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To improve your academic experience and for your future development…You said, we did!
The Students’ Union is led by you, so it is you who makes decisions and tells us how to improve. University is designed to give you the tools and education you need for your chosen future. That means we are responsible for giving you opportunities to improve your personal development while you are here. Here are some examples of things that we have changed according to the feedback you have given us:
You Said – “Help us launch our own businesses”.
The Students’ Union Did – We put in place a new business initiative called ‘Union Enterprise Labs’ that gives students with a business or innovative idea the opportunity to bid for suitable funding.
We provide financial support to help you get your business start-ups off the ground. Applications will open in the beginning of 2016.
You Said – “Celebrate our achievements”. Recognise the work we do
The Students’ Union Did – We already organise the RAG (Raise and Give), EVAs (Excellence in Volunteering), ETAS (Excellence in Teaching) Awards, to recognise all those who dedicated time and effort to helping others. But last May, we decided to go bigger and better by introducing the Academic Reps Awards to celebrate the successes of students representing you in your course.
You get to celebrate the achievements of the students who work hard to improve your course.
You Said – “Improve our career prospects”.
The Students’ Union Did – We introduced the LinkedIn Labs sessions to help you become more employable. We ran the “Enterprise for Life” programme to help you strengthen key business skills.
By giving you the chance to meet and network with enterprise societies and speakers, we have given you a better understanding of the skillset you need to succeed in the workplace. The LinkedIn Labs give you the chance to display your skills and find career opportunities.
You Said – “It is hard to get a job in the Creative Industries”.
The Students’ Union Did – We built on the success of our annual Creative Industries Careers season to include six different career areas with events in three different campuses, as well as workshops, guest speakers, panels and competitions.
You are given a better understanding of the opportunities and skills you need to get a job in the Creative Industries as well as opportunities to network with specialists in their fields.
You Said – “Academic Reps need training on assertiveness”.
The Students’ Union Did – We delivered a training session on assertiveness which was open to all Academic Reps.
Academic Reps are better able to represent your views confidently to the University and the Union and develop themselves personally and professionally after they leave University.
You Said – “We should decide whether the Hartley Library at Highfield campus should be open 24 hours a day, year-round” (Union Council, October 2015).
The Students’ Union Did – In October, we ran a referendum to give students a chance to have their say.
5,052 students voted. That’s over 20% of students – more than any referendum previously, with a 27% no vote and 73% saying yes. It means that a meaningful consultation was carried out to benefit the majority of students.
You Said – “MedSoc and PGR students need more pastoral and academic support”.
The Students’ Union Did – We reviewed the Stress Less Fest campaign, which gives students opportunities to relax and de-stress away from their course commitments via events and activities across the Union. In January 2016, we are launching the ‘You Are More Than’ campaign to target and address issues from specific groups of students and provide adapted events to those needs. You Are More Than will provide support to a wider audience rather than focusing on traditional undergraduate examination periods only.
MedSoc and PGR students will receive the support they requested according to their specific course needs.
We have many more examples of things that Students’ Union has improved or changed for you according to your feedback. Watch out for more on our social media and in this blog in the coming weeks…
If there is something that you would like to change at the Students’ Union, please go to the Make a Change section of our website and submit your suggestions. Your elected Full-Time Officers read every post and answer them publicly on the site and many suggestions are discussed at Union Council.
Tags: democracy, feedback, improve, students, Students Union, we did, you said