It’s 11.30am and 20 students are about to board the plane to Malaysia for the Second International Student Summit 2016. ISS 2016 is a student led programme hosted by the Students’ Association of The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus held in conjunction with the closing of The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus’s 15th Anniversary celebrations. In 2015, UNNC held the first ever International Student Summit (ISS) as part of their 10th Anniversary programme. As a follow up to continue this tradition, this year UNMC will be the host of the ISS 2016.
The theme of this summit is ‘The impact of global education on communities in achieving sustainable development goals.’ Themed along the lines of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), this theme encompasses the 17 pillars in which several key areas would be targeted for discussion and debate, to encourage delegates to propose solutions towards incorporating the teaching and learning of SDGs for university students.
We are really looking forward to coming back and continuing the conversation here at UNUK.
We know you've got this but just in case here’s a few tips to help you get prepped!
1. Take regular breaks
There’s nothing wrong with a healthy bit of procrastination. Apparently, 52 minutes of work followed by a 17 minute break will make you a productive powerhouse.
2. Organise your study space
Are you sitting comfortably? Has the guy behind you stopped munching on his Quavers? Whatever your preferences, find a place away from any distractions where you can focus and get work done.
Just because the libraries are open 24/7, doesn’t mean you should be in them 24/7! Get at least 6-8 hours sleep each night to feel well rested.
8. Keep active
Take a walk around the lake or give yoga a try! Exercising is one of the best ways to de-stress and nothing beats a bit of fresh air.
9. Get the support you need
It’s totally normal to feel a little nervous before an exam. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, chat to a good friend, family member or tutor.
Don’t forget as of 11th January, Nottingham Nightline, the student listening service, will be open 24/7 to answer your calls. If you do ever need someone to talk to their number is 0115 9514985.
We also have a Student Advice Centre in Portland Building. They offer free and confidential advice to all UoN students on housing, money, welfare and academic issues. You can make an appointment by emailing suadvice@nottingham.ac.uk or calling 0115 8468730.
10. Go get ‘em tiger
This is what you’ve been working towards. Hit the books, stay positive and show that exam who’s boss! We’re all rooting for you.
Supporting medics to support all of us
On behalf of the
University of Nottingham Students’ Union, I would like to express support for
legitimate protest actions taken by students against the proposed changes by
the Review Body on Doctors and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) to the Junior
Doctor Contract.
What are the changes to the Junior Doctor’s
contract?
The proposed
reforms outline plans to remove banding of junior doctor’s pay, and thereby
remove the safeguards preventing doctors from working more than 60 hours in a
week, and expand ‘normal working hours’ to 7am-10pm Monday-Saturday. At
the moment, doctors receive a higher rate of pay when they work outside of
07:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday. That
would mean them losing up to 30 percent of their income because they will stop
getting a large amount of their overtime pay.
What does this mean for doctors and patients?
Pay is obviously
a concern. But the greater worry is about the effect this could have on all of
us as patients.
The new contract
will remove vital protections on safe working patterns and could see a return
to junior doctors working up to 90 hours a week, which will be both detrimental
to the doctors but also the patients themselves. Junior Doctors will be
put under immense strain. They will no longer be able to deliver the best possible
care to patients due to exhaustion and fatigue. Dangerously long hours will put
patients directly at risk.
What we believe
As a Union we
believe that medical students deserve to have a secure future in the NHS and
are worried that the changes will lead to doctors being over-worked and
under-paid. We know from speaking to both Medsoc and medical students the deep
concerns they have about these changes. The proposals have also been condemned
by many members of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and a number of
healthcare unions too.
This is not just
an attack on the future of our medical students, but an attack on all those who
will need healthcare provision in the UK throughout their lifetime. As a Union
we will stand with our medical students and support them with their
negotiations and campaigns against the contract changes.
What you can do
As of the
08/10/15 Health Secretary MP Jeremy Hunt has been forced into a partial
climbdown in his dispute with NHS junior doctors. However this is only an indication
that he is willing to rethink his plan to reclassify working on Saturday
between 7am and 10pm, and not a decision. Therefore support is still needed to
lobby him to commit to change these plans.
As a student, as
a patient, as a friend we urge you all to sign this petition. Today’s junior
doctors are the consultants and GPs of tomorrow. It’s our duty to help to
protect them.
There will also
be a national day of action on 17th October where groups will be
gathering to protest the changes. The Nottingham event will take place in
Market Square for those students who wish to attend.
Thank you, Angharad Smith, Student Union President
Top tips for getting your deposit back!
1. Leave the property how you found it and split the jobs evenly
2. Make sure everything is locked up and all keys are returned
3. Take final gas/electric meter readings to avoid being overcharged
4. Before you leave, compare the property with the inventory so you know what fair deductions (if any) to expect from your deposit
5. Remove all your rubbish. Recycling facilities on Uni Park Campus here:http://goo.gl/Aa3v4M
6. If you think your landlord is keeping money unfairly from you, speak to the Student Advice Centre at student-advice-centre@nottingham.ac.uk or telephone 0115 846 8730
Mental health is something that often has a negative stigma attached to it and that people tend to shy away from talking about. However, mental health is something that everybody has and is therefore something that everybody should feel comfortable talking about. Sport is great for your body, but it’s great for your mind too. Research has shown that exercise releases endorphins in your brain that make you feel good - boosting your self-esteem, helping you concentrate as well as ensuring you sleep, look and feel better. In the UK, around 35% of University Students don’t participate in any regular physical activity at all, and even fewer meet government guidelines of 30 minutes moderate exercise, 5 times a week. Students in the UK are also the demographic with the highest recorded rate of mental health issues; I can’t guarantee that these two things are related, but this, combined with the everyday pressures of being a student is something that we can’t ignore.
It has been stated by many, that participation in sport
should be used not only to alleviate mental health issues but to prevent them
from occurring. Sport England’s Director of Community Sport Mike Diaper said
“sport has the power to improve lives”, stating “there is compelling evidence
that participation in sport and physical activity has a positive influence on
mental wellbeing and mental illness.” It is up to us as educational
institutions to demonstrate the benefits of sport to our students; show them
the importance of sport physically, socially and mentally, inspiring them to
build sport/physical activity into their day to day lives.
We recognise the growing importance of sport on student
wellbeing here at the University of Nottingham. Following a culmination of
various meetings and daily interactions with students, myself, alongside the
Equal Opportunities and Welfare Officer (Chloe Averill) decided to launch a
Welfare in Sport Campaign to help reduce barriers preventing people from
participating in sport, increase awareness of the benefits of sport and ensure
we are looking after athletes experiencing difficulties whilst participating in
our sports programmes. Most importantly, we aim to educate our staff and
students to increase their knowledge of mental health and how they can support
students who are experiencing difficulties . Amongst a busy term of sport,
including our Nottingham Varsity Series, BUCS Big Wednesday, Sports Ball and
not to mention exams, dissertations and coursework deadlines, it’s not often
you get a plethora of clubs coming forward to be part of a campaign that is
unknown to them. Our clubs, after a short session with Chloe and I soon
realised the importance of mental health wellbeing and welfare of their members
in sport. It was a fantastically proud moment to have them all agree to come
together to tackle barriers that surround their peers on a day to day basis. I
truly believe that educating students only results in success, if they
understand the importance of something, due to the driven and enthusiastic
natures they hold, they do something about it!
Chloe Averill recently quoted in the BUCS press release
“Our involvement with Student Minds and BUCS has enabled our campaign to go
from strength to strength. We are incredibly excited that our staff and
students will be given training that will benefit both those who are already
involved in sport and those who are eager to join.” Shortly after starting our
campaign, we were informed that Student Minds and BUCS were also in the process
of building a programme to address mental health in sport. Through ongoing
discussions with Student Minds we joined their project alongside BUCS and
Southampton University to contribute to what we hope will be a national effort
to educate on mental health in sport. Katie Lightowler, VP Sports at Southampton,
and I have shared the work at our respective institutions, hoping to develop
the good practice we have already implemented with our sports clubs. It was
great to see how invested another sabbatical sports officer was regarding
mental health in sport.
So far, we have received confirmation that our staff are
able to be given ‘mental health first aid’ training by Student Minds and will
be developed to enable them to train students on every club committee. We have
also seen clubs give individual pledges on what they will do for the welfare in
sport initiative.
As we have seen sport is not just a tool to develop your
physical prowess, it is an integral part in managing ones mental health. If you
play sport, know someone who plays sport, or know someone who doesn’t play
sport - just remember they all have mental health, they are all vulnerable to
mental health issues and it’s up to us to notice, educate and alleviate.
The Student Nottingham Bucket List
Guest Post alert! We asked Nottingham aficionado and student Leigh Campbell of the Nottingham Bucket List to create a list of things we shouldn’t leave Nottingham without doing! As part of #ColourMeNotts we’re asking you to get the most out of your time in Nottingham so there’s just one question left to ask, How many can you tick off?
If you made a list of everything to do in
Nottingham during your time at university you’d have a hard
job crossing them all off. Kudos to you for choosing a university in a city
that’s bursting at the seams with things to do and places to go! However,
it’s a little disheartening to think that you’re leaving
even though you never had the chance to go to that one place everyone was
always talking about.
The Nottingham Bucket List has been on a mission
to check in at all of Nottingham’s best and brightest places, and there are
a lot more than just these ten! In order to help you make the most of your time
here, we’ve put together a few things that you should do in Nottingham.
1. Take a row on the Highfields Lake
Where better to start than your own front door?
For just £3 each, you and a friend can grab a boat and spend a sunny half an
hour drifting along with the swans. The lake is made even better by the
resident ice cream van - get those Knickerbocker Glories down you!
2. Take on the 7 Deadly Sins at Pit &
Pendulum
Don’t worry - you don’t have to
drink them all in one sitting! Just collect a stamp card at the bar and start
working your way through. If you complete all seven cocktails you win a
T-shirt, and insane bragging rights! We’d recommend a
dose of Envy to start!
3. Visit Suede Bar on a Sunday night
Sunday night is movie night at Hockley’s
Suede Bar, and there’s an accompanying quiz! We should probably mention that Suede is
also a pizza bar, and if you get together a group of three or more people, your
team gets to dine on a free pizza! As students, we’re not in any
position to pass that up ;)
4. Take a swing at Lost City Golf
Concealed underneath the Cornerhouse, Lost City
Golf has two mammoth Mini Golf courses to play, and at student prices! Hit a
hole in one on the last hole and you’ll win free entry the next time you visit!
(Rumour has it they’ve just opened a VIP area and Tiki Bar… why not make
it party?)
5. Give Batman a call
Wollaton Hall & Deer Park might be a museum
in the middle of luscious grounds, edged by a huge lake and filled with roaming
deer, but it’s also Batman’s house. That right, folks, Batman’s
house, as seen in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Hold out for a sunny
day, pack a picnic, and your trip will be completely free!
6. Have a purrrfect afternoon at Kitty Cafe
Newly opened in Nottingham, the Kitty Cafe has
been a roaring (or should that be purring?) success. For just a £3 donation
charge - plus whatever you buy when you’re there - you
can spend an hour playing with the most adorable cats and kittens in the city!
Not to mention the food is delicious ;)
All proceeds go toward caring for the cats, so
you’ll even be supporting a good cause!
7. Enjoy the 5 hour Happy Hour at Pepper Rocks
Yep, you heard us. From 5PM-10PM every night,
Pepper Rocks serves cocktails for just £3.50, and they
also have crepes! Whether you’re there for pre-drinks, catch ups, or just
to bask in the sun on their balcony, it’s certainly
not a deal to be missed.
8. Catch a show at Savoy Cinema
Smack bang in the student hub of Lenton sits
Savoy Cinema, the only cinema left standing in Nottingham after World War 2!
Heralded for their incredibly cheap prices (less than a fiver for a student
ticket!) and their cosy sofa seats, Savoy is the place to be for student
cinema.
9. Eat an Oscar & Rosie’s
pizza… if you can
Whether you go solo on the 14” or
team up to tackle their infamous metre-long pizza, Oscar & Rosie’s
know how to serve up a slice. In residence at Das Kino in the Lace Market, you
also get to have a game of Ping Pong while you wait! A definite must for the
pizza lovers of Notts.
10. Take a look around
Our final piece of advice to you: just explore.
Put down your pens, shut off your laptop, and take a stroll. You might wander
into Cobden Chambers, a fairytale of a hidden alley, or come across a secret
bar. Discover some incredible graffiti that makes you think ‘how
did they even get up there’. Like we said before, Nottingham is
bursting with things to do, you just have to find them.
To discover more of Nottingham’s
incredible culture, follow The Nottingham Bucket List on Facebook, Instagram,
and Twitter, and make sure to check out our website!
Welcome Fair
This is an update
to give clarification on the planned changes on the Welcome Fair that will take
place in September.
The layout of the
fair will be changing, away from the marquee format of previous years. This is because;
The
space where we would hold the fair normally is unavailable because there’s now
a Sports Centre on it.
There’s
no other space on campus big enough, flat enough or secure enough to recreate
the marquee format. The only internal space big enough is the Conference Centre
but that is not available as its being used for University Registration.
Similarly we can’t use the field behind Florence Boot because the ground isn’t
suitable for the weight of a marquee.
Due to there being
a shortage of space, we are looking into various options to host welcome week
next year, whether it be in a similar format or completely changed.
There are some
things we know that work from what we have done previously:
We
know from feedback that students love seeing groups showcasing their activity
or giving them a chance to have a go - so it makes sense to have some space for
this kind of activity.
We
also know that people love freebies! So we will be looking to see how we can
include commercial businesses but balancing that so they don’t overwhelm our
activities.
However we also
know of some areas that we can change for students:
We
know that one of the things students didn’t like about the old fair was how
cramped it was - so we want to create more space rather than just jamming loads
of stalls into one room or tent.
We
also know that if we create more space, groups will be able to be more
proactive in the way they advertise their group, and can look to tie this in
with practical
There are ongoing
discussions as to what is realistically viable and what options we have for our
students groups (sports clubs, societies and SRS’s) during welcome week. We are developing these options now and will share them when they are more formed. In the meantime, we are
welcoming any further suggestions about how we can adapt this change to be as
beneficial to our students as possible, so feedback is more than welcome.
Thanks,
Joe Caunce (Activities Officer)
and Kiri Madhani (Sports Officer)
Interpol(itics)
“You feel the sweet breath of time, It’s whispering it’s truth, not mine.”
Every morning, I come into the office and I write a quote
on the whiteboard next to my desk. I do this because I find it both therapeutic
and inspiring. The band Interpol wrote the above lyric in their song ‘No I in
Threesome’ but don’t worry, I’m not that kind of guy; I won’t be writing about sex
acts. Not on this blog anyway.
It’s more the principal behind the words that I want to
talk about. Remove the innuendo-laden context of the song title, and I think
you have a particularly powerful statement to look at. Particularly in a
General Election year.
For me this quote says that sometimes the time has come
for certain ideas. We can resist them all we want but sometimes ideas arrive
and we have to grasp them as truth rather than write them off. I guess it’s
about learning when to adopt change.
One of my biggest lessons learnt this past year is that
the cultures we exist within are by no means static. I have had the pleasure of
being a representative of a group of intelligent, talented and pretty
awe-inspiring students – students who make the community we live in one of the
most dynamic in the world. Across the country students are campaigning for
changes that in decades to come, I believe, we will look at and think it was
balmy that we ever existed in a world without them.
You could see that as disheartening. But I see it as
encouraging.
Cultural change takes time. There are 70 million people
in this country and 7 billion in the world; no matter what element of culture
you want changing, recognising how long it could take is the first step towards
success.
Previous generations lived in a country where women
couldn’t vote, where children could be beaten in schools and where
homosexuality was illegal. Women have been on this planet just as long as men;
I can’t even do the maths as to how long it took for us to realise they should
be treated equally in democracy. But through hard work they got there. The
voice of a few became the belief of many. The “sweet breath of time” became
impossible to ignore.
Just because we
have always done something doesn’t make it right.
It is all too easy for us to write people off as
revolutionary, radical or different when they tell us things that are
uncomfortable. In fact, different is a dangerous word when it carries
connotations of ‘bad’. We have a collective mentality – we go with the flow
when we know we have strength in numbers. But when something new reaches
breaking point, when change is proposed not by individuals or groups but by the
sweet breath of time, that’s when we finally listen. That’s why it takes so
long.
It’s an unfortunate fact of life that culture changes people
more often than people change culture, but you know what, that’s not always a
bad thing. I have been influenced by many people and by many life experiences.
They have broadened my perspective and understanding of the world and I am
hugely grateful for them.
It does however mean that we can cast people out when
they tell us something that goes against what we’ve always known. The
collective mentality that comes with our cultures brings great benefits but can
also make us blind to anything that falls outside of our own experience. After
all, life was pretty fine for straight people before homosexuality was
legalised, right?
You see our perspective is informed by our surroundings,
and we choose our surroundings carefully. We often choose what we want to
listen to and what we don’t. Therefore taking yourself out of your own context
to understand others’ is not easy but is what will eventually lead to change
for the greater good.
It’s those who put their head above the parapet to stand
up against a negative aspect of their culture who lead these changes. The
Nelson Mandelas, the Emmeline Pankhursts, the Malcolm Xs – these are the people
who recognised this simple fact and unsurprisingly they are the ones that we’ll
be talking about in millennia to come.
So why am I saying
all this now?
Well on Thursday we have a General Election. There are a
million and one motivations to vote, but whatever your opinion of our political
system, whether you’ve been born and bred a particular party or whether you
just don’t see the point I have a very simple message for you:
It’s so easy to have your voice counted you have no
excuse not to.
No one is asking you to spend 18 years in Robben Island
prison for what you believe in – just pop a squiggle on a piece of paper. That
way, whether you love, hate or are somewhere in between in your opinions, you
can have that opinion registered.
Because for now that is the only option you have. The
system doesn’t respond to any other form of voice. No amount of tweets,
conversations with your mates or internal grumblings will make the slightest
difference. At least a vote (even a spoilt ballot) registers your opinion. Do
not go unheard.
There are people out there, myself as one of them, who
believe that the sweet breath of time is arriving for our current political
system. Sorry party leaders, but it’s genuinely whispering a greater truth and
not just mine. I really hope that one day we can have a political system that’s
a bit more modern. One that allows it’s citizens to actively engage and mould
the country we live in more accessibly, one that truly reflects the diversity
of people in this country, and one that we are proud of rather than pissed off
at.
A shout instead of
a whisper
As I said before, most changes begin with a different
opinion.
If your opinion is a particular party, make it known.
If your opinion is I don’t care, turn up and spoil your
ballot and make it known.
And if your opinion like mine is that the system needs a
good looking at, for now all we can do is vote and make it known.
We may not be Nelson Mandela and Emma Pankhurst. But we
don’t need to be. All we need to do is show that we care. Just make it known.
Nothing will happen unless it begins internally. Nothing
will change if we stay on the sidelines. Trust me, it will be a start because
what we need in order to influence the things you want to change are those who
are willing to say it, rather than those who stand by and ignore it.
#MakeItKnown
Let’s speak up for Nottingham’s future.
Have you ever heard the expression, “our country needs a
breath of fresh air?” If you have, it was most likely uttered by a brigade of
well-dressed Oxford PPE graduates. Indulge me as I unpick that cheesy metaphor
as I share my earnest belief that students can be the lungs from which that
breath springs.
On March 24th at the Royal Concert Hall, the
Students’ Union took in a deep breath. Three hundred of our students inhaled as
deeply as they could, and let out a roar of change so loud that politicians up
and down the country trembled in fear. Standing with two and a half thousand
other citizens, we set out a better future for Nottingham. A future where every
private tenant has a fit and proper landlord; where there are adequate,
well-paid jobs for our graduates, and where every ill person in the city can
access a named, reasonably paid carer to nurse them to health.
As we exhaled that night, we showed our phenomenal
democratic power and made history.
Picture the scene, and take it all in; the biggest
non-stadium room in Nottingham jam-packed to its full capacity. The biggest
Citizens’ gathering before an election that civic society has managed of all time. One by one, the leader of
Nottingham City Council, our parliamentarians, and ultimately a minister of
government all committing to fight for our vision of a better Nottingham.
When I stood up in front of that assembly, I was paralysed
by fear. Not because of the amount of people there; that was more a source of
pride than anything else. I felt vulnerable because I was sharing the story of
my second year, where I had a landlord that came by at all hours of the night,
leaving inoperative locks on our doors and threats in our ears. I was then
overcome by a great sense of achievement as the leader of the council pledged
to stop this happening to more students with enhanced protection for student
tenants. That has, so far, been the zenith of my year as an officer.
That Tuesday was not the only day of community achievement
this year. Throughout Autumn, teams of student volunteers had one-to-one
conversations with hundreds of you, collated your views into a list of
political asks, and produced a Student Manifesto that represents the views of
three Students’ Unions within the city; those of Trent, New College Nottingham,
and our own. Local councillors have supported all of the aims of the document,
and have already pledged to support millions of pounds worth of funding for
cycling in student areas and support, where necessary, to make our streets safe.
Please have a look at what we got up to here: www.student-manifesto.co.uk
Yet we should remember that this is simply a point along a
journey, not the destination itself. We have been local change-makers for as
long as our communities have stood, and Tuesday was the continuation of a proud
tradition of student active citizenship. Hundreds of us mobilised in this way
in 2012, where the SU President and Community Officer secured hundreds of CCTV
cameras in hackney carriages throughout the city to keep our students safe.
Three years later, we got even better returns on housing, jobs and social care,
issues that we lobbied on directly as a result of feedback collected from you.
My reason for writing this blog is an appeal to every
eligible student; the change is not yet won, and though we broke records on the
day, March 24th was not quite enough.
In order for politicians to implement the things that we
have asked of them, we need to keep showing our democratic power. That means turning out at election time and
registering to vote. Stepping up to show our decision makers that if they don’t
respect our interests, they will be out of a job. The registration process has
never been simpler. With your national insurance number to hand, head to https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
and breathe life back into our communities.
Students volunteers at the heart of the new ‘Welcome’ programme
In November I wrote to you about the need to change our Week One programme and design a new model to deliver a fully inclusive arrival and welcome programme. I want to let you know now what this new programme will look like. It’s a long blog but I hope you’ll stay with me through the whole of it as it’s something which I feel is hugely important for us.
In designinga new volunteering structure for this area we wanted to ensure that we created a system that would increase the number of opportunities for student involvement whilst keeping student leadership at the heart of the system. Wewanted to build on all of the things that Week One did well whilst addressing
those areas that were weaknesses. And we wanted to make something that all of
our students could be proud of. I think we’ve achieved that.
Welcome
Mentors
The new
front-line of welcoming new students, Welcome Mentors will replace Week One
Reps at all the locations where we have new students arriving at the
University. Recruited by application and interview rather than elected, and not
based on existing roles but developed from the ground up in terms of our
requirements of them, Welcome Mentors will be the students who plan and deliver
the new generation programme for Arrival & Welcome. To do this, they will
carry out the following duties:
Know their students: Each mentor will be allocated specific
students and will be expected to build a relationship with each of them to find
out the interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes so that they can put their
students on the best pathway to creating new friendships and therefore, feel
safe and settled at Nottingham.
Promote the broad range of events and
activities available: Rather than
focusing on only one type of event, mentors will direct new students to those
activities that fit with their interests – helping them to meet new people and
build new relationships whilst meaning that they aren’t pushed to do things
they have no interest in.
Signpost any students suffering from
emotional discomfort or distress: Mentors will be there to help to
direct students to appropriate pastoral care and welfare support services,
within their accommodation and within the University. This duty will run
throughout the day and not just in relation to events.
Help new students understand the diversity
of the student body they have just become a part of: The University is a community of over
34,000 students with different nationalities, sexualities, gender definitions,
abilities, social class backgrounds, political outlooks, and beliefs. Mentors
will be there to help new students get to grips with and integrate into this
new environment.
Communication of all aspects of the
University arrivals experience: Again, rather than simply focusing on Students’ Union events and
activities, mentors will be there to help new students navigate their ways
through campus to their school induction programmes as well as the appropriate
University registration processes such as loan confirmation and health centre
registration.
As you can
tell this is a huge change from what we’ve done previously, and if we want to
do it properly we’re going to need more people to help us. Whilst we’ve not
fully confirmed exactly how many mentor roles will be available in each
location, I can tell you that instead of the standard 4 reps that we’ve had
previously in halls, smaller halls like Nightingale and Florence Boot will have
a minimum of 6 mentors with this number rising as the halls rise in the number
of students they accommodate. The effect of this will be that whilst we’ve
previously had around 90 Week One Reps, there are likely to be more like 170
Welcome Mentors – giving more opportunity for a broader range of students to
get involved in the programme.
Student
Leadership
To lead this
larger pool of volunteers we need a new leadership structure. This will come in
in two parts:
1. Each of the Accommodation sites would have
a Lead Mentor
Recruited at the
same time as all of the mentors from a specific location, the Lead Mentor has
the responsibility for ensuring that all of their mentors are doing their roles
properly. They would be the main line of contact between the central leadership
team and the volunteers at that location, organising which mentors will be
leading what activities and making sure that all of the students in that
location are feeling happy and settled.
2. A central Co-ordinating Committee would sit
above the mentoring structure
Not only do we
foresee a greater number of front line volunteers. We will be also be
introducing a broadened activity programme that covers not just the night time
events but includes day time and early evening activities. We also see the need
for student leadership of welfare, inclusivity and communication needs within
the programme.
To make this work,
we are introducing a new Co-ordinating Committee. Open to all students to apply
for the roles and again recruited rather than elected, the committee will be
made up of the following nine positions:
Arrival & Welcome Co-ordinator: The head of the programme and ultimate
decision maker within the programme, this volunteer will work closely the SU
President and the Activities Officer to ensure that the whole programme meets
the values of the Students’ Union and achieves the outlined vision of success
for the programme
Lead Mentor Co-ordinator: Acting as Second in Command to the Arrival & Welcome Co-ordinator,
the Lead Mentor Co-ordinator has primary responsibility for communication with
each mentors in location to ensure that all activity is appropriately staffed
and that all aspects of the programme are being covered
Night Time Co-ordinator (x2): Responsible for all events both on and off campus after 8pm, these roles
are the posts that looks most like the previous positions in the old “Week One”
structure
Day Time Co-ordinator: Working closely with the Societies and Sports, Business Development,
and Volunteering departments as well as colleagues in the University, this role
is responsible for creating a programme of day time activities for students to
take part in. This role will also have significant involvement in shaping what
the new Welcome Fair will look like
Early Evening Co-ordinator: Feedback from 1st years clearly says they want more
opportunities to get to know other people in their halls. Working with Hall
Committees, Wardens, and Hall Management, this role will be responsible for
creating a programme of accommodation based events between 4pm and 8pm each day
that are specifically aimed at getting people talking to each other
Communications Co-ordinator: Working directly with our Insight and Marketing department, this role
is responsible for ensuring that all new students get the right information –
both before arriving on campus and then during arrival week. This will include
overall responsibility for social media across accommodation sites as well as
coming up with new ways for new students to give us information that can help
their mentors best direct them when they get here
Welfare Co-ordinator: Working with the Equal Opportunities & Welfare Officer, the Student
Advice Centre, and the University’s Student Services, this volunteer will ensure
that mentors have all the required signposting information to hand as well as
logging any students that mentors are concerned about during the week so they
can be sensitively passed back to tutors and wardens to follow up on
Inclusivity
Co-ordinator: Engaging with
appropriate Union and University staff members in Societies & Sports, the
International Office, the Graduate School, and the Chaplaincy, this volunteer
will ensure that the programme as a whole is specifically considering the needs
of Postgraduate and International students, as well as other students who might
feel excluded from the Arrival and Welcome programme. It is expected that they
will liaise closely with those faith groups who get involved in arrivals (such
as CU) to ensure that their activities are more closely aligned to the overall
arrivals programme
Through
these two tiers of leadership, we believe that there is strong student
ownership and direction to cover all of the different parts of the new programme.
Recruitment
From 5pm today
role descriptions for both the Welcome Mentor roles and the Co-ordinating
Committee roles will go live on our website. These descriptions will also
outline the timing and deadlines for recruitment of these posts. Welcome
Mentors will not be recruited until after the Easter break.
Our current
emphasis is on getting the Co-ordinating Committee in place so we can move the
programme forward and I would encourage ANYONE interested in the posts to go
and read the role descriptions. The committee places are open to all students
not just those who have been reps in the past so don’t let your lack of
previous involvement be a barrier!
I’m really
keen to get people’s feedback on this. It’s a huge change and one that we’ve
put a lot of work into making. It’s also worth reading the role descriptions as
they might answer some of your questions. As I said at the start, we wanted to
ensure that the new system would increase the number of opportunities for
students; that would keep student leadership at the heart of the system; that
would build on all of the things that Week One did well whilst addressing our weaknesses.
But most of all, I want something we can all the proud of. I hope you’ll join
me in working to make this new approach a success.
