Postgraduate Students Welcome Booklet 2016

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 1

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

title

Your guide toate u d a r g t s o P life in cardiff

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

2 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

Stay in touch

3 Welcome from your VP Postgraduate Officer

We know you’re busy people, so we want to make it as easy as possible for you to stay in up to date with what’s happening around campus.

4 Your Students’ Union (Cathays and Heath Park) 5

Meet your Elected Officers

Bi-Monthly Email

7 Cardiff Postgraduate Students’ Association 8–9

Every fortnight, your VP Postgraduate Officer, Alex Kuklenko, will be dropping you an email to let you know what’s going on. From important updates, things to get involved in and other news, this will be well worth a read.

Student Academic Reps

10–11 Student Voice: democracy at your Students’ Union 12–13 Activities 14 Jobshop and Skills Development Service 15 Cardiff Volunteering and Cardiff Student Enterprise 16 Student Advice 17 Shops and Services 18–19 Great Events 20

Website We’ve developed an area of our website just for you. Visit cardiffstudents.com/ postgrad to find out more.

Social Media cardiffstudentspostgrad @PostgradCSU

Campus Map

12-13

Activities

great events

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 3

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

welcome to cardiff!

Welcome to all of the new postgraduates at Cardiff University. For those who are returning to Cardiff for postgraduate study – welcome back. As a postgraduate student at Cardiff, you are automatically a member of the Students’ Union. This means that you have access to the incredible range of societies, sports teams and associations that operate throughout the Union. You are also represented and supported by the elected Sabbatical Team and a great number of dedicated staff members.

We at the Union are committed to making sure that you have the best possible experience during your time in Cardiff. We do this by representing you to the university on academic issues, offering social activities and events, and supporting you in your welfare concerns.

Whether you are striving for success in your Taught course, or Research, we want to provide you with as many opportunities as possible – from making sure you have the facilities to carry out your research, or the opportunity to commit to skills development courses, to simply having the chance to further integrate into the postgraduate community. When it comes to your academic experience we are here to empower you, and to make sure that your voice is heard.

As the new VP Postgraduate Students, I am really excited to work with as many of

you within the postgraduate community as I can, so that we can most effectively shape each individual experience at Cardiff University Students’ Union. If you have any queries or suggestions, don’t hesitate to drop me a message.

Alternatively, you can find me on the third floor of the Students’ Union!

Alex VP Postgraduate VPpostgraduate@Cardiff.ac.uk @PostgradCSU

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

4 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

Your students’ union

Cathays Campus The main Students’ Union building is located on Park Place. This purpose built location spans five floors and houses a pub, 24 hour social learning space, food outlets, shops, meeting and practice space, our large multi-purpose venue for daytime and evening events, a lecture theatre, a radio station and a range of shops. The Students’ Union is great place to relax, meet friends, get support, find a job, have a bite to eat and generally get involved in student life.

Heath Campus The Students’ Union at the Heath is located in the IV Lounge on the ground floor of the Neuadd Meirionnydd building.

This satellite Students’ Union gives you access to the range of services provided at Park Place including Jobshop, Cardiff Student Letting, Student Advice, Cardiff Volunteering and Skills Development courses. You can process sport club and society cheques here, as well as purchasing stationery supplies and Cardiff University merchandise. We also have facilities for you to book meetings with any of our Elected Officers. The Students’ Union at the Heath has undergone redevelopment work during the summer of 2015 so will be looking better than ever before.

The Students’ Union at the Heath is run

by Neil so pop in and say hello!

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 5

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

Elected Officers 2016-17 Elected Officers are a team of students who are chosen by other students to lead the Students’ Union. They represent the views of students and lead activity in all areas of student life such as education for undergraduates, postgraduates and healthcare students, sport, societies, and welfare. The Elected Officers are led by the Students’ Union President.

Meet your Elected Officers on the 3rd floor of the Students’ Union building or on cardiffstudents.com

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 7

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

Cardiff postgraduate students’ association Welcome new postgraduates!

The Postgraduate Students’ Association committee would like to wish you a very warm welcome, and pass on our congratulations on getting accepted to study for a postgraduate degree here at Cardiff University!

When the association started out, a little over two years ago, there was no crosscampus postgraduate community. In our first year, we ran a series of events that grew a small but solid community.

We also campaigned for the introduction of a full-time sabbatical officer role for postgraduate students (at the time of introduction only the seventh such role in the whole country) and our achievements were recognised when we came runnersup at the annual Societies Ball.

In our second year we continued to build on our successes. We introduced a fortnightly pub quiz that quickly became incredibly popular. We organised “taster” events with other clubs and societies, which gave postgraduate students an opportunity to sample the range that Cardiff has to offer. We ran movie nights, not to mention our Christmas party and our celebration of St Patrick’s Day. Last year culminated with the first ever cross-

campus postgraduate summer ball, an event that proved more popular than we anticipated! This all concluded with the Postgraduate Students’ Association winning the ‘Association of the Year’ award at the Societies Ball.

We are very excited about the growth of the postgraduate community over the past two years, and we hope that with your help it will grow even stronger.

Please check out our social events coming up throughout the year and get involved. From baking, dancing and hiking, to parties and meals – there will be something for everyone. So, find us on Facebook (facebook.com/CardiffPGA) and give us a like so that you don’t miss out on anything; you can also drop us an email at PostgraduateAssociation@ Cardiff.ac.uk if you have any questions; or you can stop by our stand at the Societies Fair in September for a chat.

So, once again, welcome to Cardiff – we cannot wait to see you in September!

On behalf of the Postgraduate Students’ Association committee, Tom Tollefsen Committee Chair

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

8 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

Student Academic Reps What is a Student Academic Representative?

A Student Academic Rep is a volunteer student who voices the comments, concerns and questions of their course to their School. Their role is to gather feedback from their course and take that to Student Staff Panels (SSPs) and Boards of Study to ensure the student voice is taken seriously at every level.

In total there are over 1,100 Student Academic Reps across Cardiff University representing over 30,000 students.

Become a Rep Reps play an integral part in empowering the student voice and we are always looking for new recruits. No prior experience is required; all we ask for is your enthusiasm and an open mind.

The Student Voice team in the Students’ Union provide you with training and support, so you will be prepared for your role.

If you are interested feel free to contact StudentReps@Cardiff.ac.uk and the Student Voice team can get you in contact with the relevant Student Rep Coordinator. Alternatively you can contact your School office and they will be able to give you details of your Student Rep Coordinator.

What’s in it for me?

As postgraduates your educational needs are often specialised and require particular attention. So by becoming a Rep you can take hold of your education, you can help shape your course or research experience and highlight where improvements need to be made.

Being a Rep is a perfect opportunity to engage with students in your line of research and study, you’ll meet plenty of people along the way. You’ll get a chance to build networks with University staff and help you engage with senior academics. You can take part in quality assurance and improve academic standards at Cardiff University.

Get involved, become a student academic rep!

Any Questions?

Contact: Alex Kuklenko – Vice President Postgraduate Students.

VPpostgraduate@Cardiff.ac.uk PgradOfficerCSU @PostgradCSU

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 9

Use Your Rep – What type of issues does a student Academic Rep deal with?

Student Academic Reps can feed back any positive or negative comments you may have about your School, subject or module through attending Student Staff Panels which occur on average once a semester. As a result of being trained to signpost students to the relevant people, Student Academic Reps are also great sources of information regarding the various services Cardiff University and the Students’ Union has to offer.

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

How do I contact my Student Academic Representative?

If you have feedback on your course that you want to pass onto your Student Academic Rep you can log onto cardiffstudents.com/reps and use the ‘Find My Rep’ feature. Alternatively you can email StudentsReps@Cardiff.ac.uk or pop into the Students’ Union on the third floor. You might also receive emails from your Representative asking for feedback.

How do I find out more? cardiffstudents.com/reps StudentReps@Cardiff.ac.uk Cardiff Student Voice @CU_StudentVoice

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

10 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

student voice The Students’ Union is a democratic membership organisation, and its main purpose is to represent you and your fellow students’ interests to the University and wider society. In the past the Union has fought to fix fees for international students, for 24h libraries and the earlier release of exam timetables.

There are a number of ways in which you can raise issues you want the Union to tackle, as well as getting involved in things that are already on the agenda.

Below you will find a brief description of different groups that lead our work and how you can get involved.

Postgraduate Executive This will be the second year that the Students’ Union has had a Postgraduate Executive. The committee will aim to promote and improve the postgraduate experience at Cardiff, whilst serving as a link between postgraduate students and the Vice President Postgraduate.

The committee will meet once a month, feed into important decisions and act as an advisory board. The Executive will be made up of three postgraduate taught students, three postgraduate research students, a member from the Postgraduate Association committee and will be chaired by the Vice President Postgraduate. Keep an eye on your emails for details about how you can get involved this year.

Student Senate Student Senate creates and amends policy for the Students’ Union. That means they decide what changes or improvements we should make or lobby for. Student Senate is made up of twentyfive senators that are elected in October during Bye-Elections. Senate meets five times a year and the meetings are open to all students. Any student can submit a motion or agenda item to Student Senate and all students are allowed to attend the meeting to argue for or against the issues on the agenda.

You can find the agenda, minutes and details of the next meeting at cardiffstudents.com/senate If there is something you think can make the postgraduate experience better within the students’ union, make sure to submit a motion!

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 11

Scrutiny Committee Scrutiny Committee is made up of 10 elected students who hold your representatives (including the Students’ Union President and VP Postgrad) to account. They serve to scrutinise Elected Officers’ reports to make sure they are working in your best interests. All students can stand for election to the Scrutiny Committee which is elected in the October Bye-Election. They will meet about eight times a year, on a Tuesday evening.

You can see what the officers are working on and minutes from the Scrutiny Committee meetings at cardiffstudents. com/your-voice/elected-officers Elections Since we are a democratic organisation all representative positions with decision making power are filled through crosscampus elections.

We run two sets of elections every year, the first take place in October for Student Senate and Scrutiny Committee.

The second set of elections is held in February to elect the paid full-time Officers and nine Campaign Officers.

The full time Officer team is made up of one President and six Vice Presidents including a Vice President Postgraduate Students. The Campaign Officer roles are voluntary and students take these up

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

alongside their studies. They represent minority and liberation groups to the Students’ Union and University.

These roles demand a variation of voices and we are looking for postgraduates to make their voices heard! There are two main ways of getting involved – by putting your name forward for a position you are interested in or by voting for the candidates you think will do a good job.

Bye Election - Nominations Open 19/09/16. Main Election - Nominations open 24/11/16. Find out more about elections at cardiffstudents.com/yourvoice/elections or by emailing Elections@ Cardiff.ac.uk

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

12 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

ACtivities Societies Joining a society or committee at Cardiff University Students’ Union is a great way of networking, keeping up with a favourite hobby or just putting you in touch with like-minded people. There are over 200 societies to choose from including course-based societies, religious groups, international societies, as well as political and cultural societies.

Sports Our sports clubs are supported by the Athletic Union, who look after students that run over 60 sports clubs including individual and team sports, outdoor and water sports and martial arts.

Associations Our student associations are free of charge and any Cardiff University student can become a member. Each association represents a specific group such as LGBT+ students, black and ethnic minority students or postgrad students, and campaigns on issues that may affect them.

You can find out more about our associations at cardiffstudents.com/ associations. You can read more about the Postgrad Students’ Association on page 7.

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 13

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

Other great ways to get involved Student Media We have a thriving media culture at the Students’ Union with an enthusiastic group of students producing our weekly newspaper Gair Rhydd and monthly magazine Quench, as well as volunteering at Xpress Radio, our student radio station, and CUTV, our online television station. You can get involved with student media at any point during the year. It can be a great way to hone your journalism skills, as well as providing a diverse range of experience for the future.

Learn a Foreign Language Try a new language or improve on an existing one, for free! Languages for All (LfA) gives you the chance to improve your language skills alongside your studies. Their flexible choice of study options mean you can learn in a way that suits you, be that weekly, intensively or independently. Whether you’re a complete beginner or wanting to improve your current language skills, we cater for all abilities. We hold courses in a wide range of languages and run classes at both our Cathays Park and Heath Park campuses. Find out more at cardiff. ac.uk/modern-languages.

Give it a Go Give it a Go is a full calendar of amazing activities for you to try while you are a student at Cardiff. It gives you the opportunity to try out all the things our societies get up to, get involved in sports, learn a new language, develop vital skills, volunteer, go on day and weekend trips and so much more. The aim of the game is to get you to try things you’ve never tried before, meet new people and basically have an absolutely amazing time in Cardiff.

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

14 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

jobs and skills Jobshop If you’re interested in working alongside your postgrad course, the Jobshop is a great place to start. The Jobshop is run by the Students’ Union and offers a free employment service to all students enrolled at the University.

Work opportunities are available within the University, the Students’ Union and with local employers, offering paid employment that fits around your academic commitments.

To find out more about the Jobshop and how to register, visit cardiffstudents. com/Jobshop. It’s a great way earn some extra cash and to maintain work experience on your CV while you study!

CardiffJobshop @CardiffJobshop Jobshop@Cardiff.ac.uk 029 2078 1535 The Skills Development Service The Skills Development Service (SDS) provides a range of courses aimed at getting you ready for the employment market. These courses range from improving your transferable skills, to building your confidence and generally increasing your employability potential. Certificates are awarded for

successful completion of courses and are highly regarded by employers. Postgraduate students have always been attracted to these programmes. We run both during and outside of normal semesters meaning you can avail of these opportunities at less busy times in the teaching calendar. Most of the programme is free with some moderate and subsidised fees applying where applicable.

The courses offered by the Skills Development Service are broken down into three main areas: • Certificate of Professional Development • Progression and Well-being • Externally-Certificated Courses and Sessions Detailed information about all of these courses can be found at cardiffstudents. com/jobs-skills.

Get in touch 029 2078 1489 SDS@Cardiff.ac.uk CardiffSDS @SDScardiff

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 15

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

Cardiff Volunteering Volunteering is a great way to make a difference in the local community during your time in Cardiff. It offers valuable work experience for your CV, as well as the chance to meet new people and have a lot of fun! Cardiff Volunteering offers a wide variety of different and exciting projects to choose from which you can fit around your University schedule.

Lots of students volunteer on projects in and around the city of Cardiff, giving up their time to help improve the social, economic and environmental lives of others in the local community and gaining new skills, experiences and friends along the way.

To find out more about Cardiff Volunteering and how you can get involved, visit cardiffstudents.com/ volunteering or drop into their office in the Centre for Skills, Enterprise and Volunteering at the Students’ Union when you arrive in Cardiff. The office is open 09:00–17:00 Monday-Thursday and 09:00–16:00 on Fridays. cardiffstudents.com/volunteering VolunteerCUSU @VolunteerCUSU @VolunteerCUSU

Cardiff University Enterprise Being enterprising means having the confidence and skills to bring your ideas to life. Whether you want to start a business, grow a community project, or impress an employer, we are here to support you.

We run a series of workshops and events throughout the year to give you hands-on experiences and opportunities to meet inspiring professionals. You can also win cash prizes to help bring your ideas to life.

There is also an expert advisor who can give you one-to-one business guidance and even offer you free office space.

Find us in the Centre for Skills, Enterprise and Volunteering at the Students’ Union.

Enterprise@Cardiff.ac.uk studententerprise @CardiffUniE

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

16 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

student advice

The Students’ Union offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice through our Student Advice service. The Student Advice team offer advice, information, advocacy and representation to all students at Cardiff University. The service is delivered by drop-ins, appointments, email and phone. The service also undertakes other activities and events to develop awareness of rights and responsibilities, as well as promoting and supporting the health and wellbeing of students.

As well as offering general advice, the Student Advice service specialises in helping students with landlord and tenant issues, as well as other housing matters. The team also offers advice on academic issues including appeals and complaints.

Get in touch: 029 2078 1410 cardiffstudents.com/advice Advice@Cardiff.ac.uk You can access our Student Advice service in person in the Students’ Union Cathays Campus. You can request an appointment or arrive through our daily drop-in service. You can also phone, email or fill in the online enquiry form on our website.

Please check on cardiffstudents.com/ Advice for the most up to date times or call 029 2078 1410.

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 17

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

shops and services IT Shop The IT Shop is currently undergoing a rebrand and will be reopening on the ground floor of the Students’ Union in September 2016. They offer a wide range of notebooks, desktops, accessories and peripheral items, as well as a good range of stationery, all at competitive prices.

The store also offers low-cost affordable payment schemes on laptops and desktops.

Need support? You can get a fast and efficient computer repair service.

Diagnosis fees are as little as £15 and turnaround is usually within 24 hours.

The store will also offer a Post Office service.

020 2078 1454 theitshop@cardiff.ac.uk Cardiff Student Letting Cardiff Student Letting is a letting agency with is owned and run by the Students’ Union. Located on the ground floor of the Students’ Union it is a completely free service with no agency fees or administration fees. cardiffstudentletting.com 029 2078 1525 cardiffstudentletting Y Salon Hairdressers Did you know that the Students’ Union has its very own hairdressing salon?

Based on the ground floor of the Union building, Y Salon offers student-friendly prices on cuts, colours and much more!

Look out for special offers throughout the year on cardiffstudents.com.

To book an appointment, telephone: 029 2078 1500 The Food Court at Y Plas Whenever you’re feeling hungry, we’ve got your appetite covered. From healthy salads to a burger and fries, our food outlets in Y Plas are the perfect stop on your way to lectures. Located on the 2nd floor with loads of seating, free wifi and sockets to plug your laptop in - chat, study, eat, drink. Our food court includes Starbucks, a noodle bar, a salad bar and a fast food outlet. You can also find The Pantry in the main reception area on the 2nd floor which sells pies and pastries throughout the day.

The Taf The Taf is the Students’ Union’s very own pub. Perfect for a quiet pint or a bite to eat during the day, our pub also hosts a legendary quiz, live music acts and some great special offers.

Other Services The Students’ Union also houses other services provided by companies such as WHSmith, Blackwell’s Bookshop, Magic Wrap, Santander Bank and the Print Centre.

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

18 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

great events Cardiff is a vibrant city with a diverse range of events to keep you entertained when you’re not hard at work. We’ve compiled a selection here but this is just a small sample – we recommend exploring, searching and keep your eyes peeled to make the most of your time in the city.

Cardiff International Food & Drink Festival Cardiff’s original and biggest foodie event of the year with over 100 local, national and international producers. Sample and buy some of the best farmhouse cheeses, artisan breads, handmade chocolates and specialist liqueurs. There’s also live music performances throughout the event to keep you entertained.

RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship Rugby is the national sport of Wales and there is a great atmosphere in the city during the RBS Six National Rugby Championship. Watch Wales take on England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland on TV screens in venues all over the city, or if you’re very lucky, get your hands on a ticket to watch a game live in the Principality Stadium.

Sparks in the Park The annual Cardiff fireworks display is held at the beginning of November to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night and has been organised by Cardiff Round Table for over 30 years. Held in Bute Park overlooking the castle, it’s a great chance to wrap up warm and enjoy the bright lights.

Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland Winter Wonderland sees the iconic Civic Centre transformed into a festive spectacle including an open air ice rink, fairground rides as well as some tasty food and drink stalls.

Street Food Events Cardiff is becoming an increasingly foodie city with plenty of great cafes and restaurants to keep most culinary fans happy. Street food has joined the ranks in the last few years with very popular popup events taking place around the city.

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION 19

Tafwyl Festival Tafwyl is an annual festival established

by Menter Caerdydd to celebrate the use of the Welsh language in Cardiff.

The main event is Tafwyl Fair which is a combination of artistic, musical, cultural and sporting events, all delivered through the Welsh language. To find out more, visit tafwyl.org.

Cardiff University Cardiff Half Marathon The Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon has grown into one of the largest road races in the United Kingdom.

The event is not only the UK’s second largest half marathon, it is Wales’ largest road race and Wales’ largest multi-charity fundraising event. This year’s event takes place on Sunday 2nd October. Register to take part at cardiffhalfmarathon.co.uk/ Welsh Varsity Welsh Varsity started out 20 years ago as a rugby match between Cardiff University students and Swansea University students. Today it’s so much more than that. Welsh Varsity has become a whole week of events, with teams competing against each other in over 30 sports to represent their university. The final day culminates with the legendary men’s rugby match, played in front of thousands of students from both universities.

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

Other Events Don’t forget to check out Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena for live music and comedy gigs as well as the Wales Millennium centre in Cardiff Bay, which stages musicals, opera, ballet and theatre and dance performances. There is also a great selection of art galleries throughout the city, varying in size and subject, from paintings to photography and sculpture.

Your guide toate u Postgradin life cardiff

20 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

Campus Map A1

A2

16

Postgraduate Study Zone 17

B1

B2

C1

C2

C3

C4

D3

D4

14

15 12 13 D1

D2

11 10

3 9

1

7 2

4

6 5 8