The
BIG
Picture Annual Report
2013/2014
SMSU General Information SMSU is a not-for-profit organisation, Charity registration No: 1150328
2 Sabbatical Officers
4.5 Full-time Staff supporting the Sabbatical Officers and student volunteers
Home of the SMSU Shop and Hub, SU Lounge and entertainments venue and SMUC Radio
SMSU was awarded £210,000 Block Grant for 2013/14 from St Mary’s University
Your 2013/14 SU President: Commentary Where do I start… My biggest achievement (as I had only started the job two months before) was hosting Fresher’s and, for the first time in the Students Union history, we held it for two full weeks. I knew this was going to be a difficult task as the year before (2012/13) was unbelievable. However, we received amazing feedback from students and made the highest financial surplus than in any other year. I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved. I have really enjoyed the involvement I had with the Program Reps this year; building on from what was established last year. It was great to see such an increase in the amount of students wanting to become representatives of their courses so that they could make a change.
It’s been great to witness the Students’ Union move from just an ‘events based’ organisation into a Union that can be seen to help students with every aspect of university life. An example of this was the celebration of Mental Health Week this year—an idea that was brought to us by a student who wanted the university to be aware of the problems that some students may face. We were asked to present to the Board of Governors at the start of the year showing what SMSU is and how we have an impact on the lives of students throughout their time at university. This was the first time that this had ever happened. SMSU also introduced an International Welcome Event to the Freshers’ timetable which was repeated in January for mid-year starters. Even though at the start of the year when I saw I how many committees I had to attend, I thought ‘this is going to be a long year(!)’, I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of different teams within the university. It has allowed me to meet a lot of great people that have been very influential in my time as SU President., and have helped me throughout the year with the development of the Students’ Union as well as my own personal development.
Congratulations to Pietro for Varsity…. What a day from start to finish! Thank you to all the teams that competed and a huge congratulations for WINNING—first time in six years!
One of my greatest achievements this year has to be the Summer Ball and Boat Party. Some regular attendees of the events commented that the Ball was one of, if not the best in the last 10 years — what a great way to end the year! A massive thanks goes out to Donna and the Summer Ball committee.
I would like to say thank you to Arthur, Claire and David for their support this year in all of my endeavours. You have been a massive support to me this year and for the ‘new, rebooted’ Students’ Union.
Aedan McDonagh: SU President - Chair of the Board of Trustees 2013/14
Your 2013/14 AU President: Commentary This year has been without a doubt, one if not the best years of my life. The Athletic Union President is something I never even thought about when joining University, I didn’t know it even existed until I met Johnny Miller and helped Sam Grayson win his election. It was from this moment on that I knew I wanted to be AU President of St. Mary’s and lead the Sport Clubs and Societies here, and I’m grateful for everyone who helped make that happen for me.
When winning the elections, I had a clear agenda and had things that I wanted to do and achieve and I did as much as I could do before the official ‘handover’ period started. For me, it was the first time I’d ever lived on campus and worked in the same place - I was entering new territory, but I was very excited to experience full time work. Handover with Luke was really productive and helped me on my way to knowing exactly what the role entailed and what my responsibilities as AU President would be. In July 2013 I attended the BUCS Conference at Herriot-Watt University; a great few days away to learn about BUCS and network with fellow Sabbatical Officers and the Sport Coordinators that I would be working with throughout the year.
This year has seen another increase in the number of Sport Clubs and Societies that we have at St Mary’s. Handball, SMUC TV, Geography, Ultimate Frisbee, Enterprise, and Futsal were all introduced during 2013/14. Being in charge of Futsal has made this year memorable due to the successes the team has had; I’m now happy to leave the club in a very healthy and solid place where it can only get better and grow stronger. Throughout my time here, I have tried to get involved in as much as possible, whether it is projects to do with the SU, University or personal projects. I’ve learnt about not taking too much on at once, and thinking through things a bit more first instead of just saying an enthusiastic yes to everything.
There have been many, many highlights. A very successful Ski trip, supporting and watching all the sports teams every Wednesday afternoon, learning about new sports (especially Netball), Sport and Societies Week and the massive success of winning Varsity and being the first AU President to do this, as well as a sell-out Sports and Societies Dinner. We have also been busy developing a strategy for student sport along with policies to support this—an exciting time for the SU.
I want to thank everyone who has made my year so enjoyable and have supported me throughout. Working in Team SU has been brilliant and I know the SU will prosper in everything in the future. It’s been a pleasure and I can’t thank the team enough. A special thank you goes out to Fiona Wilson, Tegan Pickles and Donna Harrison who have always gone that extra mile for me and truly deserve becoming Honorary Board Members of the SU.
Pietro Palladino: AU President - SMSU Trustee 2013/14
Student Representation and Support 2014 Elections
The Sabbatical Officer and Executive Committee Elections occurred the week of 24-28 February 2014. The Elections included 5 candidates for SU President and 2 for AU President as well as candidates for part-time officer positions. The elections had the highest turnout ever with 1342 votes cast (27%) which is one of the highest turnout rates in the country (average 18%). The Executive team for 2014/15 includes: SU President: Ryan Jones, AU President: Josh Moss, Vice President Representation: James Anderson, Vice President Entertainments: James Turnbull, Vice President Welfare: Rudra Dahkal, Vice President Fundraising: Laura Condon, Vice President Communications: Sarah Ogilio, Vice President Community: Zander Lavall.
Representation across St Mary’s
In 2013/14, SMSU took a lead on the university wide representative system. This included the allocation of Executive Committee members to represent students on university committees and the coordination of Programme Representatives. St Mary’s now has student representation on every major committee of the university and at least one Programme Rep per programme. In 2013/14, there were 332 active Programme Reps (192 in 2012/13). SMSU coordinated the training programme and forums (once per term) for Programme Reps and sent out monthly bulletins to ensure reps were kept up to date with SU and University developments. SMSU, the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Student Experience), QA Officer and a Programme Director representative continue to meet regularly to discuss developments to the university wide representative system.
Representation in Projects HEA Project:
SMSU continues to contribute to the HEA Project based around Induction and Retention. The AU President has been a member of the core project group who have initiated induction project pilot activities in different subject areas across campus. Student Led Teaching Awards: The SU President and Vice President: Representation have been working closely with the Teaching and Learning Committee to implement a way that students can formally show recognition for the achievement and contribution that staff make at St Mary’s. The project will continue to be developed throughout 2014/15. Changing the Learning Landscape: Officers of SMSU have been involved in the project led by the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Student Experience) to look in detail at mapping out the St Mary’s Student Experience and what it means to students. The project included the organisation of ‘University Day’ in which SMSU provided activities to collect data on what it means to be part of the St Mary’s Community.
Advice and Advocacy The SU President has supported and advised 38 students in 2013/14 (21 in 2012/13) who have had academic or welfare related issues. Issues have included academic misconduct allegations (including plagiarism, cheating, academic fraud), bullying allegations, complaints about university services and behavioural misconduct allegations.
National Student Survey SMSU took a lead on the participation campaign for the NSS which was live between January and April 2014. Representatives of SMSU used publicity materials to advertise the survey, visited lectures and emailed final year (undergraduate) Programme Reps and Programme Directors with weekly updates about institutional and national participation progress. A target on 70% was set by St Mary’s and a participation rate of 70.8% was achieved (70% national average).
Students and the Community International Welcome During Freshers’ Week, SMSU, in collaboration with Chaplaincy and International Office, created a special welcome event for both international and home students to aid integration into university life. The event was based on an ‘English Tea Party’ and included activities that encouraged students to meet and talk to each other. There were activities that also allowed students to showcase where in the world that they came from and form links with other students. The first event was a huge success and a second welcome event occurred at the beginning of the second semester to welcome the new intake of Study Abroad students.
Mental Health Awareness Week SMSU celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week 7-11 October 2013. This campaign included a different mental health charity attending the campus each day, students signing up to a ‘Pledge Tree’ where students pledged not to discriminate against poor mental health, charity fundraising, social media messages and on World Mental Health Day (10 October 2013), the ‘Feel Good’ bear (mascot of the week) was on campus giving students and staff hugs to help put a smile on peoples’ faces.
Community Activities and Events SMSU provided events throughout the year to aid the sense of community on campus. These included the Thanksgiving Celebration– a bringing together of American and home students to celebrate the festivities of Thanksgiving and American culture, and a University Celebration Party to celebrate St Mary’s achieving University status. SMSU also worked in partnership with a local enterprise to produce the ‘Boom Ball’ - a Christmas party for local children aged 11-15 years old. The event was hosted within the Students’ Union building and included a magician, beat boxer, DJ’s, photographer and refreshments.
RAG and Fundraising Raise and Give Week (RAG) was hosted 20-26 January 2014 and included a full programme of fundraising activities and events. Fundraising activities included a race night, fancy dress themed nights, vintage fair, ‘refreshers fair’ and bake sales. The RAG charities for 2013/14 were the Mo Farah Foundation and SHOCC (local), the Teenage Cancer Trust (national) and the Third World Family Humanitarian Project (international). SMSU raised £3532.60 which was split between the 4 charities. EMMA’s Bubble Trust Charity Netball: The AU President and St Mary’s Netball Club organised a charity netball tournament to raise money for the teenage cancer charity ‘EMMA’s Bubble Trust’. 14 teams (both students and staff) participated in the tournament raising both money and awareness for the cause.
On Campus Community Development The Vice President: Community and SU President began work in 2013/14 to look at the role of the Senior Residents with a view to develop the support that they receive from the Students’ Union. The work will continue into 2014/15 and proposals to redevelop the role and training will be presented on behalf of SU Council to the University.
Communications and Marketing Marketing and Communications Officer In 2013/14 SMSU introduced a brand new full-time role to the staff team who’s responsibility is to coordinate and manage all marketing and communications for the organisation. During 2013/14, this role has been developing the communications within SMSU, has created all the design for SMSU events, campaigns and services and is currently developing a Marketing and Communications Strategy including researching into the potential for media sales within the organisation. The Marketing and Communications Officer has implemented a new website (launched May 2014) and has began developing a new brand identity for SMSU.
New SMSU Website In May 2014, SMSU launched it’s new website. The website is powered by the NUS Cloud platform and not only includes a fantastic new design (incorporating the new SMSU brand - as part of the ‘Reboot’ - see below), the website has a CRM system built into it allowing SMSU to capture data about it’s members and utilise targeted communications. The new website includes a sophisticated payments module to make Club and Society payments much more effective and also has an online shop and box office. The website is currently being developed to become a virtual replica of the physical services provided by SMSU. It is also a central hub for online SMSU information, connecting all other forms of electronic communications to it.
Social Media
During 2013/14, SMSU introduced an integrated system to coordinate its social media platforms in order to communicate effectively with its members. SMSU used social media as a feedback mechanism to gain information and opinion on different areas of the student experience and collaborated with Careers and Sport St Mary’s to run coordinated digital campaigns. SMSU also reached 3000 ‘likes’ on Facebook in June 2014.
Student Experience Working Group In order to improve communication between Schools and Departments, SMSU introduced a new university group called the Student Experience Working Group. The groups’ remit is to discuss key operational issues between departments and schools and to update members on new developments. The groups’ membership consists of the Executive Committee, Library, Catering, Registry, Facilities, Conferencing, Marketing, Sport St Mary’s and School representatives. The group met 3 times during 2013/14 and has seen collaborations and projects develop as a result of the meetings.
SU ‘Reboot’ During 2013/14, SMSU has begun work on a ‘SU Reboot’ which will be launched in September 2015. The ‘Reboot’ includes a new identity and brand, refreshed communications (including the implementation of a Marketing and Communications Strategy), the introduction of a new officer structure (including the introduction of a third sabbatical officer) and proposals to develop the facilities within the SU building.
Professional and Commercial Services Strategy and Planning SMSU implemented its’ first strategic plan in September 2013/14 after endorsement from the Board of Trustees, Student Experience Committee and SU AGM in April/May 2013. The plan has given some much needed direction to the Students’ Union and highlights the 5 year vision for the organisation. For the first time, SMSU produced an Annual Operating Plan for the 2013/14 academic year, completing 24 out of the 25 objectives throughout the year.
Risk Management
In July 2013, SMSU appointed the charity risk management company ‘Ford Risk Management’ to aid the organisation in mitigating risks associated with finance, health and safety and business continuity. Within the first year of the relationship, SMSU and Ford Risk Management have highlighted areas for development associated with the health and safety of the SU building, events and staff. New policies such as a Health and Safety policy, Social Media policy and Sport and Society Grant Allocation policy have been developed and are awaiting endorsement from SU committees ready for implementation in October 2014. Staffing and financial procedures have been improved and advice has been received from Fords’ in relations to producing business cases to the university and external partners. Ford Risk Management also aided SMSU in the production of its first Charities SORP. Looking forward to 2014/15, Ford Risk Management will be aiding SMSU with the ongoing Constitutional Review, producing a comprehensive risk register and business continuity planning for all governance areas of the organisation.
Constitutional Review
SMSU began a full review of the current Constitution and Byelaws in 2013/14 in accordance with the objectives set out within the Strategic Plan. SMSU formed a key working group which consists of students, Executive Committee, SU Staff and Trustees. This working group are tasked with discussing each element of the Constitution and forming proposals that will be discussed at SU Council and Trustee Board meetings during 2014/15.
New Training and Development Initiatives Trustee Board Training:
In 2013/14, SMSU introduced a development day for the SMSU Trustee Board. The day was facilitated by a representative of NUS and consisted of workshops and discussions around the responsibilities, conflicts and the difficult decisions concerned with being a functioning Trustee Board. The day also included lunch with the St Mary’s Senior Management Team and SU staff. Executive Committee Training: In September 2013, SMSU ran a training programme for the Executive Committee. The aim of the training was to encourage the elected officers to work as a team, understand the local and national context of student representation, learn about the institution and current issues and developments and to gain a greater understanding of their elected roles. Staff from across the institution, including the Pro-Vice Chancellors and external trainers were involved in the programme. Extended Handover Period for Sabbatical Officers: SMSU introduced an extended handover period for 2013/14 to enable the incoming officers to spend much more time with SU and university staff and to ensure there was the opportunity fora thorough handover of roles between officers. This resulted in the Freshers’ programme being released much earlier than in previous years and Sports and Societies administration being completed much more efficiently.
SMSU Hub Assistants
In 2012/13 during the strategic plan conversations, it was identified that the SU team were far too small to fulfil the charitable objectives of the organisation, especially in relation to services (shop, box office, communications). As a pilot project during 2013/14, SMSU recruited two ‘Hub Assistants’ who operated the SU Hub/Shop and aided the Marketing and Communications Officer in the promotion of SU activities and events. The Hub Assistants became a valuable asset to SMSU and the introduction of a third Hub Assistant has been agreed for September 2014.
Student Activities: Clubs and Societies
Sporting and Society Successes: In 2013/14, five SMSU sport teams won their respective leagues: Futsal, Men's Volleyball, Men's Badminton, Ladies Rugby Union and Men's Football (3rds). All of these teams have won promotion along with Ladies Football (2nds) after they came second in their league. At the BUCS Gatorade Indoor Championships, SMSU took 80 students competing in 4 sports, in which St Mary’s won 6 medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver & 3 Bronze). In individual competitions, St Mary’s continued its strong successes. The BUCS Athletics XC Team took the Men’s A -team championship, including individual Gold, Silver and Bronze positions, the Mens’ B-team championship, and silver in the Women’s team Championships. Silver medals were also secured by students in the Pentathlon and Triathlon BUCS events. SMSU Cheerleading squad came 3rd place in the National Championships. Societies had a great academic year as Drama and Dance produced successful shows which were hosted in the SU Lounge. The Weightlifting squad won the BUCS Championships, and St Mary’s have also had individuals represent Great Britain & England in their respective sports. Overall, a very successful year for our sports clubs and societies.
Overview of Varsity and Sports and Societies Dinner: For the first time in 6 years, SMSU won Varsity. Planning for this event started back in July 2013; 9 months of monthly meetings (and then fortnightly leading up to the event) ensured this event was well organised and successful. Constant liaison with various departments within the University led to it being a very safe event with minimal disruptions. SMSU won 15-11 overall and it was great to see blue and white all over campus. The event was the highest ever attended Varsity with over 1000 St Mary’s and over 600 Brunel students participating or spectating. The Sports and Societies Dinner was another sell out, with just over 300 people attending the event. It was also a time to reflect upon the successes of the year and congratulate all of the students for their hard work throughout the year and thank those who have voluntarily given up their time to run and manage their respective clubs.
Student Activities: Clubs and Societies Sport Clubs and Societies Conference This year, SMSU introduced the Sport Clubs and Societies Conference (SSC). The conference was a training day for new clubs and societies committee members. The day consisted of different workshops and keynotes speeches that were related to club and society development such as finance, kit and apparel, health and safety, Wednesday fixtures, continuing development, sponsorship and promoting their club effectively. There was also a panel debate were students were able to engage in dialogue about sports and societies with key members of staff. To compliment the information shared at the conference, SMSU developed a handbook for all club and society captains and presidents. SMSU held the first conference in September 2013 and after receiving feedback from the students who attended, moved the 2014/15 conference to the beginning of summer (May 2014), where just over 80 students attended, an increase at the 65 attendees from first event. Already, SMSU has seen the benefit of holding the conferences as there has been noticeable effectiveness in the way that clubs and societies are organised, financial management and development. There are plans to run a ‘top up’ session in October 2014.
Student Sport Strategy SMSU started work on the Student Sport Strategy in conjunction with Sport St Mary’s this year after it was felt by both students and staff that a strategy was required to give direction to the development of student sport at St Mary’s. SMSU held a series of consultation sessions with students and are hoping to implement the strategy in October 2014.
Meiji University (Japan) vs St Mary’s - Rugby Union This year SMSU hosted a Rugby match against Meiji University as part of their Universities and Colleges tour across the country. A team of students from all sports was formed to represent St Mary’s in the Rugby match which was played on the main campus Rugby pitch. After a St Mary’s win, students from St Mary’s joined Meiji students for a small ceremony including buffet and drinks followed by joint St Mary’s/Meiji social activities into the evening.
University Sport Activation Funding Application SMSU in collaboration with Sport St Mary’s submitted an application to Sport England for a project to aid retention via participation in recreational sport on campus. The ‘SIMMSActive’ programme was devised to allow students to participate in sport and fitness activities with a ‘pay as you go’ approach at different intervals throughout each day during term time. The project specialises in using all areas of campus for activity, including non-sporting facilities such as drama studios, lecture rooms, the SU Lounge etc. The application included funding for a full time coordinator and resources to support the programmes’ activity. SMSU/Sport St Mary’s were awarded £152k over 3 years in June 2014 with a view to implement the programme from September 2014.
Futsal - £5k start up award Even though they were a brand new club for 2013/14, the Futsal Club was awarded £5k worth of funding from the Football Association to aid the set up of the club including kit and equipment, travel, training and coaching costs. This was the first time a club had been awarded this type of funding which is a huge achievement for a club in its infancy. Futsal went on to win their league and gain promotion.
Student Activities: Events
Freshers’ The 2013/14 Freshers’ Week was a huge success. Not only did SMSU extend the Freshers’ period to 13 days (10 days previously), but SMSU sold more Freshers’ wristbands than in previous years and made a surplus of £38k - the highest ever made. It was important to SMSU that the Freshers’ programme was diversified to include events for all. Instead of just the usual ‘club events’, SMSU introduced day time and early evening events into the Freshers’ programme. Events included a Vintage Fair, an Opportunities Fair (in collaboration with Careers); where students could sign up to opportunities and part time work, Clubs and Societies Fair, International Welcome event, Quiz, Games Night, sports tournements and Hall-Stars and live music night. SMSU arranged for induction talks to occur on the evening of arrivals day presented by the company ‘UniSmart’. The talks were a 90 minute performance about everything there is to know about the student experience ranging from health and safety, relationships, study methods, the transition from home to university, meeting new people and progressing through university towards graduation. The performance was a fun way to get across essential information to new students. SMSU are now part of a working group looking at the information given to new students in talks during the first few days of university and are developing a new programme of talks for 2014/15. The SMSU Freshers’ Fair was an amazing success. 34 different stall holders attended including Sport St Mary’s, Careers, Languages, Study Abroad, local charities, Nandos, Dominos, local nightclubs and bars and educational unions such as the NUT. The 2013/14 fair saw the largest attendance in recent years (1997 attendees), with students attending from all years of academic study. The Sport Clubs and Societies Fair showcased 34 different student groups ranging from Basketball, Hockey, Football to Drama, Christian Union and SMUC Radio. Newly formed Clubs and Societies were also in attendance including TV Society, Islamic Society, Handball and Futsal.
Summer Ball and Boat Party
The Summer Ball and Boat Party sold out completely in record time; 1200 tickets sold in just 8 days! The theme for the Ball was ‘The Great Gatsby’ and SMSU recruited a team of volunteers to make decorations and accessories for the event. A new element was introduced to the Ball in the form of an outdoor music (acoustic) stage which proved extremely popular with the students who attended. Regular attractions included the fair ground, casino, DJ’s, Silent Disco, free chocolate fountain and candy floss and the Summer Ball Dinner with awards. The original headline act cancelled three weeks before the event which meant that SMSU had to quickly find a replacement. After agreement to increase the ‘Acts’ budget, SMSU signed a contract with ‘FOXES’ who were the highlight of the event. The Boat Party saw 600 students travel down to Tower Hill to board the ‘Dixie Queen’ Thames cruise-liner on the morning after the Ball. The Boat Party gave students a sightseeing opportunity whilst DJ’s and acoustic music entertained on board.
Other Events and Entertainments during 2013/14
SMSU provided events and entertainments throughout 2013/14. These included a Hallowe’en Party, Christmas Party, Valentines Party, University Celebration and Thanks-giving Party. SMSU also arranged ‘Bus2Club’ sessions on Wednesday’s in collaboration with McClusky’s nightclub and developed a relationship with the Ministry of Sound in central London, were SMSU arranged nightclub trips to the venue. Unfortunately due to water saturation as a result of the bad weather at the beginning of 2014, the annual SIMMStock festival did not go ahead.
To everyone who has made 2013/14 such an amazing year!
Name:
St Mary’s Students’ Union (SMSU)
Contact Details: Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, London, TW1 4SF 02082404131 smsu@smuc.ac.uk Charity No:
1150328
Website:
www.stmaryssu.co.uk