Crisis stabilization
Practical support for disrupted terms, uncertain decisions and continuity.
In development: explore Crisis stabilizationBig responsibility.You don’t have tofigure it out alone.
Practical tools and grounded support for Canadian student unions.
Consulting
Extra capacity for complex challenges, important priorities and big decisions.
In development: explore ConsultingMembership
Practical resources, learning and connection for student union leaders.
In development: explore MembershipA place to begin
You are not alone in this.
A student union role can put you in the middle of a large organization, a serious budget and decisions that matter—sometimes in your first full-time job. You don’t have to arrive with every answer.
You can learn this work, grow into the role and make a real difference. With practical tools and people beside you, student leadership can become one of the most meaningful experiences of your life.
We’re building the Lab to help you find clear answers, useful starting points and support for what comes next. Start with the free Leadership Continuity Check, and build from there.
Try the continuity checkWhy I’m building the Lab
Better decisions.
Useful progress.
Stronger continuity.
For the people leading Canadian student unions, associations and societies.
Hi, I’m Matthew.
Matthew Dunlop
Why I’m building the Lab
I’m developing the Lab around a practical idea: useful evidence should help teams make decisions, deliver work and preserve continuity.
The focus is Canadian postsecondary student unions, associations and societies. Support should start with your mandate and leave capability with your team.
The approach behind the workStart with something useful
A handover needs more than a folder.
Choose one unfinished priority. Make the next decision, the source of authority and the next useful action clear.
The free Leadership Continuity Check gives you eleven prompts, a fictional example and a record you can download and keep.
Open the continuity checkNo signup. Your answers stay in the open page until you download them.
The thread that connects the work
Understand it. Act on it. Leave it usable.
Start with the real situation
Bring together current records, the mandate and the practical problem. Keep confirmed facts distinct from questions.
Agree the next useful result
Name the decision owner, the work to be done and the boundaries. Choose a result that matters to your team.
Build continuity into delivery
Leave sources, decisions and next steps in an organization-owned record another authorized person can understand.
About the Lab
A few things to know.
What is the Lab?
An initiative by Matthew Dunlop developing practical leadership and governance support for Canadian postsecondary student unions, associations and societies.
Who is it for?
Elected student leaders, boards and staff supporting student representative organizations at Canadian postsecondary institutions.
What support are you building?
Crisis stabilization, consulting and membership. All three are in development, with scope and availability to be agreed before an engagement.
What can I use now?
The free Leadership Continuity Check and a fictional sample Brief. No account is required.
Who is behind it?
Matthew Dunlop is developing the Lab. You can reach him at matthew.dunlop@studentunionleadershiplab.ca.
What happens to my tool answers?
They stay in your open browser page and are not automatically submitted to the Lab. Download a text file to keep your notes. Read the privacy notice for details.
Coming soon
Useful tools now.
More support in development.
Consulting, crisis stabilization and membership are being developed. Explore the proposed routes, try the free tool and read a sample Brief.
Membership enrollment is not open. This website does not book engagements or provide emergency or on-call coverage. Any engagement needs a separately agreed scope and confirmed availability.
Try the free tool