impact report 2016-17
INTRODUCTION This report outlines the steps Leicester Students’ Union (ULSU) has taken to improve the experience of its members so far in the 2016-17 academic year. It will also detail how the organisation will strive for improvement moving forward, offering insight into ULSU’s aims and objectives for 2017-18. 2016-17 has proved to be a period of significant change for the Students’ Union, with our Catering and Retail services merging with the University’s, to form a new commercial company equally owned by both organisations. This new and exciting venture highlights the strength of our relationship with the University, which extends to academic and administrative departments across the institution. These relationships are fundamental in enabling us to go above and beyond our members’ expectations and maintaining our excellent relations with the University will be a priority once again for 2017-18. Enhancing the experience of University of Leicester students has been at the heart of our activity in 2016-17 and this report will provide details of our achievements across a number of our departments, including Voice, Activities, Training and Academic Representation. ULSU has the provisions in place for an exciting period of growth and development. Recruitment for a new Chief Executive Officer is underway and an entirely new Executive Officer team will take up office in the summer of 2017. We are a Students’ Union in a position to achieve something truly special that will help us to continue positively impacting the lives of students. Rachel Holland Students’ Union President 2015 - 2017
ACADEMIC R E P R E S E N TAT I O N
262 Students have been trained
ONLINE AND FACE-TO FACE
After employing a full-time member of staff to oversee Academic Representatives for the first time in 2015-16, the course rep structure has gone from strength to strength. We now run Course Rep elections through our content management system and bringing elections forward has improved representation. • 97 changes that directly benefit students were made in the first term of 2016-17 • Attendance at formal engagement activities with senior University staff has increased by 30%
STUDENT VOICE
ULSU’s Student Voice department has experienced an outstanding year so far. Our full-time Executive elections experienced a record number of candidate nominations, with voter turnout in Union Council elections enjoying a significant increase. Our sabbatical team have delivered a number of initiatives that have positively impacted the student body, including Wellbeing Week, a BAME Mentoring Scheme, Pride Week and a Safe Taxi scheme for students.
STUDENtS’ UNION ELECTIONS ULSU campaigns and i n i t i at i v e s i n 2 0 1 6 - 1 7
• 88% increase in the number of candidates appearing on the ballot paper in the Executive Elections • 7.4% increase in turnout for Union Council Elections
• Meat Free Mondays • Introduction of a Drinkaware Crew • Wellbeing Week • Authorised Absences for Sporting Commitments • Equality and Diversity Champions • BAME Mentoring Scheme • Safe Taxi Scheme • C-Card Scheme • Volunteer & Well-Fair • Pride Week Events • Freezing of Bus Prices • Volunteering Week
98% D.
INCREASE IN
L E.
EA
STA
ND . G VOTE . CHAN
OVERALL NUMBER OF
CANDIDATES
Case StudY Hannah Winslade Union Council Scrutiny Committee LLB Law Can you tell us a bit about the journey with your voluntary role at the Students’ Union, where did you start and what encouraged you to get involved? I didn’t get involved with the Students’ Union until my third year, but I wish I had done earlier. Having also started a part-time job in the SU, it felt right to also get more involved in the community of the SU. As a result, I started as a Society Secretary and a member of Scrutiny Committee on Union Council. What was it that made you go for the position and how did you feel once you had secured it? I was interested to go for Scrutiny Committee because I’ve always been curious about student politics and how our full time officers work, plus, it was an opportunity to understand the Union better. It was quite scary standing for election and proving I had the right skills to take on that role on behalf of the students, but it was a great feeling when I had won as I could feel as though I was representing my peers. What’s your favourite thing about your voluntary role at the Students’ Union? The diversity of what we get to read and discuss. We receive reports from the Full Time Officers, Part time Officers, Union Council members, as well as receiving all of the proposals before they go to Union Council.
“You get to work alongside some brilliant people, c e l e b r at e s u c c e s s a n d help to make it a Union everyone can be proud of”.
We get a really detailed understanding of who is doing what, as well as what students care about most. What has the position given you so far – are there any particular skills you have developed? Since being Vice-Chair of Scrutiny Committee, it’s allowed me to work in a collaborative manner to lead and facilitate the discussions of the group. It’s also helped to develop my analytical approach and verbal communication as I’m required to articulate the committee’s thoughts. Ultimately, how has your voluntary role impacted your University experience? Being a part of Scrutiny Committee has been fantastic, as I have really felt it’s brought me into the community of the University and Union. You get to work alongside some brilliant people, celebrate success and help to make it a Union everyone can be proud of. I’ll be sad to leave Scrutiny Committee and Union Council, because it’s helped to shape part of my University experience. What advice would you give to people interested in getting involved with a society or a voluntary role at Students’ Union – what can they get out of it? Go for it! Look carefully at the different opportunities available and think about what skills you can offer and what skills you can develop. My final year at the University wouldn’t have been the same without it, you will make friends for life, and it’s likely to help your employability prospects too.
Union Activities After a successful 2015-16 for the Union Activities department, this year was all about enhancing the support we offer our Student Groups. Our student groups are now in a position to make better informed decisions on behalf of their peers, rather than relying on a staff member’s judgement. • Successfully launched the new Student Group Accreditation Scheme (SAS) • 229 active student groups, a 10% increase on 2015-16’s figure • Student Groups are continuing to make excellent use of Grant Funding, with 64% used by the end of February 2017
996 SUCCESSFUL EVENTS
DELIVERED BY STUDENT GROUPS
Community & Outreach We’ve made progressive steps with our community and outreach work this academic year, with the core objectives of encouraging students to engage in volunteering opportunities and build links with the wider community. • Delivered over 47 activities during Volunteering Week • Doubled the number of our outreach activities
INCREASED STUDENT ENGAGEMENT BY
32%
• Increased the number of schools engaged by 12% •Held a second Volunteering and Wellbeing Fair
Case StudY Francesca Rounding Reception Team LeadER BSc Geography Can you tell us a bit about your journey working for the Union, where did you start and what encouraged you to get involved? In my first year, I was looking for part time work and wanted to work somewhere that would appreciate and understand that fact that I was a student. This is where the Union came in. They understand the needs of students and offer flexible employment opportunities that fit around university studies. I also wanted to learn more about the Union and learn more about what they offer students. Being a member of student staff at the Union has given me the chance to better understand the Union and utilise what it offers students. What was it that made you go for the role and how did you feel once you had secured it? Having worked at The Point and as a Reception Team Member, when the vacancy for Reception Team Leader it seemed like a natural progression. Once I had secured the role I felt ecstatic and was extremely excited to have progressed into a role that came with more responsibility. What’s your favourite thing about working for the Union?
“ I h o n e s t ly d o n ’ t t h i n k m y t i m e at Leicester would have been the same if I hadn’t been involved WITH the Union”.
My favourite thing about the role are my colleagues within the Union. On all levels, within the Union, staff are friendly and helpful. This makes it such a great place to work and you instantly feel at ease. What has your position given you so far – are there any particular skills or experience you have gained?
With this position being customer facing, the role has given me the confidence to deal with a wide range of issues and to be able to make decisions on behalf of the Reception team. By managing a team within this role, it has allowed me to develop my organisational skills on a professional level. Ultimately, how has working with the Union impacted your University experience? I was fortunate enough to start working for the Union in my first year, which gave me a massive insight in to everything that the Union offers students. Therefore, working for the Union has massively enhanced my University experience, as I know what’s on offer and best of all I can spread the message to other students. I honestly don’t think my time at Leicester would have been the same if I hadn’t been involved with the Union. What advice would you give to people interested in becoming student staff or getting involved with the Union – what can they get out of it? Honestly, I think the best advice I could give people is to just go for it. By getting involved from the off you can discover what the Union can offer you. Whether you get involved in a society, join a sports team or utilise services like the ED Unit or Choices Clinic, once you get involved you’ll want to explore and learn even more about the Union.
L e i c s ta l k At the beginning of this year we formed LeicsTalk – bringing together information on University, Union, Student-Led and Community student support. The three core aims were to: • Create a clear signposting hub for students and staff to access all of the support information in one place • Encourage more students to speak up and get support, especially • Provide a dedicated signposting service ran by the Education
AccessAbilit y (Suppor t for disa Chaplaincy bled/dys lexic stud (Spiritual ents) Support) Counselling & Wellbei ng (Mental Residential Health Serv Advisers ices) (In Uni vers Speak to ity Accomm your Hall odation) s receptio n Student Lea rning Dev elopmen Student Wel t (Study Help fare Serv ) ice (Financial advice & Internationa www.leic l student esterunio support) n.com/lei cstalk/un Choices Clin iversity ic (Sexual Health Dro p-In Clinic) Headspace - Open Min d (Self-re Visit the ferral men Education tal health Unit (Me service) ntal Health Peer Men toring Sch Drop-In Clin eme (Stu ic) dent Men tor Suppor t) ww
LETRE’SHERTE ATOLHKELP
WE’
t suppor
here at
versity
the Uni
ester. of Leic
here es are r servic
eing, ou l wellb
genera
versit
at Uni
y, talk
today!
w.leicesteru
nion.com/l
STUDENT
LED
for you.
SOCIETIES
eicstalk/un
UNIVERSITY
SERVICES
ion-and-s
tudent-led
Autistic Spe LGBTQA* ctrum Soc (Sexual Orie iety Mental Hea ntation Sup lth Awarene port Society ss and Sup ) port (MH Nightline AS) Society (Student listening 0116 223 support line 1230 / face book.com/N ) ightlineLeic ester/ Sexpression Pro Bono Society (Vol (Free lega l advice) unteering Sexual Hea Student Min lth Educato ds Society rs) C-Card (Fre (Eating Diso e condom rder Sup www.leices port) scheme and terunion.co sexual hea lth advice) m/leicstalk /un
e.ac.uk leicstalk@l pport/leicstalk ion-and-s #Leicstalk Email us: COMMUNITY tudent-led can also n.com/su direct you for examp to le cesterunio lei : Facebook us & local com Doctors, Police, Em community suppor it Vis t too, erg munity org cstalk on anisations ency Services www.leic Contact ser C Search lei eicstalk esterunio vices dire n.c om /lei M@l ctly cst or email:
leicstalk@
le.ac.uk
alk/comm
unity
E d u c at i o n U n i t The academic advice and support our Education Unit provides is focused on increasing its output this academic year through outreach activities.
OVER 508 cases opened by the end of
February 2017
a 7% increase AT THIS STAGE IN 2016
71 OUTREACH
ACTIVITIES DELIVERED AROUND CAMPUS INCLUDING
BROOKFIELD & OADBY
Case StudY C at e A s h l e y W o m e n ’s R u g by C l u b C a p ta i n Economics Can you tell us a bit about your journey with your sports team, where did you start and what encouraged you to get involved? I first joined Women's Rugby in my first year and fell in love with the sport. I had never played rugby before but had always wanted to give it ago. When I joined everyone was so welcoming and friendly and the club had a really nice atmosphere. In my second year of university I became one of the Social Secretaries for the club and now in my 3rd year, I am the Club Captain. Although fulfilling all of my duties has been challenging, I have loved absolutely every single second of it. What was it that made you go for the position and how did you feel once you had secured it? I went for the position because I wanted to have a positive impact on the club and its members and to provide an even better experience for all involved. I have a real love for the club and everyone involved with it and I wanted to ensure as many people as possible felt the same way. What’s your favourite thing about your voluntary role?
“ I c a n h o n e s t ly s a y my involvement with my sports club has been one of the best experiences of my t i m e at U n i v e r s i t y ” .
I have enjoyed getting to know people from all sports clubs on campus the most. I have been able to meet some wonderful people in this role and work alongside them to make sport great at the University. What has the position given you so far – are there any particular skills you have developed?
Organisation! I thought I was organised before, but I really wasn't. You have to juggle a lot of different things and the position has also allowed me to develop great leadership skills. Ultimately, how has your voluntary role impacted your University experience? My sports club has massively impacted my university experience. In my second year I was experiencing some personal problems and was considering dropping out of University. The main thing that stopped me was rugby. Rugby has kept me sane whenever I wanted to tear my hair out. I love the club so much and it has given me a real sense of achievement to ensure the club is still like a tight knit family. What advice would you give to people interested in getting involved in a voluntary role – what can they get out of it? I can honestly say my involvement with my sports club has been one of the best experiences of my time at University. To anyone who is interested in this kind of role I would highly recommend going through with it. If you love your society or club take the plunge and go for it! You will gain so many skills and friends and experiences. Plus, it looks great to employers.
Training & Development around student empowerment. This year, the Training and Development team have reached over 1,140 student leaders (such as course reps and union council members) with role specific training.
Skills ’have also been widely accessible to help students
mend the training to other students Student Trainer scheme - giving students the opportunity to
A SAMPLE OF SESSIONS DELIVERED SHOW 98%
HAVE RATED THE SESSIONS EITHER 4 (36%) or 5 (62%)
out of 5
-
Case StudY J o r d ay n e S i m m o n d s Student Trainer 2016/17 BSc Psychology Can you tell us a bit about your journey with the Union, where did you start and what encouraged you to get involved? I knew that I wanted to do something similar to this role after I graduated so that was partially what encouraged me to get involved. I started delivering a micro-teach as part of my training and then went on to deliver safeguarding sessions as part of the training offered to all students. Due to my experience delivering these sessions, I was asked whether I wanted to help facilitate a workshop on consent during consent week at the University. It ended up being really fun and shows how the Union helps staff to develop and flourish in areas that they are good at. What was it that made you go for the role and how did you feel once you had secured it? The role gave me the opportunity to develop my own sessions as well as facilitate workshops and sessions put on by the Union. The opportunity to help fellow students develop and learn was also appealing.
“I’ve learned a lot about the different t h i n g s t h at t h e U n i o n has to offer and how much they do to help students”.
I was incredibly happy that I secured the position as the role is very similar to the career that I want to pursue after University. What’s your favourite thing about working for the Union? I love being surrounded by fellow students and others in a very similar position to myself, which is something you don’t get working for other places. Everyone is so friendly and easy to get on with that sometimes it doesn’t even feel like a job. What has your position given you so far – are there any particular skills or experience you have gained? I’ve gained a lot of confidence in my presentation skills and I am much more comfortable talking to larger groups of people. I’ve learned a lot about the different things that the Union has to offer and how much they do to help their students. What advice would you give to people interested in becoming student staff – what can they get out of it? Unlike jobs outside of the University, the Union understands the commitments that we have with our degree, including time needed to revise. As a result, I would say don’t feel nervous about asking to arrange your shifts around your degree. Also, you get discount at Starbucks so that’s always good!
Peer Mentoring After launching in September 2016, the Peer Mentoring initiative has offered first-year students tremendous support settling into life at the University of Leicester, as well as empowering current students to develop skills as a mentor. • 100% of trained mentors for the 2017/18 scheme said they would recommend the training they have received to other students • 354 students gained HEAR accreditation through the 2016/2017 Peer Mentoring scheme • 100 ERASMUS students received a mentor in January as part of the scheme • 69% of mentees agreed or strongly agreed that having a mentor was reassuring • 77% of mentees would recommend the scheme to a friend • 89% of mentors agreed or strongly agreed that they will mention mentoring when trying to secure a job • 82% of mentors agreed or strongly agreed that they gained transferable skills
over 420
students have registered
their interest in
becoming a mentor
this year
Case StudY Amy Robinson L G B T Q A + A s s o c i at i o n C o - C h a i r History and Politics Can you tell us a bit about your journey with your society, where did you start and what encouraged you to get involved? I became a member of the LGBTQA+ Association during Freshers Week in my first year. During my second year, I decided to run in the November elections and became publicity officer for the Association. I decided to go for the position as I wanted to make sure that LGBT+ students at the University of Leicester knew they have a society and committee looking out for them and a place where they will always be welcome. What was it that made you go for the position and how did you feel once you had secured it? I felt a great sense of achievement after being elected to the position and I wanted to prove myself right away that I could improve the Association with the help of the rest of the committee. What’s your favourite thing about your role in your Society? I think my favourite thing about the role is how many different people you meet and all the experience you gain, that you may have never even thought about beforehand.
“Deciding to run for my v o l u n ta ry p o s i t i o n a s Co-Chair was one of the best decisions I made and it has been a key part of my university experience”
For example, this year I have closely with the committee, Union Sabbatical Officers, charity workers, venue owners and even the police, all of which has provided unique and important learning curves and experiences. What has the position given you so far – are there any particular skills you have developed? The position has improved my confidence skills tenfold and I feel far more comfortable talking to people and students than I did prior to the role. As well as chairing the committee at meetings, I’m a leading coordinator in the Association’s annual event Love Music, Hate Homophobia and the skills that I have gained from that have definitely helped develop who I am and how I handle different situations. Ultimately, how has your involvement with your society impacted your University experience? Deciding to run for my voluntary position as Co-Chair was one of the best decisions I made and it has been a key part of my university experience. It has been really useful for me to go to as a project to enjoy away from other commitments. Yes, you face challenges along the way, but there wouldn’t be a need for the role if there weren’t obstacles. Ultimately, the challenges highlight that you are making an impact and that what you’re doing is valued and important. What advice would you give to people interested in getting involved with a society – what can they get out of it? If you’re contemplating running for a society position or voluntary role at the Union, don’t think twice just go for it. The experiences you get from societies are just as important your degree, especially when it comes to developing transferrable skills and ultimately enjoying your time at university.
Finance This academic year has been a continuation of developing our resources, in particularly how we can continue to empower our
S T U D E N T S TA F F HAVE BEEN PAID
ÂŁ293,511 for 40,765 hours of work
an increase of 53%
We’ve worked to improve accessibility for students, with groups and societies now able to make transactions from Union Reception. hour in 2016, we now employ in the region of 200
Marketing & C o m m u n i c at i o n s After successfully implementing a data sharing agreement
Alongside our improved e-communication
areas of our communication output.
continuing to grow:
This includes rolling out a bi-weekly student newsletter through our content management system. Analytics show the e-communication is currently performing above industry benchmarks for open and click-through rates:
C 20,395 facebook likes M8,805 twitter followers
try average for Education*
-
2.63% average for Education* *benchmarks set by Mailchimp
The data sharing agreement has also enabled us to facilitate management system. As well as an improved, user-friendly experience, we also experienced an increase in voter turnout in both Executive and Union Council Elections.
Over 126,000 unique visitors h av e a c c u m u l at e d o v e r 1,100,000 page views on our WEBSITE w w w. l e i c e s t e r u n i o n .c o m
Case StudY C at r i o n a H a i n e s S a l e s & E v e n t s C o - O r d i n at o r LLB LAW Can you tell us a bit about your journey working for the Union, where did you start and what encouraged you to get involved? I started working on the reception desk in my first year as a way to earn some extra money, after a couple of months I was promoted to Team Leader and helped with the hiring and training of new staff. At the beginning of my final year, an opportunity opened up in the Marketing department to help with Freshers and delivering events. I jumped at the chance as I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to see how the SU worked and ultimately to gain some valuable experience. What was it that made you go for the role and how did you feel once you had secured it? I was excited to join such a hardworking and talented team. It has been a wonderful opportunity to gain experience working in an office environment and to see all the hard work and preparation that’s required to deliver events for the benefit of students. What’s your favourite thing about working for the Union?
“I’ve gained valuable experience which will help me to be more competitive when finding a g r a d u at e j o b” .
It’s a very creative post in which I’m given a large amount of freedom. It’s also very flexible, which means I can tailor my hours to suit my University work load. It’s been wonderful to meet so many people and I’ve also been able to work on lots of exciting events from puppy rooms, to henna workshops. What has your position given you so far – are there any particular skills or experience you have gained? My organisational skills have definitely improved, some weeks I’ll have three or more events on, which means that my time management skills have had the opportunity to strengthen. I’ve also been able to develop my communication skills, as I come into contact with a range of departments and external stakeholders. Ultimately, how has working for the Union impacted your University experience? I’ve really enjoyed meeting full-time staff as well as students, and it’s been amazing to be involved in some of the events delivered on campus. Alongside this, I’ve gained valuable experience which will help me to be more competitive when finding a graduate job. What advice would you give to people interested in becoming student staff or getting involved with the Union – what can they get out of it? Just go for it, you’ll meet lots of different people and gain lots of experience. What’s more, there’s staff discount in outlets such as Starbucks (which during exam season is a god send).
MOVING FORWARD ULSU is about to enter an exciting period and has a clear vision of what the Union should be for our members in the future. focus on. Including: • To be experts in what our members think • Sector leading, innovative, effective academic representation • Improve graduate employment prospects • Mentally & Physically healthy students • An engaging offer for Postgraduate students
• Exceptional student activities and student experience In recent years, Leicester Students’ Union has laid down the foundations for a positive future, but we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have in the past twelve months without the people that support us in everything that we do. We’d like to thank our colleagues at the University of Leicester for their continued support in making the Students’ Union a better place for its members.