Willingness to help improving Técnico, being involved in the evolution of higher education and playing an active role, are just some of the delegates’ goals. A delegate is someone who is ready to make a difference, to help their colleagues and to not conform to injustice; A delegate has an increased responsibility and, above all, helps to improve teaching quality. Year after year, the delegates have becoming increasingly important to course functioning and to teaching harmony.

The election process of Delegates 2019/2020 will start this Monday, 30th September. Margarida Rodrigues and Gonçalo Matos proudly assumed the role of delegates and share with us the impact it had in their lives.

Margarida Rodrigues studies Biological Engineering (5th year) and she is delegate since the 2nd year. Although she knew what to expect, she never thought possible to combine the delegate/student role. “When I was in 2nd year I met my delegate and I started to have a closer contact with the role of a delegate in higher education”, she recalls. “Delegates give our colleagues a voice and protect their interests”, says the Biological Engineering student. “Over the years, being a delegate has become easier and it’s particularly dear to us”, she confesses. “Being a delegate is taking an active role in Técnico teaching method”, she adds.

Gonçalo Matos has been a delegate for a year: “I feel that I can help my colleagues so that they become more pleased with the teaching method at Técnico”. “Delegates end up playing a very universal and mediating role”, stresses the Information Systems and Computer Engineering MSc student. “A good time management allows us to reconcile the delegate/student role because the workload is not static”, he says.

After all, what is the role of a delegate? According to Mariana Rodrigues: “The delegate plays a very important role in the evaluation scheduling and in the definition of evaluation methods. At the end of each academic year, the delegates are invited to participate in meetings with faculty and course coordinators”, she explains. “In addition, at the end of the semester, the delegates participate in QUC survey”, she adds. “The most proactive delegates do much more than this, which is not necessarily negative. It shows that our role is increasingly valued and performed in the best possible way”, says Gonçalo Matos.

Gonçalo and Margarida have already faced some adversity, but fortunately they were able to fulfill their mission. “If the delegate is a very present person and solves problems, students inevitably come to us and thank us”, says Margarida Rodrigues. “Being a delegate has brought me a lot of positive things. I developed a lot of skills: communication, organisation, teamwork, time management, etc.”, says Margarida Rodrigues. “It also gave me a lot of indispensable knowledge as a student. Knowing the regulations and the academic procedures allow us to be aware of certain situations that should not happen”, she adds. Gonçalo Matos adds: “Being a delegate allows us to strengthen relationships with our colleagues”. “It is extremely important for me to feel useful and important to the well-being of all, to feel that we have an active voice”, he says.

The two students left some advice to those who haven’t decided yet about applying for the delegate position: “A good delegate is someone with a critical spirit, proactive and willing to improve skills. Resilience and the ability to communicate effectively are also very important”, says Margarida Rodrigues. “Being a delegate really influences our academic path and the academic path of our colleagues”, says Gonçalo Matos.

The election of delegates will take place on October 3rd and 4th. Delegates are elected by transparent voting through Fenix system.