The document provides an annual report summarizing the accomplishments of the Students' Union at the University of Wolverhampton for the 2012-2013 academic year. Some key achievements include opening new facilities on City Campus including a lounge, venue, advice center, and juice bar. The Union worked to raise its reputation across the university and represented students on major committees. They successfully lobbied the university to decouple academic and non-academic debt for students. Over 70 student societies were established with over 1,700 members. Sports teams achieved success in various competitions. Mystery shopping exercises found the Union's services to be friendly and helpful.

1. Impact Report 2012/13

2. “ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
WOLVERHAMPTON STUDENTS’ UNION,
I AM VERY PLEASED TO BE
COMMENDING THIS ANNUAL
REPORT TO YOU. IT PROVIDES
A VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE
NUMEROUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
AND ACHEIVEMENTS OF THE TEAM
FROM THE LAST ACADEMIC YEAR”
Here at the Students’ Union our main aim
is to enrich our students’ experiences by
creating access to the wide range of
opportunities, not only within the Union
itself but within the University and local
community.
The 2012/13 team started the year
by opening the fabulous new lounge,
venue,Advice and Support Centre and
Squeezebox in our City Campus space.
They did great work in raising the reputation
of the Union across the University and
the profile of the student voice, having a
seat on every major committee up to the
Corporate Management Team.
They achieved significant wins for students,
not least the decoupling of academic and
non-academic debt, which remains an
issue for many students nationally and, as
a result, our University can be seen to be
leading the way. This resulted in our being
shortlisted by NUS for a national campaign
award.
As the elected President of the Students’
Union, I am proud to say that we are
continually striving to support our student
body at the University of Wolverhampton
to gain a wider experience, together with
their degree.All of which we hope
contributes to students’ future careers
and success.
Finally, I would, like to thank our
predecessors, Dan Batchelor, Joanna
Zielinska, Iwuese Nyager, and Marie
Cheer for the exstensive work they
carried out for students during their
tenure. We will endeavour to build
on their many successes.
Enjoy.
INTRODUCTION FROM SIMEON
2012/13our 7 core aims
Demonstrate
Quality Value
3
Create
maintain
fantastic
social space
for students
5
Listen to our
members and
react to the
issues that affect
them most 6
Develop an
involved,
supportive and
strong staff team
7
Be financially,
ethically,and
environmentally
responsible
4
Provide support
to students
1
Help students
acquire new skills
and discover
new experiences
Over the year
we ...
Some of the
things we want to
achieve next year
Trustees
and Officers
P6P4
P34
P12
P16
P24 P26
P30
P20
2 3

3. WOW
Opened a refurbished lounge, venue and Advice
and Support Centre on City Campus, as well as a new
Squeezebox juice bar to mirror Walsall SU
Gave students over
£2,500 from our
Employability Support
Fund to help towards
the cost of attending
job interviews.
Saw 52 candidates
running in our Spring
Elections and over
15,000 votes cast by
over 3,500 students –
that’s19% of enrolled
students who had
shared their data with
the SU.
Dealt with over
5,500 general
enquiries at our
City Reception.
Paid 46 student staff
over £88,000 working
for us over the year.
Over the year we...
Gained a seat
on the University’s most
senior management
group.
Sold 4,264 number
of NUS cards coming
15th in the country and
creating an income of
over £20,000 for
us to reinvest
back into
student
support
and services.
Gained the views of
1059 students in our
“Shape Your Union”
survey.
Gained £143,113
for students through
sound financial advice.
Won 2 Varsity
competitions,
against University
College Birmingham
in October
and
Staffordshire
University
in April.
Created better social
space for students on
Telford campus.
Achieved 66%
satisfaction rating from
our members in the NSS,
increasing our score
from 2011/12
by 3%
Were shortlisted for
the NUS Campaign of
the Year Award for our
success in lobbying the
university to
separate
academic
and non-
academic
debt.
Had over 18,000
unique visits
to our new City Lounge
and Activities Centre.
Saw over 10,000 games
of pool being played in
our spaces!
Were amongst the
top 5 most improved
Unions nationally
in the THE Student
Experience Survey.
Recorded 1382 new cases
throughourAdviceSupport
Centre and achieved a 98%
client satisfaction rate,
ensuring
students have
9 different
ways of
contacting
the service.
4 5

4. “The atmosphere
around the campus
is brilliant as are
the activities put on
in the Student Union.
Great opportunities
for volunteering
getting support
on money advice”
NATIONAL
STUDENT SURVEY
(NSS) 2013 FREE
TEXT COMMENTS
6 7

5. DISCOVER
1
VOLUNTEERING
Expanding our volunteering portfolio
was a key objective this year. We
built up new opportunities and a
volunteer squad of over 250 students
who gave over 12,000 hours of their
time helping others.
We made it to the local Express and
Star newspaper for our project with
Victim Support in March, whereby
students undertook professional
training to give free and confidential
advice for anyone affected by crime.
Karl Guest, a member of the
American Football Team won
Volunteer of the Year in our Students’
Union Volunteer Awards in April for the
huge amount of time and energy he
invested in the club and his ability to
inspire others to join.
Divine Onkar
Mission
Citizens Advice
Bureaux
Key Ring
Children’s
Society
Include
me too
Crime
Stoppers
Bantock
House
Planets
and People
Catch 22
The Haven
Amnesty
International
Addaction
Refugee and
Migrant centre
EYES MS
Wolverhampton
Voluntary
Sector Council
Improving Futures
Wolverhampton
Bliss
Wetland habitat
consultant
Oxfam
SOME OF THE ORGANISATIONS WE WORKED WITH
EMPLOYABILITY
Over the year we put on several workshops
for course reps and other volunteers on
how to translate their experience to a
CV/interview scenario to improve their
employability.We facilitated Student Hubs
project management sessions and public
speaking sessions by Wolverhampton
Speakers Club.
New sports-related volunteering
opportunities were also created, including
mentoring and coaching placements
(and supporting Special Needs) for
students in local FE colleges and youth
groups, including Sandwell College and
Wodensborough Technology College.
Help students
acquire new skills
and discover
new experiences
8 9

6. STUDENT MEDIA
Our student media – online radio
and newspaper - developed beyond
recognition under ‘The Thread’ society.
Student editors and contributors
recorded over 20 hours of radio shows
with music, political debate, talk shows
and entertainment.
A new website achieved 27,000 views
in 7 months, during which time 335
articles were posted for the newspaper
by student contributors. For many of The
Thread committee members, it was their
first involvement in the SU, and some
even went on to stand in our elections.
THE WINNERS
SPORT OVER THE YEAR
Jitsu celebrated 20 years of
establishment at the University – the
coach clocking up 15 years with
the club - and won 4 medals at the
Randoori Nationals. It went on to
win ‘Club of the Year’ by the Jitsu
Foundation.
Jake Porter won a gold medal in
the 60M Hurdles at the BUCS Indoor
Championships in Sheffield in March.
Cyclist,Tom Gregory, brought back a
silver in the men’s sprint and bronze
in the kilo race at the BUCS Outdoor
Championships in May.
Men’s Hockey,Women’s Football, and
Men’s Rugby all reached the final 8 in
the BUCS Conference Cup.
Men’s Hockey were eventual winners in
their British Universities and Colleges Sport
league, securing promotion.Women’s
Football and Men’s Rugby were runners up,
narrowly missing out on promotion but the
additional funding and closer links we had
secured with the RFU had clearly helped
the team.
Recreational sport also grew, particularly on
City Campus with attendance figures hitting
1,000 by the end of the year. No Strings
Badminton and Mars Just Play Football
were the most popular (helped by securing
additional funding from the National
Governing Bodies), followed by Netball,
Table Tennis, and Cricket.Taster sessions
were run for Squash, Kickboxing, Judo,
Rugby 7’s and Aussie Rules Football.
March saw the SU and University jointly
host a sell-out Sports Awards at Walsall’s
Bescot Stadium. The number of nominations
received for the awards trebled those
of 2012. Teams and individuals were
recognised and decorated for achievement
and commitment, receiving their honours
from VIP and former Olympian,Tessa
Sanderson, who gave a truly motivational
speech. A great night was had by all.
The Union also worked closely with SSPAL,
SEF, and Sports Coach UK (SCUK) to develop
a Coach Education programme for 200
students and become an SCUK delivery
partner, providing accredited workshops
around inclusive coaching and supporting
disability in sport.
The Wolverhampton Wildcats
American football team was officially
entered into the BUCS league for the
first time. 13 Teams were entered into a
Men’s Badminton, Basketball, Football,
Rugby and Hockey and Women’s
Football, Hockey, and Netball. A Team
Review in Spring saw approval for
additional Men’s Football and Rugby
teams to be entered into BUCS for
2013/14.
Welcome Week saw some really
competitive trials and, as well as
pre-season training, taster sessions
throughout September and October in
Women’s Rugby, Cricket, Orienteering,
Golf,TenPin Bowling, Martial Arts,
Cheerleading and Badminton.
2012/13 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR SPORT.
#TEAMWOLVO WAS LAUNCHED
TO ENCOURAGE TEAM SPIRIT AND
AWARENESS ON CAMPUS OF OUR
TEAM’S MATCHES AND SUCCESSES
AND MONTHLY AWARDS WERE GIVEN
FOR ‘MOST COMMITTED’
AND ‘MOST SUCCESSFUL’ TEAMS.
WEEKLY UPDATES OF FIXTURES
AND SCORES WERE POSTED VIA SOCIAL
MEDIA AND MOST FIXTURES WERE
COVERED BY THE THREAD’S SPORTS
CORRESPONDENTS.
SPORT
The annual Varsity between Wolves and
University College Birmingham (UCB) in
October saw Wolves triumphant again.
Around 150 students and 13 clubs took
part, their efforts boosted by the new
Cheerleading Society. Notable wins went to
Badminton, Rugby, Men’s Hockey,Women’s
Football, and Men’s Football.
A 2nd Varsity was staged for the first time in
April between Team Wolvo and Staffordshire
University, where battle commenced in
Basketball, Men’s Football, Rugby, Netball
and Frisbee - another Wolves victory!
“Very
positive
people,
happy
to help
you”
MYSTERY
SHOPPING
EXCERCISE OCT
2012
SOCIEITIES
70 societies were set up over the year,
with over 1700 members. Societies
formed around interests, academic
subjects, culture, religion, sport and
talents. New societies included the Ukulele
Society, Mercy to Mankind,Table Tennis,
Cheerleading,Ahle-Sunnah, and The
Thread.
SOCIETY PERSONALITY OF THE
YEAR AND MOST SUBMITTED
HOURS FOR HIS DEDICATION
TO ST JOHN LINKS
Daniel Orton
STUDENT MEDIA PERSONALITY
FOR CREATING THE THREAD
WEBSITE FROM SCRATCH
Ashley Connolly
OUTSTANDING SOCIETY
ACHIEVEMENT
Atiyah Ghulam for the Mercy of
Mankind Art Exhibition.
SOCIETY OF THE YEAR
The Bar and Mooting Society for developing their
members throughout the year through debates,
meetings and conferences.
The societies were recognised in the
Students’ Union Volunteering and Teaching
Awards in April, with the following winners:
Ashley Connolly
52 different society activities received help
from the Society Support Fund, including:
A promotional event for a new Enterprise Soc
Sikh society Vaisakhi celebration
St John Links 10 year anniversary event
Table Tennis Society equipment
Sign Language Society Ball
Attendance at a national conference for the
Psychology Soc
Material and equipment for a Mercy to
Mankind Art Exhibition in the SU
A 1000 cranes project for the J-Soc
(Japanese Society)
Ukuleles for the Ukulele Society!
Afro-Caribbean Society Cultural Event
10 11

7. Demonstrate
Quality Value
Quality
STUDENTS’ UNION
TEACHING AWARDS
In April we hosted the second SU Teaching
Awards, amusingly compered by our
President, Dan Batchelor. Talented students
entertained the staff and student guests,
including Joey and the Jammers (Forensics
student, Rachel Joseph, and Nursing
student, Dan Mohr, pictured on page 15)
and Judge (a Business Management
student), our favourite Bhangra artist!
(Pictured below right)
We received over 200 student nominations
for lecturers, tutors and support staff for 5
categories, with the winners receiving a
stunning sculpture made by Art and Design
student, Elliot Walker (pictured left).
ELECTIONS
The main SU Elections took place in the
first week of March and saw 52 candidates
standing for Full and Part-time Executive
positions, as well as School Reps. The Full
Time positions were all contested by at least
5 students. 3539 voters (19% of students
enrolled who had shared their data with the
SU) cast 15,218 votes during the week.
The Autumn Bye Elections in Semester 1 also
went well, with 1,151 students voting - a 33%
increase on voter turnout in Oct 2011.
NATIONAL
STUDENT SURVEY
Our satisfaction score in Q23 of the
National Student Survey increased 3% from
2011/12 to 66%. More detailed analysis
showed us in which Schools we needed to
concentrate efforts to improve satisfaction
and in which Schools the students rated
us highly. National analysis shows that SU
satisfaction averages 20% below that of
their institutions; we came in 17% below
ours. Our ‘dissatisfaction score’ came in
much lower than a lot of Unions nationally
and regionally, at 8%.
The SU also supported the University to
increase completion rates for the NSS by
holding ‘NSS days’ followed by targeted
School-based promotions, encouraging
students to fill in the survey in return for a
tasty free smoothie from our Squeezeboxes.
We improved our placement in the Time
Higher Education Student Experience
Survey Results published in April 2013 and
were amongst the top 5 most improved
Unions nationally, with our league
placement improving to 69 (from 105
in 2010).
ABOVE AND BEYOND AWARD
Dr Shantha Perera (School of Applied Science)
CUTTING EDGE TEACHING STYLE
Dr Brendan Bartram (School for Education Futures)
PERSONAL TUTOR AWARD
Mike Rickhuss (School for Education Futures)
DR NICK MUSGROVE AWARD
FOR EXCEPTIONAL STAFF
Support Dave Ormerod
(School of Applied Science, pictured above right)
INSPIRATIONAL LECTURE
Gerry Carlin (Law and Social Science)
DVC AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
Thaisa Whistance (Law and Social Science)
THE WINNERS
“Well done to the SU
for encouraging students
to reflect on the work
done by the lecturers and
giving them a chance to
appreciate us”
University academic, SU Teaching Awards 2013
12 13

8. MYSTERY SHOPPING
The SU tested its services through mystery
shopping of all its main reception points
3 times during the year. Results were
between 79% and 100% for each visit ,
with some helpful feedback, including...
Walsall SU
Fantastic and polite service with
a friendly greeting and a warm
atmosphere.The environment is great; it is
clean and fun. It would be a nice place
to sit and have a chat whilst catching up
with friends.
(Feb 2013)
Walsall SU
Attitude was great - no complaints.
Overall really good visit, went into the SU
for advice and received that advice.
It was a nice clean site, everyone seemed
happy.And they were really helpful.
(Oct 2012).
City SU Reception
I got the information I required. I was
unaware of this service and found it
interesting. I was impressed with the
range of information I could have got
there.
(Feb 2013)
City Juice bar
The staff member was happy to answer
my questions and did not hesitate to
answer. She showed a good knowledge
of the products and SU services.
(Jan 2013)
City SU
The signage for the SU wasn’t the best so
I had to ask for some directions
(Oct 2012)
City SU
The Squeezebox is well decorated
with great lighting to make a great
atmosphere.There was music playing
at the right level which added perfectly
to the area.The staff’s attitude could
not have been any better today, he was
quick and accurate with the responses
he gave me.
(Oct 2012)
“I thought
the awards
evening was
outstanding
and really
enjoyed the
experience,
the feeling
of pride
was tangible.
Thank you
for arranging
such a great
event”
“It’s a real
honour to
receive a
nomination
and brought
a tear to my
eye – makes
it all so
worthwhile”
“I would
recommend this
reception to
anyone who
needed help.
I left with a smile
on my face”
NUS AWARDS
The Officers’ hard work paid off when
we were Runners-Up for the NUS
‘Campaign of the Year’Award in July
(pictured top right). This was after
successfully lobbying the University
to separate academic debt (tuition
fees) from non-academic debt (eg
accommodation and nursery fees)
when applying academic sanctions
(such as with-holding IT facilities).
We considered the policy, written
into the University’s Bye Laws over 20
years ago, to be out of date and to
compound students’ problems, and we
questioned its legality. After a series of
papers and committee meetings, the
University agreed to no longer apply
academic sanctions for non-academic
debt. This was a genuine win for
students and is an issue the Office
of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating
nationwide as other unions take up the
argument with their institutions.
21 AND PROUD
As well as playing a key role at Open
Days, the SU helped the University to
celebrate its 21st Birthday, with a Poetry
Night in April and the Walsall Family
Fun Day in May. Sam Murphy, our
Student Engagement Assistant, also
won the University’s 21 and Proud Poetry
Competition, with his 21 line poem.
Mystery Shopping Excercise
City Reception [Oct 2012]
University academic,
SU Teaching Awards 2013
University academic,
SU Teaching Awards 2013
14 15

9. “Me and my
friends go
to the SU at
night before
going out
because it’s a place
where there is no
trouble and everyone
seems friendly.
The university has put a
lot of work into the SU”
MYSTERY
SHOPPING
EXERCISE
WALSALL SU
FEB 2013
16 17

10. SPACEWALSALL
A new addition to our Walsall SU for
2012/13 was an afternoon and evening
bar service. This came about after
encouragement from the University to
reinstate a bar on the campus, in response
to student demand.After initially good
sales, the bar eventually proved far more
popular in the afternoons than evenings,
with evening promotions and events failing
to attract enough students.
The programme of events for 13/14 will
be reduced in light of these patterns of
student behaviour.
SPACE DEVELOPMENTS
The Trustee Board committed in Summer
2013 to utilise SU reserves to realise an
engagement zone in the City SU and
improve the kitchen in our Walsall SU.
THE LOVELY NEW LOUNGE, VENUE,
ADVICE AND SUPPORT CENTRE,
SQUEEZEBOX IN OUR CITY CAMPUS
WERE OFFICIALLY OPENED IN
NOVEMBER 2012.
STUDENT MUSICIANS AND SINGERS
- EDWARD LONG, NADINE DANIELS,
DANIEL NOCK, AND SOPHIE
COTTERILL - HELPED US TO OPEN THE
SPACE FORMALLY, WITH THE VICE
CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT ALSO
PROVIDING ENTERTAINING SPEECHES.
WELCOME WEEK
A successful Welcome Week was held with
a packed programme of events on City
and Walsall Campuses from Freshers Fayres,
Sports and Societies Fayres, a ‘Get Involved’
Volunteering Fayre, International Students’
information Fayre, through to Comedy
Nights, Quiz nights, Open Mic/Acoustic
Nights, Games events, film screenings,
Alton Towers trip, an Early Arrivals Party, and
bespoke student nights in local bars and
clubs.Around 6,000 students took part over
the week.
126 Bestmates volunteered throughout to
support our resources and make the whole thing
possible,to whom we owe enormous gratitude.
THANKYOU!
CLUB DEALS
The SU continued to negotiate deals with
local clubs and bars to ensure exclusive and
safe student nights out for our members.
We have built good relations over the years
so that rare problems or incidents on these
nights are followed up very quickly and the
students can enjoy relevant and affordable
entertainment in local venues.
TELFORD CAMPUS
We worked with the University to create a better
space for students to relax onTelford Campus,
complete with a pool table,tea and coffee
making facilities and a direct phone line to the
City Campus SU.
3
Create
maintain
fantastic
social space
for students
SPACE
18 19

11. 4 Provide support
to students
SUPPORT
1,864 INDIVIDUAL ENQUIRIES WERE
RECORDED THROUGH OUR ADVICE
AND SUPPORT CENTRE (ASC) ON
FINANCE, ACADEMIC, INTERNATIONAL
AND HOUSING ISSUES, AS WELL AS
ENQUIRIES ABOUT EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH,
CONSUMER, AND LEGAL MATTERS.
58% of our clients sought advice by
dropping in to see an adviser through
our drop-in services on City and Walsall
campus and 20% made contact via email.
ASC continued to facilitate external drop
ins by University Counselling Services,IT
Services,Study Skills and the local Police
and facilitated pre-bookable“ImproveYour
English”sessions for international students
ACADEMIC ISSUES
32% of all casework was academic
related,with misconduct and appeals
(mainly against completion) being the
most common enquiries. The number
of complaints about the University have
fallen by around 15% this year and we
know that a number of complaints are
resolved informally through our Student
Voice,via Course or School Reps.We have
seen,however,an increase in the number
of complaints regarding contact time with
tutors/supervisors.
There was a rise in requests for
representation at formal hearings this year
and Officers attended 58 meetings with
students.Most requests for representation
(misconduct hearings in particular) occur
during the Summer months.
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS
18% of all casework (an increase of 5% on
2011/12) was related to immigration and
international student queries,mainly about
visa renewal and extension.We continued
to facilitate the Student Batch Scheme and,
in partnership with the International Centre,
to deliver Visa Workshops.
One of our ASC advisors also made the
shortlist for the NUS International Adviser
of the Year Award.
ASC SEEK FEEDBACK
FROM ALL STUDENTS
WHO USE THE SERVICE
30% of those surveyed said that they had
been referred from a University Department.
A further 29% of those surveyed told us
they had been directed to the service
from either the University or Students’Union
website.
90% of students surveyed stated that they
would recommend the service to other
students.
20 21

12. STUDENTWATCH
New for 2012-13 was the launch of
our bespoke Neighbourhood Watch
initiative,“StudentWatch”, whereby
students signed up to receive regular
on-line updates on crime and safety
in their area and to anonymously
report incidents (for us to pass to the
police). This gives local police valuable
intelligence and enables them to
allocate resources more effectively.
FINANCE
38% of all casework was finance related,
mainly around tuition fees and fee
support, although there was a reduction
from 2011/12 in the number of enquiries
we received with regards to University
debt. We hope this is in part due to the
proactive work that we undertake each
year to remind students as to when and
how to apply for student funding.
ASC maintained strong links with University
Finance and the Student Financial
Support Unit and had a seat on the
Access to Learning Fund - ALF - panels.
2012/13 saw a rise in the number of cases
of hardship we supported through ALF
and we helped secure over £33,000 for
students in ALF awards alone.In total,we
recorded gaining £143,113 for students
through sound financial advice in,for
example extra benefits and entitlements;
HOUSING
ADVICE GUIDANCE
8% of all casework was Housing related,
mostly requests for support with release
from Halls Licence Agreements for
financial,personal or medical reasons.
We worked closely with University
Accommodation Services and with
local private halls of residence,ensuring
that students experiencing genuine
delays in their funding were treated as
fairly as those living in University halls.
www.wolverhamptonstudentpad.
co.uk continues to grow in demand,
with lodgings and homestay offers
increasing the most in 2012-13.
EMPLOYABILITY
SUPPORT FUND
We implemented an Employability
Support Fund for final year students
to access up to £50 each to help
pay towards the cost of attending
interviews e.g. train fares or a new
suit. The Fund was gifted to the SU
following negotiations conducted by
the previous President who argued
that the University should allow
savings from the lecturer’s strike in
November 2011 to benefit students.
Over the course of the year, we gave
out just shy of £2,500 to 56 students.
The fund will continue in 2013/14.
“They are always
there to help with
any worries that
are stressful”
“The person I
spoke to
calmed me down
and made me
feel like I was not
alone and there
was professional
advice available”
ASC client’s feedback
(September 2012)
ASC client’s feedback
(September 2012)
Undergraduate
Male Female
Postgraduate
International fees
were of an
ethnicity
other than
“white”
Home/EU
fees
Standard
age
on entry
Mature
(21+) on
entry
76%
48%
40%
52%
57%
60%
75%
24%
24%
THE ASC
CONTINUES TO
SUPPORT A
DIVERSE RANGE OF
STUDENT CLIENTS
ACROSS ALL
CAMPUSES
22 23

13. 5
Listen to our
members and
react to the
issues that affect
them most
STUDENT VOICE
Our Student Voice continued to be
strong with 705 Course Reps (double the
number in 2011/12) and 18 School Reps.
SU staff and officers attended School
Councils, monitoring trends through
monthly reports and addressing urgent
issues. Some of the wins facilitated by our
Reps:
Amendments to Telford bus times to
accommodate particular lectures
and reduce waiting times for
students
A review of marks for a whole
course after complaints received
from within the Business School
Raising the issue of childcare and
timetabling for School of Health
students
A change in teaching rooms that
LSSC students reported as unfit for
purpose
Extra support for international students
on some School of Health courses,
including tours of the local area.
Emma Beardsmore, SHaW School Rep
won School Rep of the Year at our
Students’ Union Volunteer Awards in April
for ‘building fantastic relationships with
staff and students’.
Course Rep of the Year was won by
Laurren Wood-Bowness from the Business
School, who was also elected Chair of
the Business School Council.
“Of our 7 core
aims, most
respondents
found Support
to be the most
important”
Shapre Your Union Survey April 2013
LISTEN
TNE STUDENTS
The President Dan Batchelor finished a
great year by working with the International
Centre to draft a Trans National Education
(TNE) Charter for students at the University’s
branch campuses. Dan visited the Sri Lanka
campus with the VC where he was inspired
by the students’ enthusiasm for the Student
Voice for 2013/14.This is now an on-going
priority for us.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The Executive Officers achieved a number
of significant wins for students this year,
namely:
Coming runners-up in the annual
NUS Awards for their campaign around
‘decoupling’academic and non–academic
debt (see page 14 for more details).
The establishment, by our Welfare Vice
President, of a cross-University Strategic
Mental Health working group, after her
concerns about the number of students
on campus experiencing mental health
problems. The group drew up an action
plan endorsed by the University Student
Experience Committee which resulted in the
implementation of revised crisis guidelines
and new training programmes for staff in
how best to support students with mental
health issues, and the recruitment of a
specialist mental health advisor.
They also brought about a number of wins
for international students, such as
changes in the timetabling of some
Spring graduation ceremonies to
enable more international students to
attend
the scrapping of charging deposits
to international students to borrow
equipment on some courses (when
home students weren’t charged)
the agreement by the University to
establish a hardship fund in 13/14 to
which international students could
apply
challenging the University on its policy
of charging students for posting
degree certificates overseas.
The Exec sat on every major university
committee up to the University’s Corporate
Management Team and Board of Governors
and participated in specific project groups
and reviews, often facilitating wider student
groups discussions, including:
The University’s move from Schools to
Faculties
A move to percentage marking (from
alpha-numerical)
Timetabling changes
A reviewing the University’s Virtual
Learning Environment
Review of the Institute of Learning
Enhancement
Surveying students about support
provided by IT students
DEMOCRACY
AND GOVERNANCE
The Exec team achieved a number of
changes to the Union’s Bye Laws to stream-
line processes for our members and
make Union Council more effective and
representative including:
Replacing Activities Vice President with
Student Experience Vice President
Creating a Part-time Volunteering
Engagement Officer
Reducing the number of nominations
required to stand in Union Elections
Removing Non-Portfolio positions from
2013/14
Merging the posts of Mature Students’
Rep, Student Parents’ Rep and Part-
time Students Officer into one Part-time
Officer position
SHAPE YOUR UNION
Throughout April, we conducted a ‘Shape
Your Union Survey’ with our members. 1059
respondents answered 31 on-line questions,
with the following headlines:
77% either agreed or strongly agreed
that they were satisfied with the SU
Of our 7 core aims, most respondents
considered the most important to be
‘Provide support to students’ followed
by ‘Listen to our members and react to
the issues that affect them most’
Just under half were aware that the SU
represented their views to the University
and provided sport social activities,
as well as advice and support
64% felt our website was good or very
good (33% thought it was ok)
Just under 30% of students knew who
the Exec were and were aware of their
achievements
60% voted in our March Elections
Just under 60% knew who their Course
Reps were and how to contact them
THE MOST POPULAR
PRIORITIES THEY FELT
THE UNION SHOULD
HAVE WERE:
Providing volunteering opportunities
Representing students’ views to the
university
Providing impartial advice and support
Providing more employability skills
support
The full set of results were extremely useful,
giving clear areas to action for 2013/14.
24 25

14. 6Staff
“I would
recommend
to anyone to
get involved
in some way
with the SU”
Develop
an involved,
supportive
and strong
staff team
Daria Ostapengo
Staff Member [2013]
STUDENT STAFF
Over the year, 46 members of student
staff worked over 14,200 hours with us,
earning over £88,000. We are committed
to providing employment opportunities to
as many students as possible and review
all vacant core staff positions to establish
if students can fulfil the role. This year we
created a new student staff post to support
our advertising and sales function. Two
graduate interns were also appointed to
support the Executive Officers and our
marketing department.
Student staff received corporate
inductions, probationary reviews, regular
team meetings and 1-2-1s. During our
recruitment drive in May 2013, we had 150
applications for 23 jobs and 48 for 2 new
student engagement posts.
Student staff redesigned our website to
make it more vibrant and accessible.
Page views in March 2012 increased
by 32,000 from the same 6 week period
in 2011 and the time spent on pages
increased by 8%.
STAFF RECOGNITION
AND DEVELOPMENT
The mid-year budget review in
January saw additional funds being
channelled to staff recognition,
training and development and three
of our staff completed an ILM Level 5 in
Management. Our advisers continue
to keep abreast of developments in the
advice fields through regular training and
we recognised 15 individual core and
student staff for excellent work. We took
all staff out to thank them for delivering
the busy Spring Elections and our student
staff attended our Christmas meal for the
first time.
STAFF SURVEYS
April saw the annual round of core and
student staff surveys, giving management
crucial feedback to action, mainly
around improving team work and
communication. Staff coffee mornings
were then established, as well as more
cross-department working groups to
enable staff to experience different
projects.
Improvements the previous year to the
student staff training had clearly had
a positive effect as student employees
they reported feeling much more
knowledgeable about the SU and their
roles. They asked us to ensure they always
got feedback on their ideas to improve
the SU and to feel able to ask for help
from all staff, not just their line manager.
“It’s been
an amazing,
rewarding
experience
and I’ll never
forget it as
my first
full-time job”
This year also saw another of our student
members of staff, Daria Ostapengo
(pictured left), secure a core staff position
as a Projects Assistant from April to
September. On leaving the organisation for
a great opportunity at Bath Students’ Union,
Daria wrote:
“I would like to thank everyone at the
SU for giving me and teaching me so
much during my time here. It’s been an
amazing, rewarding experience and I’ll
never forget it as my first full-time job.
I’ll be forever thankful to all the people
who’ve helped me develop my skills
and build my confidence. This was the
perfect step for me career wise as it’s
given me the push I needed to go from a
student to a professional.”
A member of our Walsall student staff,
Gemma Carroll (see image on page 29)
was a regional winner in the annual
Student Employee of the Year Awards 2013,
held by NASES (the National Association
of Student Employment Services) in June.
Gemma always went the extra mile to help
the core staff team and suggest ways to
improve services to students. As a Special
Needs and Inclusion with Education
student, she also clocked up many hours
volunteering in a local school helping SEN
children.
Daria Ostapengo
Staff Member [2013]
26 27

15. I was nervous,
unorganised, ditzy and
was all over the place
but somewhere in
between they managed
to spot some potential
and I became part of the
Squeezebox team.
When applying
for the job at
Walsall’s Student
Union never in
a million years did
I expect to get it.
“
“GEMMA
CARROLL
STUDENT STAFF
JULY 2013
I never expected to love a job as much
as I did working in the SU, to many people
its just the SU where we sell amazing
chicken wraps and a pool table but once
you engage with the staff and students
there you will realise it is more than that.
The people I worked with were not just
colleagues they became amazing friends
and a second family.
My confidence grew as everyday I was
constantly dealing with different people
and became good at dealing with difficult
situations. I have learned the true meaning
of responsibility and was able to apply
this to Uni work.Also through the SU, I
volunteered in a Secondary School in the
Special Needs Unit.The support I got before
I started and throughout really made my
experience more enjoyable as I felt at ease
and confident about the expectations
that school had of me and what I was
expecting from the school.
The SU very much practices what it
preaches in terms of being there for
students, run by students and everything
they do is for the interest of students - it is
a pleasure to work and be involved in.Any
ideas or improvements we mentioned to
management they took on board and did
their best to put into practice or if that was
impossible, to offer alternatives.Working
for the SU has heightened my experience
of University and winning the Student
Employee of the Year Awards Regional Level
has brightened up my CV.
“
“
28 29

16. RE
SPON
SIBLE
7
Be financially,
ethically,and
environmentally
responsible
30 31

17. A Black History Month exhibition
showcasing work by student artists
chronicling historical black icons,
as well as a black mental health
workshop
Our welfare VP established a cross-
campus strategic group to address
issues surrounding mental health
support on campus
Facilitated Interfaith Fayre in
November, bringing students together
to celebrate religious diversity
Increased the number LGBT+ NUS
delegates representing our University.
Our LGBT+ Society won the Event of the
Year Award at the NUS LGBT Awards
and were shortlisted for Campaign of
the Year at the LGBT Society Awards
Held a sports tournament to mark
International Day for People with
Disabilities
Petitioned the University for more
disability access to sporting facilities,
to form part of the blueprint for a
refurbished Sports Centre on City
Campus
Facilitated accredited courses
whereby teaching and sports students
could learn how to support and coach
pupils with disabilities
Developed a ‘Friendly Faces’ scheme,
in partnership with the Enabling
Centre, to help a diverse range of
students settle into University life
Trialled a family room in partnership
with the University Chaplaincy for
parents to come once a week to
access support and guidance
Held a series of deaf-awareness
workshops and ensured sign language
interpreters attended all of our major
events
Delivered disability awareness and
cultural awareness training for core
staff
Established better social space for
students on Telford campus
WE CONTINUED PROMOTING EQUALITY
AND DIVERSITY AND REPRESENT A WIDE RANGE
OF STUDENTS IN 2012/13. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:
In summer
2012, our Dig In
project received
an ‘Improving
Award’ in the
RHS Heart of
England in
Bloom Directory
HOW WE SPENT OUR
FUNDING – HEADLINE
SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR
In 2012/13 we received a very similar
Block Grant to the previous year which,
in light of the economic climate and
efficiencies being made across the
University, demonstrated a belief in the
SU. We exceeded income targets for
external advertising arrangements and
Welcome Week commercial fairs and
generated over £20,000 through the sale
of 4,264 NUS Extra Cards, coming 15th
out of 106 SUs for sales. As well as saving
students plenty of £££s, this enabled
investment back into student services.
The Union received reserved funding for
Welcome Week activities and for the NUS
Student LedTeaching Awards programme.
Staffing vacancies throughout the year,
including a FullTime Executive Officer
position and,for a time the CEO position,
resulted in a higher than expected
year-end surplus. This was added to our
reserves to support space development
projects over summer 2013.
In January,the Executive conducted a
budget review,into which the staff team
could‘bid’.
A surplus and confident profiling allowed
us to expend on projects or costs that had
been un-resourced in the first term,namely:
6 new PCs for the students in our
Activities space
2 new PCs for staff
Extra staff training and development
Additional funding for School Rep
and volunteer expenses
New equipment for our kitchen
at Walsall
Additional marketing materials
Staff reward and recognition
GREEN IMPACT
Following a comprehensive audit visit
from NUS in January 2013, the SU was
delighted to retain its Silver Green
Impact standard and continued to
work with the University at a strategic
level to improve sustainability across the
campuses.
As well as organising a Fair trade
Football Tournament in February, we
supported the University’s annual
Green Week in April by hosting a
number of activities, including a British
Heart Foundation Shoe Amnesty
(collecting 191 pairs of shoes), a
Green Fair promoting Fair trade, vegan
and vegetarian produce, an artwork
exhibition with art recouped from
University waste, and green ‘The Hulk’
smoothies sold from our Squeezebox!
Information went out encouraging
students to take small steps to reduce
their own carbon footprints. The
University produced a fabulous video
of the week, which can be viewed at
http://www.wolvesunion.org/yourunion/
environment/
DIG-IN PROJECT
September 2012 saw the official launch
of our Dig In project (pictured left).
We secured ’Student Eats’ funding from
NUS to develop an allotment on Walsall
campus, enabling students and staff
to grow and sell their own produce.The
allotment, which has raised beds and a
polytunnel, as well as a wild section to
encourage wildlife, has elicited interest
from a small but committed group of
students and staff on the campus and
produced some lovely fruit and veg, from
radishes to strawberries. Engagement
was affected by an enduring winter
in 2012 but we are hoping to reignite
interest in 2013/14.
SQUEEZEBOX
Both Squeezebox operations (City and
Walsall) performed above target,which was
particularly pleasing for City Squeezebox in
its first year of operation,producing a year-
end net profit of just over £9,000.The year
saw steady growth as we introduced new
lines to the product mix and we were careful
to record trading data to allow us to better
plan for 13/14.
Two biggest peaks in our trade were during
the University’s UG assessment periods.The
Squeezebox was often the only catering
outlet open to students during the holiday
periods, offering a vital service to those
students who were still around.
Throughout the year, in response to
feedback we introduced toasted
sandwiches and paninis and a new range
of healthier smoothies, as well as premium
milkshakes for those in need of a treat.
We continued to sell sandwiches and
salads and introduced a new, healthier
range in Urban Eat.The year -end net profit
exceeded the target by around £4,000 at
just over £16,000.
We introduced an evening bar service until
11pm weekdays and 6pm at weekends.
After good initial interest, attendance
waned significantly over the year, with
students spending time in their halls before
going out late. Opening times of the
bar were, therefore, adjusted to meet a
daytime need.
At our Walsall SU,the introduction of a
new hot food offer with wraps,pizzas and
burgers clearly met a need on campus
and contributed significantly to sales.We
also supported events held at weekends
in the Sports Centre by opening and
selling hot food and drinks.
32 33

18. Increase the
numbers of students
engaged and
participating with
our activities and
services on
Walsall Campus
Advance our
research and
marketing
intelligence of who
is engaged with us
and who isn’t
Continue to improve
the experience and
facilities for students
on Telford campus
Expand the support
we provide to students
around employability
and help raise
aspirations within the
local populations
Improve our ranking
in the BUCS leagues
and increase
the number of
teams competing
Develop a student
voice for
TNE students
Enhance the Student
Voice developing a
closer relationship with
Course Reps and a
bespoke Student Voice
database that gives
real time information
Increase support for
student parents
and ways for them
to access the SU
NEXTSome of the things we want to achieve next year
Produce a longer
term Strategic Plan
Continue to
grow our student
satisfaction rates
through internal
surveys and the NSS
TRUSTEES
Jane Nelson – University Trustee
Mike Ager – External Trustee
Lee Smith – External Trustee
Adam Keane – Student Trustee
OFFICERS TRUSTEES
President – Dan Batchelor
Activities Vice President – Joanna Zielinska
Welfare Vice President – Iwuese Nyager
Academic Vice President – Marie Cheer
PART-TIME OFFICERS
Gurgit Rai – City Campus Officer
Safahad Shaikh – Telford Campus Officer
Samantha Oakes – Walsall Campus Officer
Abhishek Dicholkar –
International Students’Officer
Mark Birkumshaw –
Part-Time Students’ Officer
Kayode Olaniyan – Environmental Officer
Marcello Nobrega -
Events and Activities Officer
Gracia Justice – Communications Officer
“I now know not to panic
about deadlines but to speak to
SU for advice. If I have any future
problems I will always speak to
the Students’ Union staff first”
ASC client’s feedback [April 2013]
34 35

19. “Designing the
report is a
design challenge,
but great fun!”
Sean Bird - Former Graduate
City Campus
MD Building
Wulfruna Street
Wolverhampton
WV1 1LY
Tel: 01902 322021
Fax: 01902 322020
E-mail: info@wolvesunion.org
Website: www.wolvesunion.org
Twitter: www.wolvesunion.org/twitter
Facebook: www.wolvesunion.org/facebook
YouTube: www.wolvesunion.org/youtube
Walsall Campus
WS Building
Gorway Road
Walsall
WS1 3BD
Tel: 01902 322320
Fax: 01902 323036