Behind the scenes at the Honours Academy: Alexa was student and honours assessor
For two years, Alexa represented the voice of the honours students on the Honours Academy board. She is now stepping down as assessor. It’s time to look back: on her role, the highlights and the lessons she’s taking with her as she takes the next step.
About Alexa
Bachelor's: BSc International Relations and Organisations
Honours programme: Honours College
Favorurite honours course: Planet in Peril
Next step: internship at a global advisory bureau
In three words: what was it like to be an assessor?
‘Educational, creative, enjoyable.'
Did it meet your expectations? What was different from what you’d imagined?
‘I hadn’t expected the role to be so broad. It covered everything from educational content and student feedback to strategy, communication and administrative issues.’
What was your favourite experience at the HA?
‘There are actually loads. One comes to mind straight away: it was just after I’d passed my bachelor’s thesis. At the end of a board meeting, a colleague suddenly started shifting a bit impatiently in her seat and seemed very keen to wrap up the meeting. I was wondering why. When the door opened, it turned out that my colleagues had arranged cake and decorations to celebrate successfully completing my thesis. It was incredibly sweet – and the cake was delicious too, by the way.’
Wasn’t it a bit strange to be an honours student and also have a say in the board at the same time?
‘I actually found that one of the best parts. I was able to gather lots of inspiration and feedback during my own courses and take that straight back to the board. At the same time, I also started to look at education in a different way. You become much more aware of what works well, the challenges students face and where there’s room for improvement.
Working behind the scenes, I realised just how many people, how much coordination and how much organisational effort are needed to make good education possible. As a result, I’ve come to appreciate much more how complex a university is and just how much work goes into education and student services.'
What did you learn from being an assessor?
‘One of the most important lessons was how valuable proactivity is. I was given a great deal of freedom to come up with my own ideas and initiatives and to actually put them into practice. I’ve learnt not to wait around, but to voice ideas, get people on board and really do something with them. I’ll definitely be taking that with me to my next job: spotting opportunities, taking the initiative and not being afraid to put an idea on the table.’
Would you recommend the role of assessor? To whom?
‘Definitely – to students who are curious about what goes on behind the scenes at a university and who enjoy contributing ideas on education and administration. You develop managerial skills, become genuinely involved in high-level decision-making and, at the same time, are given plenty of freedom to develop your own ideas.
You don’t need to know exactly how a university board works yet: it’s when you’re curious, dare to take the initiative, and enjoy working with others that you can learn incredibly much here. And, perhaps just as important, you’ll find yourself in a really great team of motivated, committed and, above all, friendly people.’
One final message?
‘A big thank you to the team: for all the wonderful moments over the past two years on the board and for the trust you’ve placed in me as an assessor. I’ve learnt so much from you all, laughed a great deal and thoroughly enjoyed being part of this team.’
Will you be our new assessor?
The Honours Academy is looking for a new student board member. As an assessor, you’ll be involved in strategic decision-making and represent the perspective of honours students. You will act as the link between students and the board, and actively contribute ideas on student affairs and educational policy.
Are you a committed honours student with a critical eye and a desire to help shape the future of honours education? Read more about this vacancy.
NB: this position requires proficiency in both Dutch and English.