Location: Lab003 Date: 14.03.2109 Time: 5-6:30pm
Forum Minutes –2nd of April 2019 Agenda items Sharing Success - Global Week 2019 was a huge success! Thank you to all societies who took part - The Harry Potter Society held a very successful N.E.W.T.S quiz in aid of CLIC Sargent and Lumos. - De-stress Fest. 2019 was also a huge success so thank you to all students who took part. - The Sustainability Society held their first ‘Save our World day’ on the 27th of March and raised lots of money for their community orchard project - The International Showcase was really well attended so thank you to all students who took part or came along Committee Elections It’s handover time! - Online form available now on the website and in your newsletter to register the roles your society needs to elect (President and treasurer compulsory) - These forms must be in by FRIDAY 5th OF APRIL 2019 - Details which committee positions you want next year and gives you a chance to feedback what went well this year and what could have gone better. - Students must be a fully paid member to stand in the elections. - Newly elected students will come into their role ready for the next academic year (After July) Guess who’s back…. Grant round three! Deadline: 22nd of April 2019 •
Get set for Freshers 2019! – tablecloths/banners/pens etc.
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Not to be used for events past freshers/taster sessions (wait for next year’s grant round for that!)
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If you’re unsure of anything, please get in touch with your coordinator BEFORE the deadline
Group Chat Thursday 4th of April 2019 in Cos124 - A chance for you to really have your voice heard and to hold your officers accountable Voter Registration Champion We are looking for Voter Registration Champions for our upcoming Voter Registration Drive. As your society gets involved with [campaigning/politics], we thought you might be interested in helping the ARU student body prepare for the upcoming local elections – and any surprise elections that might be coming around the corner‌! Our Voter Registration Champions will help students navigate the process of registering, whether they are registering and voting for the first time or helping them register at their term-time address (students can register at two addresses!). We will provide training alongside from the City Council Electoral Officers in both Chelmsford and Cambridge, and then volunteers will have the opportunity to go out with iPads on campus during our Voter Registration Drive. Training will take place this Friday, 5th April at 3:30 pm and the Voter Registration Drive happens on the week of the 8th of April to the 12th (the final deadline for registration for the upcoming elections!). This is a good opportunity for your society members to up their volunteering hours and skills and for the society to contribute to a community project. We would love to see you out there, making ARU part of a voting student movement – after all, we have 10,000 students and 1 city. We can make an impact!
Any questions please check the website: www.angliastudent.com/volunteering/voterdrive Risk Assessments They are a LEGAL requirement for your society -
Our insurance policy is based on you having a completed and accurate risk assessment
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You can complete an ongoing risk assessment which covers your usual weekly meetings
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Every new event will need a NEW risk assessment
SU Awards 2019 Ticket deadline: 10th of April – only 8 days away!! Tickets are £25 and include: •
Travel to and from the venue
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3 course meal
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Pre-event drink
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Your invite to the ceremony
Societies can buy tickets as a group (10 for the price of 9) – contact us if you want to book your table! You can come along in groups of any size! Just buy your tickets and we can sort your table The Academy Following a review of our operations the difficult decision has been made to close the Cambridge bar from 11th April 2019. There are three core reasons for this decision: 1. The ending of our partnership with Vodka Revolutions (Prop Box) and subsequent loss of income from this partnership. 2. Long term financial under-performance of the bar & entertainments programme at the Academy, generating significant losses each year. 3. Significant additional financial losses this year putting us seriously behind our budget. There is currently a consultation period for staff directly affected by this decision. We are open to potential alternative solutions, though we are not optimistic that there is another option. Whilst the Union cannot afford to continue to operate the pop-up bar in the Academy space, we are committed to ensuring that this does not have a detrimental impact on society activity. In line with feedback gathered in society forums in Cambridge, the Union will continue to manage the Academy space in the evenings and support student-led events and activity. Whilst we will no longer be hosting Mid-Week Mash Up and Prop Box, we understand that Revolutions will be continuing to run student focused events throughout the week.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss how this decision may impact on your activity, please email Bethan Dudas, Acting CEO b.dudas@angliastudent.com.
Discussion
Discussion Items The Academy
Points made by attendees • •
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Grant Spending deadlines
Can externally purchased alcohol be consumed in the space? Will there be other suitable venues for larger scale events e.g. showcase? Will there be resources in place? Reconsider grant allocations to suit new venue prices and increased costs etc. Reasonable and fair allocation of space
Plan of Action Once the consultancy period ends (11th of April) we will then be able to explore different options in terms of alternative venues, catering, temporary bar licenses etc. Societies will still be supported and encouraged to hold events/meetings/rehearsals in the Academy space and due to the support of our AMT society, societies will still be able to have lighting/sound/screens etc. as per usual. The only difference will be the absence of alcohol sales We appreciate that this is a slightly uncertain time and we are keen to provide extra support for our societies whilst we make this transition and beyond. If you have any questions or ideas for events which you think may need alternative arrangements, please get in contact with your coordinator ASAP. You asked...we listened! Your coordinators are now
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Society Advertising
Societies wanted more information/advice on where to advertise their events. Ideas suggested were: •
A ‘what’s on this week’ calendar on all SU info screens
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A specific societies noticeboard in the SU space
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More society skills workshops specifically on advertising
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BooksPlus Discussion
Possible extension of the grant spending deadline in cases where payment cannot be taken due to company policy rather than society choice
Easier access to University noticeboards
Committee members felt that the union needed to be more transparent about the nature of this discussion
putting together an online form which will be available to all societies. Decisions on extensions will be made on a case by case basis. A notice will be put on the committee group on facebook once the form is live. Some brilliant ideas suggested on this topic! We will be working with the comms team over the next few weeks to see how we can improve our advertising for you. The What’s on calendar in the SU Space is certainly something that we can implement in the coming weeks. We will definitely be looking into running more society skills workshops! The Cambridge group chat is your opportunity to bring these items to your officers – please make sure that you bring these issues to the meeting and that you use all feedback channels available to make sure your voice is heard.
Group Chat
Accessibility for student carers
Students would like the opportunity to provide feedback on the sessions
This has been passed on to the representation team who have taken it on board and have stated that there will be a written feedback opportunity at the group chat session
Students felt that forums and other evening meetings were inaccessible for all students and that more provisions needed to be made in order to be inclusive to this particular group of students
As a team we will discuss the possibility of livestreaming/recording our forums so that they can be accessed at home.
Students felt that the inclusivity fund was not entirely suitable as it has too many requirements to be feasible.
We will also discuss the possibility of running two forums (one during the day and one in the evening) to try and include more students. We will be looking at the inclusivity fund and will look to make changes to make sure that it is a functioning fund for students. Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.
Next Forum: Tuesday 2nd May 5pm in Lab003
Location: Lab003 Date: 14.03.2109 Time: 5-6:30pm
Forum Minutes –14th of March 2019 Agenda items •
Sharing Success - Sustainability and Wildlife held a very successful quiz raising over £200 for their community orchard project - The Islamic Society held their first Islamic Awareness Week - Pokemon’s Poke-thon 24 hr event raised over £50 for Macmillan - Fashion Design CSA held two really successful nights in the Academy: Quiztery and The Jam - Parents in Education held their first launch event with many more in the pipeline - Both the dance and cheer teams have competed and WON several of their competitions at both the ICC and Spotlight Showdown events - Thank you to everyone for your nominations for the SU awards – we had 347 nominations overall – more than last year!
What’s coming up? - Global Week: 18th-22nd of March - The Harry Potter Society presents N.E.W.T.S quiz: 26th of March, 7pm @ The Academy - The Sustainability Society presents Save our World Day: 27th of March, all day across campus - Committee Elections: Nominations open on the 8th April and Voting opens from the 29th of April - SU Awards: 3rd of May Committee Elections It’s handover time! - Online form (released soon) to register the roles your society needs to elect (President and treasurer compulsory) - Students must be a fully paid member to stand in the elections. - Newly elected students will come into their role ready for the next academic year (After July)
SU Awards – 3rd May 2019 Nominations are now closed and tickets are now on sale! Tickets are £25 and include: •
Travel to and from the venue
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3 course meal
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Pre-event drink
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Your invite to the ceremony
Societies can buy tickets as a group (10 for the price of 9) – contact us if you want to book your table! You can come along in groups of any size! Just buy your tickets and we can sort your table Open Days £50 for societies who take part! - A stall, a performance, a bake sale anything goes! - This money can either be spent on materials for the day or just donated to your society account - Please contact your coordinator if you are interested in taking part in the next open day (6 th July) ARU Welcome Buddy Scheme As a current ARU student and member of a society, you’re the expert on studying here and are best placed to use your knowledge to answer the questions you would have found helpful when starting. This will undoubtedly make new students’ experiences a little less daunting. If you join, you’ll be allocated a small number of new students from your new first year cohort and will be a friendly face for them. You’ll introduce yourself via an email before they arrive, then meet over coffee in Welcome or Teaching Week 1 to help with questions about starting university, settling in, making friends and getting to know the support that’s available at ARU. We need at least 400 volunteers so please don’t think someone else will do it – WE NEED YOU. Only takes place in your first semester so it’s not a huge time commitment. PLUS you’ll receive:
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A free Welcome Buddy hoodie
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Drinks vouchers to take your new students for a drink
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Free lunches at training and events
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A thank you Amazon Voucher at the end of Semester 1
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Volunteering hours which will make you stand out when applying for jobs (plus you can log them with the SU Volunteering service)
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Enhanced interpersonal skills which will look great on your CV You’ll get to meet new students which is always fun and rewarding plus we’ll tell you first about opportunities for other paid work
We’d love you to sign up to become a Welcome Buddy and more information (including how to apply) can be found here arul.ink/welcomebuddy Any questions please email: welcomebuddy@anglia.ac.uk Things to improve on - Hot food on campus: Under no circumstances should you be bringing homemade hot food onto campus for your society and then reheating it! All kinds of hygiene risks and violations occur when you do this! - If you do bring food onto campus for your society you need to have completed the appropriate risk assessments and provide a list of ingredients and allergens. Risk Assessments They are a LEGAL requirement for your society -
Our insurance policy is based on you having a completed and accurate risk assessment
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You can complete an ongoing risk assessment which covers your usual weekly meetings
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Every new event will need a NEW risk assessment
Discussion
Discussion Items
Points made by attendees
ARU Keepcups discount
University should be offering a discount to students who use any kind of reusable cup
Room Bookings
Some issues regarding societies being moved from their repeat-use bookings or their name not appearing outside the room
Plan of Action This has been passed on to the appropriate officers and estates team – We’ll update you as soon as we have any feedback. Keep your room boking confirmation e-mail as that is your receipt and proof that you have booked the room. Make sure you have booked your rooms in plenty of time to allow the room bookings team to have time to sort your booking. E-mail your coordinator if the problem persists!
Next Forum: Tuesday 2nd April 5pm in Lab003
Forum Minutes – 7th of February 2019 Agenda items Sharing Success - Congratulations to Biomed Society who organized a brilliant conference back in December. The event was really well attended and had a whole host of organizations in attendance – no mean feat! Well done Biomed! - Refreshers Fair – Huge well done to all of the societies involved in Refreshers Fair on the 31st of January! The stalls were of such brilliant quality that all departments of SU staff and lots of students commented on how brilliant they were and of how friendly all of you were so well done societies! - Another well done to all of our societies who took part in Nerds Assemble on the 2nd of February. The event was really well attended and we’ve had some brilliant feedback from the students in attendance. Well done to the organizers Dan and Em as well for some brilliant work. New Societies! - Fashion Design CSA -Labour Students’ Society - CamICS - Happy Body Project - Climbing and Bouldering What’s coming up? - Society Skills Workshop: 11th of February at The Academy - Student Volunteering Week: 11th-15th of February - De-Stress Fest: 4th-15th of March - Grant Spending deadline: 12th of March - Global Week: 18th – 22nd of March - SU Awards: 3rd of May Society Skills Workshop (key points) 1. The power of social media! Remember to utilize all platforms including the SU website. Also, be mindful that you can apply for funding in your grant to pay for online advertising boosts on Facebook etc. 2. Be creative! Think about how you could incorporate and collaborate with other societies – the bigger the audience, the better!
Social Media - The Activities Team have made it out of the dark ages! We have launched our own societies Instagram account dedicated to sharing all of your success and helping you to promote your event. If your society would like to be featured or has an event they would like advertising please get in touch with us. Follow the page @societies_arsu SU Awards - Nominations are now open! Don’t forget to nominate your society or a friend for an award! www.angliastudent.com/awards - nominations close on the 8th of March! - Buy your tickets now! For £25 you get: Attendance to the awards, a 3 course meal, preevent drink, transport to and from the venue - Societies can purchase tickets for their members at the discounted rate of 10 tickets for the price of 9 (remember you could fill a table by joining up with other societies! Things to improve on - Committee Training: ALL of your committee members must be trained – if they have not yet been trained they must contact Abi or Meg ASAP to organize a session. - Societies Handbook: The book is now available on the website in the committee hub! You can find lots of useful information in here, don’t forget to refer to it if you get stuck.
Global Week - Loads of opportunities to get involved either by taking part and running your own activities or by getting involved on the day - Speak to your coordinator to learn more about how you can get involved - Mailing Lists: Contact your coordinator if you would like to set up a mailing list for your society!
Discussion
Discussion Items Refreshers Fair
Points made by attendees
Plan of Action
KEEP: Dominos The Societies Fair START: Map/Societies layout so that students know which societies are in which building
Some really great feedback! We will keep this in mind when planning Freshers Fair in September
The Academy
Students would sometimes like to book the space without the bar
Discussion will be had with the events team to discuss this further.
Date of next forum: Thursday 14th of March 2019 5-6pm Lab003
Location: Date: Time:
Forum Minutes – 12th December 2018 Agenda items What’s coming up? - Grant Round 2 is now open! The deadline for applications is the 14 th of January - Refreshers Fair – 31st January 2019 - Societies First Aid Course – Saturday 2nd of February 2019 (sign up on the website or by emailing your coordinator) - Student Volunteering Week – 11th - 15th of February 2019 - Global Week – 18th - 22nd March 2019
Grant Application Tips 1.
Forms weren’t specific enough last time – provide links, event details, times and dates etc.
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Only apply for funding for events taking part in the semester we’ll be in
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Get organised early – we can spot a last minute form from a mile away!
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Ask your coordinator if you need any help
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Make sure you spend your money within the deadline!
Refreshers Fair - Book your space through the committee hub ASAP! - Bear in mind that any society who books and does not attend without letting the Student Activities Department know 48 hours in advance will be charged £120 + VAT from their membership account. - Get creative with your stalls, this is your chance to attract some new members! Volunteering - You can get involved individually or as a society – there are plenty of opportunities and projects to get involved in. - You can take part in one off events, semesterly projects – all can be organized! - Do something for your local community or a national organization
- Remember to log your hours and skills through the volunteering section of the website. As committee members you are volunteers!
Global Week - Loads of opportunities to get involved either by taking part and running your own activities or by getting involved on the day - Speak to your coordinator to learn more about how you can get involved
Made a Difference Awards - Know a staff member that’s gone above and beyond this year to help you in your studies? Nominate them in the Made a Difference Awards! - Nominations can be done via the website - Nominations close 8th February 2019 SU Awards - May 3rd 2019 - Nominations open 14th of December - Nominate others or your society for Society of the Year, Society Person of the Year, Most Improved Society and Best New Society #LoveSocieties Survey Feedback - Make sure your society is providing what you have said it will! - Remember to communicate with your new members – put your contact details up on the website! - Grants – We’re here to help you!If you are unsure about any part of the process or just want some guidance, book in a meeting with your coordinator. - Communication with us – book in a meeting with your coordinator or reach us by e-mail and/or phone
Clubs and Societies in Attendance
Apologies for absence
Biomed TaGS Film Viewing Wildlife Pokemon Marrow
Yoga Pokemon Marketing CELTA
Harry Potter Graphic Design K-Pop Ruskin Journal Law Society Tea and Cake Rock Climbing Cheerleading Dance
Date of next forum: Thursday 7th of February 2019 5-6pm Lab003
Location: LAB006 Date: 04.10.2018 Time: 5-6pm
Forum Minutes – 6th November 2018 Agenda items What’s coming up? - ARU Faith Societies Present Chill Out Tuesday: Karaoke – 27th November - Societies Showcase at The Academy – 29th November - Rent Survey - Carers Awareness Tea Party – 30th November - Grant Spending Deadline – 7th December - Christmas Forum – 12th December New societies spotlight - Anime and Manga - Jewish Society - First Love - Marrow - Achievement Unlocked - Anglia Ruskin Space Agency - Electronic Music Society - Popular Music - MMA - Coding Society - PENSA - Boxing First Aid Courses and Mini bus test forms of interest -Both Free for committee members! (£20 returned deposit to secure your place) - Find them both on the committee hub under skills and training - Course dates allocated on a first come, first served basis Checking memberships - How check your memberships: Go to page admin > (Society Name) admin tools > members and check for new names on the list. - Also a great way to check who has and hasn’t paid their memberships! - Make sure to contact new members and to have relevant contact details on your society page - Reminder that committee members also must purchase a membership – any committee members who have not bought their membership by Tuesday the 13 th of November will have their admin rights removed!
Risk Assessments - Reminder that all societies must fill out a ‘blanket’ form to cover their regular meetings, blank forms can be found on the committee hub. - Your coordinators will be chasing these up over the next few weeks! Guest Speaker Process - Any requests must be made at least 4 weeks in advance! - Screenshot your submission as confirmation Society-run events - Reminder to include your society name, time, date, location and a short description of what the event is so that members know which event they’re looking for! Conflict Management Compromise Involve every committee member in your decisions Involve your coordinator
Make sure every committee member knows their roles and responsibilities Regular committee meetings are key
Discussion Items Minibus Renewal
Points made by attendees
Plan of Action
Society members were concerned that they would not be able to travel or function as a society without the buses
Coordinators will be organizing a forum specifically to discuss the buses with all concerned parties. All society members will be invited to attend.
The limitations on taking the test prove a problem for many students Members were concerned that the cost of coach travel would cause their societies to fold
General Grant Feedback
Things to think about for the next round‌ 1. Be specific! 2. Events need to take place in the corresponding semester 3. Be clear on how the purchase will benefit all of your members 4. Not part of SU policy to fund Christmas meals etc. 5. Fill in the appropriate sections 6. First aid kits are FREE if you have at least one trained committee member 7. Get organised early!
Networking Events Feedback
Students thought these events were worthwhile but needed better staff attendance
Clubs and Societies in Attendance
Apologies for absence
MMA Vegan Society Psychology Society Tai Chi Cheer Dance Game dev. LASAR Wildlife
Anglia Ruskin Space Agency LGBT+ Yoga Pole Fitness
Law Society Sustainability Education Society TaGS Ruskin Journal Marketing Harry Potter Society Forensic Society Marrow Believers Loveworld K-Pop Biomedical Society Graphic Design ACS Pokemon Film Viewing MPA Arts and Crafts
Date of next forum: Wednesday 12th December 5-6pm Lab006
Location: LAB006 Date: 04.10.2018 Time: 5-6pm
Forum Minutes – 4th October 2018 Agenda items What’s coming up? - Course rep. elections – Now Closed - Grant Round 1 Applications – Now Closed - Part-time jobs fair: 30th October 2018 - Societies Showcase: 29th November 2018 (emily.long@students.anglia.ac.uk First Aid courses and Midas Testing - Free for committee members! (£20 deposit required which will be returned after the course) - Sign up for the next course at the SU Front Desk Funding - Green Fund discontinued: Set to return in 2019 (action is being taken by your coordinators and SU staff team) Important reminders - Risk assessments: Societies must submit a risk assessment for their weekly meetings – coordinators will be chasing these up if they are not completed. - Society Lockers: Reminder to only store society items in these lockers, and that food should not be kept in them! Let us know if your society no longer needs their locker as there is a waiting list.
Discussion Items Society Accreditation System
Points made by attendees
Rewards were not widely known about
Attendees felt that rewards for the accreditations was not worth it
Criteria is unclear/ not achievable for some societies/clubs
Plan of Action
System is up for review over the semester
Possibility of a points-based system with broader criteria which can be adapted to cater for all clubs and socs.
Freshers Fair
Peterborough Nursing Society
Some societies felt that their placement requests were not listened to
Societies and clubs would prefer to be grouped so that people can find them more easily
More publicity for the upstairs area
Members and committee feel excluded from SU events
Committee members travel long distance to be at forums
SU will attempt to take all requests into account
Meetings will take place within staff teams on the effectiveness of the layout
Work being done within the SU as a whole to include Peterborough students in all events including SU Awards etc.
Possibility of committee members skyping into forums etc.
Clubs and Societies in Attendance
Apologies for absence
AMT Biomed Creative Writing Cue.5 Forensic and Criminal Investigations Game Development HR and Management International Business Soc. Law Soc. Marketing MPA
Yoga K-Pop Christian Fellowship ACS Film Makers
Psychology Peterborough Nursing Wildlife Pole Fitness Cheerleading Christian Music Dance Film Viewing Harry Potter LASAR Pokemon TaGS Tai Chi Vegan Marrow
Date of next forum: Tuesday 6th November 5-6pm Cos207