Linda Skulme: ‘My year as Chairperson of the Student Union was a combination of work and pleasure’

This year Linda Skulme, a 4th year physiotherapy student at the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Faculty of Rehabilitation, is a senior member of the Student Union, but in 2018 she was the Chairperson of this student organisation.

Linda joined the Student Union in her first year and became the Head of the Department of Sports and Cultural Affairs after one year. She is still a Councillor for the Faculty of Rehabilitation so she has not, in her words, ‘left completely.’ She continues: ‘I was afraid that my involvement in the union would lessen after the end of my term, and that I would no longer want to come here [to the SU office – editor's note], but the Student Union is like a second home to me. I've spent a lot of time there and it has been a priceless experience.’

Linda Skulme in November 2018 in the RSU cafeteria at the closing event for the election of the new Board. Photo from the RSU Student Union archive. 

What was the year as the Chairperson of the Student Union like for you overall?

I knew what I was applying for, but you naturally don't know everything until you try it. Most of the work was new to me. I saw how the previous chairpersons who mentored me did things, but it's completely different when you have to do it yourself.

Overall the year was very interesting – rich in experience, challenging, unforgettable, exciting... And I was really living that year instead of just getting by! I am very happy that I made the decision to become chairperson, although the position comes with great responsibility and constant pressure from all sides.

Did you not want to apply for the same position again?

Frankly, many people asked me to, but I didn't want to – first of all, because this is my last year of studies, and second of all, because one year is sufficiently long. I accomplished a lot, and it took a lot of energy. I wouldn't have another year like that in me.

If you want to invest 100% you need to understand that the whole year is going to be like a marathon. If you were to start sprinting you would give up already after the first few meters, because you would have no energy left, and could lead to burning out. If you want to work wholeheartedly for an entire year you have to maintain both your emotional and physical health. If someone aims to be chairperson for two years they would have to plan differently for that period as it’s longer, but since I was expecting to be chairperson for only one year, I wanted to give it my all and planned accordingly.

March 2018. The Spring Academic Seminar in the RSU Student House (3 Palasta iela). Photo from the RSU Student Union archive.

What were you like as chairperson?

It's hard to answer that! You should ask others. (Laughs)

I like to clear things up with people from the beginning, so that is exactly what I did in this position – I tried to solve arguments and find compromises in different situations through direct communication. Not behind someone's back, but openly – face to face. The Board is not chosen by the chairperson, rather it is elected by the Council. Everyone in my team was therefore initially testing one other and squabbling, and I was in the middle of it trying to keep in mind that we have work to do no matter what!

Maybe somebody found my leadership style too authoritative, or too democratic, but I always allowed everyone to have a say in meetings, as well as on other occasions. It’s important for me to know what everyone else on the team thinks. I don't support individual decision making in matters that will eventually affect a large part of the student body. It was great if our opinions matched, but if not, we discussed them until we found common ground. I didn't want anyone to be unheard or ignored.

What do you miss the most now that you are no longer the chairperson?

I feel that I miss actively participating in the Student Union, because I've been loyal to this organisation since my first year. Of course health, family, friends and hobbies matter to me, but this place was my second family, and a place to heal. Many members have become close friends. Without the daily routine of being chairperson I feel as if a vital organ has been removed from my body. During the three years that I was actively engaged in the union it was the place where I spent most of my time.

Since I became chairperson, I don't remember a day going by without thinking about the union and my duties. I was used to my organiser being full – I had a lot of duties, meetings, events etc. Now I have more spare time.

What is the most important thing that you got out of this experience?

I have become more confident, and received great experience in working with people. I have met so many different people through this position, and have gained new contacts that might be useful in the future.

Over the year I saw how much I can achieve, but I also understood that I could do so much because I was doing something I liked and was interested in. The union is very close to my heart! My year as the Chairperson of the Student Union has been a great combination of both work and pleasure.

Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis (on the right) visits RSU. From the left: RSU Rector Aigars Pētersons, Chairperson of the Student Union Linda Skulme. 5 March 2018.

What is the accomplishment you feel most satisfied with?

I'm most satisfied with our team work and with how the various tasks and approaches, which lead to our overall achievements last year, progressed.

In addition to tackling new tasks we also worked on completing projects that had been started before us like, for example, renewing university regulations.

As you may know this academic year was pronounced the Year of Science at RSU. Therefore we started a lot of projects to engage students in research. There are a lot of new lectures and classes in the Researchers' Academy on offer this year, which were developed in cooperation with the Alumni Association, along with other events to provide students with opportunities to learn about science, how to participate in research, and how to write a good research paper etc. We have observed that students are not interested in things that they don't understand so it is important to explain and to educate.

Some of our other achievements include new projects like the International Seminar where local and international students can meet, and the Research Seminar where students can receive information about ways in which to get involved in research.

We also organised projects such as Etiquette together with the Alumni Association, and developed a platform with information about topics relevant to students – such as science, various academic matters, and cultural events – on the union's website: sp.rsu.lv

We worked on improving the study environment: the central RSU library became available 24/7; the Medical Education Technology Centre received new desks; the Anatomical Theatre is now also open to students on Sundays; soon students will have access to a new e-studies mobile application that we worked on together with the IT Department for a long time.

Over the course of this year I mostly focused on creating my own team, and organising their work, because in my opinion each representative has to be capable of doing everything that is required at the highest level. An individual can set multiple goals, but it is only possible to achieve them all as a team.

What did you not have enough time to do?

There are some things that have been left unfinished. Everything related to unifying resident admission is still in progress. This process involves the University of Latvia, RSU and the Ministry of Health and has been going on for four years already. This will be the first year when residents are going to be admitted according to a unified procedure.

The Board of the RSU Student Union in the autumn of 2018. From the left: Maija Priedniece, Marija Luīze Kalniņa, Krsitīne Romanovska, Amanda Anna Bērziņa, Linda Skulme, Zane Čivle, Līva Marta Spīgule, Liene Vaivode, Ulrika Ulla Andersone. In the front: Māris Lapšovs. Photo from the RSU Student Union archive.

What is the greatest lesson you learned?

I can't say that I burned my fingers too much. It was hard for me to say ‘no,’ or to be strict with someone about doing things differently at first. I had many, frequently strict, discussions at the beginning of the year.

I had to hold myself to a high standard, because I was representing the interests of all students. I had to be well informed in all fields and in all matters in order to be able to make the best possible decisions and to provide the best solutions for all sides.

What advice do you wish give the new Chairperson of the Student Union, Māris Lapšovs?

I believe that I'm leaving the organisation in good hands, because Māris has already been in the Student Union for three years. He joined the union in his first year of studies, just like me. He has great experience in managing the academic side having been the Head of the Department of Academic Affairs, which was less familiar to me, because I managed culture and sports before becoming chairperson. The Head of the Department of Academic Affairs cooperates with university management more closely and has greater experience in solving the academic matters, so Māris’ transition to chairperson is smoother than it was for me. He has a new team, however, and as chairperson of the union he should always be ready for new challenges.

I advise Māris to keep a clear head, and to have a good overview of all possible situations. If you focus on the small things too closely it is not always possible to see the big picture, or to assess a situation correctly. Sometimes you can only see that things are actually not so hectic, or that something can be changed, from a bird's eye view.

Although the daily ins and outs of this position are stressful, I wish him great success, a comprehensive overview of things, as well as to have tenacity and patience throughout the year.