Handing over to a new committee

We have provided templates for handover details which can be downloaded here

What is a handover?

A handover is the process of preparing your successor for their year ahead by helping them share in the experiences and knowledge that you've gained in your position.

A handover is required to give your new Committee the best chance of continuing the success of your society or club, and means they can start their year confidently. 

It is also worth noting that depending on your committee start and finish dates it may not always fall within the standard academic year. If this is the case, please do contact suactivities@soton.ac.uk.

How important are they?

Simply put, massively! The most important thing that you can do to ensure the future success of your student Club or Society is by setting up the new Committee with a strong handover. This is your opportunity to help them build on any mistakes that you've made, AND carrying on any great successes that you've started. A good handover takes time and a lot of effort, but it will be the best project that you can do all year. It is also massively rewarding for the predecessor, as this handover process gives you a great example to reflect on your own strengths and continue your successes.

What should your committee do?
 

• Show your successor what it is that you actually do – what their role entails and what responsibilities they have
• Give some key advice about your experiences over the year – for example, what went well, or didn’t
• Reflect on your year and how you've been supported as a volunteer
• Introduce them to any key contacts they may need for the year ahead

What else is there?

We would recommend at least doing one of the options below:

• A shadowing day, so that your successor can see your day-to-day work.
• Meetings and introductions with the relevant Union / University staff and other volunteers that they will be working with next year.
• Talking through your successor's strategic aims for the year, so that you can give your feedback on them based on your experiences.
• If you had a year plan; run through it with your successor. Discuss what you achieved, what you couldn't achieve and why.

Are you an outgoing/incoming President or Lead role for your Club or Society?

What should you ensure is covered?

The below is a simple checklist of the key points that any handover should cover for the new Committee.

General:

• Introduction to roles and responsibilities of the Committee
• Introduction to the Union's Groups Hub (including setting up membership; uploading documents)
• Awareness of Constitution, including Union/University discipline procedures
• Current risk assessments and need to review
• Useful contacts (Union, University, other contacts)

Social Media & Email:

• Confirming passwords for any other accounts (and changing as appropriate)
• Renewing generic @soton.ac.uk email account (if applicable)

Finances:

• Providing bank details
• Completing change of signatories
• Confirming any outstanding debt/loans/repayment agreements
• General overview of Club or Society finances (recurring costs; potential income)
• Any saving taking place for specific reasons (i.e. large expensive equipment)

Equipment:

• Passing over inventories of equipment (including where stored)

Professional agreements:

• Confirm any existing sponsorship and requirements
• Confirm any existing professional agreements (including coaches/teachers/conductors)

Events & Activities:

• Explaining space booking processes (Union/University/external)
• Overview of recurring events and venues
• Key contacts for external venues and any existing commitments