Summer Progress

Hello, and welcome to the continuing blog for the RUSU VP Education. I took over from Ryan in July and everyone here at RUSU HQ has been working tirelessly to make huge steps of progress over the summer.

We've got a jam packed year planned, campaigning on issues ranging from the hidden cost of your education, extending library hours, plagiarism awareness and improving processes, and ensuring a strong student voice is heard through the QAA Institutional Audit.

A research project has helped us to gather the views of hundreds of students, course reps and supporting staff about how we can improve the Course Rep Scheme. I'm currently working on fitting all this together into a five year strategy to push this forward in leaps and bounds. This will be fresh, bright and shiny for the new term!

If you have any questions about the plans for the year, how you get involved, or generally want to talk about some issues around your university life then feel free to get in touch! My email is p.jeffreys@reading.ac.uk office number is 0118 378 4130 or mobile 07980 697089

We may be moving our blogs onto www.rusu.co.uk - watch this space!

Moving on.......Part 1

Email to Course Reps

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick email to thank you for all you hard work this year. I will be leaving the role of VP Education shortly. It has been a rollercoaster of a year with some highs and lows. The University is continually seeing the importance of student involvement and participation as key to developing the academic experience. Course Reps are the backbone of this which continues to grow year on year, your input is invaluable.

Next year will see more RUSU staff support towards the Course Rep Scheme and the continued development of the training. We have also elected a team of Education Reps, who will work at the Faculty Level ensuring student input at every level in the University.

If you need to contact anyone over the summer the details are:

Pete Jeffreys – VP Education 2007/8 – p.jeffreys@rdg.ac.uk or
Kath Davey – Advice Services Manager – k.davey@rdg.ac.uk

If you are leaving this year good luck, if you are continuing please stay involved. Next years team will email you with the plans for the future over the summer.

Thanks again for a brilliant year,

All the best

Ryan
r.j.e.bird@reading.ac.uk

more to follow.......

Exams over.....results time!

Need someone to talk to?

RUSU provides a free, confidential, student-centred, advice service staffed by experienced advice workers. Our student advisors offer information, advice and support to the Reading University student community.

Our aim is to empower you, so you are able to deal with your issue and decide the best course of action - whatever the problem.We offer an independent service - RUSU is a separate organisation to the University. The advisors are not employed by the University. Your issue will be discussed in confidence and not shared with any university staff or any other person or organisation without your prior consent.

Visit www.rusu.co.uk and click on student advice service for more infomation

or email stu.adv@reading.ac.uk

Education Reps

Hi all

Nominations for Education Reps have now closed. We have had a great response and you should be getting an email shortly to explain how voting works and who is standing in your faculty. Many candidates have started up facebook groups......just remember you can only vote for candidates in your faculty.

Not sure which faculty you are in - visit www.rusu.co.uk/edrep (at the bottom of the page)

Voting is all online - Friday 8th June - Monday 18th June.

As tony the tiger would say its going to be grrrrrrrrrrrrreat.

Ryan
r.j.e.bird@reading.ac.uk

Education Reps

Hello! The search is on for next year’s team of Education Reps. These are crucial to making sure that students are at the heart of university decisions which directly affect you.

For the first time we will be running these elections entirely online – you won’t even have to leave your revision desk to make your voice heard!

Being an Education Rep will mean a few meetings each term to make sure that the best interests of students are at the heart of university discussions. Of course this experience will look fantastic on a CV, you can use it to count towards your MASIV accreditation, and you will benefit from top quality support and training.

Much more information, questions & answers, and contacts, are available at www.rusu.co.uk/edrep - with the nomination form being all online!

Nominations close Thursday 24th May

Voting start soon.......look out for more details.

Hidden Course Costs........

Have you been hit by hidden course costs during your studies? Do you feel that hidden costs encountered through your course have had a direct impact on you gaining the full Reading University experience?

RUSU wants to know exactly what these costs are so that we can work to ensure the university provides greater assistance with these costs. We want to know the essential and optional costs you have encountered and what help, if any, you have received for these additional costs. After paying tuition fees are these costs unwelcome extras?

Let RUSU know now by filling out our 10 minute survey on the link below:

Take Survey

This first-hand research will ensure that we have a clearer idea of what extra financial burdens Reading University students currently face through their courses. RUSU aims to use this confidential information to carry out their mission to fight for greater financial and educational equality for you, its members.

Silent Students Happy Homes - SSHH

Back during my first year in halls...2003, we had day and night porters, these people enforced the 'Quiet Period' which lasted throughout students exams. It is a stressfull time for many students, and the last thing we want is to be woken up @ 3 in the morning with people on their way home. Well when i returned to halls in my third year, night porters didnt exist, and therefore the 'Quiet Period' could not be monitored or enforced by any staff. This resulted in many stressed nights on the phone to security so i could get some sleep....the system which has gone from pro-active to re-active, isnt much help to students with a final year exam in the morning......anyway the moral of this story/rant is please respect others over these long and hard few weeks.

RUSU have launched a SSHH campaign, please check the website www.rusu.co.uk/sshh

Student life is vibrant, exciting and enjoyable for many people, and no-one would want to stop that. The objective of the SSHH campaign is to raise awareness of noise disturbances, which effect everyone from revising students to young families. It takes little effort to reduce the noise you make, but the affect on others is huge.

Exam Preparation Day

Re: Vision
Exam preparation advice for all years
10.00 - 16.00 Wednesday April 25th 2007
All day workshops in Palmer 1.02 and drop-in advice in G.04

Visit the study support website for more details - click here

Good Luck

Ryan

r.j.e.bird@reading.ac.uk

Congratulations to the University Challenge Team 2007/8

After a lengthy selection process, it was finally decided that five people below would represent The University of Reading in next years University Challenge.


Good Luck! If you want to keep track of how they are doing in the initial pre-TV stages visit their facebook group http://rdg.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2262599997

Some of the questions people faced in the selection process can be found here http://www.rusu.co.uk/DisplayPage.asp?pageid=21424

Enjoy

Ryan
r.j.e.bird@reading.ac.uk