| TUESDAY 15 AUGUST |
|
| Time |
Activity /
session |
Target audience |
Speaker /
faciliator |
Description |
Location |
|
| 1200 - 1300 |
Registration
and lunch |
All |
- |
Arrivals
and pre-conference food. Lunch is a cold buffet. |
Speaker
/ faciliator |
|
| 1300 - 1330 |
Welcome |
All |
Andy
Squire, Chief Executive and Winston Alla, Union President at Solent Students'
Union |
|
Jane
Austen lecture theatre |
|
| 1330 - 1430 |
Networking |
Officers |
Hannah
Alcock, Deputy CEO at Christ Church Students' Union |
A
facilitated networking session for all student representatives |
The
Spark Atrium |
|
| Community of Practice: Communications /
Marketing |
Annie
Wilmot, Head of Digital and Communication at
University of Reading Students' Union and Sakshi Pandit, Marking and
Communications Coordinator at Union of Kingston Students |
A
facilitated networking session for those working in roles associated with
communications and marketing |
TS201 |
|
| Community of Practice: Student Voice |
Steve
Owen, Head of Student Services at University of Hertfordshire Students' Union |
A
facilitated networking session for those working in roles associated with
student voice |
TS209 |
|
| Staff - other role types |
TBC |
A
networking session for staff in any role |
TS202 |
|
| Chief Execs |
Andy
Squire, Chief Executive at Solent Students' Union |
A
networking session for students' union chief executives |
TS318
- The Pod |
|
| Access & Participation Plan submission
drop-in |
Any |
Jim
Dickinson, Wonkhe |
If
you have submitted a statement for your university's Access and Participation
Plan, Jim would welcome your thoughts on the process and how you found it.
Find him near the reception desk in The Spark |
The
Spark Atrium |
|
| 1430 - 1445 |
Break |
All |
Atrium |
|
Atrium |
|
| 1445 - 1600 |
How
Universities Really Work (or Don't) + General Election policy kickoff |
All |
Jane
Austen LT |
How
officers and staff can influence universities more effectively, and how this
can shape action around cost-of-living. |
Jane
Austen LT |
|
| 1600 - 1700 |
Making
student finance more accessible |
Officers |
Charlotte
Baker, President @ Winchester Student Union |
In 22/23 the President from
Winchester, Canterbury Christchurch and Chichester researched/wrote and
explored the possibility of making maintenance loans monthly. This is in
order to support our students with the rising cost of living, enabling easier
budgeting as well as mirroring the ‘normal’ working world. In this session we
will discuss our findings, details of the report as well as look at next
steps for us as student leaders! |
Jane
Austen LT |
|
| Four day work week - Anna Salwani (Westminster) |
Staff
and chief execs |
Anna
Salwani at University of Westminster Students' Union |
At UWSU we have run a successful reduced hour week (which most staff have
used as a 4 day work week), throughout the summer months for two years. Come
along to learn about our experiences, the successes and fails, and to discuss
whether it could work for your SU. |
Palmerston
LT |
|
| 1700 - 1900 |
Casual
networking |
All |
The
Dock |
Optional
casual networking session for all role types. |
The
Dock |
|
| 1900 - 2000 |
Food |
All |
Atrium |
Hot
buffet |
Atrium |
|
| 2000 - 2200 |
Entertainment |
All |
Atrium |
Speed
quizzing |
Atrium |
|
| 2200 - 0200 |
Orange Rooms |
Any |
Orange Rooms |
Visit to a popular
Soutampton bar/club |
Orange Rooms |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| WEDNESDAY 16 AUGUST |
|
| 0830 - 0930 |
Breakfast
(hot, cereal, toast, pastries) |
All |
|
|
The
Dock |
|
| 0930 - 0945 |
Day
2 kickoff |
All |
|
|
Jane
Austen LT |
|
| 0945 - 1045 |
85
- the actual number of days we have with our students each year? |
All |
Brendan
McCarthy, Head of Representation at University of Portsmouth Students' Union |
Take
away heavy assessment periods, consolidation weeks, vacation etc we have 85
Days to have an impact…. It’s a point of view. So this is a discussion
workshop on how this thinking might help us with the ever present challenge
of wanting and needing to do all of the things for all of the students with
not enough resources and not enough time! Prioritised resources, streamlined
processes, impactful planning and focus |
Jane
Austen LT |
|
| 1045 - 1100 |
Break |
All |
|
|
Atrium |
|
| 1100 - 1200 |
Preparing
for a general election |
Any |
Rebecca
Johnson, VP Engagement at Solent Students' Union and Steve Owen, Head of
Student Services at University of Hertfordshire Students' Union |
How
can we best organise and prepare for the next General Election? How can we
work together? What should we focus our attention on? |
TS212 |
|
| Southern SU mentoring scheme - Sarah Jackson
(Bucks) |
Any |
Sarah
Jackson, HR & Development Manager at Bucks Students' Union |
A look at a
proposed mentoring scheme for Sabbaticals Officers across Southern SU’s.
Objectives and timelines will be shared along with how the trial will work,
how feedback will be gathered and reviewed and how the scheme can be rolled
out to all staff over time. Exploring the benefits, challenges and process
for both mentors and mentees, this session hopes to identify a way forward
that will lead to a new and cost-effective strategy to retaining talent in
the movement. |
Palmerston
LT |
|
| 1200 - 1300 |
Lunch |
All |
|
|
The
Dock |
|
| 1300 - 1350 |
Cost of Living - what we've learned and planning
- Winston Alla (Solent) and Charlotte Baker (Winchester) |
Officers |
Group
1 - 40 |
A facilitated session looking back on the
2022-23 academic year, reviewing how students were affected by the
cost-of-living crisis and what we did to help them. Follwed by a conversation
about how we can adapt to learn from last year to improve our response for
2023-24. |
Group
1 - TS212 |
|
| Group 2 - 40 |
Group
2 - TS315 (LWBS) |
|
| Trials, triumphs (…and trivia?) |
Staff |
Fern
Lewis, Deputy Chief Executive at University of Portsmouth Students' Union |
A
repeat of the popular and useful session that was run a few events ago. A
chance for SU staff colleagues to share pain points, sticking points,
barriers, issues…. and their collective wisdom of ideas and solutions to move
past them. Plus sharing the successes, the lightbulb moments, the innovations
and interventions that have made the greatest difference in the past year.
Also a chance to share random nuggets of amusing nonsense that is always part
of a day in the life of a SU. |
Palmerston
LT |
|
| Networking |
CEOs |
Andy
Squire, Chief Executive at Solent Students' Union |
Networking for chief
executives |
Silver
Birch - TS215 |
|
| 1400 - 1445 |
Student
Peer advisors - it works! |
All |
Maya
Kirwin, Advice Manager at University of Portsmouth Students' Union |
At
Portsmouth we developed a volunteer Peer student advisor role about 7 years
ago. It’s now developed and embedded with paid student staff, trained and
delivering the advice to their peers. This session talks through the
practical: recruitment, training, supervision and the impact: for the
advisors, for the students and for the service. We’ll also talk about the
good bad and ugly of our peer advisor journey. |
Jane
Austen LT |
|
| 1445 - 1500 |
Break |
All |
|
|
Atrium |
|
| 1500 - 1600 |
HR
for non-HR people |
Officers
and staff |
Aimee Monks, Chartered Legal
Executive and Catriona Ralls, Associate Solicitor at Warner Goodman LLP |
Exploring the common myths,
misconceptions and mistakes that are made when it comes to managing people,
Warner Goodman will demystify employment law through the use of interactive
case studies. By the end of the session you will have a basic understanding
of the main points of employment law to consider when managing a team and be
able to identify the situations where you would benefit from specific HR or
legal advice. |
TS212 |
|
| Legal
issues arising from the employment of students |
Chief
Execs and staff |
Sarah
Whitemore, Partner and Natalie Rawson, Associate Solicitor at Warner Goodman
LLP |
An
interactive session aimed at SMT, Chief Execs and other leadership roles
within the Union. Warner Goodman will cover a variety of topics by
considering different scenarios, exploring various HR red flags and the legal
implications behind them. This session will cover topics such as casual
worker versus employment status, predictable working patterns, custom and
practice and the new Freedom of Speech Act and will provide delegates with an
opportunity to discuss with one another the approach they plan to take in
their Union and gain insights from past experience of other delegates. |
TS215
(SB) |
|
| Sustainability - Liz Harris (Southampton) |
Any |
|
|
TS201 |
|
| 1610 - 1700 |
Using
data to redefine PhD representation |
All |
Joshua
Smith, Insight Manager, and Kate Weston, Head of Representation at
Southampton University Students' Union |
Over the past
12 months we have transformed how we understand the postgraduate research
students experience at Southampton University and best represent their
student interests. The Students’ Union has become the primary quality
assurance provider for PhD students at the university, replacing it’s
involvement in the PRES with local Students’ Union led research. This session
will run through our story in Southampton and discuss the potential other
Students’ Union’s have to achieve the same success. |
Palmerston
LT |
|
| 1700 - 1900 |
Casual
networking |
All |
|
Optional
casual networking session for all role types. |
The
Dock |
|
| 1900 - 2000 |
Food
(BBQ) |
All |
|
|
The
Dock |
|
| 2000 - 0000 |
Karaoke |
All |
|
|
The
Dock |
|
| 2000 - 2200 |
Bowling |
Any |
|
|
Ten
Pin |
|
| 2200 - 0200 |
The
Edge |
Any |
|
|
The
Edge |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| THURSDAY 17 AUGUST |
|
| 0830 - 0930 |
Breakfast
(pastries and fruit) |
All |
|
|
Atrium |
|
| 0930 - 0945 |
Day
3 kickoff |
|
|
|
Jane
Austen LT |
|
| 0945 - 1045 |
Democracy
and governance reviews |
Officers/staff |
Tom
Foy, Director of Membership Services at Brighton Students' Union |
An opportunity to discuss ideas, share best practice and jointly explore
solutions to Democracy & Governance reviews in Students’ Unions. If you
are currently undertaking a review and need some advice and support or have
just finished a review and want to share the outcomes this is the session for
you! |
Palmerston
LT |
|
| 1045 - 1100 |
Break |
|
|
|
Atrium |
|
| 1100 - 1200 |
Community
organising - Tom Snape (Citizens UK) |
All |
Tom
Snape, Community Organiser at Citizens UK |
Citizens UK is the home of
community organising in the UK. With over 550 member organisations across
England and Wales. Tom works with Citizens UK in Birmingham where he leads
work with Universities, schools, places of worship, and many other diverse
civil society institutions. His entry into Community Organising while working
at University of Birmingham Guild of Students where it had a major impact,
this experience means Tom also leads Citizens UK’s work to build stronger
links with the Student Movement. |
Jane
Austen LT |
|
| 1210 - 1300 |
Defining your
SU's political personality: reflecting on the SU-Uni relationship - Beds SU |
Officers/staff |
The
sabbatical officer team at Beds SU |
All about helping Sabbs in navigating
University-wide relationships and institutional politicking, this session
aims to explore the character of an SU's relationship with the University and
the drivers that inform it. The session will look at how Sabbatical Teams
might shape their relationships to benefit their goals and representation for
students. |
Palmerston LT |
|
| Networking |
Chief
execs |
Andy
Squire, Chief Executive at Solent Students' Union |
Networking for chief
executives |
TS215 |
|
| 1300 |
Lunch
and depart |
|
|
|
Atrium |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|