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thelinguist.uberflip.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER The Linguist 33 INSTITUTE MATTERS COUNCIL NEWS Keith Moffitt, Chair of Council, reports on the meeting in April The meeting of Council on 25 April was the first following the AGM. This meeting traditionally elects the officers of Council and agrees the membership of our various committees and boards, which do so much important work on behalf of the Institute. Continuity was the theme for the officers of Council, as I was re-elected as Chair, Christine Pocock as Vice-Chair and Tony Bell as Honorary Treasurer. We are grateful for the confidence placed in us. At the same time, we were pleased to welcome several new Council members to their first meeting: Dominic Brett, Helen Campbell, Tom Gale and Rosemary Mitchell-Schuitevoerder. We looked forward to Sue Leschen joining us next time. We agreed membership of several bodies, including the Finance and Executive Committee; the Editorial Board of The Linguist; the Applications Committee; the Chartered Linguist Admissions Committee; and the Equality and Diversity Committee. Council values the voluntary and unpaid work done by the members of these various bodies, and also took the opportunity to discuss how the diversity of the committees could be improved. Council went on to discuss ways in which the AGM might be made a more attractive event for members, and talked about arrangements for a special event marking the 10th anniversary of the granting of our Royal Charter. Ann Carlisle reported on the Hong Kong Society's 30th anniversary conference, which she attended in April, and on the work she was doing to tap further into the considerable potential in mainland China. Finance is an important standing item. On this occasion, we considered progress with the investment of the proceeds from the sale of Saxon House. My own report included continuing work on the Ministry of Justice framework contract, which was due to be re-tendered in the summer, and touched on important new activities around interpreting and translation in the health sector. Council agreed that, in future, only full Fellows and Members should be entitled to stand for election to Council. Our by-laws will need to be amended such that HonFCILs and HonMCILs are no longer able to stand for election. Council would be free to co-opt persons who are not members of the Institute, as is already the case with many of our committees. As Examinations Manager for the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) and Certificate in Bilingual Skills (CBS) I deal with exams designed for linguists working in the public services, e.g. courts, the health service and local government. My work also involves other projects, such as external exam moderation and, currently, refreshing examination material for the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office). In order to work towards a streamlined and more regulated provision of linguists to service users it is important that I am aware of developments in the public sector and that I attend relevant events. Having joined the IoL Educational Trust in the ELIC Syllabus Development Team, I have a great interest in exams development and assessment. As a translator and long-standing Institute member, my interest in the Institute has always been twofold. Working part-time for the Trust allowed me to continue as a freelance translator and examiner, keeping me up-to-date with developments in the language world. I feel very lucky to be part of our long-standing team. We share the same obsession with attention to detail, and ability to deal with the unexpected. Olga Vital is an interpreter herself and therefore ideally placed to deal with the Setting standards ULRIKE HEINZE OUTLINES HER ROLE IN DEVELOPING AND SUPPORTING EXAMS FOR WORK IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR oral side of post-exam moderation. Dinah Smith ensures the accuracy of the English texts and deals with the written marking process. We are all involved in the setting process. The DPSI is offered in up to 44 languages and 5 pathways. Each language combination entails the commission of 12 subject experts: English setters and their 'scrutineers' for the specific pathway, translators and proofreaders, first and second markers, oral samplers, the examining team on the day, and the Chief Moderator, who moderates both exam material and results, and provides examiner feedback. Processes for the CBS follow the same pattern, with the main session running in March in a customised format for Metropolitan Police staff. One of my favourite aspects of the Trust is the multicultural environment. I also much appreciate the cooperation and support of our external experts and examiners, who are very accommodating and generous in giving their time and advice, despite their own busy schedules. Having their support confirms my belief that our public service exams are a worthwhile cause and an area that merits further exploration and standardisation, both in the UK and working together with other countries.