VSSN Executive Officer Appointed

Gareth Morgan writes, on behalf of the VSSN Steering Group...

"The VSSN Steering Group is delighted to announce the appointment of MATTHEW McCLELLAND of the Association of University Administrators (AUA) as the new Executive Officer for VSSN.

VSSN has entered into a contract with AUA to provide the Executive Officer role for VSSN for the next three years, with Matthew McClelland (AUA's Head of Professional Development) as the named officer. This work is funded almost entirely by VSSN members' subscriptions, and we would like to thank VSSN members for their support of this strategic development. (AUA is based at the University of Manchester, but is a charity in its own right.)

The new central contact details for VSSN are now via Matthew as shown on the contacts page.

We would ask everyone to note these details, and to update any directories or web pages which may give information about VSSN. In particular, for the first time VSSN now has its own exclusive telephone number! The e-mail address info@vssn.org.uk now goes directly to Matthew McClelland at the VSSN Office.

We wish to stress that the Steering Group members will remain actively involved in many aspects of the day to day work of VSSN - it is NOT a case of handing everything over to Matthew! In my own case, for example, I am handing over to Matthew much the day to day Membership Secretary work, but I am still busy as as VSSN Treasurer, and the 2007 VSSN members research directory is continuing to be handled by Rob Macmillan and myself.

However, several key tasks will be co-ordinated by Matthew and, in particular, the following are now in his hands with immediate effect:

(a) Dealing with general queries about VSSN from prospective members or external parties

(b) Keeping membership records

(c) Receiving applications for membership, subscriptions, etc.

If you haven't yet joined as a formal Member of VSSN, you can do so online here and your details will now go automatically to Matthew.

Over the summer he will also be taking on other roles in relation to the website and the external marketing of VSSN.

Matthew will be at the VSSN Day Conference in London on Wed 16 May and we hope as many members as possible will be able to make that event to meet him (as well as to hear some very good papers). If you haven't yet booked for the seminar note that all the details are available here.

The Steering Group would like to thank all those who submitted tenders for the Exec Officer role - there was a range of strong proposals from VSSN members and others. Matthew McClelland/AUA were only selected after very detailed consideration by the Steering Group including written submissions and interviews."