A very warm welcome to the latest newsletter from Teesside University Students’ Union (TUSU). We get in touch every month with all of our latest news and events unless you ask us to stop by unsubscribing.
We want to start by congratulating Michael Adewunmi (President Education Elect) and Nevin Edwin (President International Elect), who will join Femi (well done to him on being re-elected!) on the team from July this year. And the five students elected to represent Teesside Uni at the National Union of Students (NUS) National Conference 2023.
We also want to thank the 4308 of you (a brand-new record) who took the time to cast over 15,000 votes across the four ballots in the TUSU Elections 2023 on Monday, 6th March. And, of course, all the other fine candidates who worked so hard and helped secure such a large interest in the elections. There’s more about the elections, and the Student Officers Elect further down this newsletter.
In this edition, we are also looking ahead to the TUSU Annual Awards 2023 in association with TS1 Students which takes place on Thu, 30th March, here in the SU Building. It will be another fantastic event recognising excellence in our societies and student rep teams. A huge well done, and good luck to all of the nominees; find out more about the event and how to book a place in the item further down.
And we are delighted to introduce, as part of our wider work on cost of living, the TUSU Breakfast Club, which will be available from Tuesday to Thursday between 8.30 am and 10 am during semester time. A great way for CURRENT TEESSIDE UNI students to save cash and get the fuel they need for the rest of the day with FREE breakfast cereal and fruit available.
Finally, we have details of the availability of the SU Building and our services and spaces over the spring break period running from Saturday, 1st April to Monday, 24th April. We know it will still be a busy time for many students with exams and assignments looming, plus part-time or even full-time work, but we hope you do find some time to relax and recharge after a demanding few months.
Have a safe, happy and successful month and make sure that, as always, your Students’ Union is right at the heart of your student life!
Eby, Femi and Nigil – TUSU Student Officers 2022/23
Teesside University Students’ Union (TUSU) reverts to holiday opening hours from Saturday, 1st April, until but not including Monday, 24th April. Our opening hours and the availability of our services/ spaces will be affected as follows over that period:
*TUSU reserves the right to change the opening hours/ availability of the building and services/ spaces within it. Any changes to the above will be thoroughly communicated across our website and social media.
After a busy week of campaigning by over 25 candidates running for four positions (President Education, President International, President Wellbeing, and NUS National Conference Rep) students voted for the people they wanted to represent them on Mon, 6th March.
In a new record for TUSU, 4308 eligible students had their say casting over 15,000 votes across the four ballots. We want to thank everyone who took the time to vote and commend all candidates for their efforts.
We are delighted to say we will have only our second-ever all-international Student Officer team from July, with Michael Adewunmi (President Education Elect) and Nevin Edwin (President International Elect) joining Femi Abolade (President Wellbeing Elect). Michael, like Femi, is originally from Nigeria, while Nevin is from India.
You can see all of the results and watch highlights of elections events through tees-su.org.uk/elections. Meanwhile, there is more about the Student Officers Elect through tees-su.org.uk/officerselect, and you can watch a short video with them talking about why they ran by clicking here.
The TUSU Annual Awards 2023, in association with TS1 Students, takes place on Thu. 30th, March from 7 pm in The Hub (2nd floor, Teesside University Students’ Union Building). Across 10 categories, we will recognise the best-performing societies and student rep teams of the past academic year. We will also honour individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to student groups or as a student rep.
The event will include delicious hot food then a short presentation of the awards. You can see all of the very deserving nominees and get info on booking your place now through tees-su.org.uk/awards. The event will also be streamed live on facebook.com/teessidesu and instagram.com/teessidesu.
Spring break may be just around the corner, but there’s still plenty to enjoy and get involved in day or night before our events take a little time out at the end of March.
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?
Through the day, you can:
In the evenings, you can:
TUSU is constantly listening to students and acting on your feedback! The Student Opinion Counts (SOC) survey is our biggest piece of annual market research and plays a major role in the decisions we take about our future direction and campaign priorities.
Complete this year’s short, simple survey to help us better understand the challenges you face and the things you want from your Students’ Union, and you could win £300, £200 or £100 in cash! There are also great prizes from our friends at Stagecoach Travel and Headquarters Barbers and beverages to be won!
Find out more and complete the SOC survey now 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.
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.
Also available now from The Terrace...
- Iced Tea for £2/ Iced Coffee £2.90.
- Creme Egg Frappe £2.90/ Mini Egg Hot Choc with Orange Syrup £2.30.
- Specials on food and cocktails. Find out more by clicking here.
* TUSU reserves the right to change all opening hours/ service availability based on levels of trade.
Hello, we hope you have all had a great start to semester 2. We are your School Representatives for the 22/23 academic year. We are a team of 18 current students employed by the Students’ Union to represent each school across the university. Ultimately, we want to enhance your experience at Teesside. Already this semester, our school reps have managed to address the issue of equipment fines and timetabling issues and, together with the School of Arts and Creative Industries, improved engagement in creative week. We have also signposted many students to different services across campus.
In our most recent meeting with the University Executive Team, we have raised a range of issues that are important to our students. We discussed car parking, spaces for families, accommodation, internships and attendance. We had an excellent response which was positive, and we will work with the university to put plans into place to improve your student experience. You will be able to review the feedback from the UET via your course rep in the next few weeks. If you are not sure who your course rep is please email coursereps@tees-su.org.uk.
If you are interested in representation, we will soon be recruiting for 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. Our roles are flexible around your timetable, and you will be paid £350 per year. This is an excellent opportunity to work with the senior staff across the university and 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, then please email us at the email above.
We would love to hear your feedback, including success stories, positive comments and issues or concerns. You can contact us via email, Facebook, or Instagram and by attending 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 look forward to hearing from you soon.
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 the forthcoming 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 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!
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?
What's coming up?
The TUSU Awards 2023 are coming up on 30th March. They will recognise outstanding societies, teamwork within them and individual members who have shone over this academic year. Check out tees-su.org.uk/awards and all of our social media for more details about the categories, nominees and how to book a place!
If you are studying on a course leading to undergraduate credits or qualifications and are in your final year, you may be eligible for the NSS.
The NSS matters because it makes a real difference to the experience students have at university - we and the University rely on your feedback to help identify what is working well and what might need improving.
Achieve the highest course response rate and win a special graduation package for you and your coursemates from the Uni!
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.
Teesside University has a dedicated team of Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLOs) who support any student who has experienced sexual violence at any time in their lives. The incident may have happened recently or in the past, on or off campus and involving a member of the university or somebody else.
The SVLOs can work on a 1-2-1 basis with you to explore support options. Our SVLOs have excellent links with internal support services and external partner organisations to ensure you’re aware of support options and can make informed decisions on the support you feel you need.
SVLOs will be led by you and will never pressure you into doing something you’re not comfortable with.
If you wish to explore SVLO support, you can email SVLO@tees.ac.uk or complete the self-referral form on our webpage.
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.
Spring break
We hope everyone has a safe, happy, relaxing spring break. Here are a few handy tips for minimising the chances
Coronavirus
Coronavirus remains a threat. We urge you to stay vigilant and careful, especially when using public spaces.
Other Tips:
