The Students' Union Leadership Team Essential Guidance
Part one: Where are you heading? -
The Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union Leadership Team
Part two: Due care and attention -
The rules and expectations Policy & Decision making
Part three: Getting underway -
Meeting expectations Being prepared At the meetings After the meetings
Part Four: Delivering the goods -
Action plans Success for students Campaigns & events
Part Five: The Toolkit -
Important documents and useful links Sources of support and information
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Welcome! Part one: Where are you heading? The Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union The Falmouth & Exeter Students Union was formed in 2005 and has been representing students’ views and opinions to Falmouth University and University of Exeter Cornwall Campuses (UECC) ever since. The Students' Union is an independent charity, providing an opportunity for students to direct, influence and input into strategic level decision making. The 1994 Education Act set in law the role and purpose of students’ unions as promoting the general interests of members as students. We work in partnership with the universities to strive for the best student experience both on and off campus for all our members. Thank you for putting yourself forward as a student leader, we hope you make the most of this opportunity and we endeavour to support you to achieve your aims and objectives in relation to the role you have selected. The Students' Union Leadership Team The Students' Union Leadership team comprises the SU Presidents and Executive Officers who have a lead role in making decisions on behalf of students. Over the next academic year you will have the responsibility of representing students in The Students' Union decision making. As a member of the The Students' Union Leadership Team you will have access to training and development opportunities and be held accountable to your actions, you will also be acting as an ambassador for The Students' Union during your time in office.
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Leadership Team Zones In spring 2018 the The Students' Union Leadership Team voted to work in ‘zones’ creating shared action plans and preparing proposals to be submitted to Leadership Team monthly meetings. The below image outlines which Zone the Executive officers belong to: Community & Welfare Zone
Falmouth Academic Zone
Student Experience Zone
Undergraduate Academic Officer (Falmouth)
Exeter Education Zone
Undergraduate Education Officer
International Officer
Societies Officer
Mature Students' Officer
Sports Officer
Undergraduate Academic Officer (Penryn)
PGT Education Officer
Inclusivity Officer
Volunteering Officer
PGT Academic Officer
PGR Education Officer
Liberation Chairperson
RAD President
PGR Academic Officer
Open Exeter Officer
Environment & Ethics Officer
Distance Learning Academic Officer
Faith Officer
Open Falmouth Officer
Members of the Leadership Team will need to ensure they are communicating with and representing the views & opinions of the students they are elected to represent. Examples of good practice include: -
Using Facebook group to communicate with members Liaising with relevant societies / community groups Attending meetings relevant to your role Talking to and listening to members (formally and informally) 4
Part two: Due care and attention The rules and expectations The Students' Union have a Code of Conduct for elected officer’s that outlines how elected officers must conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times and in accordance with the The Students' Union Equal Opportunities Policy. Obscene, offensive or disorderly conduct (including foul language) or any behaviour which is perceived as harassment is unacceptable anywhere within the Union, at any Union function, or when representing The Students' Union in any capacity.
Policy & Decision making There are a number of ways that members of the The Students' Union Leadership Team can make policy that and affect decision making. These include: The Students' Union Leadership Team Meetings These meetings are an opportunity for members to represent views and opinions of student groups and communities, discuss ideas, make decisions and allocate tasks to ensure members are managing projects effectively. Union General Meetings (UGM) & Annual General Meeting (AGM) The UGM is a meeting which shares information and updates between the students and the elected representatives, as well as ensuring that these elected reps remain accountable to the students. All SU Presidents are required to give an update on their projects, and any progress made. Any student studying at Falmouth or Penryn campus can: - Suggest agenda points - Propose a Motion - Ask open questions of their elected representatives
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Part three: Getting underway Meeting expectations Throughout the year you will be expected to attend a number of important meetings in order to ensure The Students' Union functions effectively. All meetings are planned in advance and we endeavour to give you as much notice if any changes occur. In return, if for any reason you cannot attend a meeting we would like you to let us know in advance as decisions will not be able to be made without a certain number of members in attendance. Being prepared Look at meeting agenda items in advance and discuss issues with students that you represent (Go Out And Talk) this will give you a good insight into student opinion on the matter and provide you with real examples to use as evidence during discussions. At the meetings It is important to keep in mind you are there to represent students views and opinions and not just your own. Engage in discussion with others at the meeting, ask questions to clarify anything you are not sure about and don’t be afraid to speak out – this is your chance to represent those that elected you! Keep notes of any decisions made and any actions that you have been tasked with as well as other officers that you might want to work with to collaborate on projects. After the meetings If you need help and support with any aspects of your projects then The Students' Union staff are available to support you, and would be happy to talk through how you might turn ideas into action. You might need to plan activity, book a room or make some new contacts. There might also be other students that we can help put you in touch with including designers, photographers and promotional crew.
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Part Four: Delivering the goods Personal Development Plan In order to help clarify the aims of your project we will help you to complete an action plan outlining -
What you want to achieve How you want to go about it Who is involved The timescale you assign to the project
We will offer you regular opportunities to discuss how your progress is going and The Students' Union staff can help you along the way. You can call into the The Students' Union office between meetings or book a catch up with The Students' Union staff to discuss your next steps to success! Success for students Working individually and collectively as the The Students' Union Leadership Team you will have the opportunity to positively impact students experience both on and off campus. It is important to regularly reflect on how successful your activity is. A useful way to do this is to consider the following: Measuring success in representation Are the needs and aspirations of our diverse membership are reflected in our activities, services and policies? Do we collectively: Promote empower and equip students to act as leaders and representatives? Review structures and make recommendations for future improvements? Understand who members are that we represent, what their needs are and what help they need from us? Undertake relevant training & development relevant to role?
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Measuring your influence Have we influenced the activities, services and policies of the university in a way that reflects the needs and aspirations of our membership? Are we collectively: Developing & strengthening a network of student representatives to ensure voices are heard Working with, and influencing relevant staff at the university The source of information on student trends Showcasing the work of The Students Union, outlining changes made whilst in post Measuring wider influence We are able to influence local and national activities, services and policies in a way that reflects the needs & aspirations of our membership Are you personally: Contributing on campus, within the local community or on a national level Building The Students' Union profile at conferences and events Building relationships with key businesses and charities Forging links with local community networks It is important to consider how to communicate these successes and we will do our best to help you communicate what you are working on. We offer the use of The Students' Union media including the following: -
Website news stories Updates in student newsletters Video blogs The Students' Union Social media
Campaigns & events As part of your planned activity you may want to organise a campaign or event, on or off campus. The Students' Union can help you to prepare effectively to ensure your event is a success. There is a wealth of experience to draw upon and we can put you in touch with national networks that you might want to contact to strengthen your event profile. 8
Part Five: The Toolkit Important documents and useful links: The Students' Union Constitution The constitution of an organisation contains the fundamental principles which govern its operation. The Students' Union Bye Laws The bylaws establish the specific rules of guidance by which the group is to function. The Students' Union Code of Conduct The Students' Union code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the social norms and responsibilities of The Students' Union staff and elected officers. Change tools: There are a number of mechanisms that you can use to support students to initiate change, these include: Make a change tab – any student can submit an idea for change and encourage others to vote for/against it. If the subject gets 25 more likes than dislikes it will be assigned to a member of the Leadership Team to action. Motions – these formal proposals enable any student to mandate The Students' Union to take a specific action. Motions are presented then a set time is allocated for arguments for & against the motion. A majority vote decides the outcome, so the oral presentation is highly important. Referendum – This is a question put to the whole SU membership that requires a YES/No answer. E.g: “Should The Students' Union organise a community Pride event in Falmouth”. A referendum can be called by The Students' Union Trustees, A majority vote of The Students' Union Leadership Team or by a petition of 100 students.
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Sources of support and information: Action Plan: Creating an action plan will assist you in delivering your objectives. Working with your ‘Zone’ should help clarify the details of what you want to achieve and you can always call into the The SU office for support when required. The Students' Union website: There are some useful sections of the Students' Union website you should take advantage of including the ‘What’s On’ section & news stories. Training & development: We are always looking to expand and develop the training offered to The Students' Union members. Please feel free to submit ideas for additional training that you feel would be useful. Training currently offered:
The Students' Union structure & function Chairing meetings Marketing & social media Public speaking
Falmouth students also have access to a range of training through www.lynda.com
National Union of Students (NUS) NUS host a number of conferences throughout the year that are of particular interest to The Students' Union Leadership Team including:
NUS Black students Conference NUS LGBT+ Conference NIS Trans Conference NUS Disabled students conference NUS Sustainability Summit NUS National Conference
https://www.nus.org.uk/en/who-we-are/
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Rep Online System The Students' Union have a new database that collates feedback from students. Our Rep Online System (ROS) will contain a wealth of information that may inform your campaigns/activities. You should to reinforce the rep system by encouraging students to speak to their rep and log their feedback using ROS. The Students' Union staff will also be able to help inform you of feedback on specific subject areas.
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