Staffordshire University Students' Union Membership Booklet - Distance Learners

Your Students’ Union and our promise to you: YOUR MEMBERSHIP BOOKLET

#proudtobestaffs

#WELCOME

#proudtobestaffs

NT E D U ST ITES V ACTI UTIVE EXEC

T N E D U ST L I C N U CO

INFOR MATIO TEAM N

STUDE ACTIV NT ITES T N E D STU MS FORU

Every student is a member of Staffordshire University Students’ Union.

That means you!

Your Students’ Union is a student led organisation that strives for the best experience for you. You’re a member of the Students’ Union as soon as you enrol which strives to represent and support you and ultimately provide you with not only the best student experience but make you Proud to be Staffs.

Your Union is a registered charity, which means any profits it has at the end of the year from running trading services, go back into other services for students and not to bonuses and shareholders. The Union receives an annual grant from the University with extra money coming from its bars, shops and other commercial ventures. Every single penny the Union makes is invested into its services to provide bigger and better student opportunities.

We are working with the University to achieve our vision: That every student will be proud to be part of Staffs (#ProudToBeStaffs)

You are also part of a bigger family of the NUS www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra (Buy yours now from) Staffordshire University Students’ Union is affiliated with NUS. The National Union of Students (NUS) is a federation of affiliated Students’ Union Guilds and Associations. The NUS represents the views of over seven million students in the UK. Being part of Staffordshire University allows you to reap the benefits that NUS provides for students. So grab your NUS Extra discount card. NUS Extra gives you exclusive student discounts in selected stores and online. NUS Extra cards cost £12 and can be upgraded for an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) for an additional £1.99. Cards can be purchased online and then collected from the Students' Union reception at Stafford or Stoke. Get your card now and start saving!

#your student officers www.staffsunion.com/officers

Here are your officers‌

Your officers were elected by the membership in May, and are here to represent you, and ensure you have a voice in the running of the University. Feel free to pop in for a coffee, a chat or even a rant.

Rochelle, your Students’ Union President alongside Alice, Dayo, Kris, and Mel, your Vice Presidents, has been elected by the student body to represent you!

This year they have implemented a five year strategy that focuses on:

Celebrating quality and student success at Staffs / How we can engage all students / Getting to know you better / Ensuring our students are well served / How to develop you throughout your student experience.

#Be the Change www.staffsunion.com/union/council

Student Council

Student Council is traditionally the governing body of the Students' Union. It is composed entirely of students with voting members exclusively elected by the student body.

Alongside Student Council for this year, the Union will be running a pilot scheme with three forums. Last year Student Council voted to try out the approach where there are forums for Better Union, Better University and Better Community.

Student Forums

This forum approach is to broaden the input from students, and make decision making more accessible to the membership. Each forum is supported by elected students, who are there to source student views and represent you. Those views are passed onto a panel of students that are randomly selected before each meeting to have the power of voting. The elected students cannot vote, they can only advise.

This new approach is there to encourage all students to get involved in student democracy and understand the power of your vote.

What are Student Academic Reps (STARs) www.staffsunion.com/stars Our Student Academic Reps (STARs) make sure that the University and Students’ Union know exactly what students think and want, striving for positive change to improve the learning experience at Staffs.

How can they help me?

Each cluster of related courses has an elected STAR for each level to gather views from his/her coursemates and feed those comments back to the University. Your STAR can then work with the Students’ Union to make positive changes in the University that may improve your experience.

Great! How do I become a STAR? Anyone can nominate themselves to become a STAR and with all of these great benefits why wouldn’t you?

• Gain transferable skills • Improve your CV • Receive formal recognition for your voluntary work • Receive rewards through a loyalty card scheme that include free entry to nights out, free meals and Amazon vouchers • Have a positive impact on the student experience • Training opportunities will be available

What is a Student Academic Partnerships (SAP) www.staffsunion.com/studentacademicpartnerships The Student Academic Partnerships scheme offers an opportunity for individual students or small teams of students to work in equal partnership with academic staff. Together you can strengthen the development of learning and teaching and the facilities and services of the University for the benefit of all.

And you won’t be out of pocket as each project has an allocation of funding to pay for the student time contributed.

Get Involved by volunteering www.staffsunion.com/activities/volunteering We offer a wide range of volunteering opportunities through our Involved Scheme. This is a great opportunity to contribute to the local community and to meet and engage with a range of different people. It is really eye catching on your CV and it is up to you how much time you volunteer. Opportunities include working as a youth mentor; helping out in a local school, sports coaching, conservation work or if you would prefer a one-off volunteering experience we can help you pull this together.

Need some advice – online web chat and telephone appointments www.staffsunion.com/advice

The Student Advice Centre (SAC) offers confidential and impartial advice on a variety of issues that students might need guidance on. Our professional team are experienced in: • Student finance • Academic affairs • Student housing • Debt management

And if there is an area beyond their expertise, then they have the contacts to refer you appropriately.

In addition, there are a number of online self help materials which you can access from the website. We offer appointments on both campuses as well as drop in appointments, we can advise by telephone, email or you can chat with us online.

Money Doctors www.staffsunion.com/advice/moneydoctors Money Doctors is part of the Students’ Union Student Advice Centre. Find out how we can help you keep your finances healthy and make your money achieve what you want it to. Last year, Money Doctors secured £739,201 additional funding for its students.

Check list Chat to us online Arrange MD’s appointment Become a star Nominate in the Student-Led Teaching Awards Watch Varsity

Key Contacts Rochelle

Rochelle.owusu-antwi@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @staffs_rochelle

Kris

k.winpenny@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @staffs_kris

Dayo

dayo.odubonojo@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @staffs_dayo

Alice

alice.wilcox@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @staffs_alice

Mel

mel.ramsay@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @staffs_mel

#ProudToBeStaffs