A very warm welcome, as the weather turns chilly, to the October/ November edition of the Teesside University Students’ Union. We’ll be in touch every month this academic year with our latest news and events unless you ask us to stop by unsubscribing.
We hope everyone had a great Freshers and that you’re settling in/ back in to student life. You can look back on all of our events in pics and video as well as accessing useful downloads, support and links through tees-su.org.uk/freshers. We’re also keen to know what both ourselves and Teesside University got right and what we can improve on next year, please take a few minutes to complete our short, simple Fresher’s survey!
We’re also looking ahead to a busy month of day and evening events, campaigns and outreach activities here in the SU, around campus and in Teesside Uni accommodation. We’re really looking forward to chatting to you about your student life around campus this month and next!
And, we’d love it if you’d get November’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in your diary NOW! It’s a short but very important meeting where you can hear what we have planned for the year, have your say on some aspects of how the SU is run and get FREE DOMINOS PIZZA plus CASH PRIZES FOR YOUR CLUB OR SOCIETY.
Finally, we’re living in uncertain political times but one thing’s for sure, if you’re not registered to vote you won’t be able to have a say…whatever you believe. Make sure you can participate in any forthcoming General Election by taking a few minutes to register by clicking here. And keep an eye out for election and democracy related campaigns from the three of us as and when a General Election is announced.
Have another great month and, remember, that however things are going TUSU is here for you so make sure you use our support services and get involved in everything we have to offer.
Alan, George and Sophie – Student Officers 2019/20.
The TUSU Annual General Meeting (AGM) takes place on Tue, 19th November from 5pm in The Hub (2nd floor, SU Building) this year. It’s a short, simple but very important opportunity to hear from your Student Officers about their plans for the year and put your questions and suggestions to them. You’ll also have a vote on certain aspects of how the SU is run including who audits our accounts, which external organisations we affiliate with and how the Student Officer and NUS National Conference Rep Elections are run.
And…there’s FREE DOMINOS PIZZA for everyone who attends while the club and society who each get the highest proportion of members to attend get £100 added to their budget!
Click here for some tips on how to make the most of the meeting and keep an eye on tees-su.org.uk/agm for the key papers you’ll need to read before the meeting.
Freshers is over for another year but we’re already planning for how we can make next year even bigger and better for you and fellow students! Please take a few minutes to complete our short, simple survey and you could win up to £125! We want to know about your induction from the University, which of our day and evening events you attended and where else you went over the fortnight.
There’s something for EVERYONE day and night throughout this semester in our safe, responsibly run and inclusive venues. It doesn’t matter who you are or whether you drink alcohol…our events and spaces are for you! And remember that non-students are welcome too…so why not bring your friends and family to the fun?
This month’s obvious highlight is Nightmare on Southfield Road! Back for an incredible 18th year it’s the BIGGEST, BEST Halloween party in town with top tunes from our DJ for the night Tom Jagger, eye popping costumes, £100 cash prize for the best fancy dress and dazzling drinks offers anywhere (including many non-alcoholic options).
Alongside that, we’ve got…
Keep in touch with everything coming up through tees-su.org.uk/events or our events Facebook page.
TUSU is a students’ union that is committed to real world campaigns that make a real difference to all students at Teesside University. We’ll keep you up to date with what our Student Officers and Campaign Reps are working on in this column every month and make sure you check out our page or tees-su.org.uk/campaigns for more about upcoming campaigns.
This month we’ll be out talking to all students through the day with our Pop Up Clinics and year round SU on Tour campaign. There’s also visits to those in Teesside University accommodation in the evenings. We’ll mainly have advice on dealing with accommodation issues but you can talk to the team about anything!
Meanwhile, if you’re interested in a career in uniformed services like the police, fire service, NHS, Army or others why not get yourself along to a new event organised by George Reeves (President Activities). You can speak to representatives of various uniformed services and get expert advice on pursuing a career in them on Tue, 29th October.
Our year round Student Opinion Counts (SOC) campaign is your chance to tell us about your student experience and win BIG CASH PRIZES for taking the time to do so! The more surveys you complete the more money you can win…complete all four to be in with a shot of winning £500!!!
SOC is divided in to four short, simple surveys which launch at different points in the academic year from the end of October and cover…
Find out more and complete them through tees-su.org.uk/soc.
Alongside our Student Officers, we have teams of School Reps and a brand team of Campaign Reps helping us to engage more effectively with students, gather your feedback and help with the running of our various campaigns.
You can find out more about their excellent work and how to contact them through tees-su.org.uk/schoolreps and tees-su.org.uk/campaignreps. Look out for them out and about in the SU Building and around campus throughout the academic year at campaign and engagement events too!
And....we're currently looking for confident, hardworking students with a passion for making a real difference to student life to join the School Rep team. If your course is based in The School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law (SSHL) or MIMA School of Art and Design, click here to find out more about these unique opportunities. Current School Reps Monique, Ian and Marianne tell you more about their roles here.
The SU Shop (ground floor, SU Building) and The Terrace (first floor, SU Building) are open 7 days a week from early to late with top quality products and service for your convenience! Non-students are more than welcome to use both of them! Get yourself great value meal deals, snacks, drinks, stationery, course materials, Teesside Uni clothing and more in the shop! There’s also great offers and discounts including this month:
And don’t forget that there’s 10% off selected drinks if you show your Teesside Uni Student ID (TUSC) card while you can warm yourself up through a cold October with the return of our hugely popular Pumpkin Spice Latte! You can also get 2 milkshakes for £5 from 1pm each day until and including 31st October. Plus…if you use your own cup you can get 20p off all hot drinks throughout the year*.
There’s also another reason to head in to the SU Shop all of this academic year! You can now charge up your phone or other devices while you enjoy a hot drink and a chat and check out some great offers from big names at our brand new power tables!
*Terms and conditions apply.
The Totum card and app (previously known as NUS Extra) is the OFFICIAL and BEST way to get a great range of student discounts from national and local names! Sold by the National Union of Students (NUS), it gives you savings on fashion, food and drink, cinema, music, travel and more! You’ll also be helping out your SU as we get a cut of every card sold and payments depending on how often you use the Totum app…so please make sure you download and use it regularly!
The card is also accepted as proof of age and incorporates the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) at no extra charge! If it’s good enough for Harold…it’s good enough for you…get it for just £12 for 12 months from whatever date you buy it!
TUSU is led by three Student Officers (President Education, President Activities, President Welfare) who are elected by students just like you every Feb/ Mar. Any current student* can run for the roles and they’re a unique opportunity to lead the Students’ Union, gain unrivalled experience and skills other graduates can only dream about and get paid over £21,000 per year for the privilege.
At the same time, a small group of current students are elected to represent Teesside University at the National Union of Students (NUS) National Conference. Another incredible opportunity gain experience and skills while making a real difference for students and having a say about some of the biggest decisions facing the national student movement such as who leads it in 2020/21 and what policies TUSU adopts.
We know it’s early days but the sooner you find out more and start planning the better! So why not check out tees-su.org.uk/elections, speak to current Student Officers and/ or chat to key support staff by e-mailing: elections@tees-su.org.uk.
*There are a few circumstances that may prevent you being a Trustee at the Students' Union including a criminal record and previously being declared bankrupt. If you're unsure contact us through the elections e-mail for a confidential discussion.
If you’re struggling with any aspect of student life or already have existing mental health issues then our SU Student Support (SUSS) and Nightline services may be able to help.
SUSS can assist with issues around housing and your housemates, money, your course, generally settling in to student life or feeling homesick, anxious or depressed. Nightline is our confidential listening service staffed by trained student volunteers. From 8pm to 7am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (subject to volunteer availability) you can call them to talk about anything you’re struggling with and they’ll listen without judgement. If the service isn’t available remember that there is help available from the likes of Mind and The Samaritans while you should always call 999 in a mental health emergency.
And we’re always keen to work with partner organisations to widen the support we offer to students. We’ve teamed up with Arch North East and SARC Teesside this academic year to offer confidential support for anyone affected by sexual assault while Recovery Connections will also be in the building every Wednesday with help and support if you’re overcoming addiction to drugs or alcohol. Click here to find out more about all of the sessions.
You can get expert advice on your current accommodation and help with starting to think about where you might live next year at our annual Housing Day on Mon, 11th November. The SU Student Support (SUSS) and Teesside University accommodation teams will be on hand and there’ll also be stalls from a range of accredited landlords. There’s also expert advice on keeping your place clean and free of vermin from Middlesbrough Council while Cleveland Fire Service will have important info on fire safety at home.
Teesside University is home to students from many different cultures and to people of all faiths and none. We value the diversity of our students and recognise that being able to practise your faith is an important part of the student experience.You can keep up to date with the latest news and events by visiting the Teesside University Faith and Reflection Service Facebook page.
The Faith and Reflection Service is for all people of all faiths or none. It offers confidential, non-judgemental pastoral care and support to all staff and students within the University. We are available for personal conversations at mutually agreed times. You don't have to practise any particular faith to come to talk to us and it can be about any issue.
We offer:
We aim to:
And, we're delighted to be working with the team on a Faith Fayre. The event, taking place on 12th November here in the SU Building, is an opportunity for all students to meet people of faith from the local community who will be there to answer questions. There will also be free food and various activities to enjoy...keep an eye on both SU and Teesside Uni social media for more details later this month.
Click here to find out more about the service and upcoming events.
We’re delighted to confirm that Jonny Severs, a PCSO with Cleveland Police for many years, has joined Teesside University on a full-time basis. As part of his role he will offer drop-in sessions across campus giving advice and guidance on crime prevention. He’s already a familiar face in the Students’ Union and will continue to be in our building regularly working closely with our SU Student Support (SUSS) team and speaking to students about safety issues or concerns.
Click here for more about Jonny’s background and the help he can give.
