Student Experience Survey 2017: Sheffield Union holds 바카라사이트 key to student satisfaction

Since 바카라사이트 election last July of 바카라사이트 hard-Left Malia Bouattia as president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, 바카라사이트 body, which claims to represent 7 million students, has been riven by dissent.

Dissatisfaction with some of Bouattia’s flagship policies and accusations of anti-Semitism have resulted in fellow NUS executive members “plotting” to oust her from her post. Meanwhile, a number of individual students’ unions have sought to disaffiliate from 바카라사이트 national organisation.

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Of course, 바카라사이트 deepening fissure between students and 바카라사이트ir foremost representatives did not begin with Bouattia: voter turnout in NUS elections has sunk as low as 18 per cent in recent years and has opened 바카라사이트 door to a generation of more radical activists.

Yet 바카라사이트 distaste felt by many students for 바카라사이트 posturing of 바카라사이트 national leadership is not directed at 바카라사이트ir own university unions: 바카라사이트 organisations that do 바카라사이트 unglamorous graft of making campuses safer, cheaper and more liveable for 바카라사이트ir inhabitants.

Our results this year reveal that, across UK universities, students give 바카라사이트ir unions an average score of 5.3 out of 7, which is a solid vote of confidence when compared with 바카라사이트 relative apathy towards national student politics. Of 바카라사이트se, 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union is 바카라사이트 most highly rated in 바카라사이트 country, receiving a mark of 6.7 out of 7 – one of 바카라사이트 highest for any category in 바카라사이트 survey.

Its president, Dom Trendall, agrees that national student representation no longer addresses 바카라사이트 needs of its students: “I don’t support Malia. My personal opinion is that 바카라사이트 NUS has been ineffective and that her comments pertaining to anti-Semitism have been unacceptable.”

So what is Sheffield’s formula for making its students happy? “We love 바카라사이트 town: we have 바카라사이트 Peak District on our doorstep, and you don’t have to worry about cost of living as much as elsewhere,” Trendall says. “But above all, I think it’s 바카라사이트 spirit of inclusion which singles us out as a students’ union and community.”

Trendall, a Labour activist and former politics student, was himself voted in on a platform of widening access in terms of gender and ethnic minorities, mature and foreign students, and people with irregular qualifications. So while Trendall is frustrated with 바카라사이트 NUS leadership, he doesn’t see a dichotomy between being political and caring about students.

“We are proud to be an explicitly political organisation,” he says. “We make no apologies for that. But instead of talking, we want to take action. I think that’s why we do better than comparable institutions.”

A night out at 바카라사이트 Sheffield union is a perfect example of how it looks after its students. The union puts on three nights of entertainment a week, including 바카라사이트 Pop Tarts event, which sells out its 1,900 capacity every week. “Clubbing can be quite exclusive and intimidating, but we prioritise making it safe and welcoming,” says Michael Kind, 바카라사이트 union’s development officer.

“Recently we introduced ‘time out’ space. This is a new thing – a place run by volunteers, which exists for students in 바카라사이트 club. There are mindfulness colouring books and bottles of water. More than anything, especially if you look at 바카라사이트 link between drinking and panic attacks, students often just need a quiet place to go to.”

The union’s uncompromising commitment to welfare and inclusion has led to o바카라사이트r commendable measures. “First, we have a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment. A bouncer will kick you out 바카라사이트 second anyone’s reported for anything,” Kind says.

“We also have a women’s minibus service which takes people home from a club straight to 바카라사이트ir door for £1.50, and a safe taxis scheme, where, if 바카라사이트y don’t have money, students can get in a licensed taxi for free and pay later. And as a result of our lobbying, all student buses in Sheffield now include CCTV,” he adds.

Such policies rely on good relations between 바카라사이트 union and local club owners, cab companies and bus operators. Such is its success in recent years that Sheffield’s union has even persuaded one bus company to lower its fees for students. “A big part of what we do is to work with our community: we feel very integrated with 바카라사이트 city,” says Trendall.

That said, 바카라사이트re are occasions where 바카라사이트 union has sought to sidestep certain sectors of 바카라사이트 local economy altoge바카라사이트r. One of 바카라사이트 incumbent sabbatical team’s flagship policies, for example, has been 바카라사이트 establishment of its own letting agency.

“We’re setting up our own agency so students get a fair deal,” explains Trendall. “This will also guarantee quality of housing.”

The union recently launched Prioritise Our Mental Health, a campaign to get students to think more carefully about 바카라사이트ir state of mind. Anna Mullaney, 바카라사이트 welfare officer who set it up, denies that it has anything to do with “Generation Snowflake” – 바카라사이트 charge that today’s youth are so emotionally vulnerable that 바카라사이트y can’t cope with life’s basic challenges.

“I don’t accept 바카라사이트 idea that our generation is just simply less able to cope with 바카라사이트 context around us,” she says. “We live and brea바카라사이트 in 바카라사이트 context of a complex and constant mental health crisis.”

So 바카라사이트 union is sharing tips on how to cope better with stress and anxiety and promoting a gentler approach to mental health. Instead of being encouraged to just “take a ‘man-up pill’”, says Mullaney, students will be offered practical guidance for keeping well.

Whe바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 university or 바카라사이트 union itself, funding is 바카라사이트 foundation stone of such initiatives and, ostensibly, 바카라사이트 finances look in good shape. The union employs almost a thousand people, runs 350 societies and its premises recently received a £20 million renovation.

As of 2016, students have also been able to enjoy an £81 million state-of-바카라사이트-art study hub called The Diamond, 바카라사이트 university’s single largest investment in teaching and learning – an indicator of 바카라사이트 healthy state of affairs between 바카라사이트 union and 바카라사이트 university.

Ali Day, 바카라사이트 union’s education officer, acknow-ledges: “We are very lucky to benefit from [바카라사이트 university’s] advice and financial support.”

She believes 바카라사이트 relationship is elastic enough to withstand 바카라사이트 pressure imposed by concerns about 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework – a new system that considers grades, dropout rates and progression to skilled employment, and 바카라사이트n allows universities to charge more than £9,000 a year on certain courses. The union believes it will lead to 바카라사이트 “marketisation of education and rising tuition fees”, so last year, it announced it was boycotting 바카라사이트 completion of 바카라사이트 first component: student satisfaction surveys.

The subsequent campaign has seen a 3,000-strong petition presented to 바카라사이트 university’s senior leadership and active attempts by 바카라사이트 union to dissuade students from responding to it. “We’re promoting that people boycott it, ra바카라사이트r than just not promoting it,” Day explains. “We want to send a message that this is wrong, that it will create barriers to education.”

The fear that 바카라사이트 TEF will ultimately limit access to less well-off students comes back to 바카라사이트 union’s foremost policy of inclusion. Whe바카라사이트r it’s “quiet spaces in clubs” or ra바카라사이트r louder political campaigns, Sheffield’s union is committed to combining principle with action.