Impact Report2010/11

Our Vision:To have a positiveimpact on the livesof all our students

Our Mission:Working togetherto make studentlife better

3. Introduction

4. Democratic & accountable student leadership

8. Ethical & sustainable

10. Impact in images

12. Quality & continuous improvement

14. Inclusive & accessible

16. Partnership

18. Innovation

Contents

3IntroductionDuring the 2010/11 academic

year, we have made great steps

forward in our quest to make life

better for the students at the

University of Huddersfield. The

Students’ Union is committed to

the continuous improvement of

everything we do to make a

positive impact on the lives of

our students.

To do this, we live by a number

of values:

• to ensure our leadership is

democratic and accountable

to students

• to operate ethically and be

sustainable

• to be accessible and inclusive

for all of our members

• to work in partnership with the

university and other

organisations to make

student life better

• to strive to improve and

innovate in all that we offer.

This year both students and staff

have worked hard to make

student life better and 78% of

our members say we’ve had a

positive impact on their time at

Huddersfield.

This Impact Report details how

we have made student life better

for those studying here.

We have grouped our

achievements according to our

values, but a review of the

document shows our work is not

easily pigeon holed.

Matt ChristieStudents’ Union President

2010/11

2010/2011 Executive teamMatt Christie: President

Natalie Wolstenhulme: WelfareAndy Blunt: EducationKieran Elsby: Activities

Ben Hall: Comms

2010/2011 EXECUTIVE TEAM

Democratic &accountablestudent leadership

All key decisions will have the input of ourmembers and staff and will be open toscrutiny. All elections will be conductedfairly. Our campaigns work will be evidenceled and reflect members priorities

15% turnout 48% increase 3,579 votes

CRIM COLLECTIVE ARTWORK IN THE GRADUATE

5DemocraticEvery year the Students’ Union holds elections for

its members to decide who will lead the

organisation. We want our members to have a

say in the way we run their Union and actively

encourage students to participate in our

organisation through the Course Rep system,

Union Council and General Meetings – to name

but a few.

• There were 3,579 votes cast in the March

2012 elections a 15% turnout and increase of

48% from the previous year

• The five executive team positions contested by

16 candidates

• Six forums were established, including: LGBT

Forum, Women’s Forum and International

Students’ Forum

• 2 Motions were submitted to NUS Conference,

one of which is now NUS policy (Students with

Dependents)

• Influencing some of the Olympics 2012

decisions, with one of our student officers

sitting on the British Olympics Student

Committee.

Accountable studentleadership

• Union Council membership has expanded,

adding over 10 new representatives

• Seven school reps have been elected to

ensure array of voices in our key decisions

• Support and training in accountability and

report writing delivered to Council members.

Course RepsAt this University we have a fantastic

relationship where our Course and School

Reps champion the student voice and in return

see real change for their students -making

sure that your time here is the best that it can

be. This includes:

• restructuring the way a module is taught

• improving the feedback loop on assessments

to ensure that students are getting the best

grades possible

• organising the Freshers’ Ball in Human and

Health Sciences (organised by their School

Rep)

Fees and funding cuts

We regularly survey our members who

consistently tell us their top concerns are finance

& debt and academic workload and achievement.

Our response to the government proposals to

reduce the public investment in Universities,

which will project more costs on to students and

put academic quality and contact time at risk, was

clear opposition.

• 200 students from Queensgate, Barnsley and

Oldham campuses attended National

Demonstrations

• 50 students from University Campus Barnsley

marched on their Town Hall

• The President and Vice Chancellor issued a

joint email urging staff and students to write to

and lobby their MPs.

• Executive members represented student views

to our local MPs. Conservative MP Jason

McCartney then voted against his party policy

on raising fees.

Whilst the new fee regime was passed in

Parliament, we have worked to influence the

University to adopt a fair approach to fees in a

challenging environment. An Executive Committee

letter sent to the VC and University Council set

out a range of principals focused on getting a fair

deal for students. Whilst other Universities are

charging the maximum, the University listened to

our representations. The resulting fee of £7950

means a £3150 saving for each student over 3

years in contrast to Universities charging the

maximum. For around 3000 English

undergraduates who will join the University in

Sept 2012 this amounts to a total student saving

of £9.45million over the course of their studies.

Evidence led Campaigning & Representation

JASON MCCARTNEY BLOGS ABOUT TUITION FEES

7

OPAL rent chargesOur Student Accommodation

Survey alerted us to the fact that

OPAL Housings payment schedule

was out of sync with Student Loan

payments, putting students at risk

of late payment penalties of £30

per week.

Huddersfield Students’ Union led

nationally in lobbying the

accommodation provider to

reverse late rent payment fees for

students who were receiving their

loans after the rent payment

schedule.

OPAL agreed not to apply penalty

charges to students with loans due

and agreed to review their

payment schedule for future years.

We estimate in the current year

this has saved the 729 students

living in OPAL accommodation a

total of £44,000

HUGE SAVINGS FOR HUDDERSFIELD STUDENTS

estimated future fees

of accommodation charges

Ethical & Sustainable!We will conduct our affairs and make decisions based onthe principles of recognised sound ethical practice formembership based Not For Profit organisations. We willmanage our services in a financially sustainable manner.

100% of the tea, coffee, hot chocolate& sugar served in The Graduate,Coffee Bean and Shop is Fair Trade

Environmental ImpactWe work hard to ensure minimal

environmental impact, focussing

closely on our energy

consumption and wastage. Our

reduced carbon emissions

contribute to the Universities

carbon reduction targets and we

have been able to not only

reduce the amount of rubbish we

produce, but also reduce our

operating costs.

Examples of our improved

environmental impact include:

• None of our waste goes to

landfill. This year 15.44

tonnes of waste from the

Students’ Union was

recycled, with 13.66 tonnes

being recycled locally.

• Installing restrictors on our

washbasin taps has reduced

our water consumption by

30% this year, saving 737

cubic metres of water.

• Continued efforts to reduce

our electricity consumption,

has led to a 2,145 kilowatts

decrease in usage.

Ethical ImpactOur commitment to ethical

products can be highlighted with

our exclusive use of Fair Trade

tea, coffee, sugar and Hot

Chocolate in the Coffee Bean,

Shop and Graduate.

The Students’ Union Shop

stocks over 60 different Fair

Trade products giving students

ethical choices in food and

clothing.

AccreditationIn March 2011 we received a

Silver Award as part of the NUS

Green Impact accreditation

scheme reflecting our hard work

and success in improving our

environmental impact and

movement towards sustainability.

9

This year we havedecreased ourelectricityconsumption by2,145 kilowatts

That’s enough topower a studentflat for 5 months!

FRESHERSBigger than ever, the Freshers Marqueewas the place to be Freshers week.Providing info & showcasing theactivities and opportunities for studentsto get involved in, not only on campusbut around Huddersfield!

LOSE THELABELS

First campaign ofthe year focussed

on celebratingdiversity and

encouraging afriendly campus

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY

TUITION FEES200 Huddersfield students attended

the NUS demo in London againstTuition Fees. The Exec convinced localConservative MP Jason McCartney to

vote against the increase, and alsoworked with the University to ensure a

fair fee was established.

CREATINGSPACEThe Coffee Beanwas treated to afacelift, creating asocial space forstudents to eat,work, chat & relax.

CLEGGERONMASKMOBA visual quick digat the CoalitionGovernmentspolicies affectingstudents.

FUNFAYREAnother opportunity for the Students’Union to highlight the varied activitiesstudents can be involved with oncampus, with some additionalencouragement in the form of candyfloss & hook-a-duck!

CHINESE NEWYEAR

The SU was proudto host a Chinesecelebration with

food, music,dances, displays

BATTLE OF THEBANDSRevive, a graduatebusiness venturesupported by theUniversityBusiness Mine,held a BotB event,spanning fivenights. Usingstudent designers,photographers &musicians, thisevent was morethan just a greatgig!

11

MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE INTO THE FUTURE

RAG WEEKA student led week of fund raising,involving University bigwigs andstudents leaping off the side of tallbuildings and lecturers beingsubmerged in a bath of cold mushypeas. All for chari-dee baby!

ELECTIONSDemocracy on campus: a record numberof votes as 16 candidates fought it outfor the five executive team positions.

CELEBRATINGSUCCESS

in all areas ofstudent life - at theAnnual SU Awardsevening, on Results

Day and duringGraduation week.

FUTURE We have many exciting plans forthe year ahead. These include abrand new online TV station anda community green campaign,which will supply food for localhomeless charities.

NE W BRANDThe Students’ Union launches its’ newbranding in the summer of 2011. Thenew brand combines simplicity, brightvisuals, strong values and encourages aconsistant presence on campus andonline

VARSITYRevenge is a dishbest served cold.After last yearsheart breakingdefeat, it was timefor Huddersfield towin it back onhome soil.

HUDDERSFIELD13 V 8

BRADFORD

78% of Huddersfieldstudents said yes!

Does the Students’ Unionhave a positive impact onyour life at University?

Quality & Continuous Improvement...Providing a quality experience will underpin all our planning and be our principalfocus when interacting with our members. We will be nationally recognised forimproving student life through quality and effective representation.

13Students’ Union Evaluation InitiativeIn October 2010 we collected our Students Union Evaluation

Initiative Bronze Award. This award recognised 2 years of

working towards external standards and demonstrated our

commitment to continuous improvement. We are now working

towards SUEI 2 and aim to improve our accreditation level.

An element of the SUEI evaluation, known as the SUEI “killer

question”, asks students “Does the Students’ Union have a

positive impact on your life at University?” In March 2011, of the

students who answered the annual Students’ Union survey, 78%

answered this “killer question” positively.

Recognising the change and improvement made, Huddersfield

Students’ Union was asked to present a challenging session at

the SUEI national conference with the title “getting 100% better”.

Best Bar NoneThe Graduate was recognised nationally as a Best Bar None.

The Home Office supported scheme ensures that all winners

work closely with local authorities to ensure a safe environment

RebrandThe new Students’ Union brand launching in Summer 2011 will

simplify the identity of services offered to students, clearly

communicating what we stand for and what we do. There will

be no blurry memories of the SU just being the place where they

partied, but an organisation that made a real positive impact on

many aspects of their student life.

Recognising our quality and continuous improvement...

Womens Football at Varsity 2011

Inclusive &accessible

We will take positive action to make all ouractivities, services and opportunities forinvolvement open to all our members

15Our values set out “we should be open and

accessible to all of our members”, and we really

take that to the heart of everything we do. That’s

why this year, we have:

• 986 members of Union sports teams or

societies

• 104 active community volunteers

• 380 course reps trained and supported

• 5 Elected students who lead the organisations

democratic and social activities.

But in addition to these formal roles and activities

it is the informal work of clubs, societies and

student groups that support an inclusive and

accessible student experience.

Providing a Great WelcomeOver 3,000 new students were addressed during

welcome talks delivered throughout the year in

partnership with the University.

The Freshers Fayre in September and the Fun

Fayre in January brought marquees onto campus

and gave new and returning students an

opportunity to find out more about what they can

get involved with and sign up there and then!

Varsity 2011

Huddersfield hosted the Annual Varsity Challenge

against Bradford, involving 15 different sports and

over 1000 participants. Not only was this event

bigger and better than in previous years, on home

turf Huddersfield secured Varsity victory.

RAG (Raise and Give)RAG’s success this year is primarily owed to the

1100 hours put in by core volunteers and

committee members, enabling the group to raise

over £20,000 which is fantastic compared to the

previous years total of approximately £3,500,

which was a considerable financial donation to

RAG charities.

Student skillsAll our student activity leaders gain the skills

and knowledge needed to organise and deliver

large events whilst being supported within a

professional work environment. The activities

and events held brought together students,

staff and members of the local community,

making a positive and enjoyable atmosphere

on campus.

PartnershipWe will develop partnership working withUniversity departments and externalorganisations where this will benefit ourmembers and customers. Elected Officers,Students’ Union departments and staff willwork together as a unified team at all times.

UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AT DUSK

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CELEBRATE THE2010 FOOTBALL WORLD CUP IN THE GRADUATE

17University Partnerships:Working closely with the

University of Huddersfield

ensures student concerns are

addressed by those who are in a

position to make changes and

improve student life.

Alongside the University we

oppose the Governments Higher

Education reforms. The SU was

praised for its involvement in

highlighting the impact these

changes would have on future

students.

International Office.International students arriving at

UK airports are greeted with a

warm welcome by Students’

Union Ambassadors.

International Office colleagues

commented “We were enthused

about how brilliant the

Ambassadors were at the

airport.” The Students’ Union

worked with the Chinese Society

and the International Office to

celebrate the Chinese New Year

on campus.

SchoolsThe Students’ Union supports

student led events, School Rep

Laura McIntyre worked with her

Dean to create a summer ball.

Estates Department3,000 students a day visited our

Fresher’s’ Fayre marquee; and

our first Fun Fayre in January

was visited by over 1,100

students.

Local PartnershipsBuilding a relationship with local

Athletics team, Longwood

Harriers, we started a Athletics

Club, where students can enjoy

the benefits of track and field for

only £15 per year, saving £135!

Huddersfield Giants joined

forces with the Students’ Union

offering discount entry to Super

League matches, whilst player

Jamahl Lolesi trained our Rugby

League team. The Giants also

gave access for students from

Radiohudd and Huddersfield

Student to interview players and

commentate on matches,

gaining valuable media

experience.

Huddersfield Town and the

Students’ Union welcomed

students by giving away 500

match day tickets to games

throughout the season.

I would like to pay tribute

to the Students’ Union for

the way in which they have

lobbied on the issue and

behaved with utmost respect.

They have been an example

for other SUs to follow.

Vice Chancellor Bob Cryan

Innovation!We will be creative in all our work and will seekout new and innovative ways of deliveringservices, activities and opportunities for members

“ASK TIM” QUESTION & ANSWERS WITH PRO VICE CHANCELLOR PROFESSOR TIM THORNTON

19Ask TimInnovation doesn’t always need

to be about technology,

sometimes you have to go back

to basics and the Ask Tim events

were about making a key

member of University

management - Tim Thornton the

Pro Vice Chancellor Teaching

and Learning - available for

students to ask questions and

get answers & results quickly.

Some examples of changes for

members include:

• Oldham students getting

access t o Guest Lectures at

Queensgate via Unitube

• Many teaching and learning

matters were resolved in

under 48 hours.

• Issuing University timetables

early so students can plan

their study and home life.

Mobile SUThe MSU came from a need to

reach out to students that may

not step into the SU building, or

interact with us on our online

sites. After consultation and

dummy runs we realised it would

need to be multifunctional &

physically adaptable and use

cutting edge technology.

A financial commitment to the

Mobile SU has been made and it

will launch at Storthes Hall

during welcome weekend.

Smartphone AppsAnother of our innovative

University Partnerships was

working with a student in the

School of Computing &

Engineering. The brief was to

design a S martPhone App for

our annual Varsity event. The

app provided simple, fast and

reliable coverage; with an

interactive map of venues,

fixture times & live scores,

transport arrangements and up-

to-date news throughout the day.

USING IPADS TO RECORD STUDENT OPINION & VARSITY APP IN ACTION

Huddersfield Students’ UnionQueensgate. Huddersfield. HD1 3DH • 01484 538156students.union@hud.ac.uk • www.huddersfield.su

Huddersfield Students’ Union is a Registered Charity 1137401

v1.2 July 2011

Join us online @huddersfieldSU Environmental information:This report is printed on 80%recycled paper, using vegetable ink.