A very warm welcome to the March/ April edition of the Teesside University Students' Union (TUSU) newsletter. We get in touch every month during the academic year unless you ask us to stop by unsubscribing.
This is a particularly exciting edition as we celebrate superb feedback for ourselves and the Uni from international students. And we congratulate our Student Officers Elect, NUS National Conference Reps Elect, and all the amazing candidates who contributed to our highest ever elections turn out by some distance. We want to thank every single one of the 4,000+ students who took the time to have their say about who speaks for them as a Student Officer and/ or NUS National Conference Rep. There is more about the Officers Elect and the elections further down this newsletter or on tees-su.org.uk/officerselect.
Additionally, we are delighted that so many students took the time to tell us what you thought of our plans for the future incorporation of TUSU during the same election and that a majority of you agree it is a good idea. More about what it means for TUSU further down.
As well as looking back this month, we look ahead with excitement to our first in-person student awards ceremonies for three years. We cannot wait to honour outstanding sports clubs, societies, individual students, student reps and student rep teams in March and April. Tickets are on sale now, do not miss two amazing events! There are also great day and evening events between now and the spring break, then right until the end of the academic year in May. And we are inviting students to nominate students or other individuals for the prestigious Honorary Lifetime Membership of TUSU.
Have another fantastic month, enjoy the hopefully ever-improving weather and of course, keep your Students' Union right at the heart of your student life.
Rebecca, Harriet, and Madhu – Student Officers 2021/22
We were delighted to be rated the best students' union in the world and best in the UK for sports clubs and societies* when the most recent International Student Barometer (ISB) survey results were announced on Monday, 14th March. International students at Teesside University who completed the prestigious, internationally recognised survey gave both ourselves and the University top marks. You can read the full story here.
Rebecca Gilling, President Education and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Teesside University Students’ Union (TUSU) said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have received these exceptional ratings in such a prestigious and influential survey. We are obviously focused on ensuring all students have the highest quality experience possible.
“However, it is particularly pleasing to see that international students, who often need a little more support in their early days studying and living in a different country, appear to be so highly satisfied with what the university and ourselves provide. Despite being rated number one, we are still ambitious to do even more for the ever-growing international student population here in the coming months, and I am sure our first ever all international Student Officer team will share that goal when they take over in July.”
The Student Officer and NUS National Conference Rep Elections 2022 took place at the end of February and the start of March, with over 30 current students trying to secure enough votes to win one of the three Student Officer positions (President Education, President Activities, President Welfare) or one of the four NUS National Conference Rep roles.
We want to thank all of them for their hard work towards the new record of 3,809 current students who took the time to have their say. A total of 14,813 votes were cast by current students in the four elections, easily beating all previous TUSU Elections records and ensuring a proper mandate from the student body for the eventual winners.
We congratulate and welcome Eby Eldho (President Education Elect), Nigil Narayanan Thathron (President Activities Elect), and Femi Abolade (President Welfare Elect). They will take office in July of this year and become the next leaders/ Officer Trustees with responsibility for making sure your SU is properly run and that your voice is heard by the most senior figures at the Uni alongside many other duties. You can find out more about each of them in a separate article in this newsletter or through tees-su.org.uk/officerselect.
We also congratulate our four NUS National Conference Reps, Sai Sowjanya Koduri, Srimeghana Guntur, Navatej Naroju, and Sreeram Santosh Vasamsetty. They will join two of the current Officer team at the NUS National Conference 2022 in Liverpool at the end of this month. It will be their job to represent all Teesside Uni students on the big stage and contribute to discussion/ vote on the future direction of the national student movement, along with helping to decide who will lead it next year. We will report back on the outcomes of the Conference in the next edition of this newsletter.
Find out more, see a full breakdown of all elections results and watch video highlights of all the big moments through tees-su.org.uk/elections.
Eby Eldho (President Education Elect), Nigil Narayanan Thathron (President Activities Elect), and Femi Abolade (President Welfare Elect) will succeed our current Student Officer team in July 2022 after winning their respective elections earlier this month.
Read more about why they ran for the roles, how it feels to have been elected and what they hope to achieve through tees-su.org.uk/officerselect. We will also add a short video featuring the three of them on that page, across our social media and on our YouTube channel early in the week starting 21st March.
Alongside casting votes in the Student Officer and NUS National Conference Rep Elections earlier this month, a total of 2,696 students participated in our referendum on whether to incorporate Teesside University Students' Union. We are grateful to all of them and delighted that a majority (1,653) agreed it was a good idea. Here are the next steps we will take and what it means for TUSU.
Following approval of the Constitution by the University Governors we will register a new TUSU that is a company with all the student democracy we have now including our elections, our Presidents, and our meetings. It will have the same purpose, working for Teesside University students and we expect to make the switchover in the summer. We will retain the current byelaws so your SU carries on working for you as before, just with a more modern governance structure. Most students’ unions have already incorporated and we don’t expect it to affect our services.
Teesside University Students' Union (TUSU) is THE place to be day or night, no matter how much or little time you can spare or who you are. You can keep track of everything coming up and, where required, book tickets through tees-su.org.uk/events, our events page on Facebook, and by downloading our digital events planner.
And do not forget we show loads of live sport on big screens around the first floor every week, including Six Nations Rugby plus some of the biggest Premier League and European football matches. Unless otherwise stated, all our evening events are open to non-students, so feel free to bring your family and friends in!
Highlights between now and the end of the academic year in May include:
Bongos Bingo (Selected nights in March, April and May, 2nd floor SU Building) - These fun-packed bingo nights, unsurprisingly, just keep getting bigger, better, and more popular! Tickets always sell fast, so do not miss loads of laughs and great prizes as we partner with the mighty Bongos to bring you 21st-century bingo with a twist! Check out all the forthcoming dates and book your tickets here.
Monday, 21st March/ Thu, 24th March/ Tue, 29th March/ Fri, 1st April - Talk to TUSU is a chance to chat to the current Student Officers at various locations around campus about your student life. Tell them what the Uni and SU are getting right and what we can do better. Even if you do not get a chance to chat, remember you can give us feedback anytime through tees-su.org.uk/feedback.
Tue 22nd March - Vintage Vera are BACK with another massive vintage clothing sale on the 2nd floor of the SU Building. Why not boost your spring wardrobe with some absolute bargains? Great range of big names and clothing items to choose from.
Thu, 24th March - Join your Student Officers in The Stephenson Building Lecture Theatre (ground floor) from 4 pm to 5 pm for the first TUSU Student Assembly. An informal opportunity to tell them about your student life including, but not limited to, teaching, feedback, uni and TUSU resources and facilities, the support you receive from the Uni and SU and everyday things you might need like more parking or space to study and a computer to use on campus.
Thu, 31st March - Join us on the 2nd floor of the SU Building from 6.30 pm for the SU Annual Awards Dinner. A long-awaited chance to get glammed up and recognise outstanding societies, student rep teams, individual society members and student reps. Find out more and get your tickets now here.
Weds, 6th April - Join us on the 2nd floor of the SU Building from 6.30 pm for the TUSU Sports Clubs Awards 2022. Time to get glammed up and recognise outstanding clubs, teams and individual sportspeople who have excelled for Teesside Uni in the past year. Find out more and get your tickets now here.
Fri, 6th May - It is time for more epic noughties emo anthems and an amazing atmosphere as the brilliant Black Parade night returns from 11 pm to 3 am. Find out more and get your tickets here.
Monday nights during semester time - Get yourself in from 7.30 pm for the ever-popular Monday Night Quiz in The Terrace (1st floor, SU Building) hosted by DJ Matty Morgan. Every week, there is a different theme, loads of laughs, top tunes, and discount drinks between rounds, and, of course, great prizes to be won. That includes FREE DRINK VOUCHERS (many non-alcoholic options available) from The Terrace.
Wednesday nights during semester time - Sing your heart out and enjoy, erm, spectacular solo and group performances from others at Karaoke from 8 pm in The Terrace (1st floor, SU Building). A great selection of current and classic hits to choose from and discount drinks (many non-alcoholic options available). If you want to make a night of it, why not head down to Go Ninja at Stereo in town? The biggest mid-week student night in town and the only one we partner with.
Thursday nights during semester time - We take you back to the noughties in The Terrace (1st floor, SU Building) with classic tunes and music videos from an iconic decade. As always, discount drinks (including many non-alcoholic options) are available from the bar. And why not make a night of it and get a bit alternative at Creeps at The Empire on Corporation Road.
Saturday nights during semester time - Head to The Terrace (1st floor, SU Building) from 8 pm for the official Shangri-La pre-party. Get warmed up for the main event round at The Empire on Corporation Road with classic indie and rock tunes, discount drinks (many non-alcoholic options available) and the chance to get discounted or even free entry to Shangri-La!
We are a students' union that is committed to "real world" campaigns that address the key issues facing Teesside Uni students and truly make a difference. We focus on housing, safety, physical and mental health, and course/ campus-related issues, to name a few.
Alongside the ongoing campaigns, which you can read more about through tees-su.org.uk/officers, we have recognised the growing current concern over many incidents of drink spiking in venues up and down the country. This, we are very sad to say, has included some here in Teesside. Drink spiking is a very serious crime, and the perpetrators are ALWAYS the ones at fault, but we want to do what we can to encourage students to keep themselves and others safe on nights out here in the SU or at other venues. You can get information, advice, and useful links through tees-su.org.uk/spikeaware and keep an eye on our social media and website for forthcoming details of campaign events around this very important issue. You will be able to get support and pick up free anti-spiking kits.
Meanwhile, Harriet Dryden (President Activities) wants to know why some students do not currently participate in sports clubs at the university. Please take a minute to complete her short, simple survey as part of the Get Into It campaign.
And the Student Officer team are back out around campus with Talk to TUSU in the run-up to the spring break. If you spot them with their table and display, make sure you stop for a chat about your student life, they want to know what the Uni and SU are doing well and where we need to improve. Even if you do not run into them, remember you can give feedback anytime through the TUSU feedback form.
Thu, 24th March from 10 am to 12 pm - The Clarendon Building (Ground Floor)
Tue, 29th March from 10 am to 12 pm - The Student Life Building (Ground Floor)
Fri, 1st April from 1 pm to 3 pm - TUSU Building (1st floor)
Finally, we want to make students aware that you can read a review of the most recent Elected Officer Committee meeting. It includes an outline of the proposal for the forthcoming Student Assembly meetings. Join your Student Officers for the first of what we hope will become regular student assembly meetings. This is an informal opportunity for students to talk about what is going well in your student life and what the Uni and SU can help you with. The discussion might include:
It is not, however, limited to those things. We want YOU to drive the discussion. This is the first meeting of this kind and it remains a work in progress. To that end, as well as giving us your feedback on your student experience, we will also want to hear how you think we can encourage the maximum number of students to attend future meetings. We will ask for your thoughts on the best way of structuring them to ensure everyone gets a chance to participate properly and enjoys being involved. Find out more about why we are introducing the assembly and what we hope to achieve by clicking here. We hope you can join us; we want to hear from you!
Each year Teesside University Students' Union (TUSU) bestows the prestigious Honorary Lifetime Membership on current students or others who, the awards committee, judge to have made an exceptional contribution to student life and/ or the Students' Union. Any current student can nominate an individual they think we should consider for this recognition now by clicking here. Nominations close at 5 pm on Thu 24th, March, and recipients will be announced at our awards dinners at the end of this month.
After three years without a physical end-of-year awards event, we are very excited to honour outstanding societies and student reps at the Annual SU Awards Dinner on Thu, 31st March and the TUSU Sports Clubs Awards on Wed, 6th April. Why not get yourself glammed up and join us for what will be two fantastic evenings of celebration of student success, participation and bouncing back from the challenges of lockdown. You can see the list of nominees, find out more and book your tickets now through tees-su.org.uk/awards.
Student Opinion Counts (SOC) is the biggest and most influential piece of research we carry out here at the Students' Union. Every other year, we ask you about:
Your student life, the personal challenges you might be facing and what you need from your SU and Uni to make it even better.
Your opinion of how your SU is led, your awareness of the people who represent you, and our impact on students.
Your participation in activities we provide includes sport and societies, and if you do participate, your experiences of them.
Your use of the various advice and support we provide and your satisfaction with it.
Your use of our commercial services and attendance at our events and the other places you like to go to eat, drink and be merry.
You could win:
£100 for completing one survey
£250 for completing two surveys
£350 for completing three surveys
£500 for completing all four surveys
The surveys will close at the end of April, so do not delay! Check out tees-su.org.uk/soc NOW!!!
The SU Shop (ground floor, SU Building) is open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm on weekdays and 12 pm to 6 pm on Saturdays (now closed on Sundays). Students and other visitors get great value meal deals, snacks, healthy options, hot and cold drinks, course-related materials and Teesside Uni clothing, plus other merchandise. A range of new products have also recently been added to the shelves, including Karma Soft Drinks, Yumie Sushi, new salad bowl options including chicken, tuna, and ham and cheese. And as (hopefully) warmer weather approaches, we have stocked back up on a range of ice cream options to enjoy while you soak up the sun in Campus Heart. Check out tees-su.org.uk/sushop for more info, order clothing and see any current special offers or discounts.
The Terrace (1st floor, SU Building) is open from 10:00 am until late on weekdays with delicious hot food served to your table until 4.30 pm. It is also available from 12.30 pm until late on Saturdays with food served until 4 pm. The venue is now open from 12.30 pm to 6 pm on Sundays, and food is no longer served on this day. It is the perfect place to socialise between lectures, seminars, and personal study. It is also a comfortable, inclusive, and welcoming place to spend free time with family and friends. Check out tees-su.org.uk/theterrace for our latest food and drink menus.
Course and School Representatives represent your academic interests and other issues and ensure that you have a positive experience whilst studying here at Teesside University. Ensuring that you have your voice heard, whether you have an educational issue or have some positive feedback about your course, is really important to us. The reps are here to ensure that the right people in the university hear your feedback so that positive changes can be made together!
At the start of each academic year, Course Representatives are elected by their cohorts to deal with any issues that may arise at the course level or communicate any positive feedback to staff members. They are SU volunteers and will work closely with Students’ Union Student Support (SUSS) and the SU Officers.
Course Representatives will work closely with the School Representatives who are appointed by the SU. School Representatives deal with any feedback that Course Representatives pass on, which may need raising at a higher level, and any issues or positive feedback arising at a school level by liaising with senior academic staff. To see the differences between the School Representatives and Course Representatives please click here.
The hugely influential National Student Survey (NSS) is a chance for most final year students at the Uni to reflect on their whole time here at Teesside. It is also an important opportunity to tell the university and your SU what has gone well and what we need to improve on for the next generation. The survey covers teaching, feedback, facilities, resources and of course, the Students' Union. The findings play a key role in decision making by the most senior figures at the university and help Student Officers to identify campaign priorities and issues they need to work with the Uni on. There are great prizes to be won for taking the time to complete the survey, too, including a reception for you and your course mates during forthcoming graduation weeks. Find out more and complete the survey by clicking here.
Fancy bagging incredible savings and discounts on food, drink, fashion, travel, digital, music and more throughout your time at Uni? 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!
You can now get TOTUM Digital for FREE and enjoy 300+ student discounts, exclusive giveaways, the TOTUM app and more for one year from the date you download.
You can also pay £14.99 (valid for one year) or £24.99 (valid for two or three years) for the TOTUM+ Age ID card option. All the discounts and savings mentioned above, extra exclusive giveaways, access to the TOTUM app, proof of age, premium discounts not available to others and the inclusion of the International Student ID Card (ISIC)!
Aside from all of that, you will be helping out your TUSU as we receive payments from NUS depending on how many students download the TOTUM app and 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!
