LiverpoolSU Welcome Back Beat Magazine 2014 by Nathan Selby

January 2014

Welcome Back Edition Inside: • Amazing Teaching Awards • SO elections • Rate your landlord • Have Your Say • Trips and Activities • Calendar of events

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stay

in touch this year Find out more about Liverpool Student’s Union and how you can get involved!

0151 231 4900

Email studentsunion@ljmu.ac.uk Find us

Liverpool Students’ Union The Haigh Building Maryland Street L1 9DE

Brand new year – Brand new SU! 2014 is here and what a better way to start than by welcoming back all of our amazing LJMU students. We hope you had a fantastic festive season. This semester we are excited to announce new initiatives and changes happening at LiverpoolSU. Working with students, for students, your union is about to get even better – and there’s plenty of opportunities for you to get involved. January sees the start of Student Officer Election season, one of the most fast paced and exhilarating times of the year. If you fancy making valuable changes to

student life and taking the lead in our organisation, then we want to hear from you. Turn to page 6 to find out more. We are also proud to launch the Rate your Landlord survey; listening to your experiences of student accommodation and celebrating the work of letting agents, landlords and halls of residence. There’s also the chance to celebrate someone who has helped you improve academically this year. We all struggle

with work from time to time but luckily all of the lovely LJMU staff are here to lend a helping hand. To find out how to vote, please turn to page 5. We hope that the rest of the year brings happiness, success and fun memories for you. If you are graduating this year, we wish you the best of luck in the future and hope that you keep in touch. Student Officer Team 2013/2014

This could be you next year

Curtis Reid President

Sam Dayvs Vice President Activities

Dan Cole Vice President Community Engagement

nominat io NOW ope ns n

To vo Liverpoote simply visit: lsu.com/a wards Every year dedicated teaching and support staff help to make your academic experience rewarding and helpful; supporting every single step of your studies. So why not participate in our survey and say thank you to that amazing teacher? High quality academic teaching is extremely important to us at LiverpoolSU. You don’t just have to vote for a lecturer; you can vote for technicians, librarians, support staff and course reps that have gone that extra mile to improve your studies.

Nominations take place across the following six categories: • • • • • •

Amazing Teacher Amazing Academic supervisor Amazing Personal Tutor Amazing Course Team Amazing Support Team Amazing Course Rep

Once you have voted in your chosen categories, a team of students and staff will decide on the winner. Remember, it’s not the number of votes they have – it’s the quality of the votes that count. So take the time to think about how your amazing teacher has helped you, and celebrate their success in this fabulous survey.

“ An amazing teacher is someone who uses innovative teaching methods to create a generation of inspired and aspirational students”

Stand. Campaign. Vote. It’s that time of year again when LiverpoolSU comes alive - If you fancy leading a team, initiating change and making those all important decisions to improve the lives of thousands of students, then it’s time to start campaigning. We need you! The sabbatical team is made up of four positions, each relating to a specific area of student life. These are:

President Lead Lead LiverpoolSU and work with the University to make executive decisions about environmental, academic and social issues.

Vice President Academic Quality Ensure the academic wellbeing of LJMU students, and constantly work to improve the standard of teaching and examinations across the University.

Vice President Activities Organise Fresher’s fair and provide excellent facilities/equipment for our student groups, in addition to approving new clubs/societies and organising events such as the GIAG trips.

Vice President Community Engagement Listen to issues relating to student work/accommodation, and work to provide options that benefit their social wellbeing.

As a sabbatical officer you will work full-time, sitting on the overall Governing Board called the ‘Trustee Board’ and representing over 25,000 LJMU students. Previous teams have instigated initiatives such as anonymous coursework marking, £50 print credit for students and Wednesday afternoons off for student activities. With your help, we can make Liverpool SU even better and keep making changes such as these to provide an excellent quality of student life.

So what do I have to do?

How do I nominate myself?

To become a sabbatical officer you need to win an election. Firstly, check which role would suit you best by speaking to the current team (Curtis Reid, Dan Cole & Sam Davys). Hear about their experiences in the role and whether it will be right for you.

To nominate yourself or another person in the Student Officer Elections, visit www.so-elections.com. Nominations open 27th January 2014 and close 28th February 2014.

If there is a role you fancy campaigning for, then form a team with other students interested in taking on the other positions. Once you have your team, then register to So-Elections.com, write a short statement about what you want to achieve as an officer and then get campaigning!

If you want to vote for a particular officer or team, rather than standing for election yourself, then voting opens at 9am on Monday 17th March 2014. During this time teams will campaign for your votes and remember - your participation is just as important as those standing for election.

When can I vote?

There are specific rules you need to adhere to when campaigning for a sabbatical role, which will be provided to you upon applying. You will also receive training and briefing for the roles throughout February.

Vote!

Voting closes at 5pm on Friday 21st March 2014. So if you want to stand, want to vote and want to make a change for future generations of students then look no further than the Student Officer Elections 2014.

Curtis Reid: Q&A He’s the LiverpoolSU President who is working to make your student experience the best it has ever been. We caught up with Curtis to find out his plans for this year, what being SU President involves and how being VP Community Engagement changed his life… Q: What are your day to day responsibilities as President of Liverpool SU? A: It changes every single day. Sometimes you have meetings with the university to represent the students; other times it’s speaking with students and student groups. You go out and talk to students, so it’s really varied. Sometimes you’re speaking at different national conferences, working with the NUS to shape policy. I like to work with students as we [Liverpool SU] are for students.

Q: You were Vice President of Community Engagement last year. How did that prepare you for the role of Liverpool SU President? A: It was very useful. Life as president is very challenging 8

and quite a lot different to being a VP [Vice President]. In the sabbatical team we all have equal responsibilities, but being President you are the first port of call for everything, so the President usually has to delegate work a lot of the time. I’m in touch a lot now with the university and for me it was the right progression. I understood what was going on in the community and I really enjoyed it. I wanted to focus on the union and university affairs as a whole, so it was useful in helping prepare me for the job.

Q: What are your aspirations for this year as President of Liverpool SU? A: My objectives are tied to employability. I want to increase finance for students through student jobs and bursaries, and by

working with the university to try to get more jobs for students. I also want students to get to know about the union. A lot of students come to university and don’t know what the word union means. With many students now paying £9000 it’s even more important that we make sure students know about the activities, trips and support we offer.

Q: The SO elections will be coming up very soon – do you have any advice for students hoping to apply? A: If it’s something that you’re thinking about doing then definitely do it. It’s changed my life considerably. If you’re thinking about standing for election, definitely come and find myself or one of the sabbatical team and ask us about it. It’s a great thing to add to your C.V and it’s a life changing experience. It’s absolutely brilliant – I’ve loved it.

Rate Your Landlord returns this January!

The Rate Your Landlord campaign presents a great opportunity for LJMU students to provide valuable feedback about student accommodation, allowing future students to make informed decisions about where to live. There are more and more student properties

popping up across Liverpool and it’s important that LJMU students get good value accommodation. Good quality student accommodation is a fundamental part of University life and LiverpoolSU works in partnership with Hope Students’ Union to deliver this project and collect student feedback on accommodation.

The Rate Your Landlord Survey arrives on January 13th and students have the chance to win 1 of 3 £100 prizes for completion. Results of the survey will be posted on the LiverpoolSU website in the summer. For more information and to complete the survey, visit: www.liverpoolsu. com/rateyourlandlord

A special awards ceremony will be held in May 2014, so what are you waiting for? Get online and start voting now! Nominations are now open and will close on March 31st 2014. To find out more and to vote please visit: www.liverpoolsu.com/rateyourlandlord 10

Last year’s winners include: Elgin Management Best Letting Agents

“It can be said that the accommodation this year has been the best looked after that we have ever seen. The students realise that they need to look after it and we that look after it, so it’s mutually beneficial. Repairs are done asap so everyone is happy, and the award is confirmation that what we say is being listened to, and that our hard work is not un-noticed”.

Kexgill Best Landlords Richard Stott BSc MRICS Managing Director (Kexgill) “The award ‘Best Student Landlord’ was fantastic news for Kenny and the Kexgill team in Liverpool. The awards are a breath of fresh air and prove that some landlords do strive to make living in Liverpool as a student better. In my view, having

Chefs on Campus Beans on toast and packet noodles… the student diet, right? Well LiverpoolSU offers you the chance to attend free cookery demonstrations courtesy of professional chefs from Liverpool Restaurants.

helpful since the demonstration. All three dishes tasted excellent and we have done more cooking as a flat, rather than individually since!”

awards drives standards and giving an element of competition to the event only more so. These awards count because it is the students who vote and not always the largest Landlords who win.”

Victoria Hall Best Halls

“It shows that we’re recognised by students as providing an enjoyable accommodation experience, which is extremely positive!” For more info please co ntact: J.McDonald @ljmu.ac.uk

Look out for more demonstrations in the new semester which could be coming to a kitchen in your halls!

Sam, a student at the event, had this to say about a demo in 2013: “It was a really great evening! I picked up some great tips that I have found really

Trips: Go on… Semester 2 can be a busy and stressful time for students; full of exams and dreaded deadlines. So what better than taking time out from revising and working than by taking an adventure to a place you have never visited or have always dreamt of seeing?

Previous Give it a Go to Caernarfon

London – January 31st 2014 There’s nothing more exciting than a trip to our beloved capital; home to fabulous shopping, amazing tourist attractions and memories waiting to happen. You can choose what activities you want to do, including a River Thames Cruise, touring the Houses of Parliament or seeing the waxworks in Madame Taussauds. Shop till you drop at stores such as Harrods and relax in the panoramic view of the London Eye.

What’s more, the price includes 2 nights stay at a Central London Hostel, return travel to London AND an oyster card so you can travel around the city to your heart’s content!

To book this trip or have a look at others, visit : www.liverpoolsu.com/trips

Be a team player Coming to university isn’t all about studying – it’s also about making the most of amazing opportunities, meeting new people and following your passions. At Liverpool SU we think there’s no better way to do all of these things than by joining a club or society…so let’s get started! Why should I join a club or society?

guide to starting a new group. You can find this at www.liverpoolsu. com/clubsandsocs. So what are you waiting for? Participate, socialise and most importantly, have fun!

Joining a club or society comes with a whole range of benefits: • • • • •

Confidence Meeting new people Learning new skills Mental and physical well-being C.V building

What if there isn’t a club or society that I want to join? If you can’t find a club or society at Liverpool SU that you want to join then don’t worry – why not set up your own? We can help you complete any paperwork and help to get your club or society off to a flying start. To find out more why not watch our video

Have your say After the success of our Have Your Say Conference in November, we’re delighted to announce our second forum this February. Last year we discussed the feedback from over 1000 students who voiced their opinions through our ‘Have your say’ system. We learnt what was affecting you the most, in particular in relation to student jobs, and now we’re working together with the University to implement these changes.

With our second conference of the year approaching, we still need your help to make those valuable decisions that affect your student life and the lives of future undergraduates. Your opinions mean the world to us, and we could not do the work that we do without you.

To suggest improvements or to find out more, visit liverpoolsu.com/haveyoursay or email studentsunion@ljmu.ac.uk

Need advice? Exams and essays can be stressful, especially when a lot of deadlines come all at once. At LiverpoolSU we understand that problems can sometimes occur that interrupt your academic achievements. This is where the Academic Advice Service can help. Our dedicated Advice Centre is available to give you guidance regarding specific issues. These can include:

• • • •

Academic advice Academic appeals Extenuating circumstances Student complaints

If you are concerned about any aspects of academic life, or if your studies need to be put on hold due to circumstances beyond your control, LiverpoolSU can give you the advice you need. Get in touch using the contact details below.

To find out more, visit liverpoolsu.com/advice. Alternatively you can also contact reception on 0151 231 4900 or e-mail studentsunion@ljmu.ac.uk, who will be able to put you in touch with the relevant advisor.

For more info on My Live rpool Home please contact: J.McDonald @ljmu.ac.uk

LiverpoolSU offers free tours of Liverpool throughout the year. From the trendy trendy cafes to the scenic, this city has so much to offer. Make sure to keep checking our website for future tours! 15

Key Dates for the New Year International Students’ Network Monday 27 January Check website for details Election nominations open Nominations open 27th January 2014 and close 28th February 2014. www.so-elections.com.

LiverpoolSU on the Move Week beginning 20th January Refreshers fairs 10-4, 20th and 21st January, LiverpoolSU, Maryland Street, L1 9DE Come along to the LJMU ReFreshers fair held by LiverpoolSU, your official LJMU Students’ Union. It’s a great opportunity to grab yourself some freebies, join any societies that you forgot to & attend some great events

Weekend trip to London 31st January Give it a go! liverpoolsu.com/trips