SUSU Statement
We are deeply saddened to share that one of our students, Henry Nowak, tragically lost his life last week. Henry was a much-loved friend to many, and he will be greatly missed in our community. You can read the full SUSU statement, including words from his friends, here. We know this news may be difficult to process, so please remember that you are not alone. If you need support, the Student Hub and SUSU Advice Centre are here for you.
The Student Hub is available to contact 24/7. Students can speak to a member of the team via email, online chat, in-person or by calling 02380 599 599
The SUSU Advice Centre is also available to provide free, independent, and confidential advice. Call 023 8059 2085 or email advice@susu.org. They operate Monday – Friday, 09:00 – 17:00, and you can talk to an advisor in person in Building 40, Highfield campus, above The Stag’s.
The university’s Student Safety site was created with Hampshire Constabulary and provides information about staying safe from a range of issues that may arise while at university, and where to seek support.
Emma Brown, Union President
University and SUSU
Last week, the Vice-Chancellor and I formally signed the University and SUSU relationship agreement. Signed annually, this agreement sets out how both our organisations will work in partnership. Did you know that SUSU is independent from the University and is a registered charity? Your Sabbatical Officers work with the University on everything from estates projects to education committees, making sure the student voice is always at the heart of what we do. We have a really strong partnership, and I am so grateful to be a part of our joint history. You can read the full blog here.
Night Buses
I am lobbying for the night bus to be integrated into the bus pass and to reduce the ticket price, although it will take a lot of convincing for Unilink. Please email me (president@soton.ac.uk) with your experience of the buses, and I will use these testimonials to push for this and other changes to happen – the more evidence, the stronger mandate for changes to happen.
You Make Change and Napping Spaces
Over the winter break, think about any big ideas you have for SUSU or the University – and submit them through our You Make Change site. Your Sabbatical Officers will read and respond to each submission.
Recently, we’ve had a request for more napping spaces on campus. If you’ve got any specific ideas about what you’d like to look like, email me (president@soton.ac.uk) – I will be bringing these ideas to the Hartley Library Transformation and the SUSU refurbishment project.
Not all ideas can happen, but with your help, suggestions, and testimonials, these voices will be louder.
Semester 2 Events
We’re currently planning semester 2 events, so we’ve opened an Events Feedback Form. Some suggestions so far include jazz nights, sports nights in the cube, better events (especially for post-grads, mature students, non-drinking students), outdoor movie nights, club nights with different music genres, more live music, etc. Keep these great ideas coming in!
Other
We also had Union Council last week, where students reviewed our work so far and plans for next semester. All our plans have been approved – thank you to the councillors who asked some brilliant questions.
It’s finally the last week of term. Happy holidays to everyone, whether you are returning home, abroad, or staying in Southampton.
Joshie Christian, VP Education
Consultation: The PAT Project
The PAT Project is a big University effort to improve everyone’s experience with their Personal Academic Tutors. You might well have heard about this from your Course Reps and Academic Presidents over the last couple of years, as we’ve had several big pushes to contribute feedback and share your experiences with Tutors and Tutoring.
Recently, a PAT Framework (a description of the responsibilities and expectations of everyone involved in Personal Academic Tutoring) was completed and is now out for consultation! Both students and staff will get the chance to read the document and let the team know what they think through a dedicated form. If you have ever felt dissatisfied with your PAT experience, and would like to see a better tutoring system with clearer guidelines and stronger expectations, now is your chance to decide on behalf of the student body; have they got it right? Is there work still to do?
To take part in the consultation, first read the document linked below, then head to the main Sharepoint page, where you can find loads more information, plus the feedback form is also included at the bottom of the page. The form will take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete, depending on how much you’d like to say, but all the questions are optional!
Want to get involved? Here’s how to share your views:
STEP 1: (1) Read the PAT Framework document, especially pay attention to the Roles and Responsibilities of Students and Tutors, set out in points 8 and 9 of the document.
STEP 2: Head to the PAT Project SharePoint site and scroll to the bottom of the page to find the form, which will ask you about three things: purpose, scope, and responsibilities!
All the feedback you submit will be reviewed by the PAT Project Steering Group and will be used to help them write the final version of the Framework. Give your feedback now to re-shape the tutoring experience at Southampton – as early as next year!
Elsewhere across the University
At the Digital Education Advisory Group, we have been talking through suggestions for improvements to parts of your BlackBoard pages!
I’ve been to ESEC (Education and Student Experience Committee) with two of your Faculty Officers – shoutout to Becca and Krzysztof! We’ve been discussing a new Assessment Workload Framework: guidance that reduces overassessment and eliminates unfair deadline bunching! More to come on this soon!
I’ve been working with the iSolutions team for Panopto, and we’ve added a new reporting feature! Whether it’s issues with rubbish audio, blurry video, certain sources not being recorded, or anything else in between – use the new page to get it fixed!
Rubber Duck Thought:
The Rubber Duck on my desk reminded me of some Library Opening hours:
Hartley Library is open from 08:00 to 12:00 between Dec 13th and Dec 23rd! Then from 09:00 – 21:00 for the rest of December, closing only on the 25th and 26th, with early closing at 16:00 on the 23rd and 31st!
You can view all the library opening times across every location here!
He also asked me, what happens if you cross Santa Claus with a Duck? You get a lot of presents and a large bill!
That’s it from us until next year, happy holidays!
All the very best from me,
Joshie Christian – VP Education
Travis Arthur, VP Sports
This year’s Movember campaign has now come to an end. A massive congratulations to everyone who showed their support by either fundraising or donating. There was strong engagement from Team Southampton and other societies, with 39 groups participating in central and club-led events, including a shave stall, Inside Out Day, a 6-a-side tournament, 24-hour cycle, charity sports events, welfare walks, quizzes and 24-hour challenges. Lacrosse led the fundraising, reaching an impressive amount of £5,101.50. Overall, the University raised a staggering £32,847, exceeding the target. Alongside this, I was part of a national joint sports sabbatical officer fundraising effort (27 sports sabbaticals), raising £1,061,340 for this great charity, placing us 13th out of the 27 other universities.
For the Team Southampton Awards, following the option list that I created, the planning for these awards has started. Now, it is time to work with the venue and finalise the date to ensure everyone who wants to can attend. In addition, I have been working with the Sports Executive Committee to look into the current awards, aiming to adapt them to ensure every category of achievement can be recognised. Look out for nominations as they are opening in January!
Although Varsity this year will be in Portsmouth, there’s still a lot to plan from SUSU’s end. So far, I have been involved with helping plan media coverage, ticket options and the after-party. I can’t wait for this year’s Varsity, and hopefully, we will walk away with another win!
Moving forward, I will be working a lot on the SUSU Safe initiative, aiming to inform students about the different forms of safety provisions SUSU, the University and the wider community offer. To start this, I have already created a guide that collates all the current guidance and initiatives that are already in place.
You can also reach me anytime via @team_soton on Instagram, on Teams, or by email at vpsports@soton.ac.uk.
Ge 'Sparkle' Gao, VP Communities
Hello everyone! I’m very happy to share my latest updates for this Sabb Fortnightly.
Over the past two weeks, I’ve been recovering from the flu, but despite that, we’ve continued to make steady progress. Thank you all for your understanding and support.
Here are some key updates from this period:
🎬 Our society recording work has been progressing smoothly — many thanks to Union Films for providing the space and support during the filming, which helped the process run more efficiently.
🤝 Last week was busy but very productive. We had a meeting with the Successful Futures team, and I’d like to encourage everyone to explore this pathway on the university website. It’s a useful resource for career preparation and development, and I hope more students can make full use of the support available.
🎥 We released the video featuring the Hookers, Knitters and Stitchers Society and received very positive engagement — thank you all for your support!
📝 Several You Make Change topics also made good progress.
🛡️ Our anti-scam awareness video is now entering the preparation and filming stage, marking an important step in helping keep our student community safe!
During the latest Union Council meeting, we received many thoughtful and important questions from students, including:
How we can better ensure fairness?
How we can further improve support for international students?
These are crucial issues, and I will take time to reflect and provide well-considered responses to ensure that everyone’s needs and rights are respected.
🎉 We also selected this month’s Society of the Month, which goes to the Hindu Society — congratulations to them!
Inclusion Update
This week, your inclusion update is written by Emma your union president.
I am in the process of planning February’s LGBTQ+ History Month. If you are part of a club/society or a student wanting to get involved in the campaign, please email suactivities@soton.ac.uk.
I’ve been attending Inclusion Action group, following up on accessibility issues, and at Union Council, we had lots of suggestions and questions that tied into making SUSU and the university more inclusive and welcoming.
Have you had any problems or suggestions regarding inclusion? If so, please email vpinclusion@soton.ac.uk. Despite our former VP inclusion having resigned earlier this term, the email inbox is open and read by the head of the Advice Centre, and any projects for the Sabbs will be forwarded to us.
Final Note
As we move into the winter term, it can be a lonely and stressful time, but there is support available when you need it:
If it’s an emergency, call 999. For non-emergency police, call 101. For medical advice when it isn’t urgent, call 111.
If you need someone to talk to at any time, Samaritans are available 24/7 with confidential support. You can also use Togetherall, a free, anonymous online community to help you look after your mental health.
For practical issues like housing, money, or academics, our SUSU Advice Centre pages are always available, even when offices are closed. The University Wellbeing resources are there year-round, too.
And remember, the Student Hub is open 24/7 for advice and signposting, so you can get guidance whenever you need it over the break.
You Make Change Updates
You Make Change update: Thank you as always for your ideas and queries. We look forward to receiving more submissions in the next two weeks!
