A guided tour through QSU – the new cohort model and support for members  

For staff and officers new to Quality Students’ Unions, a look at the relevant and accessible help and support available to drive organisational quality improvements in your SU.

Audience: Elected Officers and Staff

Presenters:

• Anneessa Mahmood – QSU Programme Manager, NUS

 

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Operating a Students’ Union abroad

With a growing number of educational institutions opening satellite campuses abroad, Students’ Unions need to think about how to operate overseas.

This workshop will explore some of the legal, structural and cultural barriers of operating overseas and how unions have overcome these. The participants will bring together current understanding of overseas students’ unions and think about how we can look to improve our support for our students abroad.

A collaborative space to start exploring this topic, with the aim of forming a community to support one another in this work.

Audience: Staff

Presenters:

• Sarah Edmunds – Director of Support and Development, University of Birmingham Guild of Students’ 

 

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Scandilove- SU lessons from the frozen north

At SUs 2017 a group of Officers and Managers met on the fringe to discuss an idea- a tour SUs around Scandinavia to learn about student representation, democracy, services and culture.

Six months later thirty of us met in a meeting room in Copengahen to begin an extraordinary and magical five day journey- taking in fifteen student organisations, three countries, twelve nations and a bizarre motorway services. We learned about a 1500 capacity venue staffed entirely by volunteers, a freshers focussed on kicking students in, and an approach to student representation and rights that puts the UK to shame- all on the tiniest of budgets.

In this interactive and musical session we’ll share all from our study visit- asking critical questions of our traditions and asking whether there are lessons to learn that might improve our organisations and transform our national political culture.

Audience: Elected Officers and Staff

Presenters:

• Ben Vulliamy - CEO, York University Students’ Union
• Gina Burchell - Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer, University of East Anglia Students' Union

 

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Developing Black Talent in the movement

Despite all the work that has already been done to promote equality, diversity and inclusion, the NUS100 strand Attracting and Retaining Outstanding People, acknowledges that much more needs to be done to create a diverse movement, especially in regards to Black staff representation. A key element of this work is about developing and retaining the Black talent that already exists in students’ unions, so that Black staff feel supported and equipped to enter management and leadership positions.

The importance of supporting Black talent was highlighted in the NUS’ Race Matters research, which showed that more than a third of respondents did not feel they had access to career development opportunities and some highlighted a lack of support from managers for their career progression.

This session will allow participants to:

• Develop their understanding of the barriers faced by Black staff progression in the workplace 

• Explore strategies to recognise, support and develop the talents and strengths of Black staff

• Hear about the role of managers and senior leaders in supporting and developing Black staff

• Explore the role of white allies in supporting the career progression of Black staff

• Hear about NUS’ Black Talent Programme

 

Audience: Staff

 

Presenters:

• Tinu Cornish - Equality Challenge Unit
• Jannett Morgan

 

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Knowledge Is Power - How effective media law and skills training, advice and support can transform your Union

Unions are exposed to a growing number of ever-changing communications risks, including defamation, media law, reputational damage and managing student expectations in the digital and social media age. But how can you remain safe from risks you don't even know exist? This session will highlight the communications risks your union may currently be unaware of, and explore how you can take action to ensure you are fully protected from them and future developments.

Audience: Staff

Presenters:

• Adam Lindsay - Independent Media Law and Communications Advisor 

 

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It's Not Just a Bake Sale: Impact in Your Students' Union

It’s more important than ever before to justify our resources, apply for external funding and encourage students to participate. By 2020, we want to be able to clearly and easily demonstrate the impact we’re having as a student movement. This session serves as a space for you to explore what ‘doing impact’ actually looks like and make plans for how you can take this further in your SU.

Audience: Staff

Presenters:

• Tom Newman – Chief Executive, The University of Gloucestershire Students’ Union 
• Jamie Stratton – Chief Executive, University for the Creative Arts Students' Union 
• Alun Minifey – Head of Student Opportunities, University East Anglia Students’ Union 

 

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Architects of their experience’: the role and value of student academic representation systems

Effective and embedded student academic representation (SAR) systems remain a vital part of how students' unions influence quality enhancement and educational change. However, despite the long history of student engagement in HE governance, SAR has received less scholarly attention than other areas of student engagement. In 2017, The Student Engagement Partnership conducted a research project in partnership with Dr Abbi Flint, which focused in on SAR systems and reflected on their role within the current HE context. In this interactive workshop we'll discuss the research findings on the role, value and impact of SAR systems.

This workshop combines the research findings with practical implementation, providing resources to support participants to reflect on potential improvements to their own SAR systems.

Audience: Staff

Presenters:

• Steph Foxton - President of Education, York St John Students’ Union
• Ellie Russell - Student Engagement & Partnership Manager, The Student Engagement Partnership 
• Hannah Goddard - Student Engagement Consultant, The Student Engagement Partnership 

 

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Modernising an Advice Service

This workshop will overview the sweeping changes CUSU have made in modernising their Student Advice service. In two years we have moved from students being greeted by a clip-board to an IPad and capitalised on the use of 35 exceptionally well-training reception volunteers. We’ve overhauled digital advice provision, case-management and moved from a culture of fire-fighting to prevention-led communications. We have informed University policy, brought targeted-support to minority demographics and established quality-led casework supervision practices.

As well as seeing 70% more students (projected at 7000 this year), department staff satisfaction is higher than ever before and more operational objectives have been set and achieved. We have secured £35,000 of new-money from the University and Big Lottery Funding and have spent it on six Student Welfare Interns, tasked with an ambitious collection of welfare-enhancing projects. 

We would love to talk to you about our progress!

 

Audience: Staff

 

Presenters:

• Joshua Gibbs – Head of Student Advice, Cardiff Students’ Union

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Totum powered by NUS extra, taking advantage of the new product in your students' union 

Totum, powered by NUS extra will better engage students and provide more features and benefits for students' unions. Learn more about the Totum features, the go to market plan, support available to you and how it can help you drive revenue across your union in this session tailored to those of you responsible for marketing and selling the platform. You will also learn how Totum will work at a local and hyper local level, engage your students, and support activities across your students' union. You will also have opportunity to ask questions tailored to your SU, and do some local planning to support your roll out of the transformational digital product.

Audience: Marketing and business development professionals

Presenters:
•    Richard Lawton - OneVoice
•    Megan Heath - OneVoice

 

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The student market today and student market tomorrow

Key to good services is knowing who is using them.  In this tightly packed session we will give you an overview of the market today, the buying trends of students, how they have changed, and how they will no doubt change in the future.

Audience: Staff

Presenters:

• Jo Heuston, Commerical Marketing Manager, NUS

 

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Education Policy 101

In this session we’ll give you an overview of everything you need to know to engage in the big education policy debates this year.  This session will give you a flavour of the big issues we’re thinking about so you can turn them into winning campaigns back in your Students’ Union.  This session is perfect for new staff, Officers, and everyone seeking an update on our latest thinking in education policy.

Audience: Elected Officers and Staff

Presenters:

• Ant Bagshaw, Wonkhe

 

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