Representatives & volunteering

The Committee is elected every year by branch members at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) which usually takes place every May. The Committee leads the branch in bargaining, negotiations and campaigns and postholders can either have a specialist or generalist area of responsibility. Outside of our AGM, members can still volunteer to join the Committee by being co-opted (elected by the Committee) to join.

Academic Year 2023/2024

Some members prefer to get involved as a Departmental Representatives or "Dep Reps" and these are your usual first point of contact if there are any local issues, to receive information and for member meetings in departments. Members join and leave the University and so we don't always have coverage in every department - let us know if you'd like to volunteer in your department.

Through the network of UCU Contacts, we aim to stay in touch with membership concerns and deal with issues that are occurring at local as well as an organisational level.

Professional Services and Academic Related

• Mr James Wright , Admissions Office, University Office
• Mr Christopher Berry, Estates & Residential Services
• Mr Andrew MacGregor , Digital & Information Services, Library
• Lauren Hossack , Digital & Information Services, Library
• Vacancy, Careers Service, Students' Union Building
• Vacancy, Sport & Exercise Team, Aberdeen Sports Village
• Vacancy, Campus Services
• Isabella Fausti , Centre for Academic Development, College Bounds

Biological Sciences

• David Fisher , Zoology Building
• Dr Adam Price , School Of Biological Sciences, Cruickshank Building

Business School

• Vacancy, Business School, Edward Wright Building
• Vacancy, Busines Schoool, Macrobert Building

Divinity, History & Philosophy

• Professor David Clough , Divinity & Religious Studies, King's College
• Dr Nathaniel Greene , Divinity & Religious Studies, King's College
• Dr Camilla Mørk Røstvik , Art History, King's College
• Dr Owen Walsh , History, Crombie Annexe
• Dr Ben Marsden , History, Crombie Annexe
• Dr Alastair Macdonald , History, Crombie Annexe
• Vikki Entwistle , Philosophy, Old Brewery

Education

• Dr Helen Martin , Education, Macrobert Building
• Federica Savore , Counselling, Macrobert Building
• Ms Mel Whitter , Education, Macrobert Building

Engineering

• Dr Amer Syed , Engineering, Fraser Noble Building

Geosciences

• Dr David Cornwell , Geology & Petroleum Geology, Meston Building
• Dr Jeff Oliver , Archaeology, St Mary's
• Dr Nick Spedding , Geography & Environment, St Mary's

Language, Literature, Music & Visual Culture

• Tom Connolly , Administration, Taylor Building
• Dr Elizabeth Elliott , English, Taylor Building
• Dr Jonathan Hicks , Music, Macrobert Building
• Mr Nicolas Le Bigre , Visual Culture & Elphinstone Institute
• Dr Syrithe Pugh , English, Old Brewery
• Prof Patience Schell , Spanish & Latin American Studies, Taylor Building
• Vacancy, Language Centre, Regent Building
• Dr Gundula Sharman , German & French, Taylor Building
• Vacancy, Film & Visual Culture, Old Brewery

Law

• Vacancy, Law, Taylor Building

Natural & Computing Science

• Dr Richard Hepworth , Mathematics, Fraser Noble Building
• Dr Jean-Baptiste Gramain , Mathematics, Fraser Noble Building
• Vacancy, Computing Science, Meston Building
• Dr Bill Harrison , Chemistry & Physics, Meston Building

Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition

• Dr Samuel Atkinson , IMS, IMS Building
• Dr Dimitra Blana , Medicine, Polwarth Building
• Dr Martin Collinson , IMS, IMS Building
• Dr Karolin Hijazi , Dental School
• Vacancy, Health Sciences Building
• Vacancy, Rowett Institute of Nutritional Health

Psychology

• Dr Bert Timmermans , Psychology, William Guild Building

Social Sciences

• Dr Tom Bentley , Politics & International Relations, Edward Wright Building
• Dr Ilia Xypolia , Politics & International Relations, Edward Wright Building
• Dr Christopher Kollmeyer , Sociology, Edward Wright Building
• Dr Nancy Wachowich , Anthropology, Edward Wright Building

Sometimes referred to as Safety Reps, these are specialist roles with protected rights to inspect the workplace, review and consult health and safety matters and investigate safety incidents.

Ways to get invovled

We've outlined key areas for you to consider and you can choose how much or how little you want to do. However you want to volunteer, rest assured that you will get free training, advice and support. Email us if you have any questions or to let us know how you'd like to be active. Generally we encourage all members to:

• Attend general meetings
• Hand out UCU recruitment material to new staff members
• Help at recruitment stalls and induction events
• Contribute to campaigns
• Put up posters

If you volunteer as a Rep:

• You're entitled by law to reasonable paid time to carry out union duties.
• Members in your area of work will see you as an active member, leader in the branch and well regarded part of the university community.

Members can become reps in the following areas:

• Departmental Reps
• Caseworker
• Safety Rep
• Committee

Training and resources

UCU Scotland training
UCU Developing Activists Network
UCU jargon buster