WELCOME FROM SU PRESIDENT The University experience goes beyond what you learn on your course. There are countless opportunities outside your studies for you to develop your skills, your knowledge, and gain crucial experience that will both enhance your time at University and help you progress in your future career. Many of these opportunities are provided through involvement with the Students’ Union – an organisation which depends on the involvement of its members to function effectively. Leadership opportunities are available in the three key strands of the Union’s work. You may already be involved as a Course Rep, an Activity Group Leader, a Community Volunteer or a Union Council member. You may have already been involved in a campaign or project that set out to make an improvement on campus or in the wider community. Perhaps you aren’t already, but want to get involved with one or more of the above. It’s never too late to get started. For me personally, my route into the Students’ Union was first through becoming an Activity Group Leader. I then became a Union Councillor; and so I have first-hand experience of just how the Students’ Union can impact on your life, and lead you down different pathways which you didn’t perhaps think you’d go down! The Student Leadership Award is there to open doors for you both while you’re a student at Huddersfield, and for when you enter the world of work. The award will help you develop and exercise skills which you perhaps wouldn’t gain from the classroom experience. Skills which are transferable and sometimes essential for future employers – more commonly referred to as competencies. While one of the core purposes of the award is to help equip students with the right tools they need for the working world, don’t forget that it’s in place to provide you with opportunities which you will benefit from, and subsequently for you to get enjoyment out of. So go out and enjoy being a student leader, being a campaigner, an activist, a volunteer - at the end of it you’ll reap the benefits I’m sure. But most of all, the Student Leadership Award is there to recognise you for the work you do for having a positive impact on fellow students, for making their life at university better. Enjoy it, take pride in what you’re doing to help fellow students and the community, get as much out of it as you can and good luck! Josh Elderfield Students’ Union President 2014/15
GUIDANCE NOTES How does it work? The Student Leadership Award is judged on the submission of a reflective portfolio submitted in Term 2, which details your involvement in one or more areas of student leadership activity, and how this involvement has developed you as a person. Each area is judged against a set of competencies, and requires you to provide examples of how these have been met. The identified areas for student leadership activity are: Making the student voice heard The Students’ Union political agenda is led by the Union Council, who play a key role in deciding what campaigns the Union will run, and leading on student involvement. Another crucial role in leading change in the university is being able to represent fellow students at course, department or school level. Suitable for: Course Reps, School Reps, School Council members, Union Council members and Campaign project leaders Leading a fun and enriching student life The student population at Huddersfield has a huge range of interests which are represented in the many student-led sports clubs and societies that are supported by the Students’ Union. Suitable for: Club and society committee members Active involvement in community life Students can contribute to the local community through a range of volunteering opportunities, from one-off projects to taking the lead on some of our on-going volunteering initiatives. Suitable for: Community volunteers, Student volunteering project leaders
Your portfolio will then be assessed against the criteria by a judging panel who will decide whether you can be awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold Level award.
The judging panels To ensure a suitable range of expertise, entries will be judged by a panel consisting of: A Students’ Union Exec Officer A relevant senior University staff member or representative from an external organisation A representative from the University Careers and Employability Service Students’ Union staff members whose remits are closely linked to the student leadership areas
The Vice Chancellor’s Award All submissions awarded a Gold level will also be considered for the Vice Chancellor’s Award – a prestigious top-level award that recognises outstanding contribution to university and community life. Winners will have demonstrated that they have gone above and beyond the criteria for a Gold level, and will be given a special mention at their graduation ceremony, as well as being invited to an award dinner. Your Student Leadership Award journey 1. If you are not already – get involved. The opportunities on offer within the three areas of student leadership cater for a wide range of interests – there is something for everyone. 2. Familiarise yourself with the portfolio template and make sure you gain a good understanding of the competencies you have been asked to meet. 3. Attend a Student Leadership Award portfolio workshop to ensure you are clear on how to best present your achievements and self-development. Details of these can be found online. 4. Ensure that you update your portfolio on a regular basis, as it will be very difficult to remember everything you’ve done and provide meaningful reflection if you wait until the end of the year. 5. Your portfolio needs to be submitted by email to the Student Volunteering Manager, r.Milne@hud.ac.uk by Friday 8 May 2015. 6. Judging will take place between Monday 11 May 2015 and Friday 15 May 2015 – winners will then be invited to celebrate their achievements at the Students’ Union Awards on Friday 29 May 2015. Contacts Participation in the Student Leadership Award should involve on-going engagement with the Students’ Union, who will provide you with mentoring and support in both your chosen activities and development of your portfolio. At any time, you can get in touch with:
Rebecca Milne Student Volunteering Manager r.milne@hud.ac.uk 01484 473546
PORTFOLIO Your Details Name Address
E-mail Contact number Course Year of study
Competencies Assessment Please detail here how participation in student leadership activities has helped you develop the following competencies. You should provide clear examples wherever possible, and show evidence that you have effectively reflected on your experiences to help you develop. Where possible, try to draw from a range of different examples. Influencing How have you convinced others to take appropriate action via a logical and well thought through approach? How have you reached mutually satisfactory agreements from differing viewpoints? Please indicate the area of student leadership activity you are drawing your examples from. Making the Student Voice heard Leading a fun and enriching student life Active involvement in community life Please provide evidence...
Commercial awareness What is your understanding of the wider environment in which an organisation operates? How does your own role contribute to organisational aims and strategies? Please indicate the area of student leadership activity you are drawing your examples from. Making the Student Voice heard Leading a fun and enriching student life Active involvement in community life Please provide evidence...
Self-motivation How have you demonstrated the ability to do what needs to be done without being prompted by others? Have you shown a willingness to take a fresh approach rather than sticking with the way things have always been done? Please indicate the area of student leadership activity you are drawing your examples from. Making the Student Voice heard Leading a fun and enriching student life Active involvement in community life Please provide evidence...
Adaptability Can you demonstrate that you are able and willing to change in order to suit different conditions? Please indicate the area of student leadership activity you are drawing your examples from. Making the Student Voice heard Leading a fun and enriching student life Active involvement in community life Please provide evidence...
Resilience How have you responded positively to challenges, setbacks and failures? Please indicate the area of student leadership activity you are drawing your examples from. Making the Student Voice heard Leading a fun and enriching student life Active involvement in community life Please provide evidence...
SCORING CRITERIA
Influencing
Representation
Resolving an issue on your course
Implementing an idea for the improvement of your course
Self-Motivation
Commercial Awareness
Volunteering
Making an impact on the people/cause you are supporting
Different ways in which you encourage students to join your club or society
Encouraging others to get involved in volunteering
Influencing a decision at a high level within the institution that affects the wider student population
Engaging others to become involved in campaigns to support charities
Different ways in which you’re able to inspire and keep registered club/society members engaged
Applying for financial support through ratification and sponsorship
Understanding how your role as a representative of the student voice can help to lead and direct the work of the Students’ Union
Understanding the impact volunteering has on a charity or organisation’s objectives
Understanding the value club or society membership can bring to students’ lives
Realising the benefit volunteering can have in the community
Recognising the positive impact a club or society has in the Higher Education context
Appreciating the positive impact volunteering can make on student life
Realising the positive impact that clubs and societies can make in community
Use of initiative when you have carried out positive voluntary action without direction
Able to deliver sessions to a group of student members
Ability to keep a club or society developing and delivering improvements
Bringing new ideas to a club or society and carrying these out
Understanding of factors that affect how Students’ Unions are governed and how this affects how they operate
Understanding of factors that influence the Higher Education environment on a national level and the impact these have at the University of Huddersfield
Evidence of seeking out the opinions of students on a regular basis through a range of methods
Evidence of going beyond the routine raising of issues by proactively suggesting improvements on a regular basis
Activities
Actively contributing your time and effort to involvement in or leading on Students’ Union campaigns
Demonstrating occasions where you have gone above and beyond the expectations of your volunteering Creating or proposing a new idea which can enhance the volunteering you are part of
Adaptability Resilience
Ability to represent viewpoints that may be different from your own
Improving a proposal on the basis of feedback given to you by your peers
Undertaking further research to improve an idea or to back up a point you have made
Describe a time when you have been volunteering and something hasn’t gone quite to plan and how you adapted to the situation
How well you deal with change when alterations are made to the volunteering you’re participating in
Proving you’re flexible in your volunteering by undertaking tasks that might not initially have been expected of you
Being able to deal with the unexpected when things don’t go to plan for your club or society
Ensuring that your club or society remains inclusive to a diverse student population
Being able to use initiative when factors beyond your control affect the environment in which your club or society operates changes
Ability to respond to a negative outcome to an issue or idea that you have raised.
A positive and proactive response when volunteering and something hasn’t quite gone to plan
Ability to deal with club and society complaints as and when they arise and being able to react positively
Dealing with difficult arguments from coursemates or fellow representatives when debating an idea or reporting on a decision
Being able to remain calm and level-headed in demanding and high pressure volunteering scenarios
Being able to run a club or society in adherence to set regulations
Ability to quickly recover from setbacks that may occur in volunteering
Leading a club or society with limited resources
Ability to respond to criticism when being held to account by students you represent
The above grid provides a variety of examples we will be looking for you to provide when completing your portfolio. Your application will be marked by the following score levels depending on how well you meet each competency. Each number you have been awarded for each competency will then be totalled to decide whether you are a Bronze, Silver or Gold awardee. The higher number you score per competency the more likely you will score a higher level of award.
Score Levels (per competency) 0 – No evidence provided 1 – An example provided for each competency with an explanation as to how it’s helped you develop in that area. 2 – At least one example provided for each competency, with some competencies supported by multiple examples, or in-depth reflection as to how it’s helped you develop in that area. 3 – Multiple examples provided for all competencies, in-depth reflection as to how it’s helped you develop in that area, and evidence of impact made. Score Total The below scale displays the boundaries that depict what level of award you will achieve through the total of each score you gain through each competency. 0 – 4 = Insufficient criteria met 5 - 8 = Bronze 9 - 12 = Silver 13 - 15 = Gold