The voice of over 17,000 students
IMPACT REPORT 2014/2015
Take a look at our achievements
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HELLO 2014/2015 was an amazing year for our Students’ Union. I’m your elected Reading University Students’ Union (RUSU) President for 2015/2016. I am a former student of the University of Reading (UoR), and one of 5 elected Student Officers. Our job is to represent and support the 17,000+ students that come here, and to ensure that the student experience is at the heart of this University. As you can see from this Impact Report, RUSU achieved a lot in 2014/15. Our sole purpose is to support our members and work to make your lives as students better. It’s your Students’ Union, so get involved and together we can do even more great things in 2016.
Oli Ratcliffe
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2014/2015 What an amazing year for RUSU and University of Reading Students... During the past year, RUSU reached out to more students than ever. We had a 30% increase in student involvement in the main elections compared to the previous year, with 37 students who nominated themselves for a Student Officer role and 3,640 students voting! We worked closely with the UoR in projects such as the RUSU Excellence Awards and the RUSU Partnership in Teaching and Learning Showcase. The Student Officers successfully led engaging campaigns to improve the student experience and the environment such as RUSU says Relax which was led by Tilly Corless (Welfare Officer 2014/15) and Fossil Free led by Chloe Bartlett (Community & Development Officer 2014/15) Our Quidditch Team hosted the cross-university games and our Drama Society performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. RUSU commercial services raised an incredible amount of £291,199 that was all put back into supporting students. Our Raising and Giving (RAG), Sports, Societies and Halls raised £10,406.87 and we had approximately 1,200 volunteers. RUSU’s Little Learners Nursery cared for 128 children of students and staff. Summer Ball 2015 was the biggest ever: we sold 4,550 tickets and raised £23,815.
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TOP 10 3,640 STUDENTS’ UNION IN THE UK
STUDENTS VOTED
(National Student Survey 2015)
£115,000
30%
saved for students through the
RUSU ADVICE SERVICE
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1,112
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IDEAS SUBMITTED
WENT WENT TO TOVOTE VOTE
VOTES CAST
BECAME RUSU CAMPAIGNS
THE LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN, proposed through Change It was featured in The Guardian.
OVER
5,600
students joined clubs & societies
Thanks to lobbying and a CHANGE IT CAMPAIGN students can have
HOT DRINKS IN THE LIBRARY
INCREASE FROM 2014
1,200
students volunteered through RUSU projects
=4,530
HOURS
CAMPUS
20 NEW
opened after RUSU campaign
CREATED
LONDON ROAD
SOCIAL SPACE
SOCIETIES 5
“WHEN YOU HAVE SEVERAL LECTURES A DAY, YOU REALLY NEED SOMEWHERE TO SIT AND CHILL OUT. THIS SPACE HAS MORE OF A COMMON ROOM FEEL AND IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE IT HERE.” LUCY DREWERY
Primary Education with English 6
A three year campaign led by the Student Officers and London Road students ensured the university acted to create a social space for students at the London Road campus.
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ABOUT US RUSU is led by students for students RUSU is a democratic, student-led organisation, located at the heart of Whiteknights Campus. We are here to guide and help all UoR students, enabling them to make the most of their student experience throughout their time at University. All students on a UoR course are members of RUSU and can have a say in directing the Students’ Union. We are a separate organisation to the UoR which means we are independent and can challenge them about issues affecting students. Five Student Officers are elected each year to lead the Union, taking on their roles full-time, either after graduating or taking a year out during their degree. They champion the voice of students, lead on campaigns and provide students with quality representation. Any student can submit ideas at anytime through Change It! our online democratic platform. This is a way of bringing issues to the Student Officers, who decide whether to take immediate action or submit the idea to an all-student vote. We are more than a night out or a place to eat on campus. We represent all UoR students, whether they study on campuses in Reading, Henley or outside the UK, as well as distance learners taking UoR courses worldwide.
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OUR MEMBERS RUSU’s membership is made up of over 17,000 UoR students
59% UNDERGRADUATES 41% POSTGRADUATES
62% H O M E STUDENTS 38% I N T E R N AT I O N A L 9
OUR AMBITION To deliver what students want in an accountable, inclusive and dynamic way through enhancing their university experience, with integrity at our core. We achieve our ambition through... Representation The five Student Officers lead RUSU. They are supported by the Student Trustees, Part-time Officers and Academic Reps who each represent their respective areas.
Advice Our free, confidential, non-judgemental, independent and non-discriminatory Advice Service provides help to students with housing, money, welfare or academic matters.
Activities We support over 150 societies and sports clubs as well as student media streams, volunteering groups and Junior Common Rooms (JCRs), all run voluntarily by students.
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We want our students to ... feel represented by RUSU
... know that they can contact their Course Reps for support
... know that they have an open space to express themselves about a cause that they care about
... feel like they are part of a community
... know that RUSU has their interest at the heart of everything we do
... feel that RUSU is inclusive and celebrates diversity
... have their voice heard
... know that RUSU is there for them when they need us
... enjoy the social aspects of RUSU
Fact: The Secret Garden is located inbetween Bridges & Wessex Halls. 11
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“RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT WAS A GREAT THING TO DO. IT TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT MY CHARACTER, HOW I WORK IN A GROUP AND HOW PEOPLE SEE ME.” ASH SEEBORUN
Mathematics & Statistics
Ash ran for president in the RUSU Elections in 2015. Although he didn’t win, the experience was a valuable insight into his own strengths and weaknesses.
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OUR REACH Participation, Representation and Advice are at the core of what RUSU does. We work hard to get students’ voices heard. Representation Main Elections
3,640
students voted in February during RUSU Elections 2015, an all-time record and a 30% increase on 2014 Elections.
They were voting for a record 37 candidates for the five Student Officers positions and for candidates running for Part-time Officer, Faculty Rep and Student Trustee positions.
Course Reps
81%
increase in votes from the previous year. 1,089 students
voted and 368 students were elected as Course Reps.
Faculty Reps
500% 14
increase in votes for Faculty Reps from the previous year. A record 2,123 students voted and elected 13 Faculty Reps.
Advice
554 614 ÂŁ115,245
students were seen by our independent advice team.
new cases and enquiries were recorded.
was saved or gained for students.
Activities
107
societies in total with 20 new ones created.
3,665 53
students joined societies, over 1,200 more than in the previous year.
sports clubs with 3 new ones created.
1,966
students participated in sports, an increase of 20% on the previous year.
Fact: The Junction 11 Show, Hat’s & Pats was nominated for Best Entertainment Show at the Student Radio Awards.
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HIGHLIGHTS Take a look at some of the great things that happened at RUSU in 2014/2015 BAME Conference: Why is my curriculum white? Academics from around the UK came to Reading to tackle the issue of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) attainment gap in Higher Education. At Reading, 78% of UoR white graduates achieved a 1st or a 2:1 in comparison to only 56% of BAME graduates, despite coming to university with the same qualifications. This represents an attainment gap of 22% compared to the national average of 17.7% in December 2014. Panelists, students and UoR staff discussed whether courses are inclusive enough for BAME students and the lack of cultural diversity in the curriculum. There were also inspiring talks from BAME students about their own experience and from panelists, discussing the pay gap between black and white professors.
RUSU Excellence Awards RUSU awarded 8 Excellence Awards to UoR staff. These awards were led by Sara Chandran (Education Officer 2014/15) which aimed to recognise members of staff who students believed had gone above and beyond expectations, tirelessly working to improve the delivery of teaching and learning experiences.
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RUSU Partnership in Teaching and Learning Showcase 100 students and UoR staff attended the RUSU Partnership in Teaching and Learning Showcase. This was an opportunity for University staff that had been recognised by students in the Excellence Awards to share best practice with colleagues from across the institution. It was also a chance for students and staff who have worked together to showcase the benefits of creating joint initiatives to enhance and develop aspects of courses.
Award for ‘LGBT+ Event of the Year’ RUSU’s month long celebration of LGBT+ History in February won ‘LGBT+ Event of the Year’ at the national student LGBT+ Conference. The events were organised and run by RUSU’s Part-Time Officer and the LGBT+ Society. We were praised for the inclusiveness and range of events and were chosen ahead of 200 other students’ unions from across the country to take home the award.
Café Mondial Extension Responding to significant demand from students, particularly international students, RUSU worked with the UoR to expand our building. The extension was completed in time for our Summer Ball 2015 and is now available for Clubs and Societies to use for their activities. This expansion brings our overall venues capacity to 2,600 which makes it the largest entertainment venue in Reading.
Fact: Our Men’s Hockey 1st Team were promoted to the Premiership 17
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“WINNING THE CHANGE IT! VOTE WAS THE DEFINING MOMENT OF OUR CAMPAIGN. WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF RUSU, I EXPECT THE CAMPAIGN WOULD HAVE DIED OUT BY NOW.” CHRIS FOYE
Real Estate & Planning PHD
Matthew and Chris, both PhD students, submitted their ongoing campaign to RUSU’s campaigning platform Change It!. Students voted for RUSU to work on this campaign as a priority for two years, or until change is achieved.
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ACHIEVEMENTS RUSU campaigns are proof that when students work together they can achieve great things. Fossil Free Campaign The RUSU Community & Development Officer 2014/15 led a campaign to lobby the UoR to stop investing students’ fees in coal, oil and gas companies whose activities are accelerating climate change and creating irreparable damage to the planet. A report on Fossil Free Divestment was considered at the UoR Investments Committee and the UoR has now committed to researching the impact of divesting from fossil fuels.
Mature & Postgraduate Students’ Common Room After being voted as a Change It! campaign, RUSU successfully lobbied the UoR to provide a dedicated social space for Mature & Postgraduate Students. This space is located in the Calthorpe Room (JCR) on the second floor of the URS Building.
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Living Wage Campaign Following a successful Change It! campaign and support from the Student Officers led by Natalie Harper (President 2014/15), The Living Wage Campaign report was submitted to University Council. The campaign has been featured in The Guardian, with over 900 students and staff having signed the petition asking the UoR to pay the living wage to its staff.
RUSU Says RELAX Over 1,000 students participated in the RUSU says RELAX campaign. This campaign was designed to help students alleviate the stresses of exam and revision pressure. It included the ever popular petting zoo, reptile farm and the distrubution of over 200 free healthy breakfast boxes to students during exam and revision periods.
Hot drinks in the Library As a result of a successful Change It! campaign the University Library staff agreed to allow students to have hot drinks in the library. This was described by grateful Masters student Robert Kempster as “ RUSU’s biggest achivement
ever!”.
Lost Generation: Register to Vote As part of our committment to wider student democracy RUSU led a successful National Union of Students (NUS) backed campaign to increase the number of students registered to vote in the local and general elections. This campaign was led by Charlie Holman (Student Engagment Officer 2014/15) which resulted in a 60% increase in the number of students able to have a voice in the future of national politics.
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Raising And Giving RAG raised £6,244.20 for their chosen charities: The Rahab Project, a charity that supports the holistic care of women in prostitution and victims of trafficking and Children with Cancer UK. Fundraising included the first ever LOST at Reading with students making their way back from Brighton and a Jailbreak Event that saw students break out of the country and raise over £2,000. Sports, Societies and JCRs also got involved to raise £4,162.67 for a variety of local, national and international charities. In total students raised £10,406.87 which was £3,124.23 more than the previous year.
Volunteering 1,200 volunteers were involved with both one-off and long-term projects. Students volunteered over 4,530 hours, the equivalent of 27 weeks. These projects help students to meet new people, gain new skills to put on their CV, while helping others by getting involved with a cause that truly matters to them.
One-Off Volunteering Weekly events such as the Make a Difference (MAD) Days have allowed students to take part in events including hosting a Hawaiian party for the elderly, running craft activities for children and maintaining the Secret Garden. RUSU also offered a number of micro-volunteering oppertunities including the Create & Make Sessions where students made Christmas Cards for a local care home.
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Long-Term Projects RUSU supports a number of local and national charities. Here are some of the projects and what they have achieved:
NHS Blood Drive A new project allowing students the chance to support the running of blood donation sessions in Reading.
KEEN This is a charity that provides arts based activities to childern with special needs. KEEN won Project of the Year at the RUSU Volunteering Awards 2014/15.
Tea Party Committee The Tea Party Committee launched a new regular bingo session at Lakeside Residents’ Home in addition to their hugely enjoyable tea parties for the elderly.
Student Eats This enviromental project run by the Botanika Society gives students the opportunity to grow their own fresh produce. The volunteers run taster sessions, workshops and maintain the Secret Garden on Campus.
Talk for Ages This project encourages students to spend an hour or so chatting with the elderly at a local care home. Residents and volunteers alike find this time very enjoyable and rewarding.
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“I’M THRILLED TO BITS, I’VE NEVER HAD SUCH A LOVELY AFTERNOON” PEARL
Resident at Lakeside Residential Home 24
International postgraduate students Neha Narendra Penta, Adya Surbhi and Zhansaya Abdikhairanova spent an afternoon volunteering at Lakeside Residential Home as part of ‘Talk for Ages’, a RUSU volunteering project.
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INCOME A large proportion of our income comes from a block grant from the UoR, the rest we raise through our commercial services. £1.6M
£1.3M
£706K £954K
£560K
£249K 26
£32K
Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities
Incoming Resources from Generated Funds
Social Venues & Events £1,645,175
Grant Income £954,240
Income from Mojo’s Bar and Kitchen, Café Mondial, 3sixty nightclub and events including the Summer Ball
Money provided from the UoR.
Marketing, Sponsorship & Franchised Space £249,270
Student Shops £1,344,703
This is money raised from Freshers’ Fayre and the sale of NUS Extra Cards.
Income from Campus Central and the Online Shop
Student Activities £560,604 Income from membership fees, the sale of Sports Federation Insurance and club photographs.
Nursery £706,732 Income from fees paid to Little Learners’ Nursery
Student Lettings £32,607
This also includes rental income from RUSU tenants such as Blackwells and the Bagel Man.
Other Income £983 Interest Receivable £2,716
Click here to view the full set of 2014/15 accounts
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES £5,497,030 27
EXPENDITURE As a charitable organisation our profits are re-invested into the student experience.
£1.4M
£1.3M
£940K
£684K £173K £61K £172K £198K 28
£180K
Charitable Activities
Governance £173,952
Advice Services £172,371 Free, professional advice including finance, accommodation and academic issues.
The money spent on Officer Trustees, Trustee Training and producing the audited accounts.
Nursery £684,097
Social Venues & Events £1,415,941
Student Lettings £61,914
Student Shops £1,322,425
Cost of Generating Funds
Democracy & Representation £198,468 Campaigns, Elections & Representation
Student Activities £940,115 Sports Clubs, Societies & Student Media.
Marketing, Sponsorship & Franchised Space £180,276 Promoting facilities and events to students.
Click here to view the full set of 2014/15 accounts
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDITURE £5,149,559 29
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Lisa counts joining Lacrosse as one of the best decisions she made at the UoR. She was warmly welcomed by the team and now they are like a family on campus to her.
‘I’D ADVISE ANY STUDENT TO JOIN A SPORT, EVEN IF IT’S SOMETHING YOU HAVE NEVER TRIED BEFORE.’ LISA BERRY-WAITE
History & Politics 31
Your 2015/16 Student Officers‌
President
Education Officer
Welfare Officer
Oli Ratcliffe
Niall Hamilton
Nina Hager
T: 0118 378 4133 M: 0797 350 3401 E: president@ rusu.co.uk
T: 0118 378 4130 M: 0798 069 7089 E: educationofficer@ rusu.co.uk
Engagement & Communication Officer
Community & Development Officer
James Hart
Ben Cooper
T: 0118 378 4134 M: 0798 069 7088 E: engagement@ rusu.co.uk
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T: 0118 378 4136 M: 0781 217 7703 E: communityand
development @rusu.co.uk
T: 0118 378 4106 M: 0798 934 1897 E: welfareofficer@ rusu.co.uk
/rusunews
www.rusu.co.uk
/rusufreshers
Find out about Officer roles and elections at: rusu.co.uk/elections
@RUSUtweets
Submit ideas for change using Change It! at: rusu.co.uk/changeit Follow your Student Officers
@RUSU_President
Swiss 721 SWA
Find all Sports Clubs, Societies, Volunteering Opportunities and Student media at: rusu.co.uk/activities
@RUSU_Education @RUSU_Welfare @RUSU_Community @RUSU_Engagement
enquiries@rusu.co.uk
0118 378 4100
See what’s on at RUSU at: www.rusu.co.uk/ents
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Reading University Students’ Union (RUSU) is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1158523).
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