The latest news and events from Teesside University Students' Union
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Welcome from the Student Officers
A very warm welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter, we will be in touch every month this academic year with updates and upcoming events unless you ask us to stop by unsubscribing.
We know that this has been a very different start to Semester 1 than in previous years and as we head into the autumn months, a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety remains for all students. One thing we can promise is that ourselves, the student reps and staff at TUSU will continue to do everything we can to help and support you. We will also continue to ensure the most senior figures at the University hear your views, give us feedback anytime, anywhere by clicking here.
At the time of writing and subject to no further changes in national or local Government advice, we intend to remain open day and night. And, with your help, we will keep our building as safe as possible for everyone who enters. You can support our efforts by following all of the guidelines around social distancing, wearing a mask, regularly sanitising your hands and only sitting in our bar/ restaurant, The Terrace with people from the same household as you. Get the latest updates on our response to COVID-19 and how it affects the availability of our services and events by clicking here.
Despite the challenges, there is plenty to look ahead to here at the SU before the festive break. We will be continuing to offer fun-packed evening events including our Monday Night Quiz and a special sit-down Halloween party. We are also regularly online for interactive campaigns and other sessions through the day, including this year's very important Annual General Meeting (AGM). on Tue 17th November. Keep an eye on everything that is coming up through tees-su.org.uk/events.
Have the best possible month you can and, as always, make sure TUSU is right at the heart of your student life.
Alan, George and Elisha – Student Officers 2020/21
tees-su.org.uk/officers
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Current availability of the SU Building and our services/ event
We wanted to update you on which of our venues and services are available for you to use in-person and which can only be accessed online following the latest changes introduced by the Government yesterday. In short, Teesside University Students' Union (TUSU) remains open and available as it has for the past few weeks. You can see who and what is available when below. We also summarise what you and people in your household can do to keep the TUSU Building safe and minimise the risk of infection, please read all of it carefully:
- Your Student Officers will remain available online through our various e-mail accounts and social media (see the linked web page for full details). We will be running online events to gather your feedback and help/ support you during Semester One. Keep an eye on tees-su.org.uk/events or facebook.com/teessidesu for updates on these.
- The Terrace (1st floor, SU Building), our multi-award winning bar and restaurant, remains open as planned from 10.30 am on weekdays and 12.30 pm on Saturdays (the venue is closed on Sundays from now on) for groups of up to six who are from the same household (please only come in with housemates or relatives who live with you). We now call last orders at 9.15 pm, and customers must be out of the venue by 10 pm prompt every night in accordance with the new rules. We already ask customers to utilise tees-su.org.uk/order for ordering food and drink and offer table service only; this practice will continue indefinitely, so please remember to bring your mobile phone or another device to order with. Please also be aware that our food service times are subject to change subject to the level of demand and we will do our best to update you on our social media and tees-su.org.uk in advance if we do decide to stop serving early.
- All advertised events in the venue and online will go ahead as planned but may be subject to an earlier start time and moved to a different venue than currently advertised so please do keep an eye on our social media and website for changes.
- The SU Shop (Ground floor, SU Building) is open weekdays from 8.30 am to 4 pm. It is closed at weekends.
- The SU Welcome Desk (1st floor, SU Building) is open weekdays from 10 am to 4 pm to direct and signpost you to SU services and provide general assistance. Alternatively, you can contact; enquiries@tees-su.org.uk or 01642 342234 and our staff will do all they can to help you that way.
- The Love it Lounge (1st floor, SU Building) is available whenever the building is open for small groups to meet or socialise and individual study, but no food or drink can be consumed in there.
- The SU Activities service will be an online service only until further notice, but the team are ready and waiting to answer your questions about societies and sports clubs through activities@tees-su.org.ukor facebook.com/TUSUActivities.
- SU Student Support (SUSS) remains an online service only until further notice, but the team are ready and waiting to help you on weekdays through suss@tees-su.org.uk or facebook.com/SUStudentSupport. In very exceptional circumstances, an adviser may be able to see a student face to face, but this will be discussed when you contact them online.
- Your School and Course Reps will remain contactable through their various e-mail addresses and social media. They will continue to gather your feedback and speak up for you to senior staff in each school of the University.
You can do your bit by:
- Not visiting the SU Building or any other public venues if you are showing even mild symptoms of coronavirus or are legally required to quarantine for 14 days having arrived from another country.
- Reporting any symptoms you are showing to Teesside University, making sure you follow the Teesside Uni Campus Community Pledge and utilising the Safe Zone app to check-in and out of campus.
- Utilising sign-in systems such as applications when using the SU Building so you can be track and traced if an outbreak occurs.
- Wearing a mask whenever you are instructed to.
- Following any one way systems that have been established in venues including the SU Building.
- Maintaining a two-metre distance from others whenever physically possible.
- Making frequent use of hand sanitising stations provided here in the SU Building or other venues.
- Not gathering in groups of more than six who are from the same household or moving from a table that you have been designated.
- Booking in advance for events when asked to, so that the SU and other venues know how many people to expect.
- Not approaching the bar in our venue or others and instead utilising phone or web apps provided to order.
- Not moving furniture in a venue, it will have been set up the way it is for good reasons.
- Respecting the 10 pm closing times for licensed premises and leaving promptly when asked to do so.
- Not having large private gatherings indoors or outdoors but instead sticking to the rule of six from the same household or two households if gathering outside.
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Have your say at the virtual AGM 2020
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is one of the most important events in the TUSU calendar. It is short and simple, usually lasting no more than 45 minutes, but it is vital, so please do join us for it online on Tue, 17th November from 5 pm.
You will be able to hear from your Student Officers about their plans and priorities for the rest of this year then put your questions. You will also be invited to vote on proposed changes to the rules by which your SU is governed and which organisations we choose to affiliate with.
Best of all you could get FREE DOMINOS PIZZA and earn your club or society £100 to add to their budget just by logging on and being part of the meeting!
Find out more, read key papers before the meeting like last year's minutes, the agenda for this year and details of any proposals you will be asked to vote on by clicking here. You will also find details of how to join the meeting through the Zoom application on that link.
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Enjoy great events online and in-person day or night at TUSU
Despite the challenging times and increased restrictions on social gatherings, we are determined to keep providing day and evening events to support and entertain students online and in person.
The Terrace (1st floor, SU Building) is open from Monday to Saturday until 10 pm (last orders are 9.15 pm) for groups of up to six from the same household to enjoy:
- The Monday Night Quiz (Mondays from 6.30 pm): Book your table of 2,3,4,5 or 6 (from the same household) for our fun-packed quiz through tees-su.org.uk/quiz. Test your trivia and showcase your specialist knowledge! Loads of laughs and great prizes to be won, including cash and FREE DRINKS!
- Gin and Cocktails (Tuesdays from 5 pm): No need to book in advance for this one! You and your bubble can enjoy unbeatable offers on a superb selection of gins and cocktails, other alcoholic drinks and of course plenty of non-alcoholic options too. There are top tunes all night, and we show the biggest live football matches on screens around our venue.
- Go Ninja Anthems (Wednesdays from 5 pm): No need to book in advance for this one! We miss the biggest mid-week in town Go Ninja, and we are sure many of you do too! Relive some of the magic though with discount drinks (including many non-alcoholic options), and all of the biggest tunes usually played down at Spensleys Emporium. We are joined every week by their resident DJs as they take temporary charge of our sound system.
- Fridays from Five (Fridays from 5 pm): No need to book in advance for this one! Start the weekend in style with discount drinks (including many non-alcoholic options) and top tunes in The Terrace! What better way to relax after a tough week?
- Shangri-La Saturdays (Saturdays from 5 pm): We are also bereft without the biggest Saturday night in town Shangri-La, and we are sure many of you are too but fear not! We capture the spirit of the main event every Saturday night with the help of their resident DJs who are temporarily seconded to The Terrace for one night only each week! Classic indie and rock tunes and drinks offers until 9.15 pm!
- Get your best costumes sorted and head out well before the witching hour for A Halloween special of the hugely popular Bingo Revolution (Friday, 30th October) and A sit down Halloween Party (Saturday, 31st October).
We will be online through the day regularly all semester time with Q and A/ feedback sessions, campaigns and more. Keep an eye on tees-su.org.uk/events or our Facebook events page for the very latest on that and all of the evening events mentioned above.
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Campaigns Corner
We are a students' union that is committed to "real world" campaigns addressing the issues that matter the most to students at Teesside University. Your Student Officers lead on activities and events around mental and physical wellbeing, academic issues and the wider student experience to name a few things.
Campaign priorities are based on what you tell us so make sure you participate in our regular online Talk to TUSU sessions and/ or give us your views on all aspects of student life anytime, anywhere through our feedback form. Meanwhile Elisha Lycett (President Welfare) is online every Wednesday addressing different aspects of student wellbeing, make sure check out her work profile for the latest live and pre-recorded videos.
We are also always proud to support major national campaigns throughout the year and this has included World Mental Health Day on Saturday, 10th October and Black History Month all of this month.
Find out more about our campaigns and check out upcoming campaign-related events through tees-su.org.uk/officers.
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Meet Your School and Course Reps
Even though you will not be on campus as much this semester, your Course and School Representatives will still be working tirelessly to ensure that you have a positive academic experience at Teesside. It may not be possible to meet your reps as much face-to-face at the moment; however, there are still plenty of ways that you can contact your reps if you are experiencing an issue with your course or you have some feedback about your studies, good or bad! You can also keep updated with what has been happening in your school and what your reps have been doing via our social media channels.
If you would like to contact your reps, you can do so via email, on Facebook or Instagram. All details can be found on our website tees-su.org.uk/schoolreps.
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Get personalised Teesside Uni branded clothing from the SU Shop!
The SU Shop (ground floor) is currently open 8.30 am to 4 pm weekdays and, aside from food, drink, meal deals, course materials and more, it is also the only place on campus to buy and personalise Teesside Uni branded clothing!
We have a wide range of Teesside Uni hoodies, shirts, sweatshirts, hats and also offer the option to create and personalise your own clothing! Click here now to view/ order the full range and speak to staff in the SU Shop about any specific requirements.
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It's never too early to start planning for the TUSU Elections 2021!
Teesside University Students' Union (TUSU) is led by students for students, and from the end of January 2021, two incredible opportunities come around again!
Any current student at Teesside University* can run in our elections to find the next three people who get paid over £23,000 per year to lead TUSU and speak up for all students as President Education, President Activities and President Welfare.
In a separate election, you could also run for one of the five positions available representing Teesside University at the single biggest, annual gathering of students and students' union. You would get most of your expenses paid by TUSU to attend the NUS National Conference 2021 and make sure all of your fellow students’ voices are heard on the big stage.
Just running as a candidate is an amazing experience and a great way to boost your skills and widen your experience while making sure we have properly contested elections with as high a voter turnout as possible! And if you are interested, there's no need to wait until the New Year! Drop elections@tees-su.org.uk a line with questions about running in the elections and to speak to current Student Officers/ key support staff.
There will also be a wealth of useful info, and handy downloads added to tees-su.org.uk/elections this November so keep checking that web section!
*There are various factors which may prevent you being eligible to be a Trustee of Teesside University Students' Union and thus running in the Student Officer elections. Click here to find out more or contact us using the elections e-mail address for a confidential chat about your situation.
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The Terrace is staying open for delicious food, drink and good times!
The Terrace (1st floor, SU Building) is open six days a week from 10.30 am to 10 pm on weekdays and 12.30 pm to 10 pm on Saturdays*. Join us in your group of six from the same household for delicious hot food and a wide range of drinks (including many non-alcoholic options) which you can order online by clicking here when you arrive in the venue.
We are taking every possible precaution to keep our customers safe and ask you to help us by following all of the rules on social distancing, staying in your group at your table, making use of our hand sanitising stations and not approaching the bar.
This is a difficult and uncertain time, but you can be sure that you will still get great service and enjoy an amazing atmosphere in The Terrace so, providing you are feeling well, get yourself in and enjoy!
Check out tees-su.org.uk/terracemenus for more info on what is currently available.
*Opening hours are subject to change depending on levels of trade, we will aim to keep you informed of any revisions to them across our social media and website.
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Great savings and offers online and in-store with the TOTUM card and app
The TOTUM card and app are the modern equivalents of the National Union of Students (NUS) or NUS Extra card. It is still the only OFFICIAL student discount card and the only one that your SU endorses and benefits from. You can bag yourself incredible savings, discounts and special cardholder only offers on food, drink, cinema, music, fashion, travel, technology and more from just £14.99 for 12 months from the date you buy it. And you can do your bit for your SU as we get a cut of every card sale and payments based on how often you use the TOTUM app.
Click here to find out more, download the app and order yours.
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Student Safety Tips
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. This is a particularly important time for taking sensible precautions and minimising risk to both yourself and other students.
Check out our tips for staying over the freshers period and throughout semester 1.
Coronavirus
- Always stay home if you are feeling unwell or showing even mild symptoms of the virus and make sure you get medical advice/ tested as soon as possible.
- Follow all of the latest national and local guidelines around reducing the risk of contracting or spreading coronavirus to the letter. No matter if you are visiting the SU Building or others around Teesside, please do all you can to socially distance, wear a mask where you are asked to and make regular use of any hand sanitiser that is provided.
- Please continue to avoid large gatherings in your own or friend's homes.
- If you are socialising in the SU or other venues, please use applications whenever available to order food and drink and leave your contact details should there be an outbreak.
- If you are in a venue where you feel that the appropriate precautions are not being taken we would urge you to leave as soon as possible. You may also wish to make relevant authorities aware of any negligence.
Other Tips:
- The season for fireworks and bonfires is fast approaching and we know that with mass displays cancelled many more of you than usual may be having your own parties on or around 5th November. Remember that fireworks and sparklers are dangerous for you and others around you and should be handled with extreme care. You should also be extra cautious this year to avoid putting extra strain on our already very stretched emergency services. Click here for the latest advice from Cleveland Fire Brigade.
- If you are living in student accommodation, make sure you always remember to securely lock windows and doors when you head out.
- Try to keep anything particularly valuable out of sight when you leave your student house.
- If you find that the property you are living in does not have fire, carbon monoxide and burglar alarms or an up to date gas certificate speak to your letting agent or landlord immediately. You can also get online help with accommodation; issues through our SU Student Support team by e-mailing:suss@tees-su.org.uk.
- If you are new to Middlesbrough or Teesside, try to stay in well-lit areas and groups when you head out after dark. Fellow students can also probably give useful advice on areas of the town that you may wish to avoid.
- Drink responsibly and avoid illegal drugs, especially if they are being supplied by someone you do not know. NEVER DRINK/ TAKE DRUGS AND THEN DRIVE!
- Be aware of possible drink spiking, especially if you are in unfamiliar venues with new people.
- Middlesbrough Council has strict rules on behaviour in public, especially in the town centre. Please be aware that if you are deemed to have behaved unacceptably in public spaces, you may face a fine of several hundred pounds.
- Like any UK town Middlesbrough, sadly, has issues with begging in the town centre. Cleveland Police and Middlesbrough Council advise you not to give money to people who ask for it and avoid lengthy engagement with people who beg, especially if they are aggressive. A range of support is available from professional agencies for people who are in these situations, assisting them should be left to the experts.