About SUSU

How SUSU is organised | Governance | Trustee Board | Staff Structure | Equality & Diversity

SUSU, the Students’ Union at the University of Southampton, is the representative body for all of the 23,000 students who study at the University. We have a very broad scope of activity, which is guided by the five key aims in our constitution:

• To afford a recognised channel of communication between students and the rest of the University;
• To promote the general interests of students;
• To provide and further welfare, social, cultural, recreational and athletic facilities;
• To foster amicable relations within The University, with other bodies and the general public;
• To promote, facilitate and support student volunteering.

SUSU is an autonomous organisation, with its own governances, finances and employees. We work independently of the University, although we share many partnerships with them and we receive invaluable grant income from them each year.

SUSU is soon to become a registered charity, with a board of trustees initially consisting of thirteen students, who will soon be supported by four non-member trustees. Of the student trustees, seven are Sabbatical Officers, elected annually from the student body to work full-time to lead and direct the organisation, and to represent the students. The remaining six trustees are students elected alongside their academic programmes.

The wide range of services that SUSU provides includes The Advice Centre, which provides comprehensive and professional advice and advocacy for all students at the University. SUSU also supports nearly 80 sports clubs and more than 150 societies, covering a whole spectrum of sports and special interests, and has developed a significant number of opportunities for students to undertake volunteering work within the local community. Students run various campaigns through the Students’ Union on issues such as Higher Education funding cuts, tuition fees, health awareness and housing advice. SUSU also supports a highly successful course representation scheme which operates throughout the University.

Our commercial operations provide important services to our members and generate valuable funds to allow the Students’ Union to fulfil its purpose. Trading turnover is more than £4 million per year, and is a significant part of our activity. The range of outlets is also substantial – with 9 bars (including our own nightclub), a large shop, a cinema, two food outlets and a range of tenants, including a hairdressing salon.

Significantly, SUSU is a genuinely student-led volunteer organisation. Aside from our trustees, over a thousand of our members are active in various leadership roles within our activities. Our support of them is recognised through our Investors in Volunteers accreditation.

To help support all of these activities and areas, the Students’ Union has a core staff team of over 100 and more than 300 temporary and student support staff. SUSU recognises its responsibilities as an employer. This means that our basic employment practices are designed to provide a rewarding environment for everyone who works within SUSU.

About the University, City and Area

The University of Southampton is a world-class university, located on the outskirts of Southampton in Hampshire.

Built around the docks, located in the heart of the south coast and just an hour outside of London, Southampton really is a great place to live and work. It is located to the east of the New Forest, is the gateway to the Isle of Wight and to the west of the South Downs.

We’ve chosen a couple of websites to help you get a feel for the university, the city and the surrounding area, we hope you find them useful:

http://www.soton.ac.uk/

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/index/your-area/localpages/south-west/southampton.htm

http://www.visit-hampshire.co.uk/