A warm welcome to the latest round-up of all the news and events from Teesside University Students’ Union (TUSU). We get in touch each month throughout the academic year unless you ask us to stop by unsubscribing.
We hope everyone got the chance to relax and unwind for at least some of the time over spring break and that you’re refreshed and ready for the final few weeks of this academic year. We know it will be a busy and potentially stressful time for all students as assignment deadlines and exams approach. Keep an eye on our social media and tees-su.org.uk/events for campaign activities related to these issues, and remember that you can start the day properly with a FREE breakfast courtesy of your SU on selected weekdays.
As the end of the academic year approaches, we are also excited about a fun-packed week of events to round it off, culminating in the Big Summer Send-Off on Fri, 19th May. Find out more and book tickets now here.
And don’t miss the chance to win up to £300 and other great prizes while having your say about your student life and where you want TUSU to fit into it by completing the SOC survey.
We hope everyone has another safe, happy, and successful month. As always, make sure your SU is right at the heart of your student life.
Eby, Femi and Nigil – TUSU Student Officers 2022/23
Summer is just around the corner, and we’re celebrating with a whole week of great events from Mon, 15th to Fri, 19th May, including the Big Summer Send-Off on the Friday! You can expect a jam-packed, fun-filled final week, including:
Find out more and book your bargain-priced tickets for the Big Summer Send-Off by clicking here.
We are a students' union that is committed to "real world" campaigns that address the key issues facing Teesside University students and truly make a difference. This includes focusing on housing, safety, physical and mental health, the cost-of-living crisis, student participation in societies and sports clubs, and course/ campus-related issues, to name a few.
Find out more about all our current campaign work through tees-su.org.uk/officers.
The Student Opinion Counts (SOC) survey is the single biggest piece of market research conducted by Teesside University Students' Union (TUSU). It is a chance for ALL current students to tell us more about your student life, the challenges you face when studying, where you want TUSU to fit into your student experience and how much you know about us as well as what you think of the way we are led and the impact we have for all students. Your feedback will help Student Officers, Student Reps and staff to keep improving the services, spaces, events, activities and campaigns we provide.
PRIZES TO BE WON
Alongside the importance of your feedback to helping us improve, you could win some GREAT PRIZES for taking a few minutes to respond to the live survey. Every student who responds is entered into a draw to win ONE of the incredible prizes below. We thank partner organisations for their generous donations; you will be contacted once the survey closes if you win a prize, and you can read the terms and conditions of the prize draw below.
Our SU Student Support (SUSS) service has recently secured the prestigious and nationally recognised Advice Quality Standard (AQS) for the seventh time. The accreditation is reviewed every two years, and AQS, which is an umbrella organisation reviewing a range of providers of advice, reviews various aspects of the way a provider operates. SUSS once again demonstrated that its services are accessible, effectively managed and staffed by people with the skills and knowledge to meet the requirements of an ever more diverse and complex student population. TUSU is delighted that SUSS has secured the accreditation once again and believe it is further evidence of the high standards and student focus within the service.
The end of the academic year may be rapidly approaching, but there’s still plenty to enjoy day and night in our venues right up to and including Fri, 19th May! That includes:
You can see details of all upcoming events and, where required, book tickets through tees-su.org.uk/events. Events are also listed in the events sections of the main TUSU Facebook page, and dedicated events page, so both are well worth following! And if you want it all in one place, why not view and download our handy events planner?
Accommodation is increasingly difficult to find in central Middlesbrough. You may need to widen your search area and live outside of the town. This will mean travelling into campus daily, so you must also factor in the travel costs for each site on top of your rent and living costs. We have a wealth of information and useful links on our dedicated accommodation page tees-su.org.uk/accommodation, and there are also useful tips below.
Some of the main property search websites are: www.rightmove.co.uk, www.zoopla.co.uk, and www.onthemarket.com.
Public Transport:
There is plenty of public transport from the surrounding areas into Middlesbrough itself. Both buses and trains run daily from most areas, and often weekly or monthly passes can be purchased at a reduced rate.
Temporary Accommodation:
Whilst looking for accommodation, you may need somewhere to stay temporarily. Below are some options for this:
Air BnB – This is a popular website that allows you to rent a room or entire property. If you are here with friends or family members, this is a good option as you can split the rent and choose a property size to suit your needs.
Hostel - A hostel is a great option for students travelling on a budget. You can often get a bed in a shared dorm for around £20 - £30 pounds per night.
independenthostels.co.uk/hostels-with-private-rooms/ has hundreds of hostels across the country. Find one near you, call them or book it online.
hostelworld.com/st/hostels/europe/england/ may also be a useful site to take a look at.
Hotel - If you're looking for a bit more luxury, then staying in a hotel is an option. However, this option is often more expensive, with rates starting at around 50 pounds per night. Check out the links below for more.
Our ever more diverse range of societies played their biggest ever role in the lives of students in 2022. Over 50 were active, with the number of students involved in one topping 1800 as the year came to an end. The groups include Academic-based, such as Law and Midwifery; Cultural, such as Bangladesh and Nigerian; Faith, such as The Christian Union and Islamic and hobby-based Societies, such as Knitting and Tabletop.
Why should you join a Society?
* TUSU reserves the right to change all opening hours/ service availability based on levels of trade.
Welcome back for the last few weeks of semester two! We can’t quite believe that our undergraduate students will be finishing another academic year so soon. We hope you have all had some time to relax and recharge. As we approach the assessment and exam period, we understand how difficult this time can be. We are here to help. If you need support from one of your reps, please email us. If you do not know what support is available, the school reps can give you details of the correct person to contact. Watch out for exam week events where you can pop into the SU to speak to a school rep or officer. We wish you all the very best of luck for the upcoming assessments.
Are you interested in representation? We are still recruiting for SHLS and SCEDT School Representatives for the 23/24 academic year. If you are interested in this role, please email representation@tees-su.org.uk for an application pack. It is flexible around your timetable, and you get £350 per year. It is an excellent opportunity to work with the senior staff across the university and the students’ union to enhance the student experience at Teesside. If you have any questions about the role or wish to speak to one of our current school reps, please email us.
This year we have had some excellent achievements. As school reps, we have managed to support a range of queries and be the voice of all students. We would love your feedback, including success stories, positive comments and issues or concerns. You can contact us via email, Facebook, Instagram or in one of our drop-in sessions. You can also catch us on campus, usually in the students’ union. You can now also book a 1-2-1 session with us on Teams at a time to suit you.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
If you are eligible and registered to vote in the UK you will be able to have your say in mayoral and local authority elections on Thu, 4th May. These elections are arguably even more important than a general election as they decide who leads your local authorities like Middlesbrough and Stockton Council. Elected mayors and Councillors have many powers passed to them from the national government and their decisions WILL impact on your life and, if you are here with family, the lives of your loved ones too while you live in the UK and in Teesside. The elected officials have a big influence on local housing, standards of education, public services, leisure facilities, safety of our streets and general development/ improvement of the area so it is important to take a few minutes to have your say. You can find out more about whether you are eligible to vote, which elections are taking place in your area and how to apply for a postal and proxy vote through electoralcommission.org.uk.
REMEMBER: If you are voting in person you will now need to show Photo ID. Find out more about this here.
We have recently launched our own podcast! In the first two of what we hope will be many editions, we looked in a bit more detail at the TUSU Elections and TUSU Annual Awards. Be sure to tell us what you think after you give it a listen, what should we cover in future editions, how often do you think we should release them and any other observations. E-mail; comms@tees-su.org.uk.
We are delighted to join Teesside University Library in being registered by Middlesbrough Council as a Warm Space for ALL current students at the University. This simply means we are affirming our commitment to providing safe, warm spaces for students to use whenever we are open. You are welcome to come in alone or in a group to keep warm and help reduce your home energy bills.
We know that most students are feeling the pinch right now as living costs spiral. One great way of saving on eating out, fashion, music, cinema, travel, and more is the TOTUM app and card. It is the only OFFICIAL student discount app and card, the only one offered by the National Union of Students (NUS) and the only one we recommend!
Aside from all of that, you will be helping your TUSU as we receive payments from NUS depending on how many students download the TOTUM app, how often they use it and the number of students who upgrade to the complete TOTUM package! All that money is poured back into making your SU even better!
Your SU works closely with the University and a range of external agencies such as Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire, and the NHS to try to keep all students safe and well. It is important to take sensible precautions to minimise the risk to yourself and other students.
Coronavirus
Coronavirus remains a threat. We urge you to stay vigilant and careful, especially when using public spaces.
Other Tips:
