► Key forums & committees
Teesside University Students' Union is led by students for students with various forums offering current students the chance to give feedback to the Executive Officers on the way the Students' Union is being, vote on key policies and ideas proposed by the Officers and put forward their own suggestions on how to keep improving the Students' Union. Our various committees are a chance for students to actually play a pivotal role in decision making and hold Students' Union Officers to account.
Key Forums
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The AGM is held once a year and is open to all current students. It's an opportunity for the Executive Officers to report on progress at the SU against any objectives set, outline our current financial position and to get approval for our various affiliations to bodies like the National Union of Students (NUS) and National Union of Student Services (NUSSL). In recent years the Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Henderson has also begun to attend the meeting to speak about some of the big issues facing the University and takes questions from students about them, he'll be doing so again at the next meeting on Tuesday, 18th October 2011 from 5.30pm in The Hub (2nd floor, SU Building). More details will be added soon.
Student Opinion Counts Forum (Union Council)
The Student Opinion Counts or SOC forum is the Students' Union council body and meets every other month during term time with a student Chair and members with the power to vote elected at the first meeting by all students. It's the place where Executive Officers give updates on their progress against their objectives and put forward potential policies and changes to the constitution for debate and approval from the student body. It's also the place where the students who sit on our various commitees are elected. The date and time of the first SOC forum 2011 will be added here soon, if you want more info on how you can get involved e-mail: democracy@tees-su.org.uk.
Athletic Union and Societies Federation
Athletic Union (AU) and Societies Federation (SOC Fed) are two separate monthly meetings between the Executive Officers, Activities Centre staff and lead members of our clubs and societies. A student Chair is elected by students who attend the first meeting and it's a chance for the Student Activities Officer inparticular to discuss and agree any changes to the way clubs and societies are run or funded. Members of clubs and societies can also put their questions to the Executive Officers in attendance and make their own suggestions for any changes or improvements they want to see.
Key Committees
Scrutiny and Finance Committee
This is arguably the most important committee that the SU currently runs with all members drawn from the current student population and elected at the Student Opinion Counts (SOC) Forum. It's the place where the Executive Officers report on their performance over the past month against any objectives they have set and their timekeeping/ general conduct is checked on, it's also the place where the SU's financial management and financial health are checked.
Elections Committee
The Elections Commitee is again made up of current students who are again elected at the Student Opinion Counts (SOC) Forum and work with the Returning Officer for our elections appointed by the National Union of Students (NUS), Elected Officers and staff at the Students' Union to ensure all elections held at the SU are fair, open and democratic. The members are consulted when a candidate in our main elections for students to represent Teesside at the National Union of Students (NUS) Annual Conference and Executive Officer Elections to choose the President, Education Officer, Student Activities Officer and Campaigns and Welfare Officer. They also give feedback on publicity, promotion and the general administration of elections to staff on behalf of the student body and help out with the actual running of elections during Elections Week.
