UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 AGENDA
1. Welcome and Apologies 2. Minutes from 25.05.11 (SC11/11) 3. Issues tabled by students for discussion a. Give me Tap (SC11/12) b. Ethnic minorities on Britainâ€&#x;s donor registries (SC11/13) 4. Policy decisions tabled by the Sabbatical officers for discussion a. The University of Salford branding (SC11/14) b. The Library Consolidation project (SC11/15) c. UCU Industrial action (SC11/16) 5. Vacancy on Student Council 6. Reports to be noted a. b. c. d.
Student Officer reports (SC11/17) Trustee Board report (SC11/18) University Committees report (SC11/19) NUS report (SC11/20)
Dates of next Student Council meetings: 11am Wednesday 23rd November 2011 Week commencing 6th February 2011 (doodle to follow) Week commencing 19th March 2011 (doodle to follow)
SC11/11 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL WEDNESDAY 25 MAY 2011 MINUTES
COUNCILLORS PRESENT: Daniel Walton, Stephen Mann, David Heaton, John Hart, Liam McLoughlin, Chetan Mali, Kevin Rowswell, Tom Hughes Roberts, Mosami Sayare, Dilip Das, Harriet Phipps, Katie Taylor, Robert Barr, Donna Woolley, Sebastian Pal, Matthew Metcalfe, Heather Sharp. IN ATTENDANCE: Ricky Chotai (President), Caroline Dangerfield (Vice President), Maros Kravec (Vice President), Jim Dale (Vice President), Christabel Brown (Vice President), Sophie Atkinson (Vice President elect), Phil Benton (Chief Executive), Rhiannon Cruse (Student Engagement Manager), Marco Galea, Ray Eckersley.
1. Received: Apologies for absence from Councillors Reetu Zarora, Joe Woods and Holly Brunt. 2. Received: Resignation from Christine Merry. 3. The Chair accepted a request to move paper SC11/10 „Peel Hall issue‟ to earlier in the agenda, to enable the student presenting the paper to attend an examination. 4. Received: Paper SC11/10 „Peel Hall‟ issue, presented by Marco Galea, a student from the school of Music, Media and Performance. The paper outlined issues regarding the use of Peel Hall as a lecture theatre for the academic year 2011/12 whilst the Chapman lecture theatres are being refurbished. The student asked the Union to request that the University stop its plans to use Peel Hall as a lecture space. Sabbatical Officers have already been involved in meetings about temporary lecture spaces and in discussion it was noted that because of the Chapman building refurbishment, various alternatives are due to be used for lecture space, including Peel Hall and Maxwell. Semi-permanent desks were considered more appropriate than lap trays for these alternative venues. It was further noted that alternative performance spaces have been arranged for MMP students in the local area, as well as at the University‟s new facilities at Media City. Peel Hall is also due to undergo significant improvements following its use as a lecture space. The Sabbatical Officers expressed the view that while this is not an ideal situation, it is a short term issue which will result in long term benefits for all students. Marco Galea commented that communication from the University had been poor, and that many
affected students were not aware of plans. Resolved: While it is not possible to prevent Peel Hall being used as a temporary lecture space for next academic year, Council asked the Sabbatical Officers to lobby for improved communication between the staff and students affected. 5. The election for a Council Chair was conducted using the Alternative Vote system. In the first round of votes, Kevin Rowswell was duly elected and took the place of Chair for the remainder of the meeting. a. In discussion and following a suggestion by Council, the post of „Vice Chair‟ was offered and accepted by the Councillor coming second in the election for Chair, Stephen Mann.
6. Received: „Student Officer Reports‟ (SC11/01), „Trustee Board Report‟ (SC11/02), „University Committees Report‟ (SC11/03) and „NUS Report‟ (SC11/04). a. The Chair commented that the content of the Committees Report had been decided by the Sabbatical Officers and asked that Council be given an opportunity to decide whether future issues are of student interest. The President commented that while this may be possible in some cases, the Sabbatical Officers are bound by confidentiality, meaning that some issues discussed at University Committees cannot be shared with Council. 7. Considered: A paper entitled „The Salford Bill of Student Rights: Feedback time‟ presented by Vice President Arts, Media and Social Science (SC11/05). asking Council, in the light of feedback and criticism from academics, to decide whether to keep the Bill‟s proposed feedback time limit of three weeks, or alter the Bill to bring it in line with the University policy of four weeks. In discussion, the evidence base for the Bill of Rights was questioned, and suggestions were made that further research could be done to determine the current state of feedback times across the University. The Vice President Health & Social Care explained that NSS data had been used throughout the Bill of Rights, and that although further research had not been done, the extremely low scoring for „feedback and assessment‟ in the NSS sufficiently demonstrates the problem. The Chair suggested that Council take a vote on the Sabbatical Officers original request, but included an alternative option of recommending further research. The Chief Executive alerted the chair to the fact that the Sabbatical Officers‟ request was for a decision between two options, and that a vote for a third option would be detrimental to the political power of the Bill of Rights. The Chair gave Council three options and conducted the vote. Resolved: To retain the three week feedback limit demand. 8. Considered: A paper entitled „The Salford Student Charter‟ presented by the President (SC11/06). The paper explained the University‟s plans to create a student charter which would outline the rights and responsibilities of the University and students, and included
a draft charter. The University‟s charter is due to be completed by September 2011. The Sabbatical Officers asked Councillors to give feedback on the draft charter and make suggestions or recommendations. During discussion it was noted that a key difference between the Union‟s Bill of Rights and the University‟s charter is that the charter will be concerned with responsibilities, while the Bill of Rights highlights problems or gaps in quality and is written predominantly for students. The Bill of Rights will continue to be the Union‟s campaign document. Councillors discussed that differences between Schools will make an institution-wide charter difficult, but there was general agreement that the draft charter was a good model document. Resolved: The Vice President Health & Social Care will update Council on the progress of the charter. 9. Considered: A paper entitled „University Restructure‟ presented by the President (SC11/07). The paper outlined the University‟s restructuring plans and the potential impact on students, particularly with regard to School mergers. During discussion, it was noted that Schools have agreed longer office hours in order to ensure that students are not disadvantaged by the mergers. The Vice President Business, Law & Languages stated that an email update would be sent to reps in the affected schools this week. On behalf of Council, the Chair thanked the Sabbatical Officers for their work on this issue so far. Resolved: To mandate the new Sabbatical Team to make this a priority campaign issue for the next academic year. 10. Considered: A paper entitled „LGBT issues‟ presented by K. Taylor and H. Phipps (SC11/08). The paper outlined a number of campaign issues currently being dealt with by the LGBT society. The first issue „gender neutral toilets‟ was described as the priority campaign. During discussion it was noted that this issue is backed by the NUS LGBT campaign, and that to introduce the concept to University House would not require significant changes to the building, but merely the changing of the door signs. The use of disabled access toilets was suggested, but strongly challenged by Council members who felt that these facilities should be kept as designated disabled toilets. The President commented that because the Students‟ Union does not own University House, it is not immediately possible to implement this change, and that more consultation must be done to ensure that other minority groups are not negatively affected. The example of Muslim students who would be uncomfortable with mixed facilities was given. The President added that while the Union is affiliated to NUS, it is not bound by its policies or campaigns, and must act in the best interest of its members at Salford. When asked whether they wished to mandate the Officers to dedicate resource to this issue, KT and HP stated that this was not necessary as the LGBT society would be campaigning on the issue, and they would like to report back on progress to Council. 11. Considered: A paper entitled „Halls issues‟ presented by Stephen Mann (SC11/09). The paper outlined the view that students living in halls are underrepresented and face specific issues like cleaning charges. During discussion it was noted that a University email introducing the cleaning charges suggested the Union had been complicit in the decision. The President and the Vice President Health & Social Care assured Council that this was not the case, and that the University often inaccurately exaggerated Union
support for unpopular decisions. Councillors discussed the potential for a forum or system of reps within halls, and it was noted that forums of this kind had been tried before, and fairly recently by Student Life with no success. Resolved: To use the Better University forum to explore this issue further.
Next meeting date to be arranged when timetables are released. Close of meeting
SC11/12 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 POLICY DECISIONS ‘GIVE ME TAP’: FREE ACCESS TO TAP WATER
PURPOSE OF PAPER
Items submitted by students / Council members
ACTION REQUIRED
Discuss and debate the issue outlined, and make recommendations where requested
UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL
If you would like to submit an issue for Student Council to discuss at their next available meeting then please fill in the form below and e-mail to president-ussu@salford.ac.uk or hand it in at the General Office. Please be aware Student Council will discuss the issue and possible points of action as described and will word any further action or recommendations as they see appropriate.
Name: Matthew Trump What is the issue? 1. Please can the Union support the 'Give Me Tap' initiative to reduce the amount of plastic bottles used on campus. 2. „GiveMeTap‟ is the ecological way for people to stay hydrated on the go. Restaurant or café owners (initially in Manchester) sign up as „Provider‟ to supply free access to clean tap water to those who carry branded life-time aluminium bottles. Using your PC or latest Smartphone, water providers can be located via a mapping service, keeping you hydrated throughout the day. 3. More info on the initiative can be found at http://www.givemetap.co.uk
How would you like Council to respond and what action would you like the University or USSU to take? 1. I would like Council to ask the Union to offer this facility at Bar and Café Yours.
SC11/13 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 POLICY DECISIONS THE CURRENT SHORTAGE OF ETHNIC MINORITIES ON BRITAIN'S DONOR REGISTRIES
PURPOSE OF PAPER
Items submitted by students / Council members
ACTION REQUIRED
Discuss and debate the issue outlined, and make recommendations where requested
UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL
If you would like to submit an issue for Student Council to discuss at their next available meeting then please fill in the form below and e-mail to president-ussu@salford.ac.uk or hand it in at the General Office. Please be aware Student Council will discuss the issue and possible points of action as described and will word any further action or recommendations as they see appropriate.
Name: Matthew Trump What is the issue? 1. The chronic shortage of ethnic minorities on Britain's various donor registries – be they blood, bone marrow or hard organs – means that the chances of survival for thousands of patients are drastically reduced. The likelihood a white person can find a bone marrow match is 1 in 3, the likelihood an Asian or Black person can find a bone marrow match 1 in 125,000, and the likelihood a mixed race person can find a bone marrow match is 1 in 200,000+ . 2. There are 16.9m people on the NHS Organ Donor Register, but only 1.2 per cent of these are from the Asian community and 0.4 per cent of these from Black communities. 7,800 patients are actively waiting for a transplant, of whom 1,521 are South Asians and 779 are Black. More information is available here: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-andfamilies/health-news/1250001-against-this-boys-chances-of-finding-a-bone-marrow-donor1994098.html How would you like Council to respond and what action would you like the University or USSU to take? 1. I would like Council to ask the Union to raise awareness of this issue on campus, promote donor cards and use the diversity of the student population as a force for good.
SC11/14 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 POLICY DECISIONS THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD BRANDING
PURPOSE OF PAPER
For Council to discuss, debate and direct issues of the representation work of the Sabbatical Officers
ACTION REQUIRED
Discuss and debate the issue outlined, and make recommendations where requested
UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL
Name: Sabbatical Officer Team 2011/12
What is the issue? The recent University rebranding exercise 1. The University has recently unveiled its new brand, including a new logo featuring the words „University of Salford, Manchester‟. 2. The Sabbatical team are not satisfied that there has been sufficient consultation on the design and brief for the new brand, particularly with students via the Students‟ Union. 3. There has been significant negative feeling about the brand from both the local community and media, particularly due to the use of the word „Manchester‟. 4. The branding exercise has cost the University more than £100,000 at a time when restructures are resulting in staff redundancies across the institution. 5. Due to new restrictions on selling „lion‟ branded clothing and other items, the Students‟ Union has had to write off shop stock, resulting in approximately a £15,000 loss at an already difficult financial time. 6. The replacement of the traditional blue and gold University colours with a more corporate black and red will likely impact on the team colours worn by our Salford sports groups in future.
How would you like Council to respond and what action would you like the University or USSU to take? 1. Following discussion of the issue, we would like Student Council to endorse the following statement, which can be used during future meetings between the Sabbatical Officers and the University‟s senior management.
It is the belief of Student Council that the new University branding does not reflect the strong legacy and traditions of the University of Salford, and that the inclusion of the word ‘Manchester’ is a mistake which has the potential to damage the reputation of the University both nationally and internationally. As students, we are proud to study in the City of Salford, and to compete in the University’s traditional colours, and we believe that the new brand weakens the link with the local community, potentially jeopardising the University’s long term reputation.
SC11/15 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 POLICY DECISIONS THE LIBRARY CONSOLIDATION PROJECT
PURPOSE OF PAPER
For Council to discuss, debate and direct issues of the representation work of the Sabbatical Officers
ACTION REQUIRED
Discuss and debate the issue outlined, and make recommendations where requested
UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL
Name: Sabbatical Officer Team 2011/12
What is the issue? The University‟s Library Consolidation Project 1. The University are currently undertaking a „feasibility study‟ into the likely consolidation of the three University libraries. 2. This consolidation could result in the eventual closure of Allerton and Adelphi libraries, and the movement of all resources to the Clifford Whitworth library on Peel Park campus. Significant investment will be made to the current resource stock, which would be available 24 hours a day. A digitisation programme is underway, which would improve the volume of resources available online. 3. The Students‟ Union have previously campaigned for the extended availability of resources, particularly for students on the Allerton and Adelphi sites, who currently do not have access outside of library opening hours. 4. Maintaining one large central library is common practice within the University sector. 5. The Sabbatical Team have been in consultation with the University on the proposals, and what this will mean for students studying at the other two campuses. Focus groups are being held to consult with students across the institution. 6. The Students‟ Union has conducted an online survey to determine student opinion about library resources (results in appendix). 7. The Sabbatical Team are pressurising the University to commit to invest in all three locations, in terms of resources for Clifford Whitworth, and social learning spaces for Allerton and Adelphi, so that students on these sites have adequate access to study space and computer facilities. 8. The Sabbatical Team have been disappointed with the way the project has been managed, and are incensed by the lack of transparency and consultation with the student body.
How would you like Council to respond and what action would you like the University or USSU to take? 1. To approve the plans of the Sabbatical Officers to lobby for greater transparency and consultation in all future stages of the project, including recognition that students at all three sites have different resource needs which must be taken into account.
Appendix: Learning Resources Survey Results The survey was open between 10th August and 6th September 2011 and received 237 responses. Of these, 116 respondents also left free text comments. The survey questions appear at the end of this report. At the time of the survey‟s launch, the library consolidation project was still classed as „confidential‟ which had implications for the tone and content of the survey questions. It was decided to use the impending publication of the NSS results, along with the Union‟s commitment to lobby for improved learning resources (as outlined in the Salford Bill of Students‟ Rights) to introduce students to issues around library resources. Despite not explicitly mentioning the potential closure of Adelphi and Allerton libraries, it is clear from many of the comments that students were aware of the plans, and had been spoken to by staff in their departments on the issue.
Library use The majority of respondents use Clifford Whitworth as their main library. The majority of users from all three libraries visit their library more than twice a week during term time, and indicate that „access to books‟ is the main reason for their visits (63%), with computer facilities and quiet study space the next popular options (16% and 14% respectively). 24 hour resource access Of those who indicated they used Adelphi and Allerton campus libraries, the majority believed they would benefit from 24 hour access to their resources (67% of Adelphi users, and 54% of Allerton users), though the willingness to visit such resources at other locations differed between the two sets of users. 25% of Adelphi users reported that they would not use 24 hour library resources if they were at another location, while 36% of Allerton users answered in the same manner. This is perhaps surprising given the relative distance between the campuses, but the difference in sample size must be taken into account; there were nearly twice as many Allerton users responding to the survey compared to Adelphi users (32% and 17%). Online and digital usage 84% of all respondents indicated they „occasionally‟ or „often‟ access library resources offcampus via online methods like digital journals. There is however, a marked difference in the responses between Adelphi users and users of the other two libraries. Nearly 40% of Adelphi users stated that they „never‟ used library resources in this way, compared to only 14% of Clifford Whitworth users and 6% of Allerton users. This could be representative of the types of resource needed by students at the Adelphi campus, and the physical nature and necessity of these resources. Free comments The vast majority of comments were negative, particularly where it was clear students had heard some or all of the University‟s plans for consolidation. Even comments where this was not mentioned were critical of the availability and recency of the book stock, and the lack of quiet study space. Adelphi library users‟ comments were largely positive about their existing provision, the negative comments being centred around the opening hours (too short), and the resulting
impact on availability of specialist software facilities. There is a sense that Adelphi students feel they are being short-changed as part of an ongoing neglect by the University: “It will be most inconvenient for those of us who use Adelphi to have to trail all the way over to Clifford Whitworth for our books as it will take at least 20mins to get there and any books we take we will then have to trail all the way back to the Adelphi. Once again our building loses out because of the rest of the campus” “I do not expect to have to traipse across campus to print out an assignment to then have to return to Adelphi... I do not see that as an improvement to facilities!”
Responses from Allerton library users are more critical, a large number relating to the number and availability of certain books, and a feeling that student complaints about this in the past have been ignored. Students also commented that the fuller timetable of students in the College of Health and Social Care meant they had less time to visit the library, and that moving the resources to Peel Park campus would cause further difficulties. There were also comments about parking and safety. “Due to our very full timetable and clinical placements we already have very limited time to access the books we need in the library. Often I just have time to nip in when I arrive before lectures or during our lunch break so I wouldn't want to have to spend an extra 30 mins getting to the library on another campus and then back to Allerton campus. I would rather keep facilitiies on Allerton campus than have 24 hour access elsewhere.” “If the library moves to CW that is a 10 minute walk across campus from where we are based and makes the possibility of a lunchtime or early morning or late afternoon trip to the library much more difficult. I feel nursing students will be significantly disadvantaged by a centralisation to CW and object to the proposals to close Allerton library.”
Responses from Clifford Whitworth students were understandably less concerned with consolidation, but still largely critical of the book stock and facilities at their library. There are clear indications that investment in both digital and non-digital stock would be popular among users, as would improvements in the overall library environment; noise levels were noted a number of times. “I think there is need for improvement in the area of online resources. There are not enough books on courses in the built environment. Many time when I log on to the e-books section of Clifford Withworth Library (e.g Dawsonera), I see very good books but cannot access them because they are not owned by the University of Salford.” 2As a part-time student access to the library resources can be challenging. I regularly use Clifford Whitworth when I am on campus, to access books and use the quiet study area. Many of the books that are recommended are usually taken by full-time students have have more regular and easy access to the books available.”
SC11/16 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 POLICY DECISIONS UCU INDUSTRIAL ACTION
PURPOSE OF PAPER
For Council to discuss, debate and direct issues of the representation work of the Sabbatical Officers
ACTION REQUIRED
Discuss and debate the issue outlined, and make recommendations where requested
UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL Name: Sabbatical Officer Team 2011/12 What is the issue? UCU industrial action 1. The UCU is the largest trade union and professional association for academics, lecturers, trainers, researchers and academic-related staff working in further and higher education throughout the UK. 2. We have been informed by The University and Colleges Union (UCU) that their members have balloted in favour of industrial action; both short of, and including strikes. The UCU is unhappy with proposals to alter the terms of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (pension scheme) for new employees. You can read the UCU statement in full http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/k/q/ucu_ussbriefing_jun11.pdf 3. Industrial action can take two forms: a) action short of a strike or b) action including a strike. Action short of a strike consists of working to rule, not marking exam papers or assessments, refusing to cover for sick colleagues etc. Action including a strike will mean that some lectures and classes will be affected by staff pickets and absences. 4. We do not currently know the precise dates for action, but it is likely that if a strike goes ahead, it would take place in November. This means that the next meeting of Council will likely take place after any strike action. 5. During the strike in March this year, we released a statement of support for the UCU action, but emphasised the need for the strikes to not impact too heavily on our student members, particularly if action escalates and begins to affect assessments, examinations and academic progress. Student Council should be aware that when surveyed earlier in the year, the feelings of Salford students on this matter were incredibly mixed. How would you like Council to respond and what action would you like the University or USSU to take? 1. To discuss and vote on whether the Students‟ Union should support the UCU industrial action. 2. If Council votes to support the UCU, please approve the following statement of support that can be published on our website and used in dealings with students, the University and the media. Proposed statement: As students at the University of Salford we recognise the hard work and dedication of academic and teaching staff who are being increasingly affected by issues of job security, pay, and pensions amid a climate of funding cuts and deficits. We also recognise the support that University staff members have offered during our own campaigns and demonstrations against national policy changes. Following consultation with our Student Council, the Students’ Union is happy to offer our support to UCU members during this difficult time, and will be working with them to ensure that strike action does not impact heavily on the student body, who are finding themselves increasingly affected by funding cuts before they have even been introduced.
SC11/17 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 STUDENT OFFICER REPORTS
PURPOSE OF PAPER
To inform Student Council of the representation work of the Sabbatical Officers
ACTION REQUIRED
To notify the chair in advance of the meeting if any points require discussion
1. Sabbatical Officer plan As a Sabbatical team we have worked together and established a plan for the next year, keeping the three core themes of the Union‟s strategic plan at its centre: Championing the Student Voice, Active Student Communities and Robust and Student Focused. Our plan has 9 key themes and each theme has 3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) leaving us with 27 targets to meet. We are very pleased with the plan and are working at how to feasibly fit everything in. A copy of the plan is in appendix 1. 2. Library Consolidation As you will already be aware the University is currently undertaking a feasibility study into the consolidation of the three university libraries into one main library. This would mean moving resources from Allerton and Adelphi libraries to Clifford Whitworth. Unconvinced by the University‟s efforts at consultation with students, we sent out a survey to gather student opinion and held a focus group on 7th September for Allerton students to have some input into the design of the social learning space that would be developed if the library consolidation was to go ahead. There will be another two focus groups in Allerton on the 28th September to ensure that students have the opportunity to have their voices heard. Focus groups are also being arranged for students who use the Adelphi campus library for the week commencing 26th September. The survey results are attached. We have sat on Project Board Meetings with the University and made our concerns very clear and continue to do so. The project seems to be moving at a very fast pace with very little communication with students from the University and we are pressing for more transparent, comprehensive communication with the student body. The library consolidation project has been submitted as an agenda item for Student Council to discuss. 3. Update on ‘The Salford Bill of Students’ Rights’ Lobbying and campaign work has continued on the Salford Bill of Student Rights and we are very pleased to present Student Council with an extremely positive update. Due to our intense lobbying and discussion of the issue, the University has finally agreed to put our recommendation for a three week turnaround time on feedback into University policy and the Student Charter. Whilst we know this cannot be delivered immediately, it‟s great to know the University are committed enough to put it into regulation. We have also been contacted by the University Fees Advisory Group on how to move forward on the issue of Hidden Course Costs. All Heads of Schools have been contacted to provide a thorough list of all compulsory course costs which are on top of tuition fees, with a view to the University making these clearer and even including some of them in the tuition fee from September 2012. 4. Welcome As a team, we are really pleased with the plans for Welcome week. This year there has been a greater focus on reaching out to different groups of people than in the past. Events
such as the „family fun day‟ and the „mature student mixer‟ reach out to families whilst postgraduates are kept in the loop with a cheese and wine evening. Along with events such as the „Welcome party‟ (featuring the Cheeky Girls), and „games galore‟ we have tried to ensure that the 18-21 group still have plenty to make all feel welcome. Preparations were well under way long before July meaning there has been only tweaking to do over the last few weeks. This has meant focus could switch to making sure the events were well attended and successful so the staff team deserve great credit. Each of us have a jam-packed calendar of induction talks to attend and present, where we introduce ourselves and the Union more generally to as many new students as we can possibly find! 5. Changes in the Student Representation system As you will notice from our Sabbatical Officer plan, revolutionizing the Rep system is something we are keen to work on this academic year. Plans to change the training, development and structure of the Rep system have been going on all summer, and we are really pleased with the finalised plans. Training: This academic year will see the start of the „Rep Academy‟, a significantly different method of training and development for Student Reps. There will be three levels to the Academy, and Reps will gain recognition for the representation work they undertake. As well as the basic training, there will be opportunities for Reps to attend additional sessions on key skills like advanced communication, negotiation, assertiveness etc, as well as some themed sessions on campaigning, activism, quality assurance and enhancement. Reps who complete extended training and submit regular reports to the Union on their progress will receive higher levels of accreditation within the Academy. Structure: In their recent governance review, the University has shifted the focus from school-level to college-level for a number of fora and meetings which traditionally were attended by School level Reps (or SLRs). The removal of many of these fora has meant that the role of School Reps needed reviewing. College level Reps have now been appointed, who will be able to sit at the relevant meetings and committees, and have also been given specific remits to tie in with both the University and the Union‟s strategic plans. Each college will now have a College Rep for „Learning and Teaching‟, one for „Engagement‟ and one for „Postgraduate Research‟. Learning and Teaching Reps will continue to do the traditional academic representation work on behalf of their colleges, Engagement Reps will work specifically with demographic groups who have different needs e.g. international students, mature students, student parents etc. It is hoped these Reps will work closely with the corresponding representative Council members. Postgraduate Research Reps will work specifically with their research students, who do not fit the traditional „taught‟ model that academic representation tends to be focused on. It is hoped that both these changes will result in a more effective Rep system, as well as providing opportunities for our Reps to develop their skills and feel empowered to effect positive change for their peers.
6. Accommodation issues It was brought to our attention towards the end of August that the University‟s accommodation was likely to be put under significant pressure this academic year as a result of a number of unexpected variables. This year has seen a greater number of students admitted to University from further afield geographically, meaning that more students than ever before are requesting University accommodation. Working closely with the Union‟s Advice Centre, we began regular consultation with Student Life and ensured that any students contacting us directly had their accommodation secured. We also ensured that clear emails were sent from Student Life to all students affected, and kept in close contact with the staff concerned. One of the ways the University has dealt with this issue is by prioritising those students who are travelling further, and asking more local students to commute to University for the first couple of weeks until accommodation is secured. This is obviously far from ideal, but we have been satisfied that the unprecedented demand for accommodation could not have been foreseen, and that every effort is now being made to resolve the problem. As of this week (Welcome week), we have been informed that there are less than 50 students affected, and have the assurance of Student Life that these will be housed by the end of the month. Spaces in accommodation will free up as postgraduate students (who finish their studies in September) leave, and through natural changes in the numbers of students moving or leaving their accommodation. We will continue to monitor the situation. 7. Resolutions from the last Student Council meeting a. Peel Hall As we enter the academic year, we will be in regular contact with our Reps and other students to monitor the changes in teaching space which mean Peel Hall will be being used for lectures. We will keep Council updated on any problems or issues arising from this. b. Bill of Rights feedback time As Council approved, we have been lobbying heavily for the three week feedback window. Our success in this matter is noted earlier in this report. c. Student Charter The finalised Student Charter is attached in appendix 2. d. University restructure As we enter the academic year, we will be in regular contact with our Advice Centre, Reps and other students to monitor the changes in College and School structure. We will keep Council updated on any problems or issues arising from this e. Halls issues Accommodation problems and other University-wide issues will be discussed at the „Better University‟ forum this term. Date to be announced in October.
APPENDIX 1: SABBATICAL OFFICER TEAM ACTION PLAN 2011/12
THEME
OBJECTIVES
INDICATORS
Creative Connections
Increase the number of members we interact with through offline and online activities including GOATing
In total, the Sabbatical team will speak to at least 200 students about a designated question/topic per fortnight period
Make use of social media and interactive tools to better connect with our members
Produce a video blog every fortnight (based on topic from GOATing activity), ‘hits’ to the video blogs increase by 25%
Increase the visibility and awareness of Sabbatical Officers, particularly the VPs in their colleges
Extending Our Reach
Obtain a solid understanding of the SWD experience and identify appropriate Union support & interventions Identify & remove the barriers that prevent home-based students engaging with Union activities and campaigns
75% of members know who their college VP is (Rate Your Union 2012)
Survey 10% of self defining SWDs by December 2011 Increase of 10% of proportion of home based students saying the Union makes a positive impact on their lives Increase of 10% in the proportion of PGs saying the Union makes a positive impact on their lives
Engage with the PG community to identify tangible improvements to their student experience
Good Citizens, Great Neighbours
Develop a student recycling project based on reducing the level of unwanted household goods / domestic appliances / clothes left for rubbish at year end Empower students to create, develop and implement their own positive community impact projects with Union support
2 household goods recycling events held in January and June 2012 3 student community projects approved & supported through the Better City forum 3 rounds of meetings held with Councillors, Council officers and Salford MPs
Hold regular meetings with key elected representatives and officials for the local community to champion the student voice Rep Revolution
Encourage and foster an improved sense of community within the Rep
Each VP will have met/interacted with 70% of the Reps in their college by the
system
end of the academic year
Take an active role in the training and development of Reps, particularly the new roles for College level Reps
The Sabbatical team will lead at least one training session for the Student Rep Academy
Through the NUS Activist Academy training, provide students with the skills, tools and resources to develop their own campaigning activities
Formation of 3 sustainable, campaigning-focussed Student Activity Groups by June 2012
Activities and successes of the Rep Embed the work of the Reps into system publicly praised, and used by other Union activities, principally Student Council to inform policy or through close working with Student campaign decisions Council
Students Doing it for Themselves
Through Student Council, encourage the submission of student policy proposals for debate and consideration via referenda
Hold two referenda cycles during the year with at least 2 policy questions in each Participate in the delivery of at least one new peer mentoring scheme
Working closely with Student Life, promote and assist in the delivery of new mentoring schemes including InterLINK
Your Rights Reinforced
Embed the Bill of Rights as a core document for the Union, updating and using it to underpin all academic campaigning activity Make effective use of examples of good and bad practice to further lobby for the delivery of the Bill’s recommendations
All-year lobbying and campaign activity is undertaken for the Bill At least one improvement or change relating to the Rights is seen in each school Awareness of the Bill of Rights among students at 80%, with 60% able to identify a change made as a result
Ensure that students are aware of the Rights and recommendations of the Bill, empowering them to seek changes in their own programmes
Hear All Year
Organise two separate weeks for all staff to go out and engage with students about the Union’s performance and listen to student issues Engage the whole staff and officer
Each staff member to speak to & obtain feedback from at least 30 students in each campaign week Achieve 1750 responses to Rate Your Union Organise a minimum of three Union
team in promoting student participation in completing the NSS and Rate Your Union.
led events or activities outside semesters 1 and 2
Expand our engagement activities to ensure we maintain face to face contact with students outside of semesters 1 and 2.
Activities to Activism
Increase awareness of the ‘whole’ students’ union to activity groups Increase College based student activity groups Encourage, promote and celebrate student led events
Each officer will have met/interacted with all of their SAGs/SSGs once each semester and will play a part in the SA conference. Introduce and support 3 activity groups per college Encourage/support at least 6 student led events per year including the recruitment and development of the ambassador for the ‘Be a Champion’ project
#Win
Produce a monthly update of wins for students via all Union media
Achieve a 50% positive impact score in the NSS SU question
Use the commercial outlets to visibly communicate wins for students delivered by the Union
Achieve a 75% overall positive impact score in Rate Your Union 2012
Regularly communicate the Union’s positive impact for students to University management
Make 2 presentations in the year to the VC’s Exec on the Union’s wins for students
APPENDIX 2: UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENT CHARTER Welcome to your Student Charter. The Student Charter is intended to give you the confidence that the University of Salford is committed to making sure you get the best out of your time with us. It also outlines what we expect of you as a student and gives you links to the most important information you will need to have a great experience as a Salford student. The Charter was developed in partnership between the University and the Students‟ Union and applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate students. The key to the relationship between the University, Students‟ Union and student is communication. The Student Charter is the start and a summary of this dialogue. The Charter is a summary of mutual key expectations and is not a substitute for the detailed information which is accessible via the links below. The University of Salford undertakes to: ● Require and encourage its staff to treat students and colleagues fairly and respectfully. The University of Salford undertakes to provide: ●
High standards of engaging teaching, support, supervision, advice and guidance.
● Opportunities for one to one contact with a named member of academic staff to help you review and plan your progress. ● Opportunities for you to participate in activities that will enhance your employability and personal development. ● Support for your participation in academic development management, including elections of student representatives. ●
and
programme
Access to appropriate information, advice and guidance services.
● A high quality, effective and accessible physical and virtual teaching and learning environment. ●
Continuing professional development opportunities for its staff.
The University of Salford undertakes to provide you with the following information: ●
Your final teaching timetable in a timely manner, normally by 1st August.
● A student guide covering your programme and module details such as assessment criteria, contact hours, mode of delivery of the programme, examination arrangements and professional requirements (if appropriate) and a general University guide outlining assessments, regulations, academic guidance and support and appeals and complaints procedures. ● Guidance and feedback on good academic practice for Higher Education study. ● Effective and timely feedback on your assessed work, normally within 3 weeks from the submission deadline.
●
Reasonable advance notice of cancelled and re-scheduled classes.
● Programme costs, payment options and deadlines, and an estimate of necessary additional costs. You should: ●
Treat all staff and students fairly and respectfully at all times.
● Attend and participate in induction, meetings with tutors/supervisors, timetabled classes, and any other scheduled activity. ● Work in partnership with University staff and take responsibility for managing your own learning, in order to: -
actively engage in your programme; ensure you spend sufficient time regularly in private study; participate fully in group learning activities.
● Submit assessed work by stated deadlines, actively participate in feedback and attend formal assessments at a time determined by the University. ● Be aware of and comply with the general and student guides referred to above, the University‟s rules and regulations and guidance on good academic practice. ●
Give your School advance notice of any essential absences.
● Support your student representatives and participate in systems which will lead to improvements in the quality of learning and teaching. ● Participate in University activities that will enhance your employability and personal development. ● Respect the physical environment of the University, including accommodation and behave respectfully towards neighbours in the local community. ●
Pay promptly any charges made by the University.
The University of Salford Students’ Union undertakes to: ● Support you and your fellow students to ensure you all receive fair and respectful treatment and are aware of your rights and responsibilities. ● Champion your student voice through the election, development and training of student representatives. ● Provide non-judgmental, independent and student-focused advice on academic and welfare issues. ●
Represent the interests of you and your fellow students at local and national level.
●
Encourage active student communities both within and beyond the University.
â—? Provide a diverse range of activity groups and opportunities to enhance your personal and professional development.
Links Your Student Life: http://www.salford.ac.uk/students School and College Information: http://www.salford.ac.uk/colleges-schools/ Library Facilities: http://www.library.salford.ac.uk/ Studentsâ€&#x; Union: http://www.salfordstudents.com/ Important rules, regulations and policies: http://www.getready.salford.ac.uk/rules Equality & Diversity: http://www.equality.salford.ac.uk/listen Date last reviewed and who by (e.g. University Committee): [Next review to take place by: [INSERT]] Signatures of Vice-Chancellor and SU President: Further Information: Names and contact details of lead staff member and student officer.
SC11/18 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 TRUSTEE BOARD REPORT
PURPOSE OF PAPER
To inform Student Council of the issues discussed by the Students‟ Union Trustee Board on 14 October 2011
ACTION REQUIRED
To notify the chair in advance of the meeting if any points require discussion
A summary of the Trustee Board meeting of 14 October 2011 1. Finance The year-end accounts for 2010-11 were presented to the Board. The Union finished the year with an operating surplus of £30,000. It was noted that despite lower than expected trading income, cost-saving exercises across the organisation resulted in a healthier surplus than had been forecast. The Board considered a report by an independent financial advisor reviewing the organisation‟s current and future pension arrangements. The Board considered a report outlining the current financial operating situation of Student Direct Limited, and the need to open debate about the future of student media collaboration. The Board agreed that consultation with students on this matter should be undertaken by the „Better Union‟ forum assisted by Student Council. 2. Strategy The Sabbatical team presented the Board with their plan for the coming academic year, highlighting key themes and objectives for their work. 3. Governance The Board approved a proposal to participate in a collaborative elections project for the annual elections in 2012. Alterations to the rules and regulations governing elections will be presented at the next Board meeting. The Board approved guidance documents relating to Community Forums and Scrutiny Committees so that they are compatible with the operations and activities of Student Council.
SC11/19 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES REPORT
PURPOSE OF PAPER
To inform Student Council of the issues discussed by the Sabbatical Officers at University Committee meetings
ACTION REQUIRED
To notify the chair in advance of the meeting if any points require discussion
1. University Council University Council is the governing body of the University. Caroline and Tom sit on University Council. University Council last met in June which was before Tom‟s term of office began. A number of issues were discussed, two of which had significant Officer input. The first issue was that of the University Re-brand. After a presentation from the University‟s Director of Communication, there was a thorough discussion and we put forward our view that this re-brand was not in the interest of the University. We firmly believed that replacing the existing tagline with the word „Manchester‟ was going to damage our relationship with the local community, never mind the fact that it is factually incorrect. We also believed that there had been a missed opportunity to involve our own staff and students in the project, which would have been brilliant experience and a great addition to any student‟s CV. Despite our strong disagreement with the new brand, it was approved for roll out on 19th September 2011. The second issue was the decision to nominate internal staff members of University Council rather than elect them. It was put forward that this would ensure that only staff members with the correct skills set and who would make an effective contribution to the work of the Council were appointed. In the past, staff members are elected in a cross-campus election and we believed that this is how it should remain. By switching from elected to nominated positions we felt that staff would be disengaged from Council and this was not in the best interest of Council nor the University. Again, despite our strong disagreement, the decision was approved. 2. University Senate University Senate is the highest academic body within the University, Caroline and Tom are the student members. There have been two meetings of Senate since the last Student Council, one in June and a special meeting in September which unfortunately clashed with our Trustee Board and therefore Tom wasn‟t able to attend. A number of student issues were discussed at the June meeting. The first was the Standard Referencing Policy which was brought to Senate from Learning and Teaching Committee. The proposal brought forward was for a Standard Referencing Policy for the entire University (except the School of Law which has specific referencing requirements due to its unique nature) which was then adapted at the meeting to include exclusions for History and English too. Standard Referencing was an idea brought forward because of the high number of academic misconduct cases which are brought against students and due to the fact that student support is centralized. We put forward the view that if the University was going to put a standard referencing policy into place, it should not include a number of exclusions as the policy would then be pointless. It was however, approved with the exceptions. The Special Meeting of Senate in September was a workshop to discuss the future academic direction of the University and was centred around a number of themes. Our input was mainly directed at the theme of Learning and Teaching and we raised a number of points in relation to monitoring and evaluating programmes, assessment and feedback practices and the need for all teaching staff to have a teaching qualification.
SC11/20 UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD STUDENTS’ UNION STUDENT COUNCIL MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2011 NATIONAL UNION OF STUDENTS (NUS) REPORT
PURPOSE OF PAPER
To inform Student Council of the issues relating to the National Union of Students (NUS)
ACTION REQUIRED
To notify the chair in advance of the meeting if any points require discussion
1. Along with Officers from across the UK, our Sabbatical Team attended NUS‟ „Active Political Leadership‟ training in August. The event provided us with challenges which were aimed at encouraging ideas to flow whilst hearing initiatives which had been successful (or unsuccessful!) at other unions. There was a great emphasis on representation throughout the training and it has to be said whenever NUS events are held it seems to emphasise what a good position our union is in on that aspect. One topic debated was the new funding and fees structure for next year, and the direction our displeasure should be directed. The options discussed were using large amounts of resources on another National Demo similar to the one held last year, holding smaller demonstrations locally which may also take up large amounts of resources, or focusing attention within local institutions. Naturally the majority of people had an opinion on the matter with the majority in favour of local work within institutions. This will be something the Sabbatical Team will be considering for the coming year.