Space in Union facilities is in high demand, with hundreds of student groups needing space each week. Each year more student groups form (which is great as it allows more students to get involved!) and existing ones get bigger, but this means there’s even more pressure than before. Union Films go through the same block bookings process at the start of the year as all other clubs and societies, requesting the spaces and time slots they would like. It’s then up to the Vice President Democracy and Creative Industries and the Vice President Sports Development to decide how to most fairly allocate space. Whilst it means some groups have to compromise (as might be the case with Saturday screenings), but means that the largest number of students possible can benefit from our facilities.

The SUSU Ideas and Open Discussion Group still exists – you can discuss things and use the group as before. It is not run by the Union, and the Sabbatical Officers have decided to remove themselves from the group and will not respond to issues raised there. We believe there are more suitable and productive places for these issues to be raised that are accessible to all students, not just the small number in the Facebook group.You can read more about that decision here (https://www.susu.org/you-make-change/83). 

At the moment a ‘brand review’ is planned, it has not been decided that the Union will actually be rebranded. There will be student consultation all through this process, as set out in this policy (https://www.susu.org/representation/policy/1415P24/rebrand-student-consultation) passed at Union Council in June 2015. It’s important that the Union brands itself in the right way to engage with all our students on a whole range of important issues. We will make sure that money is spent on this project in the most efficient way.