The July member spotlight is on Sam Bayley, a Department Manager of the Department of Environment & Geography at the University of York. Sam Bayley is one of our current Board of Trustees members and will finish his second term of office at the end of July

Why do you do it?

I joined the Board of Trustees back in 2014. I’d been on the Board of Studies for the PGCert and enjoy being able to contribute to the way the AUA runs at a governance level. I felt I had something to offer in terms of my recent experience of the PGCert, and as a Branch Advocate and Network Coordinator.

It’s a chance to give back to the organisation as well as the sector, and raise the profile of the AUA within my own institution. Being on the Board has also given me the chance to work with – and learn from – some extremely talented people and network across the whole organisation.

What has been the best bit so far?

It’s hard to pick just one thing – in six years I’ve seen fantastic changes to our digital platforms and the membership experience, new professional development events and qualifications, and AUA consultancy. Meanwhile we’ve been working recently to develop a strategy to get us through the coming decade and to explore the possibilities there has been very exciting.

But I also love the buzz of Annual Conference and seeing that the hard work that has been put in energising hundreds of members and improving things across the sector. Being up on stage introducing some stellar speakers and getting to chat with them over a glass of wine at the Gala Dinner has been a real privilege.

Would you recommend the role?

Absolutely – and I would especially recommend those who might be earlier in their career journey but who are nevertheless committed members seriously think about applying. The AUA Board works best when it has a range of views and experiences represented, so show us what you can offer!