Welcome to the FXU Top 10 Priorities 2016/17! We, your elected FXU Presidents, have put these together to ensure we focus on what you, students at Falmouth University and the University of Exeter in Cornwall, have told us matters to you. Everything that FXU does is led by students, for students and the priorities are no exception to this! We have put these together to work towards a sector leading, world class experience in all aspects of your student life. We recognise that these priorities have different time frames, and although some may be rapidly achievable, others will be ongoing and fit into the wider FXU strategy to 2020.
From the National Student Survey and FXU Annual Survey to Preach to a President and everything in between, your feedback has been crucial in shaping these priorities, and we are so grateful for every one of you who has given up your time to help us. It is important to us to remain accountable to you, and encourage you to hold us to account to each of these aims. Whether it is at a Student Staff Liaison Meeting, Clubs and Societies Forum, Union General Meeting (UGM), Leadership Team Meeting or just coming to chat to us, let us know what you think because feedback really matters to us. Our door is always open, and we will always listen to whatever you have to say, so come have a chat or get in contact with us! With very best wishes,
Chris
Tom
Alexa
Your FXU Presidents 2016/17
Amanda
FXU Communications Mental Health, Wellbeing & Disabled Students Allowance
01
02 03
University Communications
04 05
Accommodation Academic Excellence
Cost of Living Celebrating Diversity & Fighting Back Against Intolerance
06 07
08 09
10 ‘One Campus’ One Student Body
Union Partnership Facilities
Top 10 Priorities 2016/17
These priorities have been developed following research and feedback from:
Annual General Meeting
Union General Meeting
01.
University Communications “Communication needs some serious improvement and I want to work with both Universities to ensure that all students are informed about issues surrounding their experience.” — Amanda Chetwynd-Cowieson, Manifesto 2016/17
• FXU to work together with both institutions to form a joint communication strategy outlining institutional changes, partnership decisions and achievements that affect all students. • Both Universities to formalise how they get ‘FXU approval’ on institutional messages and vice versa. • Both Universities to look at ways of improving their communications to their student body about national educational issues. • Both Universities to coherently document and archive community interaction.
02.
FXU Communications “Be more vocal with students about who you are, what you do and what you offer in a very plain way, make yourself [have] more of a presence on Woodlane.” — FXU Annual Survey 2016
• Investigate and implement ways of communicating FXU/President big wins more effectively, reaching more students. • Provide students with a better understanding of FXU President roles and increased accountability of Presidents’ manifesto aims. • Improve students understanding of FXU’s purpose, mission, vision and values.
03.
Accommodation “Continue to fight against unsustainable growth in respect to the student housing market.” — FXU Annual Survey 2016
• All partners to look at not increasing the rent of University Owned & Managed Accommodation (UOMA) - in reflection of rising costs elsewhere. • To make all UOMA available to all students from both Universities from 2017 entry. • Increase transparency to both students and the community around the Universities’ future accommodation plans. • Produce better information for students on their right to rent, and develop an FXU housing campaign with the FXU Advice Team. • Work to find solutions for international students who are being asked to pay one year’s worth of rent up front.
04.
Mental Health, Wellbeing & Disabled Students Allowance “I would just like to say thank you to FXU for all of the support services that they offer. I have directed several of my friends to the services [...] particularly to do with wellbeing and this has helped me continue to enjoy my experience, by being able to help those friends access the support they needed.” — FXU Annual Survey 2016
• Continue to work with both institutions to ensure no students education is adversely affected by the cuts to Disabled Students Allowance (DSA). • FXU to build on #MindYourHead and mental health campaigns with the aim of highlighting the services available to students. • Continue to work towards opening FXU Nightline to offer peer to peer support during the hours of 10pm and 4am. • Promote good physical, mental and sexual health to students, with the aim of making services easier to access and increase knowledge of wellbeing issues.
05.
Academic Excellence “We must empower: student reps to improve our education using anonymous feedback; lecturers to produce example exam scripts and coursework demonstrating 1st to 3rd class; and students by increasing the number of field trips creating opportunities to learn outside the classroom. We must make sure every course is pragmatic and forward facing.” — Tom Murray Richards, Manifesto 2016/17
• Increase Institutional data shared with FXU including annual application, offer, acceptance, progression and retention rates by gender and ethnicity. • Work with both Universities to ensure academic policy is clear and ‘student friendly’. • Deliver better exam support for Exeter students by using a range of examples and providing more comprehensive feedback. • Enhance the current approach to module feedback for Falmouth students and strengthen the quality and usefulness of feedback provided during modules. • Ensure all course curriculum’s continue to be sector leading and world class. • Endeavour to make sure campuses and course curriculum deliver an international experience for all students.
06.
Celebrating Diversity & Fighting Back Against Intolerance “Celebrate our amazing diversity with events, to encourage education and acceptance of others. Continue to work with all faith groups on campus to promote inclusion, as well as show unity in working together to support each other’s causes. We are stronger united.” — Alexa Webster, Manifesto 2016/17
• Support for international students to explore Cornwall (#FXPlore Cornwall) to help them feel part of our wider community. • FXU to start a Faith Committee to represent and promote faith issues in FXU and the Universities decision making. • Diversify the range of events that FXU and the two Universities put on throughout the year. • Work with Student Support to create Tell Me, an anonymous email service for students to report incidents such as hate crimes. • Student Support to become a third party reporting center for hate crimes that all students can use.
07. Facilities
“There is loads of study space in the Penryn [Campus] library, but during the day, it’s always packed, and sometimes it’s difficult to find a place to work. I worry that with student numbers set to increase in coming years, there won’t be the capacity to give everyone a place to study.” — FXU Annual Survey 2016
• Explain and communicate what world class and sector leading means by making the Campus 2020 plan relevant to individual courses. • A financial commitment from both Universities to support the Campus 2020 plan and increase available individual, group study, non-commercial and social space as student numbers increase. • Continue work towards having all campus facilities genuinely accessible to all students.
08.
Cost of Living “[I would like to see] higher transparency on course costs, rather than how all funds are redistributed. [I would also like] higher awareness and clarity on the services given by the university.” — FXU Annual Survey 2016
• Both Universities to publish up to date course cost information, including more detail on hidden course costs. • FXU to continue to publish their annual financial transparency document, with more detail than previous years. • Campus shops to work with Devon and Cornwall food association to hand out ‘free’ food to students. • Work with campus retail services to ensure all prices are competitive (vs. high street retailers) and transparent, and are mirrored across all campuses. • FXU and both Universities to work on clarifying and highlighting help for students facing financial hardship.
09.
Union Partnership “When students’ union collaborate both regionally and nationally, students as a whole are more likely to see positive change in their education experience.” — Richard Brooks, Vice-President Union Development, National Union of Students (NUS)
• FXU to work collaboratively with all unions in ways that enhance the student experience. • FXU to look into ways we can support and collaborate with other Students’ Unions in Cornwall. • FXU to be directly involved in national movements to drive positive change including the National Union of Students (NUS), the Great Western Four (Cardiff, Bristol, Bath and Exeter - GW4) and the University of Exeter Students’ Guild.
10.
‘One Campus’ One Student Body “By encouraging and highlighting the achievements of students and staff, we want to create a platform to showcase work (or work in progress) between campuses, to give more exposure between courses that wouldn’t typically meet.” — Chris Slesser, Manifesto 2016/17
• Continue to improve clarity around campus course changes and locations. • FXU to continue to work on increasing availability of sports, societies and events to Truro and Falmouth campus based students. • FXU and both Universities to increase support of Postgraduate events throughout the year to help promote a thriving Postgraduate community. • FXU to provide more support and marketing for student-led events. • Work to tailor FXU to appropriately cater for all University students, both campus and non-campus based.
Key Dates. FXU Leadership Team Meetings: Tuesday 11th October, 2016 4pm – 6pm, Exchange Seminar Green Penryn Campus Tuesday 6th December, 2016 4pm – 6pm, Seminar A Falmouth Campus Tuesday 24th January, 2017 4pm – 6pm, Exchange Seminar Green Penryn Campus, Tuesday 14th March, 2017 4pm – 6pm, Seminar A Falmouth Campus Tuesday 9th May, 2017 4pm – 6pm, Exchange Seminar Green Penryn Campus
FXU Student Voice Conference (UGM): Tuesday 22nd November, 2016 3 – 5pm, Lecture Theatre 2 Falmouth Campus Annual General Meeting (AGM): Friday 17th February, 2017 4pm, Old Chapel Lecture Theatre Penryn Campus FXU Celebration (UGM): Tuesday 23rd May, 2017 4-6pm, Lecture Theatre 1 Falmouth Campus
Want to
Go to: fxu.org.uk/change
My idea
Have an idea!
and submit it!
If enough students think it’s a good idea, it goes to Student Council
Student Council will agree how to action it
Change starts here
Encourage others to vote on your idea
You’ve made a change!
www.fxu.org.uk/change
Contact us.
Chris Slesser FXU President Falmouth
Tom Murray-Richards FXU President Exeter
chris.slesser@fxu.org.uk
tom.murray-richards@fxu.org.uk
Alexa Webster FXU President Community & Welfare
Amanda Chetwynd-Cowieson FXU President Student Experience
alexa.webster@fxu.org.uk
amanda.cc@fxu.org.uk
Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE
Falmouth Campus, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 4FH
01326 255861
01326 213742
www.fxu.org.uk Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1145405 Design by Bethany Hall