The AL representative structure has, I think, operated for too long as an almost secret society. You couldn't find out easily how it worked until you were in it - and then it operated on an apprenticeship model that worked better in some regions/nations than in others.
We're trying to rectify this now in a number of ways. One immediate step is to trial an induction afternoon for new reps on the Friday afternoon at the start of the AL national conference and I've just been thinking about what would be the most useful things to include here. We're doing a campus tour, among other things, so what would people most like to see on the campus?
On a much more ambitious scale, we are trying to review and revise the entire representative structure, so it is much easier to get into it, so we can make much better use of all the AL expertise that is out there, and so that we discuss with ALs much more widely what their views and experiences are. This will be discussed at AL national conference and then publicised more widely among all ALs, before AL Committee makes the final decision about whether to go for it or not, in February.
More later