- Your SU exec managed to destress apprx 400 students...
- The SU's volunteers helped the local community on Cowley Road
- Let's do a MASSIVE Spring Clean in Oxford!!!
- Xmas parties for everyone
- I went piloting with NUS ;p
- Our SU Exec board is now under review and reconstruction
Stress Balls
VP Welfare and Equal Opps Lou Golden and myself went out giving stress balls and wishing Good luck at your Exams last week. We covered approximately 210 people on the 1st day...follow up initiatives added up to apprx 400 students. Students loved the stress balls! Hope that helped you guys!
Cowley Road Community Funday
Attended the event on Sat 9th. The Lord Mayor officially opened the event, organised by the Christian Union. 10 SU Stax volunteers, myself Naz and Gareth, both working in Stax helped out on the day. This even aimed at making a positive impact on the local community living in this area, and despite the heavy rain it certainly cheered up the children and parents, as well as the rest of the residents who attended.
* STAX is the volunteer organisation at OBSU and stands for Students Taking Action For Community Change
Spring Clean Project
Worked with Louise Golden VP Welfare and Equal Opps to outline a proposal for involvement in the Spring Clean Initiative undertaken by the local community and the County Council. The Spring Clean campaign is taking place on the 14, 15, 16th March and will cover Wheatley, Headington and Cowley Road and Harcourt Hill respectively for 2h each day. The proposal aims to make a positive impact on the local community and environment, and to improve the relationship between students and the rest of the local citizens. Following the proposal and approval of the Exec Board, I have spoken with Robin McSorley: Membership Services Manager and Jon Biggs STAX manager, for involvement of STAX and creating a marketing plan to support the promotion and support of the campaign. As a result a working group is created: Spring Clean Group, consists of President, VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities, Mature Students’ Officer: Takao Noguchi, Students with Disabilities Officer: Gwen James, Robin McSorley: Membership Services Manager and Jon Biggs STAX manager. The group is meeting in Jan to outline the action plans for the proposal and
Union Council
VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities seconded by myself have put a motion forward to loby the Council for better lighting on Pullens lane,
Refreshers Week
Met with Helen Burton to discuss the Freshers week arrangements. The SU promotion has been agreed: the SU will be present both in HKSC (Helena Kennedy Student Centre) and the Main Campus on 2 stalls. There will also be student talks and events. For further information contact me.
SU Communication Channels
Met with VP CDC: Jason Manning to discuss the communication channels of the SU following the Communications List produced by Robin McSorley. There were further comms channels identified. The proposal is to monitor the news that are being communicated to the membership and see whether the Union communicates with diverse groups of students, what types of messages are being sent, how frequently and whether there is a balance between the messages types: welfare, representation, commercial. For that purpose the proposal would require the production of a 3 months report to list and assess these, to be presented to Exec in March. The list and the proposal will be brought to Exec for further input and to clarify how communications will be co-ordinated
UNIVERSITY
Executive Board:
The University Exec board has agreed to exchange information between the SU Exec board on monthly basis. From now on we’ll have a much more regular communication with the University and will be aware of the decisions that are being made and that affect us – the students!
SU GOVERNANCE
The following:
1. NCVO Governance and Trustees Pilot
2. Open Exec Committee effectiveness review
3. Next Steps…
1. I went piloting...almost :)
I am continuing learning, research and work on SU Governance: attended an NUS pilot scheme: NCVO Governance and Trustees pilot program, that covered in detail the purpose of trustee boards, their role, responsibilities, tips on recruitment, safeguarding and viability, applying good governance in practice: governance documents, meeting roles: chair, secretary, treasurers, organisations structures, legal requirements ect.
This pilot scheme involves only 5 SUs from the whole country, each participant is required to create a portfolio to meet the assessment criteria, and at the end receives an Accreditation Level 2 (equals GCSE) on Organisational Governance and Trustees Management
Oxford Brookes SU has a unique chance to be part of the pilot scheme. I am in a process of creating the portfolio to meet the accreditation criteria.
More Governance:
Open Exec Committee Effectiveness review
The review resulted in changes within the following:a. Officers reportsb. holidays, TOIL, declarations of interestc. meeting frequency Since the new constitution was approved on the 22nd Nov, the 5th Dec Open Exec board has been reviewing its effectiveness. The review lasts until end of December. The members of the board proposed new ways of working more effectively: officers will report in writing on progress of objectives as well as outcomes of committee meetings they are chairing. Verbal reports will not be accepted unless written reports have been submitted prior to the meeting, or unless prior notice is given from an officer. These will all be sent to Exec board. The committee will no longer be discussing holidays, toil or declarations of interest, these will be reported in writing as well. The Exec board will be meeting on Fortnightly basis starting from the 16th Jan 2008.
NB! Closed Exec meetings remain as frequent as previously: on weekly basis.
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