Student Life Zone (25th November 2015)

Apologies were received from Ally, Hannah and Ben.  

Nightline Officer Update

 

Since the Nightline committee’s last meeting three weeks ago:

• 40% more calls referred by Instant Messenger.
• ‘Friends and flatmate issues’ was the most frequently occurring issue.

 

Since the start of the academic year:

• ‘Loneliness’ remains the most frequently occurring issue.
• Over 300 calls have been received so far, totalling over 100 hours.
• 100% of shifts have gone ahead. Luke noted that this is largely due to a few very dedicated volunteers taking on 2 or 3 shifts a week.

 

Two Nightline representatives attended the Nightline Regional Conference.  Based on their learning at the conference, Luke stated that he now wants to prioritise developing their volunteer training programme.  They currently have over 100 volunteers, which Luke feels is potentially unsustainable, and would rather focus on having fewer, better trained volunteers.  Luke stated that Nightline could consider making monthly developmental training sessions compulsory, introducing an assessment which all trainee volunteers must pass or introducing volunteer quotas.

 

Luke stated that Postgraduate Research student volunteers are stepping in to take more shifts during the undergraduate exam period in January.

 

Housing Officer Update

 

Louise is currently promoting the Don’t Rush campaign ahead of Housing Week, which will be taking place after Christmas.  Louise has anecdotal evidence that first year students are already looking for houses for next year.

 

Louise met with the VP Welfare from Southampton Solent SU and a representative from SASSH last week.  Louise feels that SUSU could improve on its liaison with external organisations such as SASSH and Southampton City Council, such as regarding HMOs, and that they could learn a lot from Southampton Solent SU in this area.  She will be meeting with Southampton Solent SU and SASSH again next week. 

 

Well-being Officer Update

 

Mark will be meeting with Halls of Residence staff next week in order to discuss running Peer Support drop-ins in Halls of Residence.

 

Peer Support drop-ins will be taking place during the January exam period.

 

VP Welfare Update

 

Sam informed the committee that he has sent letters to local letting agents regarding students being rushed into signing housing contracts and improving the conditions of student housing in Southampton.  He has already received responses, many of them negative, to which he will be replying over the coming weeks.

 

Sam informed the committee that he is currently working on the Stress Less Fest project.  This now been renamed the You Are More Than project in order to increase its accessibility and relevance to more student cohorts across the University.  As part of this project, the mental health campaign elephant will be in the Hartley Library throughout January.

 

Interfaith Week took place last week.  The Safer Students Forum also took place last week, with a focus on street drinking.

 

Sam is also currently working on a plan to hold an open discussion forum on the topics of consent and sexual harassment.

During the Freshers’ period this year there were a number of incidents of vandalism and antisocial behaviour, some of which occurred on UniLink buses. 

 

Sam asked the committee for their thoughts on how to engage with students on this topic without being patronising.

 

Louise suggested delivering specific training to Freshers’ Reps and Student Groups committee members, particularly Social Secs.  Sam reminded the committee of the new procedures in place for the selection and training of Freshers’ Reps, which is much more welfare focused.

 

Luke suggested that peer pressure is key factor in students’ drinking habits, such as students from upper years posting in freshers’ Facebook groups inviting them to pre-drinking events. 

 

Sam added that alcoholic events in the Freshers’ programme get more publicity than the non-alcoholic ones, such as the Tea & Cake events held by Residences Support in Halls of Residence.  The Communities Officer on the new Halls Committees could contribute to making events more inclusive.

 

Sam stated that these campaigns are not to stop students from drinking or having fun, but to make them more informed about the effects and potential risks of excessive drinking.  One angle which could be used

Student Money Week will be taking place in the second week of February and will be delivered on different University sites.  Activities will include advice on cheap things to do for Valentine’s Day, free pancake mix on Pancake Day, taste tests between branded food and supermarket own brand equivalents and cheap noodle recipes for Chinese New Year.

Housing Week will be taking place in the first week of February and will be delivered on different University sites.  Activities will include an event to find housemates to live with, a fire safety demonstration from the Fire Brigade, a ‘Guess The Pest’ interactive activity and a stand from Endsleigh insurance.

Sam asked the committee to promote NamSoc’s Christmas Ball, who the Union is currently supporting with their event.