Moving Beyond Steam 'Train-ing'

Just a quick one here to share the excitement I have about the new Societies and Volunteering group (SLVG) Training which will be delivered on Monday the 17th of September which is the Monday of welcome week.

Having attended this training day for several years whilst a society committee members and delivering it myself last year, I really felt it was in need of a spruce-up. The old system meant that students sat through a lecture-type session which would last the best part of an afternoon. The room was not always fit for purpose and it was all pretty dry administrative stuff. Last year the attendance was higher than anyone can remember... in forever.

However, a few weeks later I was invited to help out at the course-rep conference as one of the trainers and the format felt so much more engaging and inovative. There were short plenary sessions which were a bit like lectures but there were exciting guest speakers who came along to deliver these. The rest of the day was broken into skill-based group training sessions where the volunteers shared their own best practice and the differences in the different departments and shared knowledge of how best to get results. Students were free to select which sessions they attended and the sessions were much more interesting and big-picture. This was something that I really wanted to replicate and develop.

So here is what I have come up with... there will be a new societies handbook which is currently being drafted. It is designed to be comprehensive and answer as many questions as I could remember societies ever asking and from my own experience of bieng involved with societies for the last 5 years. It will cover all of the administrative stuff such as how to claim back cash, book transport, apply for additional funding, run a complex event, complete a risk assessment, become an admin on your page, access further training through the union and much more besides.

 

This means that the amount which needs to be covered in a 27 hour long lecture can be cut down (I hope) to about 90 minutes of introduction, health and safety and finance training. The afternoon is going to be made up from these break-out sessions where groups will work together sharing best practice with an experienced trainer and will be able to choose which sessions they attend. This also means that you can spread the load across your committee and wont reply just on your president to remember everything. I am hoping that this will enable societies to become more effective and efficient. The sessions will be much more strategic than operational thereby inspiring groups to think about the bigger picture and how they can improve the quality of their own experience.

With the new employability and volunteering toolkit getting ready to launch as well as a new handbook for societies, this could be one of the best-informed years at least! The morning plenary will be in RLT1 with afternoon 'break-out' sessions being in Keynes seminar rooms.        

Please bear in mind that the training on the day may differ from the sessions below. Please contact me at union-activities@kent.ac.uk if you have any questions or suggestions.  

Session	Trainer	Objectives
K.S.C.V and Community Volunteering	Steph Hughes and Natalie Tiu	Introduction to the K.S.C.V scheme including platinum and new Gold+ as well as introducing some of our other volunteering opportunities in the community
Planning Events Safely	Helen Close	A session which helps volunteers to plan their events strategically, safely and for ultimate success
Successful Fundraising	Nick and the RAG Team	This session will help groups to think about creative ways to fundraise for their activities and charity as well as understanding their relationship with RAG
Getting to Grips with Budgeting (SLVGS)	Steph Hughes	This session is aimed at helping volunteers to plan their expenditure and use their funding to best effect.
Getting to Grips with Budgeting (Societies)	Amy Van-Poppel	This session is aimed at helping volunteers to plan their expenditure and use their funding to best effect.
Effective Teamwork	Suzanne Payne	A session working on effective leadership as well as dealing with pressures when working in a team with volunteers.
Using Media Effectively	Mel Lewis	A session which helps volunteers to use social media as well as student media to its greatest potential.
Developing Your Group (SLVGS)	Steph Hughes and Natalie Tiu	A session aimed at moving each group onto ‘the next stage’ from new group to established group, then leading group. Helping groups define their own success
Developing Your Group (Societies)	Caroline Demetriou	A session aimed at moving each group onto ‘the next stage’ from new group to established group, then leading group. Helping groups define their own success

Room To Swing A Cat

An irrelevant  Shocked looking Kitten

Hi All, I just wanted to make a couple of short posts to update you about some of the latest issues that I have been working on for societies and students led volunteer groups in particular.

As many of you know, last year a change was made to the room booking system meaning that you can no longer book rooms directly with the college masters. Instead this is done centrally through the timetabling office. Room bookings are made by societies online using a link, groups request their room requirements, this is sent to us at the Union who then confirm that the booking is on behalf of a Kent Union student group. This then gets forwarded onto timetabling who will do their best to accommodate the groups' needs and then get back to them with a booking I.D which is confirmation of the room having been legitimately booked.

Eliot Hall, The Most requested room on campus for
our student societies. 

Although it could be said that it is an advantage having all of the room bookings going through a central location there are still limitations to the system. If students want to book facilities that are in a school building as opposed to a college building then this must be done with the individual school, outdoor bookings are made with estates, some bookings depending on location (particularly spaces with commercial 'value') are booked through hospitality. In addition, some spaces are controlled by the union, but in fact the only space which students could really use for activities are the bars.

In addition to this, the real clincher for students has been that although in most cases the official line was for college masters to require a week's notice to book rooms, in actuality exceptions were made in some of the colleges allowing for a level of spontaneity and flexibility. Another potential problem for students is that under the old system 'average Joe student' could book a room for say... group study. To my knowlege the only way this can still be done is either with the Library or through an academic.        

Our Circus skills society; have special requirements
for the rooms they use 

Recently I met with the Academic registrar and timetabling to thrash out some ideas and see if there were any improvements that could be made to the system namely whether we could cut down on administrative delay and  secondly, introduce a limited number of rooms on campus which could be booked at short-notice (less than a week). Through the efforts of the stretched timetabling department some success was possible with the design and introduction of an improved online booking link that will mean that requests will not have to wait to be forwarded from Kent Union but go directly to timetabling with only 'questionable' bookings being flagged up by Kent-Union which should help to speed up the process.

Unfortunately, due to "the complexity of operating a two tier system it was felt that this is not a viable proposal" which effectively means that a short-term room booking option is still out of grasp for most groups. Any suggestions at this stage would be welcome.

However, every cloud has a silver-lining! Performing-arts groups may be in luck. Following a meeting with my friends at the Gulbenkian, a space has been available for societies and volunteer groups to use. Short-notice bookings will be possible for this room which is available from 1 (I think) until 6pm on Wednesday afternoons. This space is large enough for a small rehearsal I am told. If you are interested in this space then you need to get in touch with Jess Thomas who is in charge of marketing at the Gulbenkian. I am very grateful for their efforts so far.   

The Attic Bar has a great open floor but will in future be a busier cafe
 in the day, prohibiting use for society activities 

In addition to this I have recently met with Venue General Manager Renaud and Hels who is in charge of facilities management. The Attic is hoping to improve its daytime provision including the installation of a new 'proper' coffee machine and improvements to lighting and power provision which is hoped to make it a more inviting space for social and group study.  This does put pressure on societies who had been using it occasionally for bookings for dance or musical rehearsal. In reaction to this Hels and Renaud are looking into whether there are any improvements that can be made to the cleaning rota which would allow groups to use the balcony and venue floors for activities space from Monday to Wednesday during daytime hours. Another small improvement. Please contact R.Mayers@kent.ac.uk if you are interested in using this space.     

An impression of the new Colyer Fergussion Music Building Main Hall Interior

I have also recently met with Sue Wanless who is the director of music at the University of Kent. The new Colyer Fergusson music building which is being constructed on the Canterbury campus (due for completion in October 2012) will have soundproofed rehearsal rooms of all sizes which I have been told student groups will have access to for the price of an access card (£5). This will be available to groups who have music as their main objective such as Music, live music, CPAS, Musical Theatre and any other groups who wish to make music.

I am unaware of any such developments at the Medway campus and would love to hear about any advances that have been made. I am looking forward to attending the new democratic meetings that are being set up at U.M.S.A which should allow for greater empowerment and effectively turning complaining into campaigning.    

Softly softly catchy monkey!

  

Meeting the New Team

Not How Kent Union Do it... Honest

Today was an interesting day. Kent Union had organised a development day which was to be attended by the majority of staff with a range of sessions being run by members of the team as well as externals brought in for their expertise. As well as it being an opportunity for members of staff and our two exiting sabbaticals to learn new skills or recap on previous knowledge such as Equality and diversity training and recruitment, it also gave individuals the chance to mix with staff from departments they don't have regular interaction relaxing through Tai Chi, playing a round of tennis or learning a new skill such as sign language.

However, these were not the only team building sessions organised today with the three returning sabbatical officers (President, VP Welfare and myself) joining the two future members of our team (Alex Murray for VP Education and Matthew Harris VP Sports) at Kent's Medway Campus at Chatham docks. Not only was this a  chance to see some interesting presentations about the history of Kent Union from its formation in the 1960s to the present day as well as a range of presentations on governance and representation and democracy but importantly to learn about the history of the Universities at Medway student association (UMSA) and take a tour around the historic campus which was originally a naval base.

Medway isn't a small campus but there is painfully
little space set aside for student activities. Lobbying
for the 'c4' building to be refurbished as a flexible space
is a manifesto pledge of mine.

As well as discussing future training plans for the summer after our two newest members will have (almost) completed their studies, we did some basic team-building discussing our past hopes and fears as well as current and future ones. It was insightful as well as supportive to know that we shared many of the same concerns and aspirations and I look forward to working with the new team with members who will be stamping their own brand on the sabbatical roles.

Kent's Sabbatical team 2011-12... not quite mes amis!

Following the election results in February there was much discussion on campus, among volunteers and staff as well as on CSR and in inquire surrounding the fact that we will be an all white, male sabbatical team. When asked if I thought this was an issue (on the grounds of representing our diverse membership) my answer was "that it is always going to be an issue but it will only become a problem if we let it." Whilst our make-up is perhaps not ideal I was confident that through working closely with the part-time volunteer officers we could represent all of our students fairly and effectively. With our first Medway student elected to the board of trustees I hope we will also be able to better represent the Medway student voice. The more time I spend with the new team the more confident I grow that this will be another strong year for Kent students. Whilst we will always have big shoes to fill, that we have a chance to wiggle our toes for a year with the hope of stretching our metaphorical union footwear before passing them on to the next generation of Kent Students.

Interesting Facts:

Medway has some facilities to be envied but the student
experience needs real development to justify £9,000 fees

* Medway's drillhall library is Rumoured to be the longest library in Europe!
* There are approximately 20,000 students across Kent's campuses
* Just over 10 years ago Kent Union had 6 sabbatical roles which included (President, treasurer, women's officer, sports, Education and Welfare and union communications
*Inquire (previously KRED, previously INCANT) is as old as the University of Kent itself
*3 of the first 500 graduates of the University of Kent are still involved in Kent Union through volunteering on Kent Union's board of trustees or CYSM's board of directors (who support CSRFM)

Scene Change at the Gulbenkian Theatre


For today's blog I'd like to take the opportunity to talk about the Gulbenkian and some of the recent changes that have come about since September.

The Gulbenkian Theatre, a fantastic facility for students

At the University of Kent, Students are fortunate to have a theatre and cinema on campus which is owned and operated by the University this has the distinct advantage of meaning that the views, opinions and tastes of students are at the forefront of the mission of the complex. Sadly, in my opinion in my time as a student studying at the Canterbury campus the Gulbenkian has not shown evidence of these commitments in its service in the way that I would like to have seen. In the recent past a tiny proportion of the audience would be made up of students and these were either at the healthily supported stand-up comedy nights (which have always been popular among students at the Canterbury campus and surely nationwide) or by arts students who to all intents and purposes are already engaged with the world of art and culture.The Gulbenkian was failing to engage the young thirsty-minded population of students on its very doorstep which I believe is not only a missed business-opportunity but guttingly is a dis-service to students. I believe that an arts complex on a University Campus has a duty to the students that walk through; and sadly sometimes past its doors to nurture cultural engagement especially as for some individuals this may indeed be their first visit to a theatre or cinema that doesn't just show blockbuster hits and high impact West-end musicals.

T:24 Drama And Theatre society at
Canterbury Campus, Nuts of course, but we love them. 

Having been employed, studied, volunteered and performed at the Gulbenkian like I've had quite a relationship with the place over my 5 years here and so felt quite passionately when I came into office last summer that some changes were due.

At this time there was an interim manager Mary-Ann Lelean for a period of several months and I met with her to discuss some of the major issues facing successful student engagement in the Gulbenkian including; the cost of hiring the theatre for societies such as T:24 Theatre society and Kent Dance, prices of the bar, cinema and theatre, the absence of any volunteering opportunities and the lack of any student dialogue or feedback. I remember turning up to the meeting with a list of items I wanted to raise and potential battles I expected to have, Mary-Ann was also armed with a list and as she listened to my suggestions she ticket them off on her almost identical list of intended improvements. This thought Yogi Bear ... was encouraging.

"Under Construction" The New Colyer Fergusson Building

Sometime between that meeting and September I had the pleasure of meeting Alan Fox and Liz Moran the two new permanent managers of the Gulbenkian who not only shared my vision for a more student-focussed and engaging campus arts-centre but had their own exciting big ideas... and a proven track record including a successful MacRobert at the University of Stirling. Now is a time of development at the Gulbenkian with the University's new Colyer Fergusson concert hall being built next door posing a world of exciting new arts opportunities for students and the local community and a facility I am keen to get my teeth into on behalf of current and future students at Kent crying out for quality extra-curricular facilities.

New Look Film and theatre
Programmes

As part of my priority  'Gulbenkian Campaign' I have worked closely with the new team seeing cinema prices plummet to £4 for students and £3.50 for student Gulbenkian Club members and theatre prices dropping to £5 (although this is dependant on negotiation with performers.) Having seen the figures for student attendance at the Cinema, there has been impressive growth in student numbers attending. The price for hiring the theatre for performance has been set to a low flat fee for student groups making it much more accessible for putting on performance.

Tiny Furniture: Free to feedback meeting attendees 

Most excitingly, I am working with Jake Taylor (Technical Manager) to set up a six-week rolling  volunteer placement scheme which will expose students to real first hand technical, front of house and arts centre marketing which will have formative feedback and offer students a mentor as well as being fully integrated with the K.S.C.V scheme awarded by the Union and University.

Finally, the Gulbenkian will be planning its first users' meeting open to all (dependant on room capacity!) at 4pm on May 30th at the Gulbenkian which will be an opportunity to offer suggestions and brainstorm with the team for future development at the arts centre. You are welcome even if you aren't a previous user. This will be followed by a viewing of Tiny Furniture a film about what one does after completing an arts degree! (Ironic?) or the Funny side the stand-up comedy night if you Prefer.

Above, the Salsa Society Performing at Worldfest in 2011 Winning "Best Choreography"


 All in all I'm very excited about the direction that the facility is taking. Although I'm proud of what I consider has been one of my most significant successes so far this year, much credit is due to the breath of fresh air that is the staff now working there.                       

The Start of Something Beautiful?

Welcome to my new blog, here's hoping that I will get used to this site and posts will improve in standard over time. 

I have recently just returned from The University of Cardiff after going to support my younger sister who is planning on studying business and considering Cardiff. I also saw it as an excellent opportunity to visit a Students' Union with a bit of a reputation for good facilities. However, this visit was not out of the blue and is part of a benchmarking exercise I am conducting; comparing the facilities and systems of Student Unions around the country against the provisions at Kent Union. 

Nick Clegg delivering a speech to students at Solus Nightclub, 
Cardiff Students Union 19.4.10.  Photo Alex Folkes

This includes (but is not limited to):

• Number of Societies
• Most popular/ successful societies
• Funding per member
• Which Funding Systems were in place
• Physical facilities including room provision and booking
• Specialist facilities
• Volunteering provision
• Volunteering funding
• Student media including; T.V, Radio and Publications
• Raise and Give Charitable fundraising 

Whilst at Cardiff Union I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with their membership services manager and pick brains over how thing work there. It was a very informative conversation, I am hoping that Kent Union will be able to combine the best parts of both our funding systems in order to increase the low 'grant per head' that societies at Kent currently have.

But, the most striking observation is the Union's incredible physical facilities at its disposal; a fleet of 7 vehicles student groups can use, 4 meeting rooms accommodating 200 people, a lecture theatre with retractile seating and nightclub, each with capacity of 800+ accompanied by a further two cafes/pubs and fabulous media facilities. The student radio station plays gently in the background as you walk through the clean and spacious corridors of the four storey union building. All of this means societies have access to the spaces when not occupied for organised activities and are therefore less reliant on the facilities of the University for their activities. This ultimately empowers the students and is what I wish to achieve with a new Kent Union facility. 

Rutherford Hall University of Kent
(Not Currently Available for most society bookings) 

The Campaign for an activities building on the Canterbury Campus as well as the campaign for the C4 building at the Medway Campus to become a flexible activities space are priority campaigns for me this year and I met with Professor Keith Mander Deputy Vice-Chancellor at University of Kent today to discuss the importance of these facilities. We also discussed at length the positive impact that non-competitive activities have on students developing employability skills independently and informally through volunteering opportunities at Kent Union and how we can make existing University Facilities more accessible.     

Thanks for reading. I will Keep you updated on the progress of the Benchmarking exercise and also the developments to activities at Kent.

In the meanwhile you can contact me at...

Twitter: @kbuddinyourface 

            @ku_activities

E-mail:   union-activities@kent.ac.uk