Corporate Social Responsibility Policy & RGU Student Association The RGU Student Association has a committed responsibility to implement all key aspects of our Corporate Social Responsibility Policy (CSR), by engaging and educating the staff and it’s membership. RGU Student Association employs 16 staff rising to over 60 during the academic year with the commercial services fully operational, who have the responsibility for facilitating, approximately 16000 students at Robert Gordon University and 30,000 throughout Aberdeen. To highlight the extensive relationships and projects currently being worked towards, the CSR policy can be separated in various stakeholders for consideration. The Stakeholders -‐
Our Student members As a commitment to ensure the most effective structure to meet the demanding educational lives of students, we are working towards recognition of the Students’ Union Evaluation Initiative (SUEI). In partnership with NUS and supported by the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Scottish Government, this accreditation has been developed to make a positive difference to the lives of students at University, by improving the outcomes from the Students’ Union. Our involvement has resulted in the preparation and implementation of a governance review during 2011. This review was conducted to ensure the Student Union has the most effective structure to meet the objectives of the members and our stakeholders. This process has progressed with the creation of the ‘Environmental’ and ‘Ethnic & Equality’ Officer position. We also successfully implemented a ‘you say, we do’ campaign to advertise survey responses from student members for suggestions to improve every day scenario’s across the university.
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Our Community Continuing to work closely with external agencies, the RGU Student Association is a member of ‘Unight’ and is participating to maintain a ‘Gold award’ in the Best Bar None Aberdeen accreditation scheme. With a permanent volunteer co-‐ordinator engaging with external agencies & charities, a community strategy is currently being finalised to compliment the increased volunteer participation numbers of students supporting in the community. This addresses where students could support and enrich the community where they are living by focusing on the four main areas; local environment, volunteering & working, safety and representation. RGU Student Association successfully achieved ‘Investors in Volunteering’ accreditation in 2010 to highlight the processes, policies and procedures with regard to recruitment and support.
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The Environment In 2012, the RGU Student Association received a 2nd Silver award accreditation for ‘Green Impact’ delivered through NUS. The competition is an accreditation scheme for environmental best-‐practice in student union venues. Key components of this programme can be highlighted within our Environmental Policy, which covers; recycling, fair-‐trade, energy efficiency, procurement & our carbon footprint. This commitment has resulted in a 92% recycling rate (2010) of waste being achieved for the Student Association.
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Our People These factors can only be achieved with a common goal, in terms of all the staff and volunteer’s registered and employed by the Student Association. This is clear and evident at the induction phase, but with investment in training and progress towards quality assurance initiatives, such as the Governance review, Best Bar None, Investors in Volunteering, where these awards are acknowledgments of everyone’s hard work and commitment.
Objectives of ‘The Stakeholders’ -‐
Our Student members Objective
Performance Target
Time Frame
A governance review was carried out in February 2011 and implemented in May 2011. This was an objective from 2010. The next stage is to amend the constitution to accommodate these changes and up-‐date to meet the latest educational reform’s.
To be completed for Oct 2012
Objective
Performance Target
Time Frame
To deliver best practice as a commercial operator, work with local partnerships to minimise ay service disruption.
To participate in ‘Best Bar None Aberdeen’ accreditation scheme for recognition of the standards in place to deliver this objective.
Audit set for July 2012 Gold Award accreditation in August 2012
RGU: Union aims to develop opportunities for students to participate in community events
The Student Development and Volunteering Coordinator will continue to develop links with organisations and empowering student volunteers. The Community strategy being finalised will document this process and this will be used as evidence towards re-‐taining the ‘Investors in Volunteering’ accreditation which is to be reviewed for July 2013
Investors in Volunteering renewal audit – July 2013
Performance Target
Time Frame
To continue to monitor & review the Student Association structure to deliver the most efficient services possible
Passed with the AGM in November 2012
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Our Community
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The Environment Objective
Develop sustainable procurement throughout all areas of the
To offer a Fair-‐trade Coffee in the Union Café.
For Sept 2012.
Association To promote green transport options for between campus and around Aberdeen City
To implement and operate a bike hire scheme for students
To have the scheme in place for the start of ‘Go Green’ week in Feb 13
Minimising wastage of resources, such as energy, fuel and water within its buildings, educating these practices to the wider student audience.
To works towards achieving a Gold accreditation or a ‘special award’ in the ‘Green Union’ Sound Impact Awards that recognises policies and procedures to implement these targets.
Application completed for Dec 12, with awards announced March 2013
Support the University’s Accommodation department with the annual ‘Halls Challenge’ that promotes good practice to a wider audience.
Competition runs from Sept 12 until April 13
To reduce photocopying by at least 5% for the previous academic year and increase the use of scanning by at least 5% for the same period. To review quarterly to ensure compliance Increasing recycling opportunities and To ensure that we use the recycling facilities to their management of waste potential and achieve a recycling rate of 90% or more for the Student Association.
Monitored quarterly and run from Jan to Dec annually
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Our People Objective
Support student and staff fundraising and volunteering which directly reaches out to the community
Performance Target Staff involvement in initiatives, including; the annual Torcher parade and Santa run for the Wildhearts charity. Support existing groups, such as RAG which has now developed into the infrastructure of the staff with an elected post. An increase in participation numbers are being encourage as a target with more students to participate for worthwhile causes
Time Frame Reviewed for July 2013