Here is my report that was for development committee on the 22nd January

Looking back to my manifesto pledges that I made this time last year

· New employability skills workshops
We have run RU Ready sessions that look at employability skills such as presentation skills
· Help selecting the workshops that fit your needs
I still have not designed a questionnaire for this but as part of the big push for RU Ready training this term
· Intensive Workshops at the end of summer term
I have had discussions with Sam about what needs to be done for this.
· More community volunteering
RUSU placed 80 students in voluntary placements in the community last term
· Expansion of the current RU Ready Scheme
We have run more RU ready sessions than last year such as RU ready to manage your time
· Continued support for volunteer groups
Hopefully I’ve supported you all please shout if I haven’t

Other things I’ve been up too since last development committee please feel free to ask any questions

Inspiring Women
Senate
Discussions with Nightline
MASIV
Volunteers and Societies bash
Teaching and learning stratagem
Sabbatical review
Time off for Christmas
RU Ready
CCMS conference
UBTL

Plans for Spring Term

So moving on what are my plans for this term. This looks like a busy term as always but an exciting one,

We’re going to run RU Ready training again this term, but on a slimmed down agenda with one session a week with lots more publicity and really get it off the ground, We’re also going to run some give it a go sessions every other week to give students a chance to do things they wouldn’t normally try these are still being sorted out but when they’re finalised I’ll let you know.

This term is obviously elections term so will be a busy term especially as I’m a candidate. The sabbatical roles are changing for more info and to comment on the proposed changes then look at http://www.rusu.co.uk/DisplayPage.asp?pageid=21094

We’ve got RAG Week and South East Area NUS Rag day which will be good and I’m looking forward to working with the new RAG committee and would like to say a big thank you to last years RAG committee headed up by Julia for all their hard work this year.

We’ve got Re-Fresher’s fair coming up in week 3 which gives you a chance to get involved with things you’ve not already done or if you missed out on something last term come and have a look and sign up again.

We’re going to have several days of community action which will give students an opportunity to get involved and take part in some voluntary action in the community as a one off day rather than having to commit for the whole term .

Week 8 will be a volunteers week and will give us a chance to showcase all the work that our volunteers do, culminating with the volunteers and society’s bash on the Thursday 8th march so put it in your diary’s it will be bigger and better than ever before.

I have taken over the running of the women’s campaign and would like to hand this over to a student’s women’s officer by the end of the term hopefully with some interactive events this term.

Autum 2006

I would like to start this blog with apologising for the lack of blog’s over the last term, I don’t think I’d realised before term started quite how busy it would be and how much that I would struggle to find time to blog, so one of my new years resolutions is to blog more. In this one I will tlak about last term and then will post a new one about next term.

Last term started with a shock announcement from the university about the closure of physics but it set a trend for the next term. Then there was Freshers week which was a busy week but some of the highlights for me were the busy society’s day and then a busy Friday day. We had a record number of people interested in the MASIV, RU Ready and community volunteering. The next week kicked off with spark in a day and Junction11 in day. This was the 1st time we’ve run Junction11 in a day and we had lots of people attend which was really positive.

The term just seemed to continue with a big push for the national demo, I was upset that I couldn’t be there for the beginning but it was amazing standing on the side of the river waiting and watching the demo go passed and joining the reading group. Then the next major campaign was the fight to keep physics open at reading the physics students put up an excellent fight one of the best moments of this campaign was sitting with the UCU staff members whilst university council was going on and them telling us that it was the best fight they had seen for a course closer for a long time apart from Sussex where they overturned the decision.

Other highlights of the term include making sure that spark got published with out any major hiccups, the masqurAID ball run by campaigns forum,
hearing that the RAG total for the last year totalled over £10,000, training over 50 course reps and running faculty rep training for the first time, being involved in writing the university’s teaching and learning strategy which means that we can shape how the university delivers teaching and learning for the next 5 years, hearing that we’ve managed to place over 80 students in community volunteering placements, having a record number of students (260) enrolled on the MASIV scheme.

It has been a busy but amazing term I have learnt a lot about the university, RUSU and my self and am looking forward to the next term with excitement.

Train the Trainer

I am writing this on the train on the way back from NSLP Train the Trainer in Leeds. I was attending this course as a trainer and had my own tutor group, it was a great honour to train on this course I remember when I went on this course a year and a half ago as a trainee and loved it and I hope that my tutees got as much from it as I did. There were four students there from reading Ryan our VP education, Gemma, Marcus and Jack all from JCR’s or volunteer groups, they all seem to have come away from it really enthusiastic about training next year. I know we have a really good group of student trainers with the 4 that went to Leeds and two that went to Bath Spa earlier in the summer. We are going to get together and write some new sessions before term starts. Training next year is going to be brilliant!
But what have I been up to before train the trainer! since I last blogged I have
· Done interviews for external trustees
· Talked to someone doing research into the social and economic impact of volunteering in reading, and from this talked about doing our own volunteer audit looking at how many students volunteer and the impact that they have,
· Had a meeting about Transferable skills and the new website that the university is developing, putting all the skills based stuff that the university does together and made sure that RUSU is mentioned at every possibility as we are one of the biggest skills providers of the university
· I’ve attended communication in action training in Leicester which was good fun, it was good to meet other officers and talked about student media and the place that it has in unions and also for me to learn about the legal aspects of media that I had no experience in before. I also got accosted at 8.30 in the morning slightly hungover being interview on film about my reactions to the students library being opened! It then got played in front of the whole group!! Which was an embarrassing experience to say the least!
· After communications in action I had the Friday off and went to reading festival for the whole weekend! Which was great fun and really good to have some time off! Saw lots of band think that Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish and Hundred Reasons we’re my best bands but it was nice to send time with my sisters and friends I’d not see for ages and my box of wine!!
· On the Tuesday after the bank holiday Dave, Nick and I headed down to Winchester for a demo planning day and a SEANUS exec meeting
· I then spent some days in the office catching up on emails, developing our training plans for the year and helping to look at our new volunteer co-ordinator post and the applications we had received.

When I get back into the office next week I will be doing more external trustee interviews, interviewing for our volunteer co-ordinator, helping to plan Freshers fayre, having a meeting with the new printers for spark, making sure that the Junction11 studio gets put back together and planning a trainers session writing day so we can all get together to plan some new sessions for next year.

I will blog later which I know I said last time about my plans for next year but as I’ve still got 4 hours left on the train there should be plenty of time for me to write it!

Emily's 1st Blog

I sat down to write my blog and have found that its harder than I thought! Where to start! Well I’m Emily and I’m Vice President Development at Reading University Students Union. How did I get here! Two years ago I started my degree in engineering, but also met some amazing people and signed up to Nightline.

In my Freshers term aside from everything else that happens as a fresher, I trained as a nightliner and then in the spring term of my second year with lots of arm twisting I signed up to be co training co-ordinator for nightline and Vice chair of Student council. With my training I got sent on the National Student Learner Programme (NSLP) with NUS. This was an amazing three day course where I learnt how to be a student trainer! I came back from Liverpool all enthusiastic and with my co-trainer Rachel we re-wrote the Nightline training plan and I also got involved in RUSU training. From there my involvement spiralled and I became Chair of Student council when PDT resigned and lead student council through the governance review to bring the exciting new structures we have now!

Then when the time came for nominations to elections, I didn’t really have any choice I had been closely involved in RUSU for a year, I knew that I’d work well with the team that were re-running and I had lots of exciting plans for the future which I’ll talk about later. So after a stressful few weeks and 28 hours in the snow talking to people I was elected as VP Development. It seems such a long time ago now! But since I was elected I have had to chair the last ever student council, handover my nightline training (Gemma Chris and Nat I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job!!), There was a small matter of exams and then I started!

I can’t believe 6 weeks have gone by since I started my handover with nick! Everyone says the summer will fly by and it’s true this is almost my last full week in the office before Freshers week!! I have been on sabbatical training with the rest of the sabbs and the student trustees, I have been on activities in action, NUS training about my role, I have written my plans for the year, written the training plans for the year, ordered publicity for Spark and Nightline, interviewed external trustees and lots of other stuff.
I think that’s probably enough for now! But I’ll blog later this week on my plans for the year!

In which Nickers says goodbye as VP Development

Just over 11 months ago I wrote my first of 35 Blogs about being the first VP Development at RUSU. In that time a lot has happened, some bad, much of it good, all of it – the most overused word on this website – exciting. Last week I had my last Development Committee of the year, the awards for Honorary Life Membership and very soon will check my last ever MASIV portfolios. I was going to right a long blog trying to discuss all of the things I’ve been up to – but this is impossible. Instead here, in no order, are my top 6 highlights.

MASIV – the scheme I first got involved in as a Part-time Officer elect, saw through it’s first 2 years of piloting and which has become my conversation piece at every NUS, University and Union event, article and blog. I don’t apologise for this, it’s an amazing scheme and the hard work put in by University and Union staff to make it a trailblazing success is to be lauded.

RU Ready – last Summer we trained around 100 people in 2 different sessions. Over the past year RUSU has trained over 400 students in over a dozen sessions, from Course Rep and JCR training to running a Freshers stall and presentation skills.

Student Media – seeing Junction11 get a new mixing desk by injecting extra money to go alongside the alumni funding is something I’ll remember fondly. Although things with Spark and the Sabbs was far from smooth throughout the entire year, I’m proud to have been on the first team to hold up the Constitution as students wanted it and to be frank and honest about the way things work, rather than pretending they were something else for an easy life.

RAGs – I can take almost no credit for this area, but it is certainly one of my best memories and will remain so. The work Julia Horne and the rest of this years RAGs committee have done and the way in which the student population embraced the group and gave so readily is commendable and reminded myself and the other Union officers exactly why we want to do this job.

Pledge Day and the ‘Participate’ Campaign – Seeing Reading’s pledge day up on the screens at NUS National Conference was brilliant. The idea was so effective and, despite the Debating Society defacing it (tut tut), was a great sign of the achievement and worth of student activities at RUSU. I was really pleased to be able to take an active part in the National Participate campaign and getting students enthused about it too.

And of course The Governance Review – It is sexy. We now have a constitution that is readable not risible, more ways to get involved and the ability to tackle changing legislation. It’s not perfect yet, but it is a real step forward.

There’s been a lot more of course, and my collection of memorabilia from this year is huge. Cheesy but true, I need to say a huge thanks to all of the RUSU staff, particularly Sue Breakwell and Stefan Kelly who have done amazing things for development, and would remain calm when I suggested we did huge things on no money and in no time. The Sabbs have been friends, enemies, allies and colleagues at various points, but they’ve always been there and part of the team and so thanks to them all. Again, particular mentions to Andrew, who as Education I’ve worked alongside a lot, and Jenna – a superb VP Welfare, a hard act to follow and the reason I got caught up in the Union in the first place by asking me to join Nightline.

To my successor Emily only one bit of advice – do your own thing. By the end of the year you’ll be the best VP Development RUSU has ever seen and I couldn’t put my baby in better hands.

And onwards to Welfare, to Night Safety, Freshers Angels, South East Weighting, Balanced Lifestyle campaigning and much more.

Goodbye for now,

Nickers x

The AUT, Freshers' Angels, a special woman called MAVIS and a call from a doctor.

The summer term’s a strange one for all students, and for student officers it’s no different. A good chunk of my work is responding to student requests and people just popping in to the office to chat. With the exams this happens increasingly rarely, which means that things have been slightly quieter and my days slightly shorter – which is nice. I’ve made it home for Simpsons several times this term.

On everyone’s mind on the Sabbatical Team is of course the AUT strike. This is a difficult time – I fundamentally believe that lecturers deserve better pay, but my responsibility is from and to the student body. When Top-up fees were introduced lecturers were promised more money, and this has been denied. Partly this is because HE funding has not increased as promised – government funding for institutions decreased when fees were introduced for example. Dave and Andrew have been engaging often with the University senior management, AUT representatives, local MPs and the NUS. In my capacity as SE Area Rep and Executive officer I’ve been chatting to people across the region about their views. For a full update keep checking www.rusu.co.uk/strike.

Although I’m out-going in my role as VP Development, my dedication to student activities remains as strong now as ever. I spent week 3 promoting Freshers Angels, NUS Activists and Web volunteer groups and several hundred people showed an interest in these new groups.

The most exciting development has been MAVIS. Mass Active Volunteering Involving Students is about getting people involved on a single day (Thursday 15th June) in a variety of community action projects, such as graffiti removal and fundraising. MAVIS is a great opportunity for people unable to commit to a regular volunteering slot. For more information e-mail MAVIS@reading.ac.uk or see www.rusu.co.uk/mavis, where you can download posters and a MAVIS ask.

In preparation for becoming VP Welfare I’ve been working on Freshers Angels, with about 40 people signing up so far. This new volunteer group will aim to make new students feel at home, meet new people and generally ease the first few days at University, including supporting JCRs on moving in day if they’d like an extra pair of hands.

I attended my first Welfare, Support and Guidance meeting the other week. This is the University’s big meeting on student services such as accommodation, the medical centre and the counselling service. This was a great chance to be introduced into some of the people I’ll be working alongside next year, as well as seeing some University staff I already collaborate with in a new guise.

The highlight of recent weeks was of course Dr Karl Kennedy, as good this year as he was the last; scourge of Sam Read, beloved of Dave Lewis and purveyor of excellent cheese. To the guy who was asking me about JCRs – do pop in and see me, and to the drunken bloke who I couldn’t hear, feel free to come and day hello as well.

Nickers x

In which the Spring Term starts with successes, Local Elections and Nickers making life complicated for himself. Again.

Two weeks into term then? And what have I been up to? Well from Friday 21st my diary looked something like this. What I’ve tried to do is show the breadth of work Sabbs tend to do, and show that it’s a 24 hour job!

21st – Away day with other Sabbs to plan upcoming term, discuss what we’ve been up to this year and have a chat about any concerns we have.

24th – A very ‘bitty’ day reacting to students getting back and the things they need. Good fun, very important, but not much to write about!

25th – Catching up on paperwork, including the website and posters for the Local Elections and some press releases ready for Spark. Attended a RAGs meeting in the afternoon. In the evening went to see ‘The Constant Gardener’ and chatted to the Campaigns Forum Student Stop AIDs stall that was there.

26th – Discussed the plans for Live11 with staff, went over the accounts for all the volunteer groups. Has a Junction11 meeting, which seemed to last longer than it did. Did some preparation for the No Platform Policy working group meeting and Development Committee. Checked some Spark pages in the evening.

27th – I checked the Bumper edition of Spark all day (9am – 4.30) and provided some impromptu quotes for them. Tidied up my office ready for moving after this. Later that evening I went to support the Remix Reading exhibition in the town, which was excellent.

28th – SEANUS Executive meeting in Farnham – away from the office all day, but had phone calls with Dave Lewis about the move and the Spark printers, as well as some texts with members of staff.

29th (Saturday) – My Mum and Dad came down, showed them the Union. They still have no idea what I do, but were impressed. Met Jenna for a drink in the afternoon and ended up chatting about work, then went clubbing in the evening and explained my role and the democratic structures of the Union with a second year I met.

30th - Did no work apart from a phone call from a Nightline volunteer about Publicity week.

1st (Bank Holiday Monday) – did some of the work for SEANUS from Friday and had a nice lunch with my housemates. Bought a new shirt using my NUS discount.

2nd – NSLP National Network day in Birmingham, networked with other trainers from around the UK and got my award for completing the training course. Got lots of ideas for future plans. The below picture is Steve Brown (NUS Executive) and myself in no way taking the piss.

3rd - Got in early to set up the new office, catch up on e-mails and paperwork. Popped out to look at a house for next year. Finished off agenda for Development Committee on Friday as well as my report. Re-read no Platform policy paperwork ready for Thursday. Got home and did some more SEANUS work.

4th – Voted in the local elections, came into work and had a meeting about Nightline Publicity, including the Publicity week. Attended Societies Convention on behalf of Sam Hibbs. Chaired the No Platform policy working group. Wrote and sent out the last bits of paperwork for Development Committee, including suggested new bye-laws. Went out for a social with Junction11. Had a text conversation with the student media and Mike Hance who were at the Local Election count.

5th – Had first Development Committee at noon. Talked to staff in the afternoon about doing the active community day on 15th June. Went home early (5pm) and chilled a bit.

6th (Saturday) – Went to London to see the Sultan’s Elephant

7th – Did some work on the SE Area Ethical guide, wrote my blog for SEANUS, prepared materials for the next week’s push on getting students involved in Freshers’ Angels, Web Volunteers, NUS Activists and Forum moderators. Wrote this blog.

And that’s that!

Nickers x