Student Life Zone (29th May 2015)

Charlie Green left, Tori (Sustainability Coordinator) is standing in for the day. George, new Student Life Coordinator, starts on Monday.

Luke Hashman attended in place of Emily Shepherd

Funding guidelines – waiting for Democracy Zone and SUSU bank, to finalise the guidelines for student groups funding. Need to be checked by Student Life.

VPW to look into The Invisibles video – series of videos made two years ago when Claire was Sabb, by SUSU TV – tried to hunt down, couldn’t find them. Doing other mental health campaigns; Sam may want to create more next year, but 'Complete' as wasn’t published originally.

+ Charlotte Pollins came in.

Point 15 – City Mental Health Forum, non-existent, but VPW found City-wide mental health campaign that they are planning to launch in October. Thirty stakeholders from the city involved. Complete.

Time to Change – Banner on SUSSED. Received feedback that students don’t generally look on the website, but they look on SUSSED. Asked David Gilani, but it cannot go on SUSSED as they don’t have banners on there. Suggest Sam gets banners on emails.

+ A – hand Time to Change banner on emails to Sam in Autumn (VPW).

Enabling workshops – CP done, Complete. Discussed this in last meeting, to confirm, people don’t often turn up to them, but they are really good sessions. Enabling Services wanted to get feedback.

Chase Counselling drop-in at Enabling Services – VPW believes you can’t self-refer before going to first meeting.

Time to Change public buy-in – they have signed the pledge, with the Elephant in the Room campaign, the Pro-Vice Chancellor and Provost agree it is a good campaign. Complete.

Bike thefts – can’t measure. Sell good bike locks in the shop.

+ A – do we still stock good bike locks in shop and reception (VPW)?

+ Went through introductions, as we did not complete them at the beginning.

+ A – Tori/George circulate peer support report

Performance from Nightline – Luke will be completing this later in the zone meeting

CCLI - Communicate with finance for licencing to sing songs – always purchased separately, and can purchase together and save money. Subject to internal operational demands; George will be taking this forward.

Record fees and engagement – Completed last time

None

Two Sabb goals for the zone – Student Access to Support, mental health campaign video with Kelly Holmes (watched video). David Allright managed to secure Dame Holmes for the video.

+ A – VPW will be pushing this over the next few weeks

Student Minds – did mental health training for sports club captains, piloting here and will be taking round the country. 30 students turned up, make more inclusive for their clubs. Hopefully more will turn up next time as we have over 90 clubs.

Elephant statue – meant to be on the concourse 24/7 – VPW to chase up. Meeting with the University to put the elephant around the Uni. Need to consider how to stop people from climbing the elephant. Always will be inside and near reception so will be overlooked by staff. Tori – is it travelling to every campus – yes, but not SGH. DMW – is there a way to attach flyers/leaflets. Meant to be a basket, but disappeared. CP – saddlebags? Can’t see the sticker – move the sticker. 2000 flyers purchased came with typos, so had to re-order these. Had facts, time to change campaign, and support websites etc. susu.org/support – directs to peer and professional support. VPW wants sticker on every fridge in campus that will signpost these support networks for Freshers. Trying to get self-help book stand in library – Not complete

Second goal was promotion of support services, but this ties into above. And partnership work with Enabling Services (will help get the book stand)

Student Housing – letting agencies, most have pushed back advertising until January. Some broke their promises and posted in Halls. Will ask Sam to try to talk to them in Summer, with agreements not to advertise in October.

Housing guarantors – University international students some have to pay their whole year’s rent up front without a guarantor in the UK. Uni working on a paper Union provided, to be their guarantors. There are a limited number, around 100, but this will help. Should be ready for Autumn.

Reduction of ‘to let’ signs – Council are working on this.

Housing guide for all students in October – there was one previously, may have been from the Union, could have been from SASSH – checklist and jargon busters from Advice Centre.

Stress-Less Fest – can read in own time.

Charlotte Pollins went to WSA end of April, aware of what faith groups do and how we facilitate them, where we can improve – some get a lot of support, for others it isn’t.

Questionnaire online, faith focus group, went to WSA for a few hours for a fair. Very few students at WSA – ten serious engagements with stall, perhaps 20 people walked by, awareness of stall but not much engagement. Wellbeing perspective – we’re making an effort to bridge the gap.

Student Services looking into how to help faith to practice. Chaplaincy sounds Christian, not what it is à Multi-faith centre, change of name. Nice space for whatever faith, or no faith.

DMW – Prayer Room should always be referred to as Prayer Room, not Muslim Prayer room. Supposed to be for all faiths.

WSA – discussions about Buddhist meditation, offering workshops here that should be held at WSA too. Stress-Less fest this is happening, but should continue.

Spoken about in sabb report. VPW thinks elephant campaign could be better, but will be a long term thing. Postcards are fine – no typos, but flyers have typos. Can hand out postcards. Locations for flyers and postcards support around faculty buildings. (susu.org/support)

DMW - did you look into massive elephant shaped stickers – vinyls, for price and lack of obstruction, could use stickers. Side of physics building perhaps with facts on them. Not fire-hazard, wouldn’t worry Estates etc.

Mental Health Survey – around 400 responses, should have more. Aiming to reach 500. Sam could lobby the Uni with this survey, and can hopefully do it every year – track where Student Life zone going.

Flying house – should be podium underneath that should have survey on ipad to vent about your rent. Received over 1,000 responses last year. Booklet completed last time, Tori – do you approach the letting agents with the best/worst ratings? Over summer, should compile results and take to letting agents.

DMW - Have University endorsed SUSU Lettings? Is it in competition with SASSH – not owned by University. They have a member of staff at Uni. VPW doesn’t think Uni will endorse them.

+ A – DMW to ask Adam Wheeler (Deputy Vice Chancellor) about endorsing SUSU Lettings

SUSU Lettings going well – exceeding expectations, VPW thinks placed 300 students since September, but there are more students than houses as SUSU lettings do rigorous checks which take a while.

Universities policy – read through ‘Purpose and Principles’ sections in the zone meeting. Policy for staff and students – able to pull Enabling Services/University up if they are not providing the relevant support.

Seeking support – some students may fear talking about any mental health problems. Student Mind survey, fear of talking about it.

Pack from SUSU in the mail, what do Uni send out to Freshers? Have an ‘Are you ready’ website – things you have to do before you get to uni, special requirements etc.

+ A - VPW to speak to Ellie Cawthera and Kerry Matthews, what happens if Uni disclose mental health conditions, make sure you don’t get discriminated against, all will be confidential. Need to add this to the policy.

Regular campaigns to counteract negative stereotypes from Uni – important policy from Uni mental health policy – VPW says they do not do this. Staff member no longer focuses on this.

+ A – VPW to bring mental health policy to Union council within calendar year.

VPW update on tutors – system has changed, now personal academic tutors. Meant to help on career and progress advice, can do pastoral stuff but not in their area. Standardise so that all tutors can provide the same support. Senior tutor in each faculty, meet once every six weeks to talk about issues. The Senior is the pastoral support.

Uni to make halls welfare provision 24 hour, want to spread those outside of halls as well. Trying to make more comprehensive. For All students, not just Freshers. Currently just one phone number, who is not welfare trained.

Nightline Update

Now have database through Nightline Association, rather than logbook so easier to see stats. 43 calls in total so far – been using for less than a month. 40% calls are hang-ups because they try to use it as a sex line if they hear a female on the other end. Can enter female/male – discretion of the receiver to enter this information. And can track areas of discussion.

Closed twice since Easter, problems with volunteers dropping out – not as much publicity. Now know all the contacts within Uni, ordered flyers and posters, need to figure out locations. Spoken to Chris Baker in Residences to talk at Arrivals process. Section in first pop-in newsletter and RSA who deliver will mention verbally to students. Loads of emails ignored since before Christmas saying they want to volunteer – over 50. Trained 18 people in May, could only publicise the training in Feb over Facebook, so only got 4 attending.

Shifts higher than last year, despite problems. More calls this year than last – around 350 in total. Last year around 280. Genuine calls level, lot more non-genuine. Want to introduce Instant Messenger next year, and are being given a training manual to train on Instant Messenger. Need to embed button on their website.

Biggest issue is getting volunteers to stay – better publicity will encourage this. Some do one shift and leave if they don’t receive any calls. Have to hear an emotional call before you take a practice call, then a real one before you are ‘experienced’. Most Nightlines bigger than SUSU. Technically we have 101 people volunteer but a lot have graduated; only about 15 do regular shifts.

+ A – VPW asked Luke to find stats from around the country

Residences have removed internal phones, keeping one in the reception area of halls so if someone doesn’t have a mobile. Can use Residence Support phone.

+ A – Peer support to sit on the zone, they are an equivalent service. Be a non-voting member first.

Question about Positive minds – how is it different from Peer support – Positive Minds is a six week course with a work book, successful results. Part funded by us and the Uni

All zone coordinators put this in agenda as SUSU are putting on event on first day of Freshers ‘Who are your Union’ – how Student Life can be represented, exciting ideas for Freshers.

+ A – action everyone to consider how would you portray the sections of student life on a stall etc. email – vpwelfare@susu.org Email by 12^th June.

Find the areas you need to cover by going on www.susu.org - Representation – Zones – Student Life

WSA event – suggested a replication of faith group in WSA, Who are your Union also to be replicated at WSA in second week of Freshers (smaller scale).

Tori did volunteer feedback as Chris Small had meeting.

Zone meet and greet, 15^th June, 6pm, Bar 2 – invite student group committee members, max of 2 from each committee. Everyone sit on each zone. Want to make a collaborative thing all year round.

Student Group AGM is Week 0 of Freshers to hand over – will people be able to come back?

Safety Bus – controversial, should Portswood one still go ahead. Highfield works really well. VPW written policy with Stephen Osborne, Student Leader, to secure service. VPW read through policy that they created.

Problem that Sobar and Jesters doormen send drunk students our way rather than they get a taxi – safety bus service not about scooping all drunk people up. Responsibility of students not to drink over their limits. Students shouldn’t plan to take the safety bus.

Trained personnel outside club to care for people before they get the safety bus. VPW spoke about safe taxi scheme and take a mate campaign.

+ A – VPW to change wording to ‘set time’, rather than 8pm – it’s light at 8pm now, but not in the winter. Should be ‘set time’. City become unsafe when it gets dark or gets late?

Zone committee to propose the policy rather than just VPW.

Discussion started about safety bus radius – VPW worries that people will take advantage of safety bus if makes bigger radius, too far east and west. Currently up to 5 miles, and then to Winchester. £1.50 within 3 miles, £3 within 5 miles, £4.50 to Winchester – can buy a card for Winchester students to get cheaper travel.

Could have clause about Winchester School of Arts, drive within a mile of WSA. Some people could abuse Safety bus if we increase the radius. It will have to be down to drivers judgement. Cannot be a confined service – don’t want to turn members away if that is the only place they can live. Minorities should be protected. DMW doesn’t think we should charge more, should not limit safety provision. Could purchase another bus. Safety of our students should not be subject to price. Need evidence of where people are going, can then trial another bus if there is need for it.

+ A – VPW to talk to Sonia about broadening radius