Your Staff News

Freshers' Week in coming very very soon..........Arghhhhhhh

Message from Ian

I hope everyone  managed to enjoy the benefit of a break over the summer, ahead of what I am sure will be another engaging and successful year for the Students' Union. Thank you all very much for the hard work which you have put into our preparations for the new year. Freshers week is now upon us and is an incredibly challenging time. It is also one of the most important weeks of the year, and it is vital that we capture the interest and involvement of new students at this early stage.

'Enhancing the First Year Student Experience' is a key Aim of the University.  I have been actively involved in both producing the report and ensuring that its Aims are achieved. Key areas for improvement include:
- pre-arrival information and interaction to engage and help prepare students both in terms of academic and social induction and preparing for life on campus;
- information overload when students first arrive;
- support for student transition beyond initial induction;
-developing a sense of belonging;
- involving experienced students in supporting the transition of new students across the first year.

In order to deliver this, the whole University will be geared up to support first year students through 4 key transitional phases - Developing academic skills, and transition into student life in Semester 1, and Extra/co-curricular activity and development, and employability in Semester 2. The outcomes to date include the recruitment of Student Experience Officers in all Faculties; the recruitment of a new staff member in University Web Services to help develop on-line induction modules and improve communications from pre-arrival; and funding for the extension of peer support through the appointment of a new staff member to work with Lisa.  Small working groups have been set up to develop and implement plans in each of the 4 phases and will, of course, involve many of our staff.

As we discussed at our last all staff Forums, we are aiming to deliver a lot of work within, and through the Faculties and we should take full advantage of both our Peer Mentoring team and the Student Experience Officers to promote the services and activities which we offer.

We have truly become one of the very best Unions in the country by any measure and this is due to your work, and of our students and team of volunteers. We have been innovative and are regarded as leaders in many of the services and activities which we provide for our members. We are of course a Gold SUEI Union, something we still share with only 3 Unions nationally, and our results in the National Student Survey (currently under embargo until 27 September) suggest that our members are one of the most satisfied in the country. We value the work of our volunteers, as recognised by the IiV accreditation, and much of our work across the Union has gained national recognition. We are about to embark on the development of a new 3 Year Plan (2013-16) and have a fantastic platform on which to build.

Thank you very much - I am proud to be working in such a vibrant and supportive Union. I hope all the plans you have for the new academic year are successful and that, importantly, you all continue to enjoy your work here.

Staffing

Elizabeth Clark, who used to work for the University Aim Higher Team, has accepted the Advice and Support Advisor post and will be joining us soon.

Our new Website Co-ordinator Matthew Parsons will be starting on the 24th September.

Lynsey Anderson has now started with us as our Community Intern so please pop along and say hello.
 
The lovely Karen Thompson is leaving us for pastures new!! Karen has worked in The Volunteering Office for 7 years now and has been an absolute pleasure to work with and a much valued member of the team.
Karen's new role will be the Volunteer Manager for Victim Support in Bristol and her last day with us will be on the 28th Sept. She will be very much missed by both the staff and the student volunteers and wish her all the luck in the future.
Thanks Karen you've been a star!!!
 

Extended Staff Forum 11th Sept

Many thanks to all of you who attended the Extended Staff Forum. Your ideas are currently being typed up and will form a report which will be re-circulated to you for further comment. It is intended that the Staff Forums will provide further opportunities to feedback during the review of the Strategic Plan period. This will also include feedback on the Vision, Mission and Aims. If you have any further thoughts about the Forum or for inclusion in the Three Year Plan please let Mandy know.

Staff Development Opportunities and Involvement in cross SU Strategies/Working groups

SU Human Resources Strategy Working Group
At present the group consists of Helen Freeman, Lisa Taylor, Chris Clements, Becky Gallagher and Mandy Wilson-Garner. If anyone else is keen to become involved please let Mandy know.

Ethical and Environmental Working Group
At present this group consists of Paul Brooks, Alix Chadwell and Mandy Wilson-Garner. If anyone is interested in joining us please let Mandy know. This year we will be working on a new E & E action plan and policy.

Diversity and Equality Working Group
Carol Lacey, Mandy Wilson-Garner, Hanna Wade, Polly Hawker and Chris Clements form this group at present but we would welcome other staff. This year we will focus on a new Equal Opportunities Policy, an action plan and will be monitoring the actions identified from the Participation Reports in areas. This will be an area the SU will be focussing on this year. If interested, please let Mandy know.

Contribution Pay - note deadline is 21st Sept to email forms to Ian
http://www.bath.ac.uk/hr/working/pay-reward/pay-policies/contribution-pay/index.html

Day in the Life of a Student
http://www.bath.ac.uk/learningandteaching/news/?p=328
 

Smart Notebook

This year the University has introduced a new scheme where all new Undergraduate Students are given a notebook containing the introductory University informationl. Please take a look at this information and consider how you might help reinforce your students'  awareness and understanding of it through your induction activities. View details here >>
 

Bath Award

The first Bath Award Information Session will take place on Thurs 11 Oct 12.15-1pm - please can you promote where possible! News from the Bath Award is that the 300 hours element of The Bath Award has been reduced to 100 hours following a review over the summer, which has recently been agreed by the University. This is to concentrate the focus of the Award on self-reflection and skills development as opposed to the number of hours a student has accumulated. This will allow many more students, particularly postgraduates, to complete the Award.
 

Top Ten Issues

The SU officer team have now decided on the 'Top Ten' for the year ahead.

This year, we will work with the University to:
- Increase access to, and information about core texts;
- Ensure the timely provision of lecture notes and contextual solutions on Moodle;
- Ensure that students receive timely, constructive and meaningful feedback on their work;
- Bring about improvements to the cost and quality of food and drink provision on campus;
- Ensure students feel well supported whilst on placement;
- Ensure that student feedback about the quality of teaching is effectively acted upon;
- Increase the number of jobs for students on campus at a living wage;
- Support students to manage their University workload, and create a good work/life balance.
- Engage with local bodies to campaign for improved standards to student accommodation and against planned restrictions to shared housing;
- Improve bus provision to campus through working with the bus companies and the local Council.


The action plan detailing what the Students' Union will be doing to address these issues will be circulated shortly. Following on from the recent presentation of these issues to the University Executive Committee, Students Union officers and staff will be presenting the Top Ten to around 30 key people within the University on the 18th September.

This year, the ten have been much more focussed than previous years and include plans for high profile campaigning.
If you have any questions, thoughts or suggestions, please speak to one of the Student Officers or Charlie.
 

Social News

Recently our very own Becky Gallagher came first place in the '5 coloured tubers' category in the Weston Flower and Gardening Show with my red Duke of York potatoes.
She also learnt how to ride a broomstick at Hogwarts.
 

Photo of the Fortnight

Sam Chaffeys  'Sunrise in Norfolk' taken at her recent holiday

 

Mind Trap

1.) Sam Slug was standing in the post office looking at a 'wanted' poster. Someone asked him who the man in the poster was and Sam replied, "Brothers and sisters I have none, but this man's father is my father's son." Whose picture was on the poster that Sam was looking at?

2.) Shadow discovered Sandy lying on her side in a puddle of water and broken glass. When the doctor arrived he pronounced her dead. Since Sandy had no cuts on her body, how did she die?

3.) Rex rode his bicycle 300 Km. Three tires were used equally in accumulating this distance. How many KM of wear did each tire sustain.

 

 
 

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