Courses for committee members of student associations recognized by EPFL

By Sidney Picenni,  GastroSuisse

In order to ensure the purchase, storage, handling and distribution of foodstuffs without risk, in order to reassure you and provide you with the skills necessary for your associative activity, this training will review the important subjects in relation to food law and regulations.

This training is mandatory for any event organized by a student association where food is offered.

Conditions of participation: To participate, you must be an elected member of a steering committee of a student association acknowledged by EPFL. No more than one person per committee will be accepted.

A personal certificate valid for the association committee will be issued at the end of the course. This certificate must be presented in order to obtain authorization from EPFL for the event.

Duration : 3 hours, from 5.15 to 8.15 pm

Next courses :
Thursday September 19
Thursday October 10
Thursday October 31
Thursday November 14

Next courses to be scheduled in February/March 2025.

20 students maximum per course.

By Dominique Rouiller, ElectroSuisse

This training seminar is compulsory for anyone having to set up a substantial electrical distribution as part of their associative activities. No event requiring this type of intervention will be authorized without a committee member being recognized as a “personne instruite” within the meaning of OICF, art 3, ch. 20. This qualification is obtained at the end of the seminar by validation of prior learning attested by the certificate issued at the end of the course.

The seminar will give you an overview of the legal obligations to be respected and will address the risks and dangers of electrical installations. The training has been designed to give you the best practices to apply during your events (drawing outlets, setting up booths and sets, intervention in electrical panels, simple troubleshooting, and protective measures).

Duration: 3h, from 17h15 to 20h15

Next course :
Wednesday September 11

Another course will be scheduled in February/March 2025.

20 students maximum per course.

By François Türk, consultant in association management at Bénévolat Vaud

This training course will enable you to discover the specificities of association governance and its proper management in relation to both legal requirements and EPFL directives. In particular, we will look at how the various bodies operate and the role of the committee. To prepare, you will be invited to watch an introductory video. You will then be able to ask any technical questions during the course. You will then be offered a framework for collective reflection to guide you through the real challenges you face as a committee member. The aim is to ensure the sustainability of your projects and to gain pleasure and skills for your future!

Training plan :

• Answering questions on aspects of governance and administration in connection with the presentation to be viewed beforehand.
• Collective reflection on the issues raised by the participants.

Duration : 1.5 hours

Next course :
Tuesday October 8, 12-1h30 pm
20 students maximum per course.

By Astrid Berger Tombet, PCC Coach & CSMC Mediator

This interactive workshop is designed to help participants improve their communication skills and recognise the warning signs of conflict.

Participants are encouraged to bring real life situations where they have encountered communication difficulties or even conflict.

Workshop objectives :

• Understand the fundamental principles of caring communication
• Acquire practical skills to communicate constructively
• Identify the early signs of conflict in interpersonal relationships
• Learn conflict management techniques

This workshop offers participants the opportunity to learn and practise essential skills for building positive relationships. They will leave with a better understanding of communication dynamics and practical tools to improve their day-to-day interactions.

Duration : 2.5 hour

Next workshop :
Monday November 18, 5:30-8 pm -> I register
20 students maximum per course.

By Noémie Cheval at Réseau Transition

This course will enable members of association committees to :

• Understand the basics of group dynamics
• Understand the challenges associated with changes in group life and how to reduce their negative impact
• Use simple tools and practices within their committees
• Create and develop a pleasant, satisfying and healthy working atmosphere and meetings
• Achieve your objectives while maintaining the team’s efficiency and well-being
• Work and reflect on your own position within a team

Its objectives are :

• To pass on theoretical and practical knowledge about group dynamics, changes in group life, power relationships and meeting management.
• To enable participants to discover and experiment with simple, effective and easily reproducible tools for improving group life and ensuring its sustainability (framework and rules for group life, work on posture, active listening and distribution of the floor, decision-making, collective vision, etc)
• To offer a space for sharing experiences, as close as possible to the realities and needs experienced by the participants.

Duration : 2.5 hours

Next course :
Tuesday October 29, 5:15-7:45 pm
20 students maximum per course.

Presented in French with English support by Céline Bellier from the EPFL Philanthropy Service.
This workshop will provide you with a range of useful knowledge for creating a successful sponsorship dossier.
It will outline the ‘guidelines to follow’ when approaching a sponsor and provide the key do’s and don’ts for finding sponsors for your student projects and/or events.
With testimonials and practical exercises, this lively workshop will help you to better understand and respond to a sponsor’s expectations while respecting the EPFL’s guidelines on the subject.
If you wish, you can also submit your draft application to our coaches, who will give you personalised feedback on the day of the workshop.

Submission deadline is 10 days before the workshop at the latest.

If you would like to submit a project proposal, please send a one-page draft to [email protected] containing the following points:
Project description: what, when, where, why, how many participants, timetable
Team: who are you?
Budget: total funding required, what are you looking for (e.g. in cash, in kind, etc.) and any partnerships already confirmed?
Benefits: list the benefits you are prepared to offer in return for specific financial support
Action plan: a general idea of how you would like to obtain funds – contacts, prospects, by e-mail, telephone / Zoom, in person.

Next workshop :
Thursday October 10, 5:30-7:30 pm

By Melissa Fattebert, consultant for CV Consulting, mandate manager with federal patent

1^st session : Monday October 14, from 6.15 to 9.00 pm : Introduction to accounting
The first course aims at understanding the fundamentals of accounting. The purpose of this evening will be to understand how accounting works, learn the basics as well as the need to keep proper accounts.

It is, without a doubt, a good support to carry out your mission as part of the accounting and financial management of your association.

Various exercises as well as an interactive exercise on the creation and management of a business will be at stake during this first evening.

2^nd session : Monday October 28, from 6.15 to 9.00 pm : Budget
The second session will focus on the budget process as well as cash flow planning. The goal is to understand how to manage the formal documents to be sent to EPFL to maintain their acknowledgement and/or submitted for the grant application. The course will provide plenty of exercices.

This evening will also be devoted to the organization in accounting (software, Excel sheets), as well as to various key processes (the most important being purchasing).

3^rd session : Monday November 4, from 6.15 to 9.00 pm : Approach to taxation & Budgeting (practical)
Following a brief introduction to taxation, the course will include practical exercises and grant applications can be reviewed.

Mondays October 14, October 28, November 4

Only students who have followed the three sessions of the accounting course will receive a course certificate.