, it was time for a new

adventure! I found it important to have a broader view of

the construction world and to understand the underlying

processes better. This is why I decided to move to

Eindhoven to study the master CME. After living and

studying here for over one year, I feel quite at home here! To also plan an adventure for the

upcoming year, I decided to commit myself to become a board member and to give myself 100%

for this job!

I'm really looking forward to working with my board members to ensure that all CME students

can get the best out of our society this year!

3.2 Secretary and Vice chairman

My name is Bob van Thiel. Within the 10th board of of

CoUrsE! I shall fill in the function of secretary and vice

chairman.

Before I started with the master CME, I studied civil

engineering on the University of Arnhem and Nijmegen.

After that, I toke a year off. In this year I went to Australia

for backpacking and afterwards I worked at a contractor in

the Netherlands. When I was back from backpacking, I also

orientated what I want to do next year. In a few days it was

clear to me that I want to go study again. The master CME at

the University of Technology Eindhoven was the perfect

continuation. This master give you the possibility to look into the building process on different

levels and get more insight of many related disciplines. This large view in the construction

industry pleased me and I’m still happy with my choice!

Because of my good choice I worked with pleasure on the University last year. Because of my

interests and pleasure, I decided to join the board of of CoUrsE! for the next year. Together with

my colleagues of of CoUrsE! I want to make a great 2nd lustrum year!


3.3 Treasurer

My name is Thomas Borger. Within the 10th board of student

association of CoUrsE! I will fulfill the role of treasurer.

Before I started my master CME, I studied the Bachelor

Architecture at the University of Eindhoven. Never with the aim

to become an architect. I was more interested in planning and the

organization of processes. This had an immediate effect that after

the first year of Architecture I opted for further training towards

Planning and Management.

I started my Master in February. Now the new academic year has

started, it seems a good time to see if I can do something for the

student association of CME. Given my background, it was quite obvious that I would fulfill the

treasurer role. I expect a nice and positive cooperation between the 10th board and its

members. I would say: feel free to visit us on the 5th floor in Vertigo.

3.4 Commissioner !ntervisie

My name is Guido van Veen. Within the 10th Board of the study

association of CoUrsE! I will fulfill the role of Commissioner

!ntervisie (head editor of the !ntervisie magazine).

After completing my high school, I started my Bachelor of Build

Environment at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam. After the first

year at the HvA I had to choose a specialization. My choice fell on

Construction Management. In my fourth year I graduated on Lean

Management inside the construction industry. During this study

period I realized that I still wanted to follow a sequel study

program for deepening and widening of my knowledge. After a

long search, I crossed the Master Construction Management and

Engineering at the TU/e. In my opinion a valuable addition to my

Bachelor to learn more about the scientific and international side of the building industry.

Besides the study I like to work for the Study Association. I hope it will be good, pleasant and

fruitful year!


3.5 Commissioner Education

My name is Uasima Chaibi and my ambition is to perform the

function of commissioner of education wisely during the

academic year 2012-2013.

After completed my bachelor study successfully, I decided, due

my interest in process management, to study the 3TU master

Construction Management and Engineering.

During my studies I did always a lot of things next to it. After a

year away from almost all the boards, I’ll be back this year!

Together with my seven colleagues I’ll get the challenge to bring of CoUrsE! to more success.

Do you have questions or comments about the study, just mail me! Also for a nice talk you can

address me.

3.6 Commissioner Public Relations

My name is Javad Alizadeh. After my Bachelor of Build

Environment at the Hogeschool Rotterdam I started my 3TU

master program Construction Management and Engineering at

the Eindhoven University of Technology in September 2011. I'm

choosing this master program because I am interested in the

development of the construction sector at international level.

I like being active and I spend my time with nice activities with

responsibility. Besides my study I chose to participate in the

management of of CoUrsE!. Within the Board, I will to perform the role of commissioner public

relations. Because of this I hope to make a professional relation with companies’ which CME

operates.

3.7 Commissioner Activities

My name is Luuk Wijnholts. In the second Lustrum year of of

CoUrsE! I will fulfill the function of commissioner Activities.

Before I started the master CME, I graduated in the study Built

Environment at the Higher Education school of Arnhem and

Nijmegen. During this study I found out that my interest is

focused on the management in the Built Environment.

Next to the socializing activities to optimize the binding of the

members of of CoUrsE!, there will be study related activities

planned. In addition of the function commissioner Activities, I

will fulfill a function in the Lustrum Commission.


3.8 Commissioner Study trip

My name is Jakko Heinen. I will take the responsibility for organizing

the study trip this year!

Before I started the master Construction Management &

Engineering, I studied HBO Construction at Avans 's-Hertogenbosch.

I decided to broaden my field of management after had I my

Bachelor’s degree.

After finishing my pre-master last year, I decided to work for the

student association of CoUrsE! I hope it will be a pleasant and

sociable year for the 10th board and members.

Documents

Policy_Plan_2012-2013_Engels