In the recent National Student Survey 2016 results, Union Southampton dropped six points to an overall satisfaction rating of 66%. The sector average for satisfaction is 68%, so we are slightly below that. While we had some good news, specifically a massive increase of satisfaction at the Winchester School of Art campus, this overall satisfaction result is obviously disappointing.

We had a high percentage of respondents who responded that they neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement (20%) or felt the Union was not applicable to them (2%). This represents a large percentage of our members who are indifferent and … Read the rest

Are you a postgraduate student who teaches? Do you feel fully supported and represented? Are you satisfied with the opportunities available to you?

These are just some of the questions we’re putting to you as part of our Postgraduates Who Teach survey. If you’ve not heard about it yet, this is a survey that we have put together to better understand your experience as a postgraduate student who teaches – and how we can help to improve it.

All responses are strictly confidential and will be used to compile a report of findings that will be presented to the … Read the rest

You’ve been making your voice heard, and we’ve been listening! Take a look at what we’ve been up to turn your ideas into Winchester wins!

You Said – “We want more events and activities at WSA.”

Winchester Win: We’ve organised a whole host of day and night time events to cater to all tastes. From Shetland Teas to regular favourites such as the Quiz and Curry socials, there is something for everyone!

We also arranged an entire programme of new events throughout Freshers’ at WSA, including the popular ‘Meet the Guide Dogs’ event – especially requested by WSA students.… Read the rest

We understand that University is a great chance to explore different opportunities: join societies, make new friends, take up a new hobby and discover your new surroundings. That’s why we do everything we can to ensure that your student experience is the best it can be! Here are some things that you asked for and we made happen…

You Said – “Help us to find suitable work opportunities”

The Students’ Union Did – In September, we launched our very own on-site recruitment agency, SURecruit, to help you find part-time work while you study.

SURecruit has been helping you to … Read the rest

New Year’s Resolutions. Every year we all make them; picking things that are way out of even Superman’s reach like running a marathon each week or visiting one hundred new countries. But we’re here to help. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions alongside ways to help you keep them throughout the year.

If your New Year’s resolution is to…get fit
Possibly one of the most popular picks for a New Year’s resolution, but often one of the hardest to stick to. However, getting fit can be more fun than racking up the hours … Read the rest

#ICan  What can you do? Check out susu.org/ican NOW

… Read the rest

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 … Read the rest

Monday was #LoveSUs Day, where people were tweeting in the things that they love about their Students’ Unions across the UK in response to the government’s Higher Education green paper that announced a consultation on increasing the transparency and accountability of students’ unions. The day was a great chance to join together with students and alumni to celebrate the positive impact of students’ unions across the country.

Here is a summary of some of the tweets we received:

My ol' stomping ground, @YourSUSU, totally changed my life. So many friends, new skills, confidence and opportunities #LoveSUs

— Chloe Green

Nominations open tomorrow for a range of positions as part of an all-new PGR Committee, designed to provide greater representation, support and opportunities for all PGRs.

What roles are available?

The line-up includes four new roles covering the following key areas:

Training & Development Officer

• Responsibilities include gauging PGRs’ satisfaction with current training and development opportunities, and communicating ideas and feedback to the Union and University.

Academic Quality Officer

• This role involves representing PGRs’ academic issues to the doctoral college, and suggesting and supporting policies that will improve the quality of their academic lives.

Welfare Officer

• This position

For the last couple of weeks, students have been busy nominating candidates (or themselves) for the Academic Rep elections. Your VP Education, Shruti, has been making announcements via her Facebook profile and event, there has been lots of flyering and we have even had a helping paw from Susu the cat to encourage students to get involved and nominate themselves to make positive change.

Academic Reps are there to help improve students’ courses by feeding back any comments from course members to the University. We support Reps to help ensure the University listens. In return, they are awarded with responsibility … Read the rest