Welcome to Cardiff University Students’ Union!
Welcome! We hope you are enjoying your visit and finding out all the things you need to know to help make your decision about which University to study at. We are proud to say that we have been rated the number 1 Students’ Union in Wales and number 4 in the UK! Cardiff University Students’ Union provides an array of services, facilities and opportunities for all our members and guests. It’s really important to us that you get all the information you need during your visit so please feel free to explore all levels of the Students’ Union. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask a member of staff wearing a red or pink lanyard or visit the Welcome Centre on the 2nd floor. To help you understand what services and facilities are available on each level, here is a quick guide;
Ground Floor During the summer of 2016, the entire ground floor was redeveloped! Existing outlets have remained, but we also have lots of new shops and services that have opened in that space, including our very own Love Cardiff clothing shop and Cardiff Student Letting.
First Floor Y Stiwdio This venue was renovated in 2016 and now has a full-mirrored wall and sprung flooring. It’s always fully booked by our dance societies and our martial arts groups, and is a great space for student events. The Great Hall Anything and everything happens in the Great Hall! Freshers’ fairs, lectures, awards ceremonies, exams, blood donations and, of course, live music. Over the past year we’ve had Stereophonics, Happy Mondays, Waterparks, Dodie, and The Wombats.
Second Floor The Skills Hub
Cardiff Volunteering This dedicated team provide opportunities to volunteer in the community, a fantastic way to gain experience. Projects include working at youth clubs, with the homeless, befriending schemes, education projects, mental health schemes and many more. They also hold an annual ‘Jailbreak’ event where teams of students raise money to see how far they can get from Cardiff and back in 52 hours with no money! The winning group got to the Canary Islands this year! University Enterprise This University-run service offers business workshops and opportunities to gain skills in starting your own business or social enterprise. Skills Development Service Here you will find a wide range of courses including presentation skills, team work, sign language, first aid and much more! It’s a great way to improve your employability after University.
Jobshop A free service available to find parttime work for students to make some money during their studies. IT Clinic University IT provides a free-of-charge IT clinic to help you get the most from the IT services at the University. Visit the IT Clinic for assistance registering mobile devices on the university network, account issues, and general support. Y Plas This amazing space was re-developed in 2014. It is the home of our two weekly club nights, regular dance events, live music and is a great place to study in the daytime. Food Court Here we have a coffee shop, Snack Shack for burgers and chips, Toss’d for fresh salads, and The Hut for homemade pizza. It’s all affordable and delicious! The Taf The Taf is our very own Students’ Union pub offering a range of great pub food, cheap drinks, a weekly quiz, bar exchange (where the prices fluctuate) and a Sunday carvery for just £6.95!
Third Floor
Student Senate, the policy making body of the Students’ Union.
The Lounge An alcohol-free area with a lovely balcony and view of the main building. This space is open 24/7 and also houses meeting room space and our multi-faith prayer room. There is plenty of seating and desk space so it’s a great place for studying and group work.
Sabbatical Officers The best thing about the Students’ Union is: it is led by students, for students! Sabbatical Officers are voted into their positions annually and hold their position as a full-time paid job for one year. The team is led by the Students’ Union President who oversees the VP Societies and Volunteering, VP Sport, VP Eduction, VP Welfare and Campaigning, VP Postgraduate Students and VP Heath Park.
Student Advice Our Student Advice service provides advice and information, advocacy, representation and support through a free, confidential, impartial and independent service to Cardiff University students. They provide support for a wide range of issues, including academic, housing, health and wellbeing, and employment. Student Voice The heart of student representation. This team support students’ academic interests by recruiting Student Academic Representatives who volunteer to represent your views to the University. They also look after student democracy by running our annual elections, and organising
Societies Getting involved in activities is the best way to make friends during your time at University. We have over 200 student-run societies with over 8,000 members! These include coursebased, dance and performance, cultural, political, charity groups and many more. Harry Potter, Baking, Board gaming, Skydiving, Tea… there really is something for everyone!
Give it a Go Our Give it a Go programme is your opportunity to try something new during your time at Cardiff without any commitment. You can try a society or club taster session, bubble football, speed dating, day trips, European weekend breaks and lots more! Athletic Union On top of 200 societies, we have more than 60 sport clubs. You can play both competitively, as part of the British University Championships, and non-competitively. We also compete in the Welsh Varsity, the second largest in the UK, an amazing day of sport against Swansea University ending in a rugby game at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, or the Liberty Stadium in Swansea. Student Media There’s also a chance to gain journalism experience with our student newspaper, magazine, radio station and TV station.
Fourth Floor Meeting rooms These are popular with our multiple student groups!
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to visit the team at the Welcome Centre on the 2nd floor of the Students’ Union. Or, you can contact the team at StudentsUnion@Cardiff.ac.uk or visit cardiffstudents.com. We hope to welcome you back to the Students’ Union as a member in the future!