Warwick SU Annual Report 2017-18 by Warwick SU

Annual Report 2017-18

warwicksu.com

Sabbatical Officer Team 2017-18

Introduction The SU’s Member Survey conducted in the 2016-17 academic year outlined students’ Top 3 priorities while studying at university. These were:

Contents Introduction 03 Chief Executive’s Review of the Year

Your President’s Statement 05 1) Study space 2) Academic achievement 3) Mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Key Campaigns Hope Worsdale

Liam Jackson

Emily Dunford

EDUCATION OFFICER

POSTGRADUATE OFFICER

PRESIDENT

Michael Kynaston DEMOCRACY & DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

#WeGetConsent #ReshapingSport Wednesday Afternoons Free Are You OK? Bus Campaign Campus Rent Reductions Postgraduate Research Project UCU Strikes: Supporting Students

Ellie Martin

Niall Johnson

Ellen Holmes

SPORTS OFFICER

SOCIETIES OFFICER

WELFARE & CAMPAIGNS OFFICER

Theme One 06 Students shaping their education and the world around them Theme Two 12 Students navigating the challenges of student life Theme Three 18 Students shaping the future they want for themselves Theme Four 20 Students meeting new people, sharing new experiences and building communities Theme Five 26 Delivering an effective & sustainable membership organisation Our year in numbers

Our year in figures

Warwick SU: who we are

Your President’s Statement

Our Chief Executive’s Statement It never fails to amaze me just how much goes on every year that is driven by the passion students have for creativity, innovation and debate, for liberation and fighting oppression, for having fun and building communities, and for supporting and helping others.

Here is our Annual Impact Report for 2017-18, which outlines what the Students' Union has been working on this year in collaboration with our members, as well as providing a showcase for the incredible achievements of students at Warwick! As your SU, we are committed to providing you with support and opportunities during your time at university - however you choose to define that. I am proud to work alongside a team of dedicated paid and volunteer student officers and staff (many of whom are students themselves!) who work tirelessly to make this happen. Our ultimate aim is to enrich the university experience by empowering students to become both the people they want to be and help to create the change they wish to see in the world. Once again, I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who made this another successful year for the SU - be they volunteers, Trustees, Officers, staff or students. While we currently live in increasingly uncertain times, it is your passion, enthusiasm and commitment which drives the Students' Union to fight for your rights and help create a brighter future!

Jacqui Clements SU CHIEF EXECUTIVE

An ever-changing UK Higher Education landscape – coupled with the increasingly volatile and unpredictable wider political context – make this a difficult and sometimes turbulent period for the student movement. An unprecedented array of challenges continue to create an unfavourable climate for students – be it the mental health crisis currently gripping universities, the conditions faced by our academic staff, or the ongoing effects of the Government’s contentious Higher Education reforms. Despite the many challenges faced, however, the Students’ Union had another incredibly successful year during 2017-18. Our passionate Sabbatical and Part-Time Officers, activists and campaigners continued to fight for a safer and more inclusive campus through our #WeGetConsent campaign, while the SU’s award-winning #ReshapingSport campaign demonstrated conclusively the social and political implications of extra-curricular activities for students’ lives. This year’s Student Officer team were also able to negotiate reductions and freezes in campus accommodation prices, helping to ensure that no student feels priced out of education. It is victories such as these, together with the other achievements covered in this year’s Annual Report, which make me proud to have led an organisation which champions the rights of marginalised individuals while continuing to work towards a progressive future.

Hope Worsdale SU PRESIDENT, 2017-18

This year’s Student Officer team were also able to negotiate reductions and f reezes in campus accommodation prices, helping to ensure that no student feels priced out of education.

Theme One Students shaping their education and the world around them

Through the work of its dedicated network of Student Officers, Faculty Reps and Course Reps, the SU continues to help shape the development of the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Education Strategy for both current and future students.

Retaining a specific focus on the co-production of education and curriculum development, our work this year included the following:

Liberate My Module results published Last year, the SU ran its Liberate My Module survey to find out how well students felt that their curriculum embedded issues of liberation and diversity. The results revealed that students want the following: Greater diversity of core texts More inclusive terminology Greater focus on gender, LGBT issues and post-colonialism More open lectures and seminars A broader curriculum With these findings now being used to inform future work in this area, we reopened the survey for current students to send us their thoughts on any of their current or recent academic modules.

Liberated Curriculum SU President HOPE WORSDALE and Education Officer LIAM JACKSON also helped create and run an alternative lecture series, Hidden Histories. These lectures aimed to open up important histories and discourses which are often erased and omitted from mainstream curricula to help create a more inclusive, liberated education.

In addition, Liam and SU Trans Students' Officer ALEX LYTHALL worked behind-the scenes on removing some of the gendered terminology from University regulations.

QAA Consultation Following our attendance at consultation events, the Students’ Union submitted a response to the Government’s QAA consultation on the redevelopment of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education. We were also in dialogue with the University, formulating their response to a series of questions which focused on whether we felt that the proposals adequately meet students’ needs, while ensuring “quality” across the sector. The SU found that proposed changes to the QAA Quality Code reflect a concerning shift in the Higher Education landscape towards a narrative of marketisation which will produce a “race to the bottom” to the detriment of students’ education, wellbeing, and the future of the public university. Ever since the trebling of tuition fees, universities have seen an overwhelming increase in demand for mental health support services, together with a significant decrease in participation in extracurricular activities designed to enhance the student experience. We contended that these proposals will embed those effects still further.

The SU contended that the OfS proposals represented a fundamental misunderstanding of education, partnership, collaboration, value and quality. We redefined their concept of “value-for-money” to prioritise reforms around student poverty, wellbeing, widening participation, race/disability/international attainment gaps, and students succeeding on their own terms (rather than by narrow government metrics). We also found it deeply troubling that the OfS essentially seeks to remove students’ ability to organise through students’ unions, instead creating a one-onone provider/consumer relationship.

Subject-level TEF: SU response

OfS response

In response to the Government’s intention to expand the contentious “Teaching Excellence Framework” (TEF) in Higher Education to cover subjects at individual subject level, Warwick SU took part in a consultation on the issue.

The SU also submitted its response to the Government’s consultation on the role of the proposed ‘Office for Students’ (OfS) in its Higher Education reforms. Once again, we were disappointed to report that this proposal offered yet another flawed attempt to justify the Government’s attempts to marketise Higher Education.

We believe that, while the objective of ensuring teaching excellence is valid (and something we have sought to attain at Warwick throughout our existence), the ways in which the TEF seeks to address the issue are inherently flawed. Overall, we did not believe that the current proposals have

a consistent approach across all subjects. We recommended pursuing an alternative approach, grounded in the belief that Higher Education is a public good (and its value being not simply for the individual, but for all of society). Universities are about pushing the boundaries of knowledge; not metrics, and certainly not monetary outcomes. Until that is recognised, any TEF will fail to benefit the lives and experiences of students or staff.

Study Space SU Education Officer LIAM JACKSON set up a Working Group with department heads and University management this year, resulting in several tours of campus to flag up key spaces for redevelopment and the University hiring an analyst to provide an audit of existing spaces and make recommendations for better provision in future. Progress was also made on a ‘Study Space Finder’ app, with a potential model developed with students and staff which enables users to book available spaces via scannable QR codes on desks. In Term 3, a new Study Space Availability Checker was launched on the Library’s website to provide students with a better idea of current traffic levels in the Library and its associated Learning Grids. We also pushed the University to make a total of 230 Centrally Timetabled rooms available for quiet group or individual study throughout the term, while the LIB1 space was made available 24 hours a day throughout Term 3.

Academic Representation Liam Jackson also created the first-ever Faculty Forums here at Warwick, and led the SU’s Academic Representation Transformation Project, which aims to widen student engagement and allow Reps greater opportunities to create the changes that students want to their course. This led to ongoing improvements and standardisation to the evaluation of modules, as well as the process for general student feedback. To improve students’ options when things don’t go to plan, Liam took part in a review of the Mitigating Circumstances processes to ensure that these are improved and standardised across all departments.

Liam also helped to set up a University Course Costs Review group to look at the impact of hidden course costs following a call for evidence f rom students in Term 1.

#WeGetConsent campaign Sexual violence and harassment are widespread problems which exist across society, and university campuses are sadly no exception to this. The SU’s flagship student welfare campaign this year, #WeGetConsent, focused on the issue of the importance of obtaining consent in personal relationships and everyday interaction, and aimed to educate and inform students of their responsibilities in this area. Our message was simple: together, as a community, we must strive to make our campus and local area as safe and inclusive as possible. Following a series of Hate Crime and Sexual Violence focus groups in Term 1, we pioneered a brand new academic module, the Intervention Initiative – the first SU-run module of its kind here at Warwick. A six-hour course on consent and bystander intervention, the ultimate goal is for the Intervention Initiative to become an integral part of respect and wellbeing education in the curriculum for all Warwick students.

We also successfully lobbied the University for an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor on campus. The advisor has been working from the SU Advice Centre one day a week since March 2018.

Wednesday Afternoons Free Every Wednesday afternoon, students are missing the chance to attend BUCS fixtures, meet up with their society, undertake volunteering opportunities, and enrich their university experience outside of their timetables. The SU’s Wednesday Afternoons Free (WAF) campaign sought to pressure the university to implement a comprehensive and

inclusive policy in this area, so that students can be free to pursue their extra-curricular passions and enrich their Warwick experience. Hundreds of students signed an Open Letter to the University detailing their experiences, while Sabbatical Officers worked behind the scenes to implement a universal policy across departments. Though the campaign is still ongoing, Sports Officer ELLIE MARTIN and Education Officer LIAM JACKSON were ultimately able to obtain a letter of authorised absence for those competing in sporting fixtures on a Wednesday.

Warwick Speak Out Led by Warwick Anti-Racism Society, the Warwick Speak Out project was created to encourage students of colour to report their experiences of racism on campus and to expose the scale of the problem. The first collated reports from this feedback were published in September 2018.

Trans Awareness Week A recognition of the barriers faced by Trans students and the election of our first Trans Officer led to Trans Awareness Week workshops being delivered, in addition to a University/SU joint Trans problemsolving half-day. We also held a Reddit Q&A, offered signposting to the Trans Day of Remembrance, and facilitated problemmapping as part of LGBTUA+ taskforce. This year, the decision was made to offer events with a specific focus, targeted toward particular groups with the power to influence the campus culture such as sports club and society execs, as well as SU and University staff. 17 societies and 20 sports clubs sent at least one representative to their respective focused workshops.

#FixTheFees campaign A flagship policy of SU President HOPE WORSDALE, our #FixTheFees campaign aims to simplify and standardise the fee structure paid by international students, in opposition to the fluctuating system currently in operation which creates needless anxiety and financial hardship for students. With 800+ students signing an SU petition on this issue, we gathered anecdotal evidence about the impact that wavering fees had on their time at university. This evidence was then collated and presented as a paper to the Fees Working Group. Though the campaign is still ongoing, we were later able to gain a commitment to fixing fees at the start of a course.

undertaken at our university, while also encouraging potential future postgraduate students to attend and understand more about the nature of postgraduate research.

National Demo In line with SU policy on supporting Free Education, we once again helped to facilitate student activism on this issue by taking a coachload of students to the national Higher Education demonstration in London on 15th November.

IPC – Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Conference Held for the first time in Term 3, the Warwick Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Conference aimed to provide postgraduate students from all levels of study a platform from which to share their research with peers. Founded by SU Postgraduate Officer EMILY DUNFORD, this year’s inaugural event gave students an opportunity to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the research being

Theme Two Students navigating the challenges of student life

The SU is committed to making sure that students have access to the support they need when they need it, as well as making sure that life as a student is as affordable as possible. Our work in this area encompassed the following:

Bus campaign Following the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Stagecoach: Stop Taking Us For A Rideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; motion passed in 2016-17, we wrote to Stagecoach with the following demands: To resume replacing lost bus passes at a minimal cost to students. To improve their out-of-term bus service To improve their technology to allow contactless payment on their vehicles When we received no satisfactory response, we refused to allow Stagecoach to promote or sell its products within Union buildings until their existing policy was reversed. We also compiled student testimony about their services.

Ultimately, the campaign proved successful and yielded the following results: The SU won the right to replace lost or stolen bus passes at minimal cost, and established an appeals process facilitated by the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union, the University and Stagecoach to determine whether or not any rejected claims should ultimately be granted. The U1 service ran on the same timetable as it does in term-time during the Easter break, meaning that buses were scheduled to run up to every 15 minutes. Following changes to the U1 route, we secured extra night-time buses for the 67 service which frequents Sydenham, as well as a service which will visit Sydenham from campus at the very end of the night. Democracy & Development Officer MICHAEL KYNASTON and Education Officer LIAM JACKSON also successfully lobbied for smart bus passes to become available online from Term 3, thus further minimising the cost of replacement passes and providing a more convenient payment method for students. Assurances were made that contactless payment methods would be instituted as soon as possible.

With regard to National Express, the SU publicised and facilitated student involvement with their contactless payment pilot scheme on selected local routes, along with testing of their proposed new app.

“Thank you so much for the help you have given me. At times, I have truly lost faith in the disciplinary myself and you have most definitely played a major role in figuring out the predicaments which have been tackled. You have been absolutely amazing and I couldn’t have asked for better support!”

would be revoked or refunded, as well as issuing information to affected students about the purchase of PGR parking permits.

Housing Day Campus Rent wins It is essential that students from lowerincome backgrounds across all years of study have access to a range of accommodation options, and that no student is ever priced-out of taking up a place at Warwick. We were therefore pleased to announce in 2017-18 that the University’s accommodation proposals for the forthcoming academic year took on board all of the concerns aired by Sabbatical Officers in the Student Rents Working Party, which decides the price of University-managed accommodation. The outcomes were: Whitefields and Redfern halls will be decreasing in rent, while Westwood prices will be frozen at their current rate during 2018-19; The number of Undergraduate lets that can be paid for entirely by the minimum maintenance loan has been retained; The establishment of a Postgraduate housing ladder: a block of Westwood will be opened up to PG students, as will Whitefields. Although campus rents increase every year in line with inflation and other associated costs, the planned increase of 3% was negotiated down to 2.59%.

We also worked with Warwick Accommodation to offer postgraduate housing six weeks before the 2018-19 term began.

Sleep Deprivation Sleep, or lack thereof, is a significant factor within the mental health crisis currently affecting universities. In response to a motion passed at ASM to tackle sleep deprivation among students, we launched an online survey to collect students’ feedback to present to the University, with a view to them implementing sleeping/relaxation facilities for students on campus.

Postgraduate Parking

Held in November this year, our annual day for students to learn about their accommodation options in the local area was another success, with the Advice Team giving out some 1100 Housing Guides – the highest number to date. The four talks given by the SU’s Housing Ambassadors were also very busy on the day, with some 520 students attending in total. Subsequent to this year’s event, we developed a “Know Your Rights” resource for students renting off-campus and created plans for the dissemination of ongoing resources throughout term-time.

Mental Health

When PG student access to the Lynchgate car park on campus was suddenly revoked without prior consultation, SU Postgraduate Officer EMILY DUNFORD took up students’ concerns with the University.

Running in Term 2, this year saw the SU take a more collaborative and student-led approach to the Mental Health Awareness Week programme, with events including Q&A sessions with Warwick Mind Aware, a daily Creative Corner with ArtSoc, Yoga workshops, Mindfulness talks and pet therapy sessions.

Although we were ultimately unable to reverse this decision due to a tax complication, the University subsequently began promoting Lynchgate as a priority parking option to staff, in order to free up spaces elsewhere. The SU also negotiated that all parking tickets incorrectly issued to PG permit holders for parking in Lynchgate prior to 1st October

The SU also continued its successful Are You OK? campaign, expanding the focus to incorporate events with a specific postgraduate focus. A viral photo campaign amongst students at the start of the academic year also saw Clubs & Societies pledge renewed support to the initiative and help to spread awareness.

UCU Strikes During Term 2, the SU provided support and guidance to students throughout the scheduled UCU strikes, supporting our undergraduate members and addressing their concerns while ensuring that the postgraduate teaching community’s demands continue to be heard. Postgraduate Officer EMILY DUNFORD chaired a Q&A Session featuring members of Warwick Anti-Casualisation, UCU, striking staff and management, while the SU continued to offer its comms channels as a means of communicating student frustration to the University. Throughout the strike, the Student Officer team strived to secure the most robust plan possible for mitigating impact on students’ academic experience, raising a range of questions and proposals in relation to assessment deadlines, exam content, mechanisms for degree classifications and graduation. The strikes ultimately came to an end following student support and pressure placed on the University to fully utilise its position and negotiate a fair outcome. Following sustained lobbying by the Student Officer team, the approximately £400k generated in savings to the University due to UCU members not receiving salaries during periods of industrial action was divided between the student hardship fund and the creation of additional new study spaces on campus.

Postgraduate Researcher Pay The SU continued to lobby the University and individual departments to improve conditions for PGR students under the Sessional Teaching Project, ensuring that students who would previously have been in receipt of teaching bursaries (and thus remain unpaid for teaching) are now paid according to STP. We also lobbied the University to correct an error which saw student teachers left without pay during October.

In addition, we were proud to join a number of other SUs in a national campaign which promoted free UCU membership to all Postgraduate Researchers.

Student Wellbeing In association with our independent Advice Centre, the SU posted a series of regular articles relevant to students’ experiences at different times throughout the year, as well as formulating a strategy and plan to inform future communication on these issues. The end-of-year Moving Out campaign, PLAN. GO. GET, was particularly successful, with anecdotal evidence from Leamington suggesting a significant decrease in the amount of waste and rubbish generated at the end of the summer term. Sourcing recipes from the student population, Welfare & Campaigns Officer ELLEN HOLMES developed a suite of Food for Thought recipe cards – these were made available online, with over 5000 being distributed in Term 1. Following SU Education Officer LIAM JACKSON’s

proposal to establish a wellbeing centre in the heart of campus, sustained lobbying saw the proposed redesign of Senate House ultimately incorporate a Central Student Services Hub.

Community Engagement The setting up of our dedicated Campaigns & Community team this year has seen the SU make significant in-roads with regard to community engagement in the local area. Effective networking and stakeholder engagement has taken place in South Leamington with Councillors, voluntary groups and meetings with local residents, while feedback from the Warwick District Council community worker for Brunswick noted a discernible shift in perceptions about students from local residents. The team also took part in the Town Council’s Neighbourhood Plan consultation, making sure that students’ voices remained at the heart of the discussion.

Additional SU wins for students In Term 3, Democracy & Development Officer MICHAEL KYNASTON successfully secured the introduction of long-requested free hot water and microwaves for student use in the Library, as well as overseeing the installation of a microwave in the Student Work Zone area of SUHQ. A free and secure bag storage facility was also again in operation during exam periods in Terms 1 and 3, helping students to protect their belongings at this stressful time of year.

Theme Three Students shaping the future they want for themselves

This year, the SU further expanded its extra-curricular support for our members by developing an Employability offer for the first time, alongside dedicated Employability pages on our website.

Our employability offer seeks to promote engagement among students through a diverse range of 3,318 opportunities including voluntary roles of Club and Society Execs, Student Voice academic reps and our paid student staff roles. Following extensive student-led evaluation of what our members need from us, we developed a pilot Employability tracker to simplify the process of students capturing their achievements by recording evidence. In addition, we provided guidance on how to translate their SU experiences into useful skills to better support their future careers.

In total, over 700 students received face to face bespoke and thematic training including Student Officers, Clubs and Societies, part-time Officers, Exec committee members and Venues staff, with many more accessing our online training support for their roles. The SUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training includes not just functional skills but also information about wellbeing, employability and respectful campus behaviours.

Following on from last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work to improve student safety and wellbeing on nights out, we developed welfare training on facilitating safer socials and provided inclusivity training for Society and Club Execs, together with tailored training for students taking on the Welfare Exec role in each of our Societies and Sports Clubs. In conjunction with the International Office, we ran 15 Intercultural Awareness training sessions in the SU to support student leaders in delivering inclusive Clubs and Societies. In collaboration with our part-time Ethics and Environment Officers, the SU also piloted a careers session for the Global Sustainable Development Society, which 94 students attended. SU Education Officer LIAM JACKSON successfully lobbied for a Student Services Hub to be created in the heart of campus, which will be specifically geared towards wellbeing and employability. Throughout the year, a number of careers events were also held in the SU Atrium, giving students the opportunity to investigate the graduate opportunities available from a diverse range of companies.

Theme Four Students meeting new people, sharing new experiences and building communities

The SU continues to provide excellent opportunities for students to participate in club, society and social activities, as well as providing valuable support, guidance and training for student activity leaders. Some of our flagship initiatives this year included:

#ReshapingSport A flagship initiative of SU Sports officer ELLIE MARTIN with support from LGBTUA+ Officer RYAN GIRARD, Trans Students' Officer ALEX LYTHALL and Disabled Students' Officer MELISSA MARTIN, the #ReshapingSport campaign aimed to challenge the environment and ethos of sport on campus by broadening the range of activities available to groups of students who may have previously felt excluded. This ranged from Trans Awareness sessions and inclusion drives to a range of initiatives designed to support mental health and wellbeing, including Sport Against Stress sessions throughout Term 3. #ReshapingSport ultimately proved to be a huge success, with every single Sports Club engaging with the campaign either by running specific events or getting involved with its wider facets. At the end of the year, 99% of students surveyed agreed that ‘Reshaping Sport has contributed to making sport here at Warwick more inclusive, diverse and accessible’. At the 2018 BUCS Awards, the campaign took home the #TakeAStand Award, which is awarded to the University deemed the best at creating initiatives which tackle discrimination in sport, widening participation, and making sport more inclusive for marginalised communities.

Disabled Sport To further broaden the accessibility of sport at Warwick, Ellie Martin also established a Disability Sport Steering Group, which aims to develop a sustainable disability sport programme. In its first year, this oversaw the development of Wheelchair Basketball sessions in partnership with the Basketball Club and a local community partner. As a result of its success, Wheelchair Basketball has now become part of the Basketball Club’s regular sessions.

In addition, Ellie helped develop a Disabled Dance Festival in collaboration with Warwick Enable.

#TeamWarwick Community Building

Parent & Carer Network

This year, SU Sports Officer ELLIE MARTIN introduced a Presidents Handover event for Club exec members, as well as revamping the Team Warwick campaign to better emphasise Warwick team colours and produce powerful videos for major events such as Varsity.

In order to better support students with caring responsibilities, Postgraduate Officer EMILY DUNFORD established the Parent & Carer Network. Accompanied by its own dedicated page on the SU website, regular meetings were held throughout the year in a childfriendly environment where student parents and carers could socialise and find out more information about relevant services available to them.

In addition, the Club Catch Up blog was introduced to enhance sports club exposure, with weekly posts published on the SU website to highlight specific club activities.

Sports Day As part of the #ReshapingSport campaign, a Sports Day took place across campus during Freshers Fortnight, providing an opportunity for all students and staff members to try sport at Warwick for free. Organised by SU Sports Officer ELLIE MARTIN and the Sports Exec, the event incorporated taster sessions and showcase events from Clubs, the Warwick Active programme, intramural sports, rock-upand-play sessions and more. Over 1000 students took part in this event, which also ran alongside an Inflatable Fun Day organised by the SU as part of the Freshers programme. This was followed by a two-week programme of free trials and tasters for the SU’s Sports Clubs, which were open to all students.

PG & International Societies & Sports Fair Prior to the start of Term 1, Ellie and SU Societies Officer NIALL JOHNSON organised a mini-fair for new postgraduate and international students, giving them a chance to meet current Sports Club and Society members, watch demonstrations and find out more about the benefits of getting involved in extra-curricular activities ahead of the main Sports and Societies Fairs during the Welcome period.

Something For You Fair This year, the SU held its first Something For You Fair at the start of Term 2, to enable students who may have missed out on SU activities during the Winter term to find out more about SU services, and to better support new postgraduates who may be starting in Term 2 to settle into campus life. Attended by the Student Officer team, stalls on the day encompassed a comprehensive range of SU and University departments, together with student-friendly local businesses and information about various student support organisations based in the region.

Varsity 2018 Anchored by the competition’s first-ever female showcase fixtures in Basketball and Football plus the support of the University in continuing last year’s successful #TeamWarwick campaign, Warwick won this year’s annual Varsity sporting tournament with an impressive final score of 42-14. The Basketball showcase attracted some 690 attendees, and was the most contested fixture this year.

#CreativeWarwick Following a successful launch in 201617, the campus-wide #CreativeWarwick campaign continued this year, with Societies Officer NIALL JOHNSON arranging an ‘Art Attack’ session in Term 1 featuring society performances and hands-on interactive content. This was followed by society showcases during Terms 1 & 2 and the return of the Warwick Fringe Festival in Term 3 (supported by the Socs Exec), which was timed to coincide with the University Open Day and again showed off the wide range of our students’ performing talents.

Coventry: City of Culture bid As a key stakeholder in the ongoing development of the city, we were proud to back the University in their support of the Coventry City of Culture bid. A range of opportunities and events were promoted to students throughout the duration of the campaign, ultimately resulting in a successful bid which is set to provide yet another platform for student creativity, engagement and volunteering.

Trans Awareness Week

Women’s Week – Term 2

In November 2017, Trans Awareness Week was led by Trans Students' Officer ALEX LYTHALL and saw the launch of a series of trans-inclusion workshops which were attended by Club & Society exec members, alongside University & SU staff. In a fantastic show of commitment to trans inclusion, over half of Warwick’s Sports Clubs sent at least one representative to these sessions. The SU also helped to challenge trans non-inclusion policies at BUCS.

Taking place in Term 2, International Women’s Week saw a programme of talks, workshops and events themed around careers sit alongside a special #ReshapingSport SelfDefence Session which was open to all selfidentifying female students.

A second round of trans-inclusion workshops raised the total number of University and Union staff trained to over 120, embedding better support for the trans community in academic and administrative departments across campus. As part of LGBTUA+ History Month, the NUS Trans Officer visited Warwick to deliver a well-attended talk on Challenging Transmisogyny in Higher Education, while Warwick alumnus Ruth Pearce delivered a well-received lecture as part of our Hidden Histories series entitled Transgender Moral Panic – A Brief Social History.

Other events Further student-run liberation, awareness and campaigning events facilitated by the SU during 2017-18 included: Disability Awareness Week Black History Month Islamophobia Awareness Month Holocaust Remembrance events

Society Awards 2018 This year’s end-of-year celebration of students’ extra-curricular achievements saw dozens of nominees in 7 categories. The eventual winners were recognised at a special event, the Societies Summer Party, which was held for the first time in Term 3.

LGBTUA+ History Month LGBTUA+ History Month took place in February 2018, and provided another opportunity for students to reflect on past struggles while looking to the future. #TeamWarwick Sports Clubs demonstrated their support by donning Rainbow Laces throughout the month, while Warwick Pride were once again instrumental in organising the various activities, which saw the return of their successful Query a Queer online Q&A campaign. LGBT Self-Defence classes were also run during the week.

International 24

Student

Achievements Among the many achievements of Warwick’s student-run societies this year, notable recognition was given to: Warwick RAG won Student Fundraising Group of the Year at the National Student Fundraising Awards. Warwick Engineering Society was shortlisted in the Top 5 societies in the UK for the National Undergraduate Employability (NUE) awards. TEDxWarwick were runners-up in the Best Society Event category at the NUS Societies Awards 2018. One of our first year students, Lubjana Piovesana, won a Gold medal at the Judo European Cup in Russia. Student fundraising project Warwick Blanket Fort mounted a World Record attempt in Term 3, raising money for LWS Night Shelter in Leamington and eventually being affirmed by Guinness as record-holders for the World’s Largest Blanket Fort.

Theme Five Delivering an effective & sustainable membership organisation

The SU remains committed to providing the best value for money possible to our members, while providing opportunities for involvement in sustainability projects and improving our own carbon footprint.

BUCS Awards In conjunction with Warwick Sport, we were delighted to receive the Participation Award, which recognises the best Active programme in the entire UK Higher Education sector. The British Active Student Survey published recently shows that students who are involved in sport or being active at University demonstrate higher levels of employability, better academic performance and more positive mental health. In addition, Warwick were also awarded a kite mark in Physical Activity Excellence, making us one of only 10 Universities in the UK to boast this accolade. This award recognises excellence in physical activity programmes which demonstrate positive impacts on student and staff wellbeing. Outgoing SU Sports Officer Ellie Martin said:

These awards are testament to the strong partnership Warwick University boasts between the Students’ Union and Warwick Sport. I am particularly proud to see the SU’s #ReshapingSport initiative recognised, and would like to thank everyone who’s played a part in its success this year!

Postgraduate Research Project In order to better understand the needs of our postgraduate community, a dedicated member of staff was recruited to compile a research report. The 12-week project involved original research with PGs via focus groups, together with interviews with other key stakeholders at the SU, the University and selected other students’ unions. Over 20 existing data sources were also analysed. The final research report made 39 practical, evidencebased recommendations for improving the SU’s offer for postgraduates in areas such as accommodation; health; sustainability; living costs; democracy and academic representation; campaigns; working with University departments; social activities and sports; and communications. A number of longer-term research activities were also identified. Subsequent to this, the Board of Trustees requested that an action plan to be developed, setting out how the report’s recommendations will be delivered in the coming years.

Website Development Project Also initiated this year was a long-term project to provide a complete redesign and overhaul of the SU website. Focus groups were held with students in Term 2, with the results feeding into an overarching action plan for 2018-19.

NUS Trans Award We were delighted that Warwick SU was awarded HE Union of the Year at the NUS Trans Awards 2018 – congratulations to the SU’s Trans Officer, LGBTUA+ Officer, Warwick Pride and other student activists and leader for all their work supporting the trans community this year!

Welcome Week 2018 Following last year’s campaign win for a lecture-free Welcome Week, we teamed up with the University to develop a joined-up plan for Warwick;s first ever lecture-free Welcome Week. Calls were put out to Course Reps, Sports Clubs and Societies to help compile a varied timetable, while a dedicated member of SU staff was recruited to help with Welcome Week’s planning and implementation. The SU also worked with the University to recruit student Welcome Helpers to ensure that all new students experience a week to remember.

Settling In surveys As part of the ongoing feedback programme which included our 2017 All-Member Survey and the Postgraduate Insight research project, we ran a survey in Term 1 to find out how students were settling in so far and help tailor our support services for future years. We also ran focus groups on our Freshers and Postgraduate advance publicity to inform the planning of next year’s events, info and guides.

Student Activities Transformation The ongoing Student Activities Transformation Project work has significantly improved service quality for clubs and societies by providing greater clarity, transparency and streamlining for its users. This year, we also introduced a Student Group Finance system to further improve the experience of club and society execs.

Gender-neutral toilets A long-term project to improve gender-neutral toilets provision across campus saw the resignage of single occupancy toilets across

the university as gender-neutral, while the first block of gender-neutral toilets was opened in the Social Sciences building. A joint SU & University project to map the needs of the trans community against current provision in all areas of university life is now underway, identifying areas in need of improvement which will inform future work.

Ask for Angela scheme To further demonstrate our commitment to creating a safer campus environment, the SU collaborated with Women's Officers AMY MOORES and LAURA ADDISON to launch the Ask for Angela scheme in all venues and outlets this year, providing support for students who may be feeling threatened or harassed on a night out.

Now or Never campaign This year, Clean Up Britain launched the Now or Never anti-litter campaign in Leamington Spa. Supported by the Students’ Union, the year-long campaign addressed the problem of littering and environmental concerns, and complemented our own Moving Out campaign (Plan. Go. Get!) which inspired students to reuse, recycle and be eco-friendly whilst moving out of their accommodation at the end of the academic year. Details of additional recycling opportunities were also advertised to students at the end of each term.

Swap Shop In the penultimate week of Term 3, the SU held a Swap Shop where students could bring along used clothing to exchange for other items. Items were also available to purchase for £2, with all proceeds and unclaimed donations being donated to charity.

Lunar New Year In tandem with the University’s own advertised events, students were able to celebrate Lunar New Year with a series of specials available in the SU’s outlets.

Go Green Week 2018 Led by Ethics & Environment Officers JULIE SAUMAGNE and CHRISTIAN KONIG, this year’s Go Green Week saw the publicising of the SU’s many green innovations, alongside themed specials in our outlets.

Bread Oven Saturday Opening – Term 3 By popular demand, The Bread Oven opened on Saturdays during Weeks 3-6 of Term 3 to once again provide additional food options for students studying on campus during exam season.

Democracy Guide This year, an SU Democracy Guide was published for the first time to enable students to find out how they can help enact positive change throughout the coming year - whether by joining an SU Exec, running for a position in the Autumn Elections, proposing new SU policy or becoming a Course Rep.

Additional SU improvements Work commenced in the SUHQ building to create a more inviting space for students, while additional funding was secured to refresh some of the spaces in the Union building. We established an Income Generation Working Group and conducted considerable research and environmental analysis which has helped shape our future strategic priorities. We provided training and development for over 350 student members of staff during their employment, including delivering specific Respectful Communication training for outlets. The SU developed its HR strategy, covering all aspects of leadership, development, wellbeing and staff satisfaction, as well as reporting on the gender pay gap and setting out actions in this area.

use of animations, videos and engaging content in communications to our students. A Governing Document Review was completed, with new articles approved on 13th July 2018 and put in place for 2018-19. A further review of the SUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s By Laws was initiated in July 2018. An action plan for food sustainability was completed, leading to a reduction in our food waste as well as increased accessibility for students with specific dietary requirements. The SU improved its workforce composition in relation to race due to effective recruitment and selection with several key appointments. Funding was secured to undertake the development of our Equality and Diversity strategy and identify cross-departmental champions.

New Events The SU continued to expand its entertainments offering this year through the introduction of the following new events:

Juicy (weekly RnB/hip-hop night in The Terrace Bar) Playlist (termly house music event in The Copper Rooms)

Wellbeing Accreditation Chartermark was achieved, with the implementation of an action plan leading to an overall increase in staff satisfaction and engagement.

Rendezvous, International Love and Warwick Urban Festival

Substantial GDPR preparation and implementation took place through the working group and GDPR Champions programme.

PG Craft Tea Party

A successful upgrade of Finance systems was prepared, including a review of the coding structures to be launched in 2018-19. Substantial progress was made on the communications plan, including the initiation of the website redevelopment project and the SU undertaking a social media audit. This resulted in the increased

Postgraduate Christmas Party Arts Centre free concert series PG Board Games Night

In addition to facilitating key student-run showcase events (e.g. Battle of the Bands, Real Ale Festival, Strictly Come Dancing) and sporting fixtures such as the Super Bowl and World Cup, we also promoted community events in the local area including Freeflow Festival and Kenilworth Arts Festival.

Our year in numbers

number of student-run conferences organised

99%

percentage of students surveyed who agreed that “Reshaping Sport has contributed to making sport more inclusive, diverse and accessible”

number of Society Balls hosted

number of individual Society members

720

£22,000

number of Course Reps supported by Warwick SU

395

1900

400

6709

Number of campus-wide ambassadors for the #WeGetConsent campaign

75%

percentage of Sports Clubs who received ‘Sportsmark’ accreditation

number of students who attended Inflatable Fun Day during Freshers Fortnight

number of Course Reps trained this year

8968

number of external speakers hosted by student clubs, societies and officers

number of students who undertook Intercultural Awareness training in the SU

500+

amount recovered for students from Deposit Protection and Redress schemes for the early termination of tenancy contracts

number of cases dealt with at the SU Advice Centre

number of individual Sports Club members

£152,000

identifiable cost saving for our members via the Advice Centre

£212,000

surplus for this academic year for future investment in student services

Our year in figures

Income

Expenditure

(in thousands)

Commercial

Food & Drink Outlets

£2,968

£5,527

Venues & Ents

£ 945

Marketing, Media and Sponsorship

£ 184

Other

£1,430

University Grant

£2,859

Premises Rental

Marketing, Media and Sponsorship

Other

General

£2,929

Commercial

Food & Drink Outlets

£2,325

£4,272

Venues & Ents

£ 769

Marketing, Media and Sponsorship

Other

£1,083

Overheads/ staff

SUHQ (rent & running costs)

£1,005

Advice & Welfare

£ 199

£3,775

Democracy, Representation and Student Voice

£ 656

NUS Affiliation

Marketing

£ 404

Other Central Services £1,457

Membership Services

518

Socs Fed Membership Fees

£ 131

Other Society Contributions

Other Sports Club Contributions

Warwick Sport Grant

£ 381

WSU Surplus

From operations – reserves for future investment

£0 212 thousand

Membership Services

£ 715

Student Activities: Clubs and Societies

£ 380

Socs Fed Grants & Awards to Societies

Warwick Sport & Grants to Clubs

£ 295

Pensions Valuation Adjustment

For more information on the pensions valuation adjustment please see our 2016-17 Financial Statements.

WSU Reported Surplus

After taking into account the pensions valuation adjustment.

£0 212 34

thousand

Warwick SU: who we are

Warwick Students’ Union is a registered charity which exists to benefit students at the University of Warwick through: Promoting the interests and welfare of students during their course of study and representing, supporting and advising students; Being the recognised representative channel between students, the University of Warwick and any other external bodies; Providing social, cultural, sporting and recreational activities and forums for discussions and debate for the personal development of its students. We do this primarily through the provision of support for clubs and societies, representation on academic issues and issues affecting students’ lives (e.g. housing, transport, wellbeing, welfare & advice services and campaigning support), as well as food & drink facilities and social activity. All the income generated by our commercial services (The Copper Rooms, The Bread Oven, The Dirty Duck, Curiositea, The Terrace Bar and Xananas) is directly reinvested back into services which benefit students, such as the support for our 65 sports clubs and 250+ societies, the Advice Centre and academic representation.

Our Mission Positively impacting students’ lives at Warwick and beyond.

Our Vision Every Warwick student unlocking their potential.

Our Values Student Focussed We put students at the heart of everything we do.

Democratic We are representative, ethical, transparent and accountable.

Welcoming We are supportive, helpful, inclusive and value diversity.

Enriching We nurture students’ aspirations and help them develop.

Independent We are the independent voice of Warwick students.

The SU is a great place to work as a student; the flexibility in when and what you work is great and they understand your degree is of a high priority. There is a great atmosphere within the SU building and amongst the team. Working in Reception has given me experience within the workplace alongside my degree and I have enjoyed every second of it!

Olivia Gillard SU RECEPTION ASSISTANT

A huge thank you is due once again to everyone who gives their time to the SU, including all our Part-Time Officers, Faculty Reps, Course Reps, Club and Society Execs, democratically-elected Exec members and chairs, volunteers and Trustees. We couldn't do it without you!

Charity and Company Details can be found on our website: warwicksu.com/companydetails PUBLISHED APRIL 2019