WELCOME
BINDZ PATEL, PRESIDENT 2010/11
2010-11 was an incredibly successful year for Goldsmiths Students’ Union. We have gone from strength to strength, from winning two Gold awards for Green impact and Best Bar None, to having more students involved in activities then ever before!
However without a doubt our greatest success was reversing the plan to close the campus nursery. After a well fought campaign, College management agreed to hand over the nursery for us to run.
This was a crucial year of fighting against government reforms to Higher Education funding: we mobilised over 700 Goldsmiths students to attend the biggest student demonstration in over two decades. Additionally we organised two wellattended rallies that included speakers such as Caroline Lucas MP and Tony Benn. We have been the force behind many academic changes for Goldsmiths students this year including a refurbishment of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), getting internet access for residents of Raymont Hall, pushing the College to guarantee a three week turnaround time for feedback on all written assessments and securing 24 hour Library opening throughout the whole academic year.
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Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
Bindz Patel President Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010-2011
ACHIEVEMENTS
The campaign to persuade the College to keep the nursery open was successful Over 700 Goldsmiths students protested at the November demonstration against higher fees Another increase in the number of students participating in sports clubs Victory in the annual Varsity competition against the University of the Arts Gold in Sound Impact Awards, which recognises environmentally friendly unions Gold in the Best Bar None awards Online elections run for the first time ever, an increase in turnout and no complaints raised by candidates Persuaded the College to introduce a new ÂŁ40,000 childcare bursary fund.
Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
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CAMPAIGNS
Save Goldsmiths Nursery Campaign On 8th June 2010 Goldsmiths College notified us of their intention to close the College nursery as a matter of urgency over the summer holiday period. The closure would have resulted in staff redundancies and the loss of a service which provided places for 23 children of students and staff. Through constant communication and further campaigning the initial success was to win a compromise where the College agreed to extend the life of the Nursery
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Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
until the end of the year. This gave us time to look at alternative solutions. After further investigation of options and following significant negotiations with the College, the Union made a successful bid to operate the Nursery as a Union run service. The new GSU nursery reopened on the the 5th of September following a refurbishment. The picture above shows local MP Joan Ruddock together with parents, officers and SU Staff at the opening. celebrations.
Campaign Against Fees & Cuts We organised various activities in the lead up to the demonstration, which went on to gain national media coverage. Goldsmiths was the first institution to go into occupation, which was covered by the Guardian and BBC1 News. This had a national influence and triggered off many more occupations across the country. While we didn’t succeed in halting the goverments plans to increase fees, at the
local level we persuaded the College to spend more money on measures promoting widening participation in their access agreement. We also worked with the community to oppose funding cuts to local services. This culminated in over 100 students marching to Lewisham Town Centre in support of a community protest against the vote by the Council proposing deep cuts to funding.
Students Not Suspects Campaign The campaign began in 2009 as a response to the new Points Based System of Immigration (PBSI) introduced into the UK, which had a negative effect upon the ability of students and academic staff to study and work in British universities. The crucial impact the campaign made this year was ensuring the College interpreted the legislation as liberally as possible. Our campaign also had national impact. We
exported the Students Not Suspects brand to The London School of Economics (LSE). From our campaign group the UCU have nationally organised a conference and campaign to oppose the PBSI. We worked with international students and the NUS to oppose the goverment scrapping of the Post Study Work Visa and achieved a partial victory. Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
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ACTIVITIES Sport
It was another successful year for sports, with more students participating in our varied teams than ever before. The total sports membership for the year was 627, with 563 individual members and we are confident that we can increase on these numbers again next year. Notably, Dance ran another successful Christmas show, the Jitsu team came home with more medals from the Nationals, the Cheer squad brought home more trophies and the year was rounded off with another successful Varsity against The University of The Arts. This now means we are ahead 3-2 over the 5 years the event has been running. We are hoping for bigger and better next year and will be working hard behind the scenes to drive this success forward.
Societies A highlight of the first term was the African Caribbean Society (ACS) ‘Roc the Runway’ fashion show in October. The ACS went on to win two awards at the Student Awards Night at the end of the second term as did the Shakespeare Society who were voted by Goldsmiths students to be the Society of the Year. The year was rounded of with a fantastic sell out performance of Little Shop of Horrors, put on by the Musical Theatre Society.
We’d also like to draw attention to the hard work that our societies have put into fundraising for charities this year. Of particular note are RAG who in February organised the first RAG week that Goldsmiths has had in several years. The Japan Society raised a huge amount for the Tsunami, well over £1000. The Islamic Society‘s annual charity week also raised over £1000.
Volunteering In 2010/11 we spent the second half of the year researching the volunteering service that Goldsmiths staff and students wanted to see. The full report into the review
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Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
and plans for the future can be found on our website. In May we had our first Volunteering Fayre in several years in The Stretch Students’ Union Bar.
Student Media There were two big developments in Student Media in 2010/11. The first was the new student newspaper, The Leopard which was started in the Autumn term and is now an established part of our student media. The second big development was the
7% 25% 24 53 17 LEOPARD
moving of Wired Radio from the old studio which was hidden down the side of RHB, into the new Student Media Hub. The Student Media Hub is shared by Wired Radio, Smiths Magazine and The Leopard and can be found right next to the backfield in the Whitehead building.
Of students took part in Union sports Of students were involved with societies Sports clubs Societies
New societies
Launch of Goldsmiths Student Newspaper, The Leopard. Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
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ADVICE
It was a successful year for Goldsmiths Students’ Union Academic Advice Service. The core service is to assist students with academic problems through the processes and procedures of the University, to ensure they get a fair outcome. We have increased the number of drop in times available for students without appointments, maximising the time students can access the service at their convenience. Throughout the year, students have had access to a growing library of leaflets on
various issues. The service also runs on a more efficient system which allows time for ‘follow-ups’ after initial student inquiries are dealt with. The service continues to work to be completely available, accessible and adaptable to the students it serves; with a commitment to not just measuring its outputs in numbers but measuring the attitudes and feedback of its studentclients, while empowering them to make meaningful change in their lives.
During the first half of the academic year the service dealt with: 135 Appeals and Complaints 144 referrals to the College Support Services Raised awareness on a variety of student issues ranging from alcohol abuse to mental health issues Raised awareness of financial planning & budgetting for students through the Money Doctor scheme Advised students on their rights and procedures to follow, in the lead up and aftermath of the cuts to education protests.
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Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
Feedback
Thank you for the chat yesterday. I spoke with a lecturer in the department and as you suggested she was very helpful. Our chat really helped me to put my side across clearly.
I just wanted to THANK YOU for all the personal and professional support you have given me over the past few days in which I have come to know you.
I will never forget how much you have helped me in the short space of time that I have known you. I finally received this response yesterday, with an offer of over £1000 plus the cost of visa reapplication. I’m really happy that I got a good result, as now I can afford to return to Goldsmiths. Thank you so much for all the help you gave me...I would’ve been lost trying to navigate through the complicated complaint process without your guidance...Once again, thank you.
Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
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REPRESENTATION Representation & Democracy
The Representational and Democracy department of the Union has two key areas to fulfil. The representational arm of the Union encompasses the work and workings of all the elected Sabbaticals, Student Assembly Officers and Student Trustees, as well as the Departmental Student Coordinators (DSCs) in four key areas
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To empower the representatives to voice their concerns and for them to be truly representative To create channels of accountability and scrutiny for the representatives To ensure that the officers and DSCs are fulfilling their job functions and supporting them in completing their manifesto pledges Ensuring that representation is evidence based and students are consulted
Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
In line with the above, the Union has created working groups to support the Student Assembly officers with the aim to provide greater scrutiny over their workings. The Union has also increased the DSC numbers from 45 to 50 and has divided the numbers based on the numbers of students per department. The democracy section of the union looks into two key things (i) the elections process and (ii) the involvement of students in the decision making process. In 2010/2011 these were manifested in the change of the Students’ Assembly voting method, in which it was decided that all students present at any Student Assembly could vote rather then the previous model in which only elected Assembly members could vote. Furthermore, the main election was conducted online for the first time to increase student accessability. Overall 2010/2011 has seen a great level of input which has resulted in the following The creation of 3 new part time officer positions Student Parent Societies Officer Sports Officer
The change of the Sabbatical Officer roles President Education Officer Welfare and Diversity Officer Campaigns Officer
The creation of 5 working groups for part time officers Liberation Academic Campaigns Media Access
For the first time the DSC’s were asked to present their work to the Warden’s Advisory Group. They focused on the following issues: Careers service Lecture room space Access to academics and Departmental Administrators
SU elections conducted online for the first time. This resulted in an electoral increase from 15.61% in 2010 main elections to 18.61% in 2011 main elections
electoral increase from 15.61% in 2010 main elections to 18.61% in 2011 main elections Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
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ENJOYMENT
Bar & Ents
The Stretch has been through a year of significant change, and has experienced a decline in revenues, as is the national trend of many non-campus SU’s, but it has also been a great year in many ways. After feedback last year we introduced a new entertainments schedule for 2010/11. This included more student-led nights, moving the popular quiz to Mondays and regular film nights. Our regular Wednesday cheesy disco experienced a resurgence this year, with highlights including the popcorn party, Hot Cross Sandwich Easter spectacular and the UV foam party to mention just a few. After feedback on previous years we altered the Freshers Passes by lowering the price and increasing the value by including additions other than free entry to The Stretch. As a result we sold over 200, which was more than ever before. 2010/11 was a great year for staff development, with 16 new staff employed via a recruitment fayre in September as well as 5 new Student Supervisors and 2 new Student Licensees who were trained with nationally recognized qualifications in licensing and first aid which they can use post-study.
Gold Best Bar None In April The Stretch was the proud winner of a Gold Award in the Best Bar None scheme. This is a national scheme run to evaluate best practice in bars and venues. We were winners of a bronze award in 2009/10 so we were very pleased with the improvement.
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Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
24 7000 116 000 30 000 46 £32 000
New student staff were employed hours worked by student staff who earned over £48,000 in total people were served by the student] staff pints were served and over £22,000 worth of Club Sandwich doubles and mixers
student led nights, took place throughout the year and there were 21 dedicated live music nights has been spent on security for the safety of students and staff.
G Shop The G shop celebrated its 5th birthday this year, and continues to build on previous success! New for this year was an expanded sandwich and snack range, including Ginsters sausage rolls and filled slices. Here are some stats for 2010/11 The G shop employed 13 student staff, including two student supervisors. In total they worked over 4,000 hours and earnt over £27,000 between them Whilst at work they served over 350,000 people and took nearly £390,000 They did this on two new card machines,
doubling the number we used to have which has reduced queuing time during peak periods. The new machines also include contactless technology to pay for goods by waiving your card over the terminal. The Art Shop continues to be a great addition and supply students with their art essentials, with sales growing by 16% since 2009/10. Sandwich sales are also growing, by over £5k compared to 2009/10, or 20%. Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
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SURVEYS
This year we conducted our first Annual Survey which has given us essential information to base some of our decision making. The survey achieved a 3% turnout and was a mixture of qualitative and quantitative questions delving into students needs and covering every aspect of Students’ Union operations. There were some broad areas that come out of the survey. It was clear that students
want better accessibility to Union services and wanted the building to be redecorated or refurbished in some areas. Online methods of communication came out as the method that students wanted to communicated with and, although GSU has a strong activism base, students were not that aware of how the Union works and how decisions are made.
Survey Response
Keep up the good work guys! I’ve had contact with a number of SU members (including the President who responded to my email in a very polite and reasonable way) and I could really feel that you all are concerned about students and that you treat improving our experience at Goldsmiths as a priority, and I think this general feeling of trust is even more important than the actual services you provide.To sum up, you’re doing a great job!
86% 70% 87% 14
have used The Stretch. visited the Freshers Fayre believed that Goldsmiths Students’ Union made a positive difference to their time at University
Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
The Union staff have performed brilliantly this year, with several staffing changes along the way. We have restructured our Commercial Services with a more efficient struture that is performing excellently. We have changed the Marketing department to have a full time member of staff and utilised working groups that add depth and experience to key projects such as elections and Freshers fayre. We have re-written the staff handbook and introduced a flexible working policy that is
STAFF
enabling better working arrangements for staff to work more effectively.
Internal communications have been refined with regular internal meetings supported by the introduction of group working and efficient time management using Google Apps. We conducted our first full staffing survey of full time and part time staff adding to the staff voice within the Union. Overall the feedback was very positive; suggesting that GSU staff are happy, motivated and cared for.
92% 90%
of permanent staff say they are trusted to do their job.
of all staff believe that GSU champions diversity and challenges discrimination.
Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
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ANNUAL PLAN g ntin e s re Rep dents stu tively effec
ing r e liv De erse ies div tunit or p p o
Defending a quality education at Goldsmiths Develop new SU Strategic Plan Enabling students to campaign on issues they care and are passionate about Increased participation in elections – turnout of 19% Ensuring students receive timely, constructive feedback from tutors Fill final external Trustee vacancy and register with the Charity Commission Improving Union communications Challenging the marketisation of higher education
To establish Volunteering Goldsmiths as an oustanding service for students Increased involvement with Open Book, insuring widening access is central to Goldsmiths
Fully ultilise the SU Building to enable diverse events led by students Increase activities participation by 10% Mainstream Equality and Diversity into all our activities
GSU Mission Statement: ‘Statement Representation is at the centre of all we do and through r
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Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
2011/12 An eth excelle ical n Uni t, on
Making the Union more accessible and carrying out essential works on the building
Ens u fina ring sus ncia l tain abil ity
Develop plans for future possibilities of SU building Pass SUEI and IiP assessment
Agree revised Memorandum of Understanding
Maintain Gold in Green Impact and Best Bar None awards
Generate surplus and develop 3 year financial forecast
Ensure Ethical & Environmental best practice is part of our culture
Commercial areas generate budgeted net profit
Use technology to enhance our services Establish the nursery as an outstanding service Continue to provide a great advice service, supporting even more Goldsmiths students
Explore possibilities of new gym Generate increased revenue from sponsorship and advertising Ensure administration resources are deployed effectively
representation we provide inclusive, accessible activities and services for Goldsmiths Students.’ Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
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FINANCE
GSU had a strong year financially, posting an overall surplus of £59,000. The year has been spent fighting against the declining bar incomes and greater students needs. Entertainments made a surplus for the first time in in many years and bar costs were controlled very tightly by excellent management and robust systems. Overall bar and ents return a small surplus.
£1,385,676
OUR TURNOVER FOR 2010/11
£322 708 £97 247 £25 205
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Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
spent on representitive services and activity
into students pockets, working for the Union.
surplus from entertainments
Goldsmiths Students’ Union 2010 - 2011
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GOLDSMITHS STUDENTS’ UNION WWW.GOLDSMITHSSU.ORG