Community Strategy and Action Plan Student Community RGU:Union works to create an active sense of student community. A number of schemes and programmes are run continuously to engage students and involve them in Union run activities: Part time officers – Part time officers work hard throughout the year in order to contribute to the student community, this can be offering support to students or running events or campaigns for students to get involved in. Fresher’s Team – A group of students who work as a supportive welcome team, volunteering to guide new students. Societies – There are a number of societies for students to join throughout their academic career. These range from Academic societies, providing the opportunity to continue learning out with the classroom, to Social societies allowing students to come together for socialising and networking. Sports – There are a number of sports clubs and team within RGU for students to participate in. Sport not only promotes physical and mental health but brings students together as part of a team to represent their university. RAG – Running the raising and giving campaign across campus to involve students in charity fundraising and volunteering. There are a number of activities across campus for students to work together on and give back to charity. Student Reps – creating a sense of community within the class, student reps are responsible for gathering feedback from fellow classmates and feeding this back to the students union and university in order to enhance student experience at RGU. Volunteering – The union has full time member of staff who works to promote volunteering opportunities within the Union, University and through external partners. Recognition of volunteer achievements is a high priority for the union, with students receiving their Saltire Award for their completed hours and an awards ceremony to celebrate all achievements. Halls/accommodation – Joint working has begun with accommodation and RAG/Union to create halls targeted events with the hope to continue these. Freshers Team Leaders are maintaining a long term engagement within their allocated halls over the next academic year continuing that relationship built up with students during Freshers week.
Bookshop – The Union has a second hand bookshop which is run by student volunteers; this enables students to buy/sell textbooks at a discounted price from each other. Environmental projects/ campaigns – RGU: Union strives to create an environmentally friendly space, at present there are a number of efforts such as meat free Monday and fair trade coffee, it is hoped with the move to campus there with be a greater ownership of the physical space and the Union working with RAG and the People and Planet society aim to create greener relaxation areas. Providing Jobs for students – The Union currently employs ..X.. students to work in their facilities. Internships/placements – The Union has offered placements in the past to students for work experience and part of their university career, and hopes to offer internships in the near future. Student Media – RGU: Union tries to create a strong 2way communication between the student body and the Union by using forms of media such as a weekly ezine and social networking sites. Advice and health awareness – RGU: Union has a part time and full time member of staff to advise students on all and any issues. Campaigns continue throughout the year to enlighten students on many pressing issues such as SHAG week and Mental Health Awareness week.
Local Community RGU: Union actively engages its students with the local community. Not only by having a positive impact on business and charities but also by portraying the positive student impact to all residents. RAG fundraising – RAG are the fundraising arm of the Student Union who work throughout the year putting on awareness events and fundraisers for a number of local and national charities. Last year The ARCHIE foundation, Aberdeen Cyrenians, RNLI and Macmillan Cancer support Aberdeen to name a few. Joint working with institutions – RGU: Union has a positive relationship with AUSA and AbCol on collaborative projects such as the Torcher Parade which sees a student representative on the stakeholder committee. Volunteering in the community – the majority of students who become involved with volunteering choose to take on placements in local charities, administration and befriending being the most popular choices, a few of our most popular registered organisations are Inspire and Cornerstone. The majority of volunteers
also choose to work on achieving their Saltire Award through Aberdeen Volunteer Centre. Joint working with business – RGU:Union and its students have positive relationship with local businesses due to mutual support and promotion, a number of companies will support or sponsor Societies, Sport and RAG throughout the year. Community projects – in the past RGU: Union has completed a number of community projects and it is hoped in coming months that the Union, RAG, societies and volunteers can collaborate to create local community projects. The first of these projects was undertaken with a visit to Aberdeen Cyrenians to make emergency food parcels and a refurbishment project was completed on Ruthrieston Community Centre.
Wider Community RGU: Union impacts the wider community in a number of ways. By students acting as representatives, networking with other institutions and showing students positive impact. Sabbaticals and Vice Presidents attend conferences and meetings across the country to act on behalf of RGU: Union and represent their student’s views and providing feedback to students, sharing best practice nationwide. Student campaigns take place throughout the year on issues that are relevant to students. Most recently students campaigned against bus prices with First Bus and looked to secure a city centre presence in the Save the Union campaign. RGU: Union along with communications work to ensure positive students contribution and achievement is awarded and recognised by the media and other institutions. RAG completed their first challenge event this year with over 30 sign ups-‐ 21 took part (receiving awards for ‘recruiters of the year’ and ‘best newcomer’ from Childreach International) climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in the summer, this enabled a large group of students to experience high target achieving fundraising and act as international ambassadors, this offered RGU students as unrivalled level of personal development and employable skills for the future.
Action plan and objectives Student community Objective
Performance Target
Time Frame
To develop and expand societies with particular focus on academic societies
Providing events and opportunities for societies to showcase what they do, providing assistance and information on creating new societies – Give it a Go week, Refreshers Fayre
June 2014
To develop communication and engagement with Faculty officers
Provide opportunity to develop the links between faculty officers and student representatives
June 2014
To create a more positive sense of belonging for students in their halls/accommodation, creating a sense of ownership and responsibility.
Provide events/opportunities for students in accommodation to come together – making use of the Fresher Team leaders to continue that social aspect
May 2014
To provide students with increased ownership over student media in order to share student news and achievements
Developments of RGU:Radio, Radar Magazine and RGU:TV enabling students to lead on these projects
May 2014
Raise awareness of the Extra Curricular Module to allow students to be awarded for extracurricular activities
Promote this across campus, highlighting May 2014 the benefits to students as well as ability to receive 15 University credits.
Local community Objective
Performance Target
A Green environmental/conservation area on Garthdee campus, created by students for
Utilise allocated area at Garthdee campus to create a relaxing recreational area.
Time Frame June 2014
students Develop more opportunity for joint working with local organisation and businesses
To continue those existing relations and explore additional opportunities
June 2014
Develop the relationship between Aberdeen institutions
Continue to work on joint projects such as the Torcher Parade and develop new ways of working together
June 2014
Continuing with community relations through community projects showcasing the positive aspect to student life
Continuing the relationship with June 2014 Ruthrieston Community Centre, developing links to other organisations to volunteer in the community. Links Dec 2013 developing with Aberdeen Cyrenians to assist with soup kitchen over the festive season
Recognising the achievements of student volunteers and shouting about this.
Making us of media resources to celebrate the achievements of students, continuing relations with AVCO and promoting Saltire awards to students – celebrating this with the student achievement awards ball
March/April 2014
Wider community Objective
Performance Target
Time Frame
Create an opportunity for students to explore the possibility of volunteering abroad for example construction, schools etc
Create links and a sustainable relationship with volunteering abroad charities/organisations – i.e Big Build Morocco
September 2014
Expand opportunities for students to explore challenge events/activities abroad
Create links and a sustainable relationship with charities/organisations who focus on oversees challenges
September 2014
Continue to campaign for those issues concerning students
Recognizing the concerns facing students June 2014 and putting resources into campaigning with the students for the students – Bus
prices, housing prices etc. Representing RGU:Union at conferences at a national level; sharing students views, sharing best practice and feeding back to students
Sabbatical officers and vice presidents continue to attend conferences; exploration into student representation at conferences, encouraging students to take an interest in conferences and networking.
June 2014