Tag Archive for: VDE
Every five years, a new dean’s office team, composed of associate deans and program coordinators, is appointed by the dean to represent the dean in carrying out specific tasks. Each year, a student Vice Dean is appointed by peers elected to the Management Council to represent them on the Dean’s Office team. Following in the footsteps of Florian Mary and Théo Lacoste, Paul-Arthur Valet has now taken on the role of student Vice Dean and president of Ademmoos. Read his interview here: learn about his background and the projects he hopes to implement as part of his role!
Hello, Paul-Arthur. For those who might not know you, could you please introduce yourself?
Hello, my name is Paul-Arthur VALET. I’m 21 years old and a fourth-year medical student in Nîmes. This is the first time the vice dean has come from the Nîmes campus. In addition, I am a student representative on the management council and president of ADEMMOOS (the association of student representatives from all programs). Although my future specialty changes from one clinical rotation to the next, I plan to become a surgeon.
You were selected from among ADEMMOOS members to serve as Student Vice Dean, succeeding Théo Lacoste. How did the transition go?
The transition went smoothly; that said, the start of my term was a bit unusual, particularly given the situation at the national level. We had to organize a protest in collaboration with the SILR, the ACM, and the CCC, whom I’d like to thank for their help. The mobilization brought together 400 students, which is a historic turnout for Montpellier-Nîmes. This was followed by the release of our VSS and student mental health surveys, which mark the starting point of a paradigm shift that we are beginning to see.
What made you want to take on this role?
I’ve been a member of ADEMMOOS since my sophomore year, first as VP of Communications, then as treasurer, and finally as president/VDE. I’ve always had a strong interest in student representation—in connecting directly with students and being able to help them. Furthermore, working with the dean’s office is very rewarding, especially as part of a supportive and attentive team.
How will you balance your duties as associate dean with your obligations as a student?
Let’s face it, this is relatively complex, but I knew that when I accepted these responsibilities. So you have to be particularly organized, but these positions (president and
VDE) are so exciting. To successfully balance everything, you have to know how to delegate, so I’d like to thank the association’s board and, in particular, the vice president general, Soukaina MOUH MOUH, who was elected to the educational council and does work behind the scenes that is all the more essential.
What are your goals and priorities for this term? Do you plan to continue the “Student Well-Being” project initiated by your predecessor?
Regarding the “Well-Being” project, we have two vice presidents on the executive board, Emma PETON and Florent BENOIST, whom I have every confidence will fulfill the mission entrusted to them
They have already organized booths for No Smoking Month and the “Solidarity Christmas” event, which aims to connect students from the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine who wish to get together for a Christmas meal.
Furthermore, I am a strong believer in collaboration among student organizations; they bring our campus to life and play a structural role at both of our faculty’s campuses. On a personal level, my priority is combating sexual and psychological violence and empowering victims to speak out.
What initiatives would you like to implement for the students?
In addition to continuing existing projects such as publishing the back-to-school guides and the Internal Future Forum… I’d like to revive certain projects that had to be put on hold due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, such as the “reprez’ cafés,” which were opportunities to connect with ANEMF administrators and your local elected representatives. Overall, I believe that national representation is just as fundamental as local representation. To that end, we have assigned two members to this task: for Montpellier, Zoé DOLADILLE (ADEMMOOS) and Rémi BOURGAUX (ACM); and for Nîmes, Manon VALETTE (ADEMMOOS) and Elise DE LOTH (CCC).
Any final thoughts?
The issue that is particularly close to my heart is gender-based and sexual violence (VSS). What I hope for is greater freedom of speech, in order to break the code of silence that
prevents victims from speaking out.
Thanks to our surveys and the responses from the faculties, people are starting to speak up; it’s up to us not to betray the courage that victims have shown in speaking out.
“The shame must shift to the other side.”
Every year, students elect a representative to speak for them on the dean’s office team. This year, Théo Lacoste, a fourth-year medical student at the ADV campus, was chosen to represent you. Learn a little more about him and Ademmoos’s initiatives in this interview! Profile.
Hi, Théo. First of all, who are you? Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Théo Lacoste; I’m a fourth-year medical student on the ADV campus. I’m also a student representative on the Academic Council and president of Ademmoos (a student council representing all programs). I’m planning to become a doctor, of course, but I don’t necessarily have a specific specialty in mind—other than perhaps something interdisciplinary like emergency medicine. But I’m keeping my options open; I think it’s important to complete rotations in various fields to secure your future!
You're the president of Ademmoos: can you tell us about the role of this organization?
It’s important to note that our Faculty has several campuses and several academic programs. Student representation on the various councils is therefore provided by elected student representatives. This is a very substantial undertaking. So in 2016, we decided to create this association to relieve elected student representatives of the administrative workload (particularly everything related to communication, infographics, etc.) but also to develop projects with other student associations. The goal is truly to bring together, unite, and coordinate the associations—and, through them, the students.
The association’s members consist of students elected to the various representative councils, but we also have non-elected members. They often contribute very interesting insights from a different perspective during our monthly meetings.
Can you give us some examples of projects coordinated by Ademmoos and other organizations?
Yes, for example, the MAP (Montpellier Artistic Project), which is an arts-focused nonprofit. Together with them, we organized an art therapy workshop—led by a professional in the field—for students, with the goal of helping them cope with the stress of school. But the projects we lead or coordinate can also take place outside of our organizations. I’m thinking in particular of the“Dry January”challenge (see Instagram post below) that we recently ran in collaboration with the ICM, or“Smoke-Free Month.”
View this post on Instagram
In addition to being the president of Ademmoos, you are now the student vice-dean. Can you tell us more about your role in this position?
I have three main responsibilities: First, an academic role, which is very institutional in nature. I work closely with the dean’s office—particularly Dean Isabelle Laffont—as well as the teaching and administrative staff to represent the students’ perspectives. This involves regularly attending meetings, but also staying attuned to what’s happening among students and within the faculty as a whole. I act as a sort of “shuttle” to pass information up and down the chain. I relay this information to the student representatives, who then share it with the various programs, campuses, and graduating classes.
The second task focuses on the Ademmoos association. I need to establish a “guiding principle” for our term’s policy. I’ll come back to this, but the idea is to divide up the key issues among the association’s 40 students: some will handle reforms, others will focus on well-being or coordination with other associations.
My third responsibility is really to maintain direct contact with the students. Class representatives may reach out to me for this purpose, but that’s not enough—information can get lost along the way. So, I make it a point of honor to organize as many in-person meetings as possible with the different classes to discuss issues, “gauge the mood,” and gather feedback directly from students about their needs and feelings. This information is then useful to me in carrying out my primary academic role, so that I can represent the students’ views as accurately as possible.
What are the priorities of your term in office?
There are several priority areas. First, there is a somewhat more academic and administrative aspect, which mainly involves continuing the work of my predecessors: Salomé Duteurtre and Florian Mary. They both worked on what I callthe “Pedagogical Alliance.” That is, the collaborative shaping of our student experience, together with all stakeholders: faculty, students, and the Faculty’s administrative staff.
It seems simple from the outside, but it’s actually quite complex, because we have to reconcile everyone’s opinions; ultimately, we have to succeed in reaching agreements based on our disagreements! Nevertheless, this is achieved through everyone’s goodwill and mutual understanding. We must work together and view the issues to be resolved through each person’s perspective, so that the solutions we adopt benefit everyone. This commitment to living together is truly essential, and we regularly emphasize this to the entire team—most recently to the newly elected student representatives on the Administrative Council and the Academic Council.
Then there are all the discussions surrounding student well-being. This is a relatively new issue—one that wasn’t talked about much a few years ago and that was brought to light by the health crisis. Today more than ever, this topic has become our top priority.
But we can’t take action without understanding the full scope of the problem! So we set our first goal to gather students’ opinions and experiences through surveys. We were able to collect more than 1,000 responses to our first questionnaire on mental health, which was distributed over the winter— and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the respondents! The results of this survey are currently being analyzed. In addition, a few weeks ago we began distributing a new survey regarding gender-based and sexual violence that students may experience at the university, at parties, or at their workplace or internship, in order to define the scope of the problem and thus identify corrective actions to limit such incidents or even impose sanctions where appropriate.
In practice, do you implement any initiatives to promote student well-being?
Yes, from a practical standpoint, this year we created a wellness center staffed by two project coordinators who are medical students (Ulysse Godin and Maribelle Dossou-Yovo). Their mission is to organize awareness-raising events. For example, we held a conference on addiction with Professor Hélène Donnadieu-Rigole, as well as Tobacco-Free Month and Dry January… In March, we’ll host a conference on psychosocial risks and “workaholism.” These events are quite popular with students.
There are also other practical projects outside the “well-being” theme, such as the Intern Forum, which is led by former Vice Dean Florian Mary and aims to connect 5th- and 6th-year students with interns so they can share their experiences.
What motivated you to take on this role as an elected official and Vice Dean?
My motivation grew out of my previous commitments, both with Ademmoos and with the ANEMF (National Association of Medical Students of France), because last year I was very involved in issues surrounding the R2C (reform of the second cycle of medical studies) at the national level. This made me want to get even more involved at the local level, addressing the issues we face on a daily basis.
Of course, my discussions with my predecessors also had a strong influence on me. Everything fell into place very naturally after that, with my desire to help the incoming classes guiding my decisions. I wanted to look at my studies from a different perspective.
That said, yes, it’s very time-consuming. It can sometimes be a little hard to juggle everything! So it’s important to surround yourself with the right people and know how to delegate. In that regard, I’d like to give special thanks to Florent Benoist, who is Ademmoos’s Executive Vice President and a representative on the Pedagogical Council; he really helps me a lot and enables me to stay organized.
How is someone elected as Vice Dean?
The Vice Dean is nominated by the student representatives on the Management Council. He or she is often part of the list of elected students. The Council then votes in favor of or against the nominated student. This nomination is discussed internally within Ademmoos beforehand. Once elected, the Vice Dean serves a two-year term, but we often resign after one year so that we can focus fully on our studies.
Thank you so much for this conversation: do you have any closing remarks?
Yes, regarding one of the priorities of my term: well-being. I’d like to get this message across: it’s okay not to feel well. Health sciences students come from a highly selective system where you’re expected to always be the best. Culturally, it’s therefore difficult for us to admit when we’re not doing well—we tend to hide our weaknesses. But that doesn’t mean it’s abnormal to feel bad! There are support resources available on the Faculty’s website. We need to break the silence surrounding this taboo and take advantage of the resources developed jointly by students and the faculty to feel better. Alone, we go faster, but together, we go further!
Each year, a new Vice Dean is elected by the students to represent them before the Dean and in the Faculty’s various governing bodies (Management Council, Academic Council, etc.). This year, Florian is taking over from Salomé. Read his interview here: learn about his background, his role in supporting students, and the projects he hopes to implement throughout this academic year! An Interview.
Hello, Florian! You were recently elected Vice Dean of Students at the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine. Can you tell us a little more about yourself?
Hello! My name is Florian Mary. I'm currently a senior in medical school in Montpellier, and I'm originally from Perpignan (Go USAP! 🟡🔴).
To put it briefly, you know, I don't think there are any right or wrong choices, but like many others, I haven't yet decided on my future path; I have several specialties in mind, including General Practice.
You are now the Student Vice Dean: what does your role entail?
It’s important to note that the VDE is, first and foremost, an elected student representative, and like any elected official, my term will last two years.
Our shared responsibility is therefore to represent students before the faculty’s academic and administrative bodies (the UFR, to be precise), whether during council meetings or committee sessions.
Nevertheless, for the next year, I will be responsible for tasks specific to the VDE, which include serving as the primary point of contact for the Dean and faculty representatives on all matters concerning students, and managing the team of elected officers and ADEMMOOS members to ensure we are as effective as possible in handling the various issues at hand and in developing the association.
Furthermore, communication with other associations and programs within the faculty is essential, whether it involves a project idea, student representation, or facilitating certain exchanges. I believe these connections offer us new perspectives for reflection and allow us to lift each other up.
What motivated you to take on this role? Was this a commitment you wanted to make from the very beginning of your studies?
Before my term as an elected official and VDE, I had already spent two years immersed in the student organization scene—first as a mentor, then as Vice President of Representation at the Montpellier Medical Student Union—driven by a desire to be there to help students.
And I have to say that the experiences and the people I’ve met this year at ACM—whether it’s everyone in my class, the “senior” VP Reprez, and Salomé, of course—have played a big part in that.
I was curious, and I thought this position was a great opportunity to continue contributing to the students and to the life of the faculty.
How do you balance your duties as Associate Dean with your responsibilities as a student?
So it requires a certain amount of organization, and last year was particularly helpful in that regard, especially because I was juggling a very demanding schedule of volunteer work and academic studies.
But I set aside my volunteer slots at lunchtime so I can usually keep my work time in the evening.
What are your goals for this term? What projects do you hope to carry out?
So the primary goal is to continue the projects started by previous executive boards, whether it’s the flu vaccination campaign, the Future Interns Forum…
This year, we have a perfect blend of experience and new ideas, and it shows in our projects.
We want to ramp up our communication efforts, building on last year’s momentum—especially through ADEMMOOS’s Instagram (👉 go follow us if you haven’t already)—while also staying active on other social media platforms.
Reforms are, of course, at the heart of our mandates, and well-being and sustainable development are also areas where ideas take shape.
What are the most common requests from students?
Usually, it's just installing a beer tap in the cafeteria 🙃.
On a more serious note, these are mainly questions about how our studies are organized and proposals for changes that require discussion with the school administration and teachers.
Student representatives serve as a channel for students to make their voices heard, and this is a theme that runs through many of the messages.
The health crisis is having a major impact on students' lives right now. Do you have a message you'd like to share on this occasion?
I think that given the times we're living in, it's important to take care of ourselves and others.
Reach out to your family and friends, share your thoughts, chat, and talk with them—but don't stay alone. And if you need to, you can turn to us; there will always be someone there to respond.
And take this opportunity to watch some movie classics—no more excuses for missing out on *The Green Mile* or *Forrest Gump* 🍿.
If students have questions for you or would like to bring something to the attention of the management board, how can they contact you?
It's very simple: through ADEMMOOS's Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, or via email 📩 for those who prefer that method at ademmos.elus.etudiants@gmail.com.
Or they can also come talk to us—we're all very nice, and we don't bite!
One last question: What advice would you give to students who would like to become an associate dean? How can they achieve this, and what do you think are the essential qualities for this role?
So, I think that having experience in the nonprofit sector—whatever form it takes—can be helpful and will give you an added edge for the position, as well as allow you to gain experience.
Next, you need to be aware of the amount of work involved and the importance of the position, but don't worry—good organization and a willingness to do your best will work in your favor.
After all, you’re not alone, and being a VDE is, above all, about being part of a team.
Having a great team like the one I'm part of is therefore essential to making this term as successful as possible!
Thank you very much for your time! We wish you all the best during your term and thank you for your dedication!
