#welcome 2012

[taxidermycanine]

what do you mean it's almost 2026

[migraine-haver1]

WELCOME 2012!!!!

[ibenology]

mychem is #1 trending on tumblr WE’RE SO BACK

[dose-de-poesia]

[ussu-sabbteam]

Be the change - words of wisdom from President CK

So it's been a while since my last blog. I've been on holiday to Canada since then, which was amazing, except for my very poor French skills, and been on one of my best friends' hen do!

Since being back in Salford I have chaired my first Trustee Board meeting where we discuss the Students' Union's finances and governance, called into our School Reps training session, enjoyed meeting hundreds of new students over Welcome Week, and questioned the University about reading lists, lack of access to Blackboard and of course the fiasco that has been the timetabling situation. I am aware that that the University are doing all they can to rectify the situation but for those students who have had to miss shifts at work or potentially miss classes due to childcare commitments etc it still isn't good enough. After a meeting with University Senior Management yesterday we have been told that students should be able to access a reliable personalised timetable in the next couple of weeks.

Since my last blogpost I have also submitted a recommendation to the University for a fairer, more accessible payment scheme for Postgraduate tuition feess which would allow students to pay their fees over a ten month period rather than the current five month arrangement, and am waiting for an official response to this paper. I know how much I stuggled myself last year to pay my tuition fees as a part time postgrad on the lower fee arrangement so I can't imagine how difficult it could be for a full time or International student on higher fees!

The morning after I returned from Canada I had a trip to London for a conference to teach me how to be an effective student governor as I have the priviledge of representing students at the top table on University Council, the institution's highest decision making body. We also celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Students' Union by holding a reunion of Sabbatical Officers dating back 15 years at which I couldn't resist mentioning how I was actually still in Primary School in 1997 with no idea what a Students' Union even was!

Some of you may know that the National Union of Students (NUS) were mandated back in April to hold another National Demonstration in the first semester this year. The date has been decided as 21.11.12 with the tagline shown above of "Educate, Employ, Empower". The message of the demonstration is to fight for our future. At a time when students will pay £9k fees for an education that no longer promises them a brighter future or that well paid job they dreamt of, unemployment levels are forever on the rise, the government is threatening to take away housing benefit for under 25s, and to top it all off we no longer have the pension safety net to rely on. Postgraduate education is seeming even more of a longshot for many students with no restriction on the cost and fees once more on the rise. I hope to see as many Salford students as possible in London on 21.11.12 fighting for their future and for this government to see the public good of education. Not only are students being hit as students but public sector cuts will affect our career opportunities and those of our friends and families. Education should be a right, not a priviledge. When you, the students at the University of Salford elected me as your Students' Union President I promised to fight for a more accessible route to Postgraduate study and I will not go back on that promise.

This year Salford went through an Academic Realignment Project and the University's Transformation Project Phase 2 which seen staffing changes across the institution. Although the changes cannot all be blamed on the government, there was some outside pressure on the University due to things such as Student Number Control, which seen Salfrod lose over 400 student places and forcing the institution to rethink its staffing structures. The University is not entirely blameless and we held a 'Carnival Against the Cuts' back in May to voice student concerns about staff and department cuts as well as compiling a report containing recommendations which the Vice Chancellor responded to point by point. So why am I telling you all this? I am telling you this to reinforce the importance of the National Demonstation this Autumn. There may not be a parliamentary decision being made, however, it's about time that students started setting the agenda for the 2015 General Election as the attack continues on the public sector and education. We will continue to face local cuts if the government continues this attack so it is time for us to unite with students, young people and communities across the country to say that we will not stand for this ideologically driven austerity anymore.

During my year as Vice President last year NUS constantly drove home the message to Sabbatical Officers and students to "Be the Change" and on my trip to Quebec I saw this graffiti on a wall and was almost convinced that someone form NUS had followed me there to continue to ingrain that message in my brain. Now I am going to say to each and every one of our students here at Salford that you should take every opportunity you can to be the change! Here is a little saying I really like so thought I would share it.

Although I love my job and I love achieving change for students we want to encourage as many students here at Salford to actively get involved in making things happen around University to improve everyone's experience whilst they are here! We have an election comign up in Novemeber where we will be electing four NUS delegates to attend the NUS National Conference in April for three days. At this conference you have the opportunity to represent Salford students on a national scale as well as voting to set the agenda on campaigns you believe the NUS should be running for the upcoming year. This is a very exciting opportunity and anyone can run in the elections as long as you are a registered student. If you want to know anymore about the election process please don't hesitate to get in touch on [email protected] 

If there is something that you would like to see change for the benefit of Salford students then remember you can come along to our Better Union Forum on 9th October to pitch your idea and discuss it with other students. If people are interested in your idea you could even run it as a referenda question for students to vote on alongside the elections! Why not take this opportunity to have a voice and challenge your Sabbatical Officers to run a campaign voted for by students?

This blog has now ended up beingmuch longer than I had anticipated so congratulations if you made it all the way to the end! I would just like to take this chance to again say Welcome to all of our new students and a welcome back to all of our returning students. The Sabbatical Officers were running around last week in fetching yellow tshirts, going between induction talks and events to introduce ourselves to as many of you as possible! I hope you are all settling in now and making lots of friends! I remember my first few weeks of Uni, moving to a new country from Northern Ireland. I was really excited but absolutely terrified at the same time. I was moving from a tiny village where everyone knows everyone, to a city with not a friend in the world, but I soon realised that there were many others in the same boat! Uni has been one of the best experiences of my life so all I can say is throw yourself in with two feet and enjoy it!!!!

Peace out,

Christina

P.S. After some feedback from a student I felt I should include this picture! Here you are Danny Bradley, this one's for you!

[ussu-sabbteam]

Sport and Activities, NUS training, Welcome 2012 and much more!

Hello to all you lovely folks out there who’re reading our blog! As it was Christina’s turn to write a blog and she’s not here (as she is away in Canada - having a well deserved break!) Mishal & Tom have taken over (So for the benefits of you readers, perhaps you’d want to read this in a Northern Irish accent;))!

The Countdown to Welcome Week has officially begun! Whether you are a new or a returning student, just know that university time will undoubtedly be the most exciting time of your life – so make sure you make the most of your time here! We are very excited to bring you the best that Salford has to offer in terms of events, socials, parties, trips, tours, networking opportunities and advice/support with settling in. If you haven’t already done so, do press attending on our official facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/381607268561110/and share the excitement with everyone!

  Now is the perfect time to browse through the sports and activity groups and make a mental mind map of which ones you’d like to get involved with. You can also sign up online and be sure to keep an eye out for the Freshers’ Fair where these groups will have the chance to show-case what they do. You’ll have the opportunity to meet all of them in one place for these two days – do check them out: http://salfordstudents.com/minisites/?cat_id=3613

All preparations are still going on behind closed doors. Have a look and make sure you don’t miss out on anything! http://www.salfordstudents.com/welcome

So over the weeks since she last wrote she’s been to NUS training which Mishal and Eli have told you all about; special second year training which is just as exciting as it sounds. Other than that she’s been going to her presidential type meetings which more than likely contain several options of fruity teas and a fine selection of biscuits (they’re definitely the ones who steal the double chocolate chip ones!). No doubt these meetings take place in offices with comfy leather seats and come accompanied with pineapple deserts and a walk in wardrobe perhaps to store the jacket (I know what makes status! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19333159).

  On a more serious note there’s been meetings to discuss the impending Institutional review which is an independent review of the University focusing this year on students involvement in quality assurance. She’s also been at meetings regarding internationalisation, The Manchester College and PgT fees, all of which I’m sure you’ll be updated on in her next blog!

  Jsut to anony Chirinsta I’ve diceedd to put in a snetcnee taht deons’t mkae too mcuh snsee, the perfect way to keep those obsessed with grammar happy on their blogs!! Didn’t mess with apostrophe’s though as they’re not for messing with!

Tom & Mishal 

[kappainthepond-blog]

Devo smettere di comprare farmi regalare libri e dedicarmi un pò ai fumetti occidentali a lungo erroneamente disdegnati, a partire da Sandman;   Devo provare a farmi questa benedetta collezione di dvd spulciando pazientemente tra i mercatini di Garibaldi e surfando agilmente tra gli scaffali Amazon senza però lasciarmi irretire dal canto delle sirene delle sue superofferte; Devo smettere di preferire il junk food, i ravioli al vapore del cinese e le patatine con tzatziki del greco ad ogni altra sostanza ingeribile; Devo sforzarmi di voler bene al mio piccolo rene moribondo e dire addio una volta per tutte agli ettolitri di coca cola e thè e tentare di socializzare con amica Acqua; Devo accettare coraggiosamente l'idea che I. prima o poi si mariterà e lascerà il nostro nido e smetterla di fabbricare segretamente pupazzetti voodoo con capelli biondo-rossicci pronti per ogni evenienza; Devo provare ad essere grata e smetterla di adottare la strategia "opossum morto" ad ogni evento sociale potenzialmente soporifero a cui sono invitata -e quindi almeno imparare a declinare educatamente; Devo ripromettermi di improvvisare attacchi di schizofrenia misto sindrome di Tourette ad un certo punto dell'anno e usare finalmente il bonus-scusa "ricovero in centro benessere per esaurimento nervoso" per mandare tutti a quel paese e fuggire in una capitale estera; Devo impegnarmi onorevolmente a nutrire il criceto e non lasciare che sia la pazienza di mia madre l'unica fonte di sostentamento di quella povera bestiola; Devo smetterla di fingere di ignorare l'esistenza di esami universitari come stavo tentando di fare anche ora prima che subentrasse (quel che avanza del)la mia coscienza; Devo smetterla di farmi contagiare manie e superstizioni folkloristiche à la pomiglianèise perchè no, quelli sono spifferi d'aria e non monacielli e no, nel 2012 non ci sarà l'Armageddon visto che 2+1+2 fa 5 e 5 è il male; Devo ripromettermi che per il 2013 sarò di nuovo una brava bambina non materialista e l'elenco dei miei propositi non sembrerà una lista della spesa ma sarà piena di pace amore e altre di quelle cose da intervista sul palco a miss Italia.

[xjxsxcx]

Mich interessiert nur der ‚Quatsch‘, was keinerlei praktischen Sinn hat. Mich interessiert das Leben nur in seiner unsinnigen Erscheinung.

- D. Charms