Exec Report 27th Feb 2008

Increase student participation in the Union, its elections, meetings and volunteering through high visibility Communication and Engagement Campaigns.

• The Sports Sponsorship is ongoing and there are Sports Council Meetings planned.
• I do not have any further info on the situation with OUSU regarding the Safety Busses. We are still struggling to get the busses out on a regular basis and the scheme is currently dependant on a very small group of students who are understandably not always available. I have received many comments from students wishing to drive the busses but aged under 21 they are currently prohibited from doing so. I have asked for information on the impacts of making driver positions available to people under 21.
• The UGM was a success. The ‘Date with the Union’ idea played out very well and even encouraged at least two students to stand for positions in the election who had never previously been involved in the SU. The stakeholder input gathered at this event has already been used in further developing the Vision 2011 work, which includes defining the Ten Principles of the Students’ Union.
• The next step in the Vision 2011 program is to get student input into how best to deliver on the agreed objectives. There are a series of student input sessions as well as a number of focus groups planned over the next 4 weeks. This work will define the future role of the Students’ Union in the lives of students at Brookes so it is vital that we talk to as many students as possible and record all the information we get back so we can justify everything we will do in the future to the University.
• I am happy to say that my Tell 10 group yielded a number of candidates for the elections.
• Brookes TV have been much more involved in this years election than last year. They have been an invaluable resource in providing the candidates with the opportunities to film video manifestoes. They also hosted studio debates, using the Independent Chair in a Paxman-esque role to question the candidates on aspects of their policies. These debates were for the Sabbatical Officer positions and the VP debates are already online at btv.brookes.ac.uk. These debates replace the more traditional ‘Hustings’ that many people may be used to. The debates have the benefit of being made available for interested students to look at whenever they wish without the need to sit through anything they are not interested in. It marks a shift in the way the SU communicates with its students. We are trying to use more technology to reflect the recent changes in the way that students (and people in general) communicate, through sites such as Facebook, youtube, myspace etc.
• Students working at Brookes TV have also produced a number of TV adverts for various SU services as part of their coursework. These adverts will be used by the Union to better communicate to students at Brookes the range and quality of the services provided by the SU.

Attract a greater number of students to run in Union Elections and provide access to comprehensive training and information regarding the available positions and the Union in general.

• The Elections themselves have started very strongly. Despite having received two withdrawals since nominations closed all but one of the Sabbatical Officer positions are contested and all the Non-Sabb positions also have candidates standing. This is the first time that the entire Exec will have been filled in the main elections.
• Filling all the available positions on the expanded Union Council is causing more of a problem. Union Council doesn’t have a high profile among most students and as a consequence is not seen as a high priority in terms of running for positions in the elections. Increased publicity of the meeting itself as well as increased communication of the outcomes and decisions of the Council would begin to address this.
• All Officers have encouraged the candidates running for their position to come in for a chat and have made themselves available, offering advice on any issues pertaining to the role or campaigning.

• There were three separate ‘Candidates Briefing’ sessions held at the beginning of week4.

To ensure that the Union improves or at least maintains its Sound Impact Award Status.

• We have sent the Sound Impact assessment book off but there are several criteria that are currently lacking evidence. The Sound Impact Award assessment has been tightened up this year and we will be fortunate to retain our Bronze Status. It is my intention over the next few weeks and after the election to develop much closer links with the Union outgoing and incoming Environment Officer. Hopefully between us we will be able to cover this area of the Unions work more effectively.

Communicate the achievements and successes of the Union internally and externally using all available media.

• I have sent information on the Elections to ONStream for inclusion to give University Staff a better understanding of the processes as well as link to the information featured on the Brookes TV website.
• There is now a weekly Sauce Coordination meeting which requires news and information to be brought by a cross-section of the staff at the SU. The aim is to better represent the diversity of the Students’ Union through its own communication mediums rather than being too focussed on commercial aspects.

Develop the Commercial Services of the Union so they are recognised as value for money by students through establishing provision level agreements and providing a high standard of customer service.

• The success of our various commercial operations is still difficult to ascertain. Through extremely close monitoring of trade it is clear that more students are using our facilities (clubs and bars) but that the amount of depreciation being carried by Harts Bar in particular is negating the small increase in takings.
• The Commercial Services Manager is committed to developing a more robust program of staff training across the commercial services of the Union aimed at promoting a more professional work ethic, focussing specifically on the customer experience. This will role out over the summer and the new year.
• The Summer Ball, planned for the 17^th May will be key in influencing future student opinion on the ability of the Students’ Union to provide quality services and events that reflect what students want.
• Peachy and Pleasuredome continue to benefit from heavy advertising as well as a largest ever number of guest appearances. The amount of money being spent on making these events special is considerable and is squeezing the profit margins. However, the extra income from the Virgin Media ‘Ave it’ offsets this increased expenditure.
• There is a questionnaire that focuses on assessing the quality of the services provided by the commercial department the results of which will inform the work over the summer to address the issues mentioned above and to improve our service for the benefit of students.

Exec Report 11th Feb 2008

Increase student participation in the Union, its elections, meetings and volunteering through high visibility Communication and Engagement Campaigns.

The Sports Sponsorship is running reasonably well although there have been some problems. Whilst a number of the teams have been attending our nights, 1 team has been buying the tickets for the evening and then going elsewhere.

The Safety Bus now has vinyls for the 2^nd semester. However, as of 21^st Jan OUSU have failed to return a signed copy of the contact and consequently we have yet to receive any money from them (£10k). We have been pursuing them for the money for some time but the deadline for getting their vinyls on the bus has passed. We are still able to service their students as they still maintain a willingness to pay. Re-vinyling with their artwork will cost more so there could be an additional charge. They have now finished looking through the contract but have requested yet another copy, which is being sent today.

The UGM is taking a slightly different slant this time around. Being scheduled on Valentines Day we are running ‘A Date with the Union’ instead. This will be very different and far more participative than conventional meetings and will include summaries of Executive Work as well as a number of stakeholder input exercises.

The Promotions Team continues to develop and build on the success of last semester. With the clubnights running to budget we are now forming much closer links with Oxford Colleges and developing a College Rep system for generating extra custom at Peachy and Pleasuredome.

My Tell10 met for a meal and a chat about the elections and at least two out of the 5 that attended have said that they will be running for positions in this years election.

Most of GOAL time in the first half of the semester is going to be centred around elections as well as a number of perception and information campaigns.

Attract a greater number of students to run in Union Elections and provide access to comprehensive training and information regarding the available positions and the Union in general.

Unfortunately we are unable to provide an e-voting option this year. The University have agreed to share the required information with our service provider but have not yet processed the contractual details.

I have been using events such as the Bill Rammel lecture to identify and talk to interested students. Students that are already making the effort to attend events such as this in their own time may well be interested in further involvement and so it is worth trying to catch them.

If anyone is thinking about standing for elections or knows anybody who is then please ask them to get in touch with the relevant officer or rep to talk about what it is like to be in that position. It is part of a team objective to attract more students to run in elections and so all Officers will be more than happy to talk to potential candidates and discuss exactly what it’s like to be a student rep.

To ensure that the Union improves or at least maintains its Sound Impact Award Status.

We have sent the Sound Impact assessment book off but there are several criteria that are currently lacking evidence. The Sound Impact Award assessment has been tightened up this year and we will be fortunate to retain our Bronze Status. It is my intention over the next few weeks and after the election to develop much closer links with the Union outgoing and incoming Environment Officer. Hopefully between us we will be able to cover this area of the Unions work more effectively.

Communicate the achievements and successes of the Union internally and externally using all available media.

We have had several positive high profile stories featured in the local press recently involving a number of the executive officers, with more underway at the moment. I will be posting links to these stories for inclusion in Onstream. The Information sharing meetings with the University have been a very good way of getting across some of the Unions achievements to the University’s senior management. The Students’ Union hosted NUS Regional Conference during which we were able to present key successes, challenges and campaigns to other SU’s from region.

Develop the Commercial Services of the Union so they are recognised as value for money by students through establishing provision level agreements and providing a high standard of customer service.

Following on from the disappointing performance last semester, anecdotal evidence suggests that our bars are receiving more trade this semester. We are holding events for various student groups including Oxford and OBSU Jewish Society, who held a very successful event in The Venue over the weekend.

There has been a sustained campaign to publicise the fact that Harts now offers food and again anecdotally this appears to be having an effect.

We have borrowed a student perception questionnaire model from Keele University Students’ Union and have adapted it for our own students. The questionnaire will go out to a minimum of 100 students and aims to assess why (or not) students use our facilities and what they think of them. This piece of work could be vital in informing the future direction of the Union Commercial Services.

Exec Report 14th Jan 2008

Increase student participation in the Union, its elections, meetings and volunteering through high visibility Communication and Engagement Campaigns.

Safety Bus recruitment drive is planned for the beginning of the semester aimed at attracting more volunteers to the scheme. We have developed the elections marketing for this year and a plan to attract more people to stand and vote, which includes the Exec making full use of all their contacts they have made through the year as well as hands on promotion.

Attract a greater number of students to run in Union Elections and provide access to comprehensive training and information regarding the available positions and the Union in general.

I have been in contact with several students regarding the elections – encouraging them to run. I have been targeting critical groups and students that have expressed an interest in aspects of the Union through emails, conversation and Facebook – this work is ongoing.

To ensure that the Union improves or at least maintains its Sound Impact Award Status.

Work on the Sound Impact Workbook is ongoing and we have been getting support from Lucy Millard at the University who has supplied information regarding the University’s own environmental achievements.

Communicate the achievements and successes of the Union internally and externally using all available media.

Over the Xmas break it has not been as easy to achieve this. However we have several big events this semester, UGM, Elections as well as a number of campaigns so we will have plenty to shout about once the year gets going.

Develop the Commercial Services of the Union so they are recognised as value for money by students through establishing provision level agreements and providing a high standard of customer service.

There is a new temporary Ents Manager whilst recruitment continues for the permanent post. The temporary Ents Manager has more of a focus on the Union clubnights and also marketing and promotions. Meetings are currently underway planning this semesters entertainment. I will continue to monitor the customer service level in our bars and shops through casual observation. I will feedback significant findings to the Commercial Services Manager for action. Freshers Coordinating for next year will begin shortly as will the budgeting process which I will try to make reflect the emphasis on the need for better customer care.

Election Timeline

Elections made simple

This year there are more positions available to student than ever before thanks to the new constitution. I thought it would make sense to take some time and explain what exactly will be going on over the next 5 weeks.

The timeline is as follows:
Week 3 - nominations close on Friday.
You not be able to stand in any of the elections past this point
Week 4 - the first week of campaigning.
Tradiitionally one of the slower/quieter weeks in the election as everyone prepares for the following weeks.
Week 5 - second week of campaigning
This is the penultimate week of the election and stress levels are rising as campainging is in full swing.
Week 6 - last week of campaigning and voting opens and runs from monday to thursday.
This is the most intense week of the election. Ballot Stations will be around all the main campuses and every candidate will be postering, flyering and campaigning with renewed enthusiasm as the end is in sight.
Week 6 - Friday the counting starts and the results are announced in an evening election party usually in Morals Bar but this will be confirmed nearer the time.

For some of the positions this year, the Students' Union will be providing candidates with a budget to use for campaigning. This is aimed at improving the number of candidates as well as reducing the financial impact of standing for election.

The Positions available at this election include:
OBSU President and four Vice Presidents; Welfare and Equal Opportunties, Academic Affairs, Commercial Development and Communications, Activities and Development. These positions are full time and receive a salary. You will need to take a year out of study.
6x non-sabbatical (part time) Diversity Officers; LGBT, Women's, International Students, Mature Students, Students with Disabilities, Ethnic Minorities.
Union Council position available include:
Independent Chair - runs all the big important meetings of the Union such as Union Council
Environment Officer - does what it says on the tin! (the tin is recycled by the way)
Halls Rep - represents all student living in Halls
Sports Liason Officer - represnets all students involved in sports at Brookes
PostGrad Taught Rep - represents students on post graduate taught courses
PostGrad Research Rep - represents students on post graduate research courses
Campus reps - five students from each of the campuses represesnting students on that campus, Wheatley, Harcourt Hill, Gipsy Lane and Headington Hill (includes Marston Road)
General Reps - 5 reps from the general student body
Placement Rep - representing students on placement

There are also positions for NUS Delegate. NUS is the national version of the Students' Union. Whereas the SU represents all students at Brookes, NUS represents all the students' unions in the country. To attend Annual Conference you must be elected to the position of NUS Delegate for your SU. The President is automatically a member, and anyone can stand for these positions. There are 9 available.

This is only a really basic over view and i would encourage anybody who is interested to check out the website www.thesu.com. Click on the Representation tab and then Elections. More info as well as nominations forms will be available from the Students' Union reception in Week3. Alternatively you can email me - obsu.cdc@brookes.ac.uk for more info.

Elections and 'Apathy'?

Election Time Drawing Near!

It's almost that time of year again. The Students' Union gears up for the second busiest time in the academic calendar - Elections.

This year with the reformation of the constitution there are over 50 different positions up for grabs. However, it's really difficult to assess whether student involvement has improved on the previous year until nominations have closed at the end of week 3. After that point there is a final list of the candidates running for the various positions.

The challenge is to attract those candidates in the first place.

The Students' Union has been suffering recently from a lack of student involvement. I do not believe that this is a problem with the students themselves - the Students' Union has become irrelevant in many students lives. Therefore it is up to the SU to demonstrate why it is here. To do that it needs to win some key victories, respond to student needs and deliver consistently high quality/value services.

The Students' Union Mission Statement says that it exists to Support, Represent and Inspire students through their University experience. The mechanism for delivering on this mission statement are all in place, but the SU itself has to be making the best use of them. The Union needs to be pro-active not reactive with student engagement. This doesn't mean that everything to do with students should be left to student officers and reps 'because they are students'! Every interaction that a student has with the SU should engage them and leave them wanting to know more. A student should always get out more than they have put in!

This demands that everybody working within the SU from student staff and volunteers right through the organisation to senior management, including all the student officers and reps, need to be delivering a consistently high level of service to the students they encounter in their line of work. Everybody already involved in the Union should act as an ambassador for the Union and should know about the range of services and opportunities on offer, and more importantly be willing to talk to students about them.

This is going to sound like an excuse but previously the SU has been doing to much. Staff have been working over capacity trying to accomplish a huge range of objectives from awards and developments to new services. This has led to the basics been lost - like student involvement in the Union itself. The Student involvement that does currently exist in the form of the sabbatical officers also struggle to cope with the problems of student engagement under the weight of so many meetings and other commitments.

I would like to end on a positive...
The view is getting better. There have been significant changes, organisationally and democratically within the SU. Staff are being instructed to focus their energies and say no to anything that doesn't fall inside the criteria of 3 objectives that they have to meet. The new constitution allows for flexibility in the structures of the Union such as committees which will enable Offciers to spent more time out and about talking to students rather than stuck behind a desk. Both these things are the beginnings of an organisational shift in focus back to having 'The Student' at the absolute center of everything we do. We are heading in a very positive direction, i just hope it doesn't take too long.

Marketing Department

Marketing Recruitment

I thought that homework was a thing of the past but i have discovered that i was mistaken...
There were over 23 applications received for the post of Marketing Manager at the SU and the only time to go through them was the weekend.

The Marketing Department, when fully staffed, contains 4 permanent staff. Currently 2 of those posts are vacant; the Marketing Manager and the Communications Coordinator.

As my job includes political responsibility for all the SUs communications i am involved in the recruitment of staff within the Marketing Department.

It's great for a position to attract so many applicants because you get a decent number of really strong applications. The only problem is that you then have to go through ALL the applications and CVs. This can take a very long time, but if you come out of it with a small number of people to interview then it's time well spent.

It's a big responsibility recruiting staff because the quality and effectiveness of the staff that support the officers and students at the SU are what makes the whole thing work - or not! The staff that are hired now will help shape the future of the SU for at least the next 2-3 years and possibly longer, especially in this crucial stage of the University's Masterplan 'Space to Think'.

Brookes require that anyone involved in recruitment attend their Recruitment and Selection training to give you an understanding of how the process works, how to ask questions and how to get the information you want out of applications and interviews.