SCROLL DOWN TO THE CHECK OUT THE 4 CANDIDATES RESPONSES!
Eszter Fügedi I graduated in IRES in 2009 and returned to the department as coordinator in 2012, so I know CEU both as an alumna and as a staff member. I have been through the academic year on both sides, have seen the different challenges and their weight.
1. From the admin staff point of view, why is the Senate important?
I believe the Senate is important for the staff as this is the only place where we have an equal vote. The Senate is the place where we can raise our concerns, share our suggestions. At the same time, it is vital for the Senate to have a member who can think practically about the decisions and their implementation. I believe the more diverse the more efficient the Senate can work.
2. What would be your top 3 priorities as member of the Senate?
My top priority would be to share information – both ways. A priority would be to inform the Senate of the administrative perspectives, for which I would consult with colleagues to gather a collective, more complex agenda. More importantly my priority would be to inform my colleagues of the issues and themes raised in the Senate. This should be more personal than accessing the appropriate folder on O:\ The Senate makes decisions that govern everyday life at the university and all of its employees should have an easy and regular access to them.
3. What makes you an outstanding candidate compare to the others?
What makes me a different candidate from my colleagues is that I am a woman in a junior position, so I would represent another viewpoint than most of the Senate members, for the benefit of the whole community. I am an enthusiastic person, always with a strong opinion. Thanks to my position as Program Coordinator at IRES, I interact with students, faculty and staff everyday, so I have the opportunity to form my opinion based on conversations with people from a wide range of positions and backgrounds.
Anything else you would like to add?
Chrys Margaritidis
1. From the admin staff point of view, why is the Senate important?
The Senate is the CEU institutional body where some of the most important decisions are taken regarding the future of the university. As such, it is crucial that the voice of the administrative staff is heard and its interests well represented. This is more so in the Senate's current format: the administrative staff is clearly under-represented and this is something that I would like to address in the future. Representation to the Senate has to be firm and to the point, with the view of furthering the interests of administrative staff as a whole and not of one person or a minority.
2. What would be your top 3 priorities as member of the Senate?
2. What would be your top 3 priorities as member of the Senate?
A. Making sure that the view of the administrative staff counts when important decisions are made
B. Increase transparency by ensuring that administrative staff is aware of what is happening in the Senate
C. Increasing the number of administrative staff representatives
B. Increase transparency by ensuring that administrative staff is aware of what is happening in the Senate
C. Increasing the number of administrative staff representatives
3. What makes you an outstanding candidate compare to the others?
This is my 12th year working at CEU. I have been fortunate enough to experience many aspects of administrative work at CEU from various positions: I started as a coordinator, then became an officer, then head of an office and presently I am the Associate Vice President at Student Services. I am well aware how decisions by higher management are implemented through the crucial work of the administrative staff. Without this continuous support, many of the policies planned would have never been realized. Also, in working together with my colleagues I have always been honest and upfront. I believe that these three elements, my extensive experience in working in different administrative positions, my commitment to transparency and openness, and my faith in the work of my fellow colleagues make me an ideal candidate.
4. Anything else you would like to add? I would like to thank you for providing this opportunity to all of us.
Pusa Nastase
1. From the admin staff point of view, why is the Senate important?
The Senate takes all academic decisions in the university. Most of these decisions have immediate implications for the administrative staff and their daily activities, hence it's important that the staff perspective is clearly communicated at the time of decision making.
2. What would be your top 3 priorities as member of the Senate?
I decided to run for Senate as staff representative because I personally did not feel represented in the past. I was rarely if at all consulted or informed about Senate discussions and decisions. At present my main priority is to facilitate efficient two way communication between administrative staff and Senate members. Once elected I will consult with my colleagues and then formulate the common priorities.
3. What makes you an outstanding candidate compare to the others?
First of all, I come equipped with theoretical knowledge on higher education management, as I am in the late stage of completing my doctorate in Education at Bristol University. My research focus is on governance and management of higher education institutions, issues that are very relevant to being a Senate member.
Second and equally important, I have been working at CEU for 10 years in various units: the Rector's office, School of Public Policy as well as the Special and Extension Programs (SEP) an outreach arm of the university, now no longer existing. I know personally many of my colleagues and am aware of many of the issues staff is confronted with. Third, as trainer on higher education at events organized by international professional associations (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education -CASE, European Association for International Education-EAIE, etc.) my experience is not constricted to the CEU model and paradigm. Last, I am a CEU graduate (LEGS 2001) and for this reason have a personal stake in the future of the university.
4. Anything else you would like to add?
I love working at CEU and I would like to contribute to the university being an even better institution. I also think that with experience comes responsibility and by running for Senate I would like to give something back to the university that has given me and hundreds others so much.
Robert Sata
1. From the admin staff point of view, why is the Senate important?
The Senate should be important for all staff members since it is the highest decision-making body ofthe university. Some might think the Senate only deals with academic matters but in fact its decisions are relevant for all aspects of university life. Moreover, as faculty and students are well represented, every effort should be taken to raise an administrative voice in decisions that will affect our everyday work. I think it is often forgotten that it is not only its faculty and students but the administrative staff that make CEU such an outstanding university – after all, it is the staff that ensures everything runs smoothly.
2. What would be your top 3 priorities as member of the Senate?
Much more should be done to recognize the value of the administrative personnel, although I am happy to see that a few steps have already been takenin the past few years: a Staff Appreciation Day is organized, CEU’s Strategic Plan not only recognizes but also promises to reward staff members, plans for a competitive pension scheme include not only faculty but staff as well, and all administrate units are to be reviewed and evaluated to ensure CEU continues to be an attractive workplace.
I run for the Senate because I am convinced that these initiatives have to be followed up and more effort must be taken in the interest of staff. CEU is at a turning point and the adoption of a new financial model will affect all of us. Crucial decisions will need to be taken in the near future, and the Senate staff member will have an important role in ensuring that staff interest is represented and taken into account. Non-teaching staff is the most numerous group at CEU and I believe that the rules of Senate representation should be changed to ensure that more than a single staff-member can be elected. I had the luck to serve on the Senate and I often found difficult to raise and solve issues being the only staff member.
3. What makes you an outstanding candidate compare to the others?
Since I had been working in several offices at CEU over the years, I have a good understanding that not all staff members will face the same issues but in fact will often disagree about some as working for a teaching unit is very different from working in an administrative one. I believe that any staff representative would have to be able not only to recognize these differences but also represent these when university decisions are made.
*There is a fifth candidate, Lilla Jakobs (Program Manager at the Center for Policy Studies), who unfortunately could not take part in this exercise
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