Northumbria Students’ Union
Annual Report
2009
www.mynsu.co.uk
Mission Statement
To have a positive impact on the lives of all our students
Vision Statement By 2012 the Students’ Union aims to become the national leader in improving student life through quality and effective representation, having a positive impact on the university and local community and in delivering an excellent all round use and customer experience.
Our Values Democratic All key decisions will have the input of our members and staff and will be open to scrutiny. All elections will be conducted fairly.
Inclusive We will take positive action to try and make all our activities, services and opportunities for involvement open to all our members.
Ethical We will conduct our affairs and make decisions based on the principles of recognised sound ethical practice for membership based “not for profit” organisations.
Innovation We will strive to be creative in all our work and will always seek out new and innovative ways of delivering services, activities and opportunities for members and customers.
Quality Providing a quality experience will underpin all our planning and be our principal focus when interacting with our members and customers.
Partnership Elected Officers, Students’ Union departments and staff will work together as a unified team at all times. We will develop partnership working with university departments and other external companies and organisations where this will benefit our members and customers.
Contents Foreword 4
President’s Message
5
Student Led
6
Representing
7
Supporting Students
8
Connecting with Members
9
Enhancing the Student Experience
10 - 11
Community Impact
12
An Unforgettable Welcome
13
Award Winning Services & Entertainment
14
Financial Stability & Our People
15
A Bright Future
by the Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive Our award winning Students’ Union at Northumbria is changing its physical appearance in 2010, with the construction of an attractive new entrance foyer and atrium, and the creation of spacious and newly refurbished social and performance areas within the City Campus union building. What remains constant is the very high quality of care and support, entertainment and guidance offered to one of the largest communities of undergraduates and postgraduates in Britain. Northumbria is a large and diverse University but its scale does not compromise its sense of shared identity and pride. The Students’ Union does a great deal to maintain this real sense of belonging. Since taking up my role as Vice-Chancellor I have greatly appreciated the calibre of student representation at Northumbria and the sincerity and good judgement of the President, Executive and Management Team. We enjoy a balance of productive challenge, open and respectful debate, and solid partnership. These are essential ingredients in the most successful relationships between Universities and elected student bodies. Higher education is clearly entering a testing period, with the whole of the public sector under pressure to deliver high quality services with more limited resources. A significant review of the way in which universities in Britain are funded has now begun its task. The broader picture is one of uncertainty. Strongly established is the fact that our students, assisted by the Students’ Union, give us so many reasons to be proud. The contribution they make to the city, through their programmes of union-led voluntary work and endeavour, are greatly appreciated by our community. Their academic, sporting and cultural achievements are outstanding. I hope very much that you will enjoy learning more about the many successes of Northumbria Students’ Union over the past twelve months in this excellent Annual Report. I would also like personally to thank the Union’s current President Dave Wright and his sabbatical team, and Martyn Williams and his professional colleagues, for all they do to ensure that the Northumbria student experience is one of the very best in international higher education. Professor Andrew Wathey FRHistS FRSA FSA Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive Northumbria University
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President’s Message Northumbria Students’ Union has enjoyed another incredible year of success having a “positive impact on the lives of all our students”, setting new records for involvement, improving the quality of student representation so that our student voice is heard loud and clear across the University, the local and regional community and on a national stage through our involvement in the National Union of Students. I am immensely proud of our work in standing up for our students’ rights and the reputation we have established for excellence in this field. The “Northumbria Way” is a benchmark and used as model of best practice by NUS. The quality of our work was marked by the award of ‘NUS Course Representative of the Year’ for the second year running. The Students’ Union has more active societies and student groups than at any time in its history. They provide countless opportunities to create social communities and networks whilst rapidly developing the skills and employability of all the participants. Northumbria Student Community Action (NSCA) enhances the reputation of Northumbria University helping to dispel negative connotations associated with student life. Again our work in helping to build community understanding and cohesion has been recognized as outstanding with the ‘Vinspired Volunteering Awards’.
Our Successes in 2009 and Winners of: • • • • •
• • •
NUS Course Representative of the Year Volunteering Vinspired National and Regional Awards NUS Services Silver Sound Impact Award NUS Services Best Bar None Award Newcastle City Best Bar None Winners for: Gold Club of the Year Silver Bar of the Year Bronze Live Music Venue of the Year Achieved Investors in People Record levels of participation Secured multi-million pound building investment
Our sincere thanks and gratitude go to the University for their continued investment in transforming the city site Students’ Union building into what will be one of the best equipped in the higher education sector by completion in September 2010. Winning the ‘Newcastle City Council Best Bar None Club Gold Award,’ confirms our pre-eminence in the way we care for the safety and well being of our customers. In addition for the third year running, the ‘Silver Sound Impact Award’ from NUS Services Ltd., proves our commitment to sound environmental and ethical practice. We value very highly our partnership with the University and know they also value our critical friendship. Higher Education is entering a very challenging period with public finances coming under increasing scrutiny and strain. More than ever Northumbria University needs a strong Students’ Union to ensure that institutional change is completely focused on the right priorities and delivering the best possible student experience. This will be our number one priority in the time ahead. I give thanks to our volunteers, fellow officers, Student Councillors and our staff team who have worked tirelessly to establish Northumbria as a national leader amongst Students’ Unions.
Dave Wright President Northumbria Students’ Union
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northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
Student Led Your Union; Your Future; Your Decision
Student Leaders A National Profile
This year saw a major landmark in the future of the Students’ Union with the launch of the ‘Your Union, Your Future Your Decision’ campaign. Championed by the Sabbatical Officers, it attracted over 900 members to vote in favour of the new 3 year Corporate Plan. This was a great success for the Union as it was the first time we have held a quorate referendum and marked a key milestone in engaging students in the future, priorities and goals of their Union. We hope to now build on this year on year and see increases on voting in 2010 to ensure that students are at the core of decision-making within the organisation.
Significant progress was made in 2009 in continuing to enhance Northumbria’s place on the national stage. Through her hard work and dedication, Rachael Brannan, Vice-President of Welfare and Equality was elected as National Councillor for NUS, ensuring our members were represented at a national level. In addition two student reps were also elected to stand on the National NUS Womens and International Student Committees. Furthermore, our Vice-President of Academic affairs, Lisa Burton was appointed as one of the first Student Auditors for the Quality Assurance Agency - an excellent achievement for both the Union and for Lisa on a personal level.
Elections Students came out in force this year to vote in the Sabbatical Elections. With a ‘dragons den’ themed marketing campaign attracting both campaigners and voters, over 20 students stood to represent the organisation. Competition was fierce and they managed to increase votes by 2% to 2,513. This is a magnificent achievement for the organisation, being the fifth consecutive year that turnout has increased and a positive sign that the Union continues to improve in engaging its members.
NUS Conference This year the region will host the National NUS Conference at the Sage, Gateshead, which is exciting news for both the organisation and the City’s student population as a whole. We have 8 members representing Northumbria, elected by their fellow students. Again due to increased levels of awareness through campaigning the candidates managed a massive 240% increase.
Key Achievements • • • • • • •
Record number of student votes supporting Corporate Plan through the referendum. 2% Increase in voter turnout for Sabbatical Elections Almost 4,000 e-votes cast in all elections 240% Increase in votes for NUS Conference 75% attendance at Student Council and 14 motions passed. Rachael Brannan elected as National Councillor Lisa Burton appointed as one of the first Student Auditors for the Quality Assurance Agency
Setting Policy Student Council is an essential communication tool in gaining face to face feedback from our members to ensure they are at the heart of determining the Union’s educational, representational and campaigning policy. We held 6 meetings over the course of 2009 and approved 14 new policies including; motions to implement a community strategy, enhanced support for Coach Lane and Collaborative Venture students as well as honorary lifetime memberships for Richard Bott, former University Secretary and Dr Chris Dracup, from the School of Psychology and Sports Sciences.
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Representing Representing Course Rep of the Year
Fair Trade
For the second year running the Students’ Union won acclaim at the National NUS Awards, with another of our members picking up the award for ‘ Course Rep of the Year’. The award was presented to David Cauldwell, School Rep for CEIS, who’s achievements throughout 2009 included; the introduction of a new set of guidelines for staff to enable them to tackle the issues of disruptive behaviour in classes, winning commitment from CEIS for course members to obtain assessment feedback within 15 days. This award is remarkable recognition of the level of support the organisation provides to representatives and to the value the University places on the student voice - empowering students to have their say over the quality of their education.
The accreditation of Fair Trade Status was a huge accomplishment for both the University and the Students’ Union. We are exceedingly proud to have been a key driver in working in partnership with the University to achieve this great accolade - our Sabbatical Team having made initial contact with the University to investigate the potential of gaining Fair Trade status through ethical trading. One of the great things to derive from this in 2009 was the promotion of Fair Trade Fortnight, during which we worked alongside the University to launch a variety of activities to raise the profile of ethical trading amongst students and staff alike.
Student Written Submission The publication of the Union’s Student Written Submission represented a significant milestone for the organisation in contributing towards the University’s QAA institutional Audit in 2010. The document draws on qualitative and quantitative research in making a clear statement about the educational experience at Northumbria and providing recommendations for development. Download at www.mynsu.co.uk/sws
PGT Reps October 2009 saw a huge breakthrough for Postgraduate Representation. The Union was delighted to secure funding from the University to launch a new Postgraduate Taught Rep Scheme - the next piece of the representation jigsaw. Since October six out of nine reps have been recruited and the system is already providing invaluable feedback to the Union in relation to the PGT student experience.
Course Rep Conference St James’ Park played host to our third Annual Course Reps Conference, proving to be another great success. With the attendance of an incredible 120 Course Reps, along with key members of University staff the event empowered Reps with the ability to represent their peers, and has firmly established itself as a crucial aspect of the Union’s and University’s support and development package for student representatives. The Conference is a platform to ensure regular dedicated Course Rep training by the Union, which has mounted to 25 hours over the course of 2009.
Winning for Students Alongside our representatives, 2009 saw the Students’ Union instigate a number of marked positive changes in terms of policy, procedure, guidelines and representation across the University. The key achievements were; the introduction of disruptive behaviour guidelines in conjunction with the Learning and Teaching Academy, improvements in the finance function of MyNorthumbria making it more accessible to students, gaining places for two PGR Reps on the Graduate School Committee, the installation of a free cash machine at Coach Lane and securing more IT space and larger loans for PGR students. The Students’ Union’s collaborative work with the University in delivering positive change ensures that the student experience at Northumbria is continuing to improve on an ongoing basis.
Periodic Reviews For the first time, the Students’ Union’s Sabbatical Officers have taken a lead role in carrying out Periodic Reviews across campus. By chairing Student Written Submissions within these reviews, they ensure that the student voice is a fundamental part of the quality review mechanisms within the University.
Key Achievements • • • • • •
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NUS Course Rep of the Year Award Second Year Running Publication of Student Written Submission Increase Post Graduate Representation through launching PGT System Trained 250 Course Reps Achieved significant institutional change to benefit students Supported University in gaining Fair Trade Status
northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
Supporting Students Advice and Casework The Students’ Union continues to support students who need advice and/or advocacy in relation to issues within the University. In 2009, the Union worked on over 200 individual cases, helping many students to achieve a positive outcome, which for many means the difference between successfully completing their studies or not.
“I’ve just been informed that I’m to be allowed to re-sit my placement and so won’t need to take any further action. Thank you very much for all your help and support.” (HCES student)
Key Achievements • • • • • •
Supported over 200 students in individual cases Dealt with 1200 advice enquiries Approximately 450 hours giving advice during appointments Helped develop University Regulations, inputting student viewpoint Launched a Hate Crime reporting centre Increased staff support by 30%
“I am delighted to tell you that I’ve just had the meeting with the Associate Dean, who without any reservation has placed me back on the Law Degree as a full time student. I would like to say a huge, huge thanks for the time and effort you have gone to help me. Your words were both calming and the energy you put into fighting my case was fantastic.” (Law student)
University Procedures The Students’ Union has been actively involved in engaging with the University to develop its regulations and procedures in a number of areas. It was engaged as a key stakeholder in updating the Handbook of Student Regulations and in the introduction of the Graduate School’s Handbook of Student Regulations - winning a number of changes to ensure these continue to be student-focused. The Union is a member of the University’s Academic Misconduct Working Group and won a commitment from the University to collect more detailed data on informal allegations of misconduct. This will enable the Union to more effectively understand plagiarism trends and help students to avoid the plagiarism trap.
Hate Crime The Students’ Union created the first Hate Crime reporting centre on campus including training for Sabbatical Officers. The Union also worked with the University to encourage the creation of more centres in Schools and Departments across campus.
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Issue No.7 October 2009
FREE to a good home
Issue No.7 October 2009
FREE to a good home
The official voice of Northumbria Students’ Union www.mynsu.co.uk
The official voice of Northumbria Students’ Union www.mynsu.co.uk
Representing What’s What’s Occurring! Occurring!
Connecting with Members One of the Students’ Union’s key objectives in 2009 has been to develop our communications strategy and reviewing the effectiveness of the methods in which we communicate and engage with members. It had been apparent during recent years the dynamics on campus have changed significantly, and we want to ensure that we remain at the heart of the student experience and consistently deliver enhanced communications through a variety of print and electronic media. Therefore we have undertaken a wide range of market research and made significant enhancements to our communications in 2009.
‘Your Union Your Say’ The ‘Your Union Your Say’ market research campaign was successfully launched in March 2009. This was a targeted research campaign whereby we gathered opinions from almost 2000 students regarding all our activities, services, representation and communications. The purpose of the market research was to provide strategic direction within the Corporate Plan, ensuring that the member needs were at the heart of organisational development and we are a truly student led organisation.
Listening to our Stakeholders The Students’ Union has remained market driven and customer focused throughout the year and conducted a variety of focus groups, mystery shopper and competitor analysis exercises. The elected Sabbatical Officers have also undertaken a variety of GOAL (Go out and Listen) days to actively seek student feedback and opinions. All results have been used to enhance services, activities and customer care throughout the year.
Targeted Media In order to streamline and target specific messages to students in September 2009 we created a variety of databases with 10,000 registered students. This has enabled our messages to get to the right people at the right time. The website has continued to be an essential communication tool and key to providing members with regular updates and news on events and activities. This year we have enhanced the multimedia functions and for the first time ever have provided interactive videos to appeal to students.
E - communications and Social Networking The Students’ Union has developed our regular e-newsletters with a more informative look and feel to the design. Over the past 12 months our monthly e-newsletter has been distributed to 384,000 people. Engaging with students via social networking has been a huge technological advancement, regular messages are sent out and during the first term 3500 members joined the SU Facebook Fan Page.
Key Achievements •
Enhanced Communications
•
There have been some major improvements made on a variety of communication tools. 2009 saw further development of NU:Life magazine, brought out in place of the traditional Northumbria Students’ Union newspaper. NU:Life is a groundbreaking piece of media developed by our Communications and Involvement Officer, with the help of a team of over 50 student volunteers. These volunteer writers and photographers have increased significantly in numbers and skill. Providing them with invaluable CV enhancing experience during their time at Northumbria was recognised by the first Media Awards Category in May 2009.
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• • • •
Reviewed communication methods and developed all key publications Conducted the largest market research survey the Students’ Union has ever undertaken Developed NU:Life and increased participation from volunteers by 60% Introduced first ever media category award at Annual Awards Enhanced multi - media communications on-line and incorporated video casts Registered almost 4000 students on the SU Facebook Fan Page Registered 10,000 students on the database for targeted messaging
northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
MA
Enhancing the Student Experience Societies
Great Events
Student societies continue to be a major hub of activity within the Students’ Union. There are over 80 societies with over 2600 members and they range from A’capella and Afro-Caribbean to Sky Diving and Surfing.
The Students’ Union organised and hosted a number of high-profile, successful events during 2009. One particular highlight was a talk to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. Over 70 students came to see John Dobai, a survivor of the Holocaust in February 2009. He talked about his experiences of living in Budapest at the outbreak of war and as one of the many Jews saved by twice Nobel Prize nominated, Raoul Wallenberg.
Some of our societies have represented the University on a national stage this year, with the major highlights being the Musical Theatre Society performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the second consecutive year and Northumbria Students’ Union playing host to the national Breakdancing Championships.
Give it a Go The Give it a Go programme was re-launched in September 2009 and has had a major resurgence with 80% of sessions fully booked. Activities include First Aid, Go Karting, Scuba Diving and Pumpkin Carving and provide a fantastic way for students to meet new people and try new experiences.
In October, the Union in conjunction with the University, University College Union and Show Racism the Red Card, worked hard to promote racial equality by hosting an event to celebrate Black History Month and continued its partnership with UCU in holding a popular Trade Union Fair at Coach Lane Campus. October also saw the second annual ‘Family Fun Day’ at Coach Lane. This event has grown significantly and over 250 people took part in the activities on 20 stalls.
Get Involved A brand new Get Involved magazine was launched in 2009 to encourage students to participate in extra-curricular activities at University. This publication has been distributed to 5000 students and a further 1000 have read on-line. Download at www.mynsu.co.uk/getinvolved
RAG Raise and Give continues to be one of the highlights of the Students’ Union calendar featuring RAG Week and the RAG Black and White Ball at St James’ Park in February 2009. RAG again raised over £18,000 for charity with the big success story of 2009 being a group of students that raised approximately £10,000 by climbing Mt Kilimanjaro.
Key Achievements • • • • •
northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
2600 members registered in societies Give it a Go programme re-launched with 250 attendees Hosted National Break Dancing Championships Over 100 students actively involved in fundraising Over £18,000 raised for charity
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Representing Community Impact 2009 has again been a year of success and growth for the Students’ Union’s Student Community Action Scheme. Over 600 students have volunteered in at least one project, helping to improve the local reputation of the University and enhance their own employability. 49 organisations and over 1000 members of the community have benefited directly from NSCA projects and the range of projects is diverse, high impact and deeply felt. 37 projects have taken place in 2009 of which the following are just a sample of the fantastic community work that Northumbria students are engaged in:
The positive impact our students have made “Fast Friends is a unique way of people with learning disabilities meeting with their old friends and making new friends… Without university students the project would not exist.” Friends Action North East “We were very happy with the Christmas party that you organised
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Storytelling at Westgate Primary School with children whose first language was not English
for our children at the University... Without the input of the university we would not have been able to provide such a wonderful event for some of our most disadvantaged children. Thank you Northumbria
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Regular Tea Dances for Older People
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Art in the Park - working with youth groups to make art for an underpasss
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Fast Friends for those with learning difficulties
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Give and Let Live Organ Donation Campaign Over 100 people have signed the banner and requested to join the register
Student Community Action” Tracey Bell, Barnardos
Enhancing employability through volunteering “… volunteering has greatly increased my confidence and ability
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Beach Clean and Survey
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Shoebox Appeal
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Manga drawing sessions for young people
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Random Acts of Kindness
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Giving Halls - Installing and maintaining permanent drop off points in halls for clothes etc. to go to Red Cross
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Carol Singing at St Oswald’s Hospice
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BBC Breathing Places
to speak to new people… I have found that this was a fantastic opportunity for me to learn the skills that they don’t teach you in lectures.” Vicky Best, Quantity Surveying “In preparation for the Big Snapper and during the event … I learned new skills in having to time manage, learned more about the community I live in … more importantly about the events out in my area aimed at people with learning disabilities.” Fabian Danker, Architecture
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northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
Vinspired It has been another award-winning year for NSCA. Claire Sedgewick was crowned overall national winner in the Bridge Category for her Writing in the Community Project, in which local refugees and asylum seekers collaborated with Northumbria students to improve their English skills through creative writing. Vinspired is a national organisation which places young people into volunteering roles. More than 700 nominations were entered to the awards, with judges’ short-listing 30 finalists from among 85 regional winners. Claire, and fellow Northumbria student Kirsty McDine, both won Regional Awards for their efforts, with Claire going on to collect the national prize at the O2 Arena in London.
Community Strategy The Union launched its first ever Community Strategy in 2009, which sets out its 3-year plan for engaging more effectively with the local community and championing students as members of that community. It includes the key strands of housing, employment, community engagement and safety and security and can be downloaded at www.mynsu.co.uk/ importantdocuments.
Community Reps The Students’ Union has entered into a partnership with the local Council to recruit and provide Community Reps that will attend local ward meetings giving student feedback. North and South Jesmond, Heaton and Ouseburn will all benefit from this scheme – one that ensures that students will finally have their voice heard within the community.
UUK Best Practice The Students’ Union and University made a joint submission to the Universities UK and NUS Neighbourhood project, which holds up the Students’ Union’s community engagement and involvement as best practice within the Higher Education sector. The submission will feature in the ‘living together, working together’ report to be launched in early 2010.
Key Achievements • • • • • • • • •
northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
Won a national Vinspired award and 2 regional awards 619 individual volunteers 1162 volunteering opportunities through NSCA 4300 hours volunteers have given to Community Projects 27 volunteers achieved the Northumbria Plus Award 8 volunteers completed their log books for the V50 New Community Strategy launched Funding from 4 local Wards to recruit Community Reps Acknowledged as Best Practice by UUK and NUS
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Representing An Unforgettable Welcome With the number of students attending Northumbria on the increase again we were keen to create a huge impact during Welcome Week and showcase the Students’ Union as the social hub for student life on campus. Welcome Passes continue to prove popular with demand exceeding tickets available and in 2009 we sold out before the start of term. This is reflection of the success and development of the enhanced programme of entertainments, events and activities we offer. Our priority as a Union is to make the arrival to University as stress free as possible for both parents and students alike and our key aim is to provide them with a warm welcome both when they arrive on campus and in the weeks prior to arrival. In order to achieve this we send out a personalised Welcome Pack to each student, containing an introduction from the President and essential information about life as a student at Northumbria. As well as discount vouchers, details on our services, entertainments and activities a brief introduction to city life in Newcastle.
Welcome Fairs 2009 saw a 20% increase in revenue from our Welcome Fairs with more stallholders choosing to attend Northumbria Welcome Week over any other university in the region. This is fantastic news for students as not only do they benefit from a wider selection of stalls, they also benefit from the increase in revenue as this all goes back into putting together events and activities for them throughout the rest of the year. We also saw an increase in footfall at this year’s Sports and Societies Fair with a record number of students signing up to participate in societies, volunteering and activities to enhance their experience and also increase their chances of employment upon graduation.
The volunteer Welcome Team continue to play an essential role with the new student arrivals providing an unforgettable welcome and helping students settle in to their accommodation, get to know the University but more importantly inducting them to the community that is Northumbria. The team has expanded and with improved training to ensure that each of our 200 helpers are key ambassadors for the Union and University. Each of them tasked with meeting students at their designated halls and helping carry their bags and settle new students into their rooms, answering any questions they may have upon arrival. “As a parent of a student who moved into Knoll Court on Friday, I would just like to pass on my thanks and gratitude to all the students in the red t-shirts who were there to help and support my daughter on her arrival. They were extremely helpful in a very efficient and timely manner, and basically the whole process was a great success, mainly due to them. Emma was very nervous and they just put her mind to rest immediately.” Julia Wilson; Student Parent
Key Achievements • • • • • •
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Sold 2500 Welcome passes in record breaking time Increased and improved Welcome Team Volunteering training Sabbatical Officers delivered Welcome Induction Presentations to over 5000 students Increase of 20% in advertising sales at the Fairs 7000 students attended the Welcome Fairs Over 14,000 students attended Welcome Week events
northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
Award Winning Services & Entertainment Our Commercial Services have continued to flourish despite the recession with 2009 seeing a increase on 2008 in coffee by 36% and 1% in liquor sales. With the re launch of our new venue Domain, and the continuing success of Habita, this has seen Northumbria coming, closer to being one of the most contemporary, forward thinking Students Unions in the country. Our achievements in these areas have been recognised through a series of regional and national awards including Best Bar None and Sound Impact.
Habita After its launch in 2008 Habita has continued to grow and develop a loyal customer base with many students and staff frequenting on a daily basis. We have seen sales increase by 300% with consistently high volumes of customers through the doors. We look forward to the completion of the building development which will see the rest of the building coming in line with the sleek lines and comfort of Habita.
Entertainments We continue to rival the increasing competition from the various bars in clubs in the city centre with our diverse and innovative entertainments programme. With our events seeing customer loyalty increase throughout the year it’s not surprising that Northumbria has the reputation for one of the best entertainment venues in the region. This was confirmed when we were awarded a hat trick in the Newcastle City Best Bar None 2009 awards where we scooped ‘Gold Best Club Venue’, ‘Silver Best Bar’ and ‘Bronze Best Live Music Venue’, helped by our continued dedication to working towards promoting responsible drinking and creating a safe haven for students. This year we have seen acts such as Jamie T and Sonique perform live, as well as top Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills who headlined this year’s Festive Fling.
Coach Lane Further development to the Coach Lane campus commercial services was undertaken in the summer 2009 to enhance the retail and catering provision. The net result of this has increased sales within the Shop and provided more comfortable seating in the café. In market research 56% of Coach Lane students identified that they visit the commercial outlets either daily or 3-4 times a week, once again providing evidence that we really do offer a quality service that builds loyalty.
Ethical & Environmental Awards The NUS Services Sound Environmental Impact Awards is an environmental accreditation scheme with an awards element designed specifically for Students’ Unions. The scheme seeks to encourage, nurture, reward and celebrate good practice. For the fourth consecutive year Northumbria was awarded a Silver Accreditation providing evidence of our commitment to improving our impact upon the environment. In addition we have secured funding for the hard hitting Greener Halls Campaign to raise awareness amongst students of their impact upon the environment.
Coffee Coffee has been a consistent source of revenue for the Students’ Union with Starbucks and Costa generating over £100K in sales. Students can benefit from all of the products offered in the high street coffee shops at concessionary rates which is a unique selling point for the Students’ Union.
Key Achievements • • • • • • •
northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
Winners of 3 Newcastle City Council Best Bar None Awards Accredited with NUSSL Best Bar None Award Won a silver Sound Impact Award Redeveloped Coach Lane shop and Café Sales increased by 300% in Habita Nationally acclaimed and recognised for the Habita redevelopment Secured £10K grant for the Greener Halls Campaign
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Representing Financial Stability & Our People Financial Stability
An Investor in People
The Students’ Union continues to face financial challenges. Competition for the student pound in Newcastle is at an all time a high. The consolidated statement of financial activities for the Students’ Union for the year ended 31st July 2009 showed an overall surplus of £29,763.
After progressing towards Investors in People recognition, the Students’ Union was assessed and recognised in March 2009. This major achievement highlights the improvements that have been made to the organisation’s people management practices and prove that the Union is an excellent employer with a positive approach to business planning, with a commitment to training and development.
The Students’ Union continues to rebuild its financial solvency with net current assets of £18,201 and down from its peak of negative assets of £493,007 in 2003. The University’s continuing confidence in the Students’ Union’s ability to manage its affairs in a prudent manner was rewarded with an increase in Block Grant funding of 6%.
“On behalf of Northumbria University, let me offer congratulations on this significant achievement. By achieving this rigorous nationally recognized standard, it is my view that the Students’ Union values its staff and is committed to developing their skills and recognizing their achievements.” Professor Andrew Wathey FRHistS FRSA FSA Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Northumbria University
Income
Bars
£981,058
University Block Grant
£701,000
Entertainment & Concerts
£244,979
Marketing & Membership Services
£222,603
Coach Lane
£177,779
Sundry
£68,296
Retail
£24,941
The 2009 staff survey revealed that staff are overwhelmingly positive about working for the Students’ Union. 77% of staff responded to the survey and gave an overall satisfaction rating of 3.3 out of 4. This is a significant improvement in overall satisfaction of staff.
Management Development The Students’ Union successfully completed its ‘MAP’ Management Development Programme in November 2009. The end product of the programme will be a more motivated and effective management team.
Expenditure Salaries & Wages
Staff Satisfaction
£1,116,622
Costs of Sales
£543,565
Building Costs
£175,508
PRS, PPL, Insurance, £117,599 Legal, Audit, Bank & Payroll Charges & other professional fess Depreciation
£106,435
Security
£56,865
Marketing
£81,241
Training, Development & Conferences
£51,466
Administration
£42,624
NUS Affiliation
£35,349
Sundry
£24,583
Subsistence
£15,032
Campaigns
£15,384
Subscriptions
£8,620
Customer Care NVQs The Students’ Union launched a new scheme in August 2009 whereby every member of staff will benefit from a one day workshop in Customer Care and will progress towards an NVQ level 2 qualification. This reaffirms the Union’s high level of determination to provide outstanding service for its customers.
Key Achievements • • • • • •
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Achieved Investors In People Status Block Grant funding increased by 6% Higher Levels of Staff Satisfaction Successful Internal Audit Review Committed 1200 staff hours to completing the Management Development Programme Launched Customer Care NVQ for all staff
northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
A Bright Future 2010 will be an incredible year of change for the Students’ Union. The £5.5million refurbishment of the city site building will be completed providing state of the art facilities for the benefit of students and the wider university community. Partnership working will be the driving force for change as the Union develops it institutional collaboration through a myriad of new initiatives including the academic use of our new professional quality theatre by the School of Arts and Social Science and the use of our multi-purpose venue Domain by Team Northumbria as part of a co-joined £30million new Sports Facility that will open in the summer 2010. The physical transformation of the Students’ Union, through a total investment of over £7 million by the University in the last three years, will deliver a building that is truly outstanding providing greater flexibility for our incredibly diverse student population. The Corporate Plan 2009-2012 has clear priorities for improving member communication and connections, increasing involvement and widening participation and having an increasingly positive impact on the University and wider community. The Union’s priorities will contribute to the achievement of the University’s new Corporate Goals and help transform the lives of all our students. 2010 will see the launch of a new Students’ Union brand, a brand that will be vibrant, relevant and inspiring to all our members and will encapsulate our values. The combination of massive physical and branding change provides a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to relaunch the Students’ Union and connect with all our members.
northumbria students’ union annual report 2009
The Higher Education sector, as with all public services, will come under increasing pressure in the time ahead. More than ever managing resources effectively and achieving value for money across the University is paramount. The Students’ Union is implementing a commercial “diversification strategy” as it seeks to maximise the income generating potential of the new facilities through external hire and partnerships. At the heart of this will be our commitment to delivering a quality experience. The increasing use of our facilities by University departments, partners , external companies and organizations will also generate reputational capital for both the Students’ Union and the University. Like all high performing charities the Students’ Union’s systems of governance must be sound. The Board of Trustees will be as rigorous as ever in ensuring that we remain relevant to our members, have clear goals and targets and that our management processes and controls are effective. Working towards the achievement of the national quality mark for Students’ Union’s, the Students’ Union Evaluation Initiative, will help drive further change and improvement. The Students’ Union wholeheartedly supports the achievement of the University’s vision and goals. We are fully committed to working closely with Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Wathey and his team. Through our award winning student representation we will ensure that the student voice is heard, as with the ongoing Anonymous Marking Campaign which is our key priority for institutional change in 2010.
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“Strongly established is the fact that our students, assisted by the Students’ Union, give us so many reasons to be proud. The contribution they make to the city, through their programmes of union-led voluntary work and endeavour, are greatly appreciated by our community. Their academic, sporting and cultural achievements are outstanding.” Professor Andrew Wathey Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive
Trustees 2009 Melis Besen Alison Jones
Ashleigh Blackwood Rachael Brannan Lisa Burton Debbie Hunt Karen Ingram David Inman Tim Mallender Osemeke Mosindi Aidan Philipson William Ralston Katie Scott Simon Sundberg Lewis Still Becky Warburton Adam White Pete Woodward Dave Wright
2 Sandyford Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8SB Tel: 0191 227 3760 E-mail: su.enquiries@northumbria.ac.uk Web: www.mynsu.co.uk