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IMPACT REPORT

The voice of over 17,000 students

Take a look at our achievements

2014/2015

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HELLO2014/2015 was an amazing year for our Students’ Union.

I’m your elected Reading

University Students’ Union (RUSU)

President for 2015/2016.

I am a former student of the

University of Reading (UoR), and

one of 5 elected Student Officers.

Our job is to represent and

support the 17,000+ students that

come here, and to ensure that the

student experience is at the heart of

this University.

As you can see from this Impact Report,

RUSU achieved a lot in 2014/15.

Our sole purpose is to support our members

and work to make your lives as students

better. It’s your Students’ Union, so get

involved and together we can do even more

great things in 2016.

Oli Ratcliffe

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2014/2015What an amazing year for RUSU and University of Reading Students... During the past year, RUSU reached out to more students than ever. We had a 30% increase in student involvement in the main elections compared to the previous year, with 37 students who nominated themselves for a Student Officer role and 3,640 students voting!

We worked closely with the UoR in projects such as the RUSU Excellence Awards and the RUSU Partnership in Teaching and Learning Showcase.

The Student Officers successfully led engaging campaigns to improve the student experience and the environment such as RUSU says Relax which was led by Tilly Corless (Welfare Officer 2014/15) and Fossil Free led by Chloe Bartlett (Community & Development Officer 2014/15)

Our Quidditch Team hosted the cross-university games and our Drama Society performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

RUSU commercial services raised an incredible amount of £291,199 that was all put back into supporting students.

Our Raising and Giving (RAG), Sports, Societies and Halls raised £10,406.87 and we had approximately 1,200 volunteers.

RUSU’s Little Learners Nursery cared for 128 children of students and staff.

Summer Ball 2015 was the biggest ever: we sold 4,550 tickets and raised £23,815.

1,200 students volunteered through RUSU projects

=4,530HOURS

LONDON ROAD CAMPUS SOCIAL SPACE opened after RUSU campaign

1,112VOTES CAST

3BECAME

RUSUCAMPAIGNS

11WENT

TO VOTE

11WENT

TO VOTE

57IDEAS

SUBMITTED

£115,000saved for students through the RUSU ADVICE SERVICE

3,640STUDENTS VOTED

30%INCREASE FROM 2014

TOP 10STUDENTS’ UNION

(National Student Survey 2015)IN THE UK

THE LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN,proposed through Change It wasfeatured inThe Guardian.

NEWSOCIETIESCREATED

20Thanks to lobbying and a CHANGE ITCAMPAIGN students can have HOT DRINKS INTHE LIBRARY

5,600students joined clubs & societies

OVER

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1,200 students volunteered through RUSU projects

=4,530HOURS

LONDON ROAD CAMPUS SOCIAL SPACE opened after RUSU campaign

1,112VOTES CAST

3BECAME

RUSUCAMPAIGNS

11WENT

TO VOTE

11WENT

TO VOTE

57IDEAS

SUBMITTED

£115,000saved for students through the RUSU ADVICE SERVICE

3,640STUDENTS VOTED

30%INCREASE FROM 2014

TOP 10STUDENTS’ UNION

(National Student Survey 2015)IN THE UK

THE LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN,proposed through Change It wasfeatured inThe Guardian.

NEWSOCIETIESCREATED

20Thanks to lobbying and a CHANGE ITCAMPAIGN students can have HOT DRINKS INTHE LIBRARY

5,600students joined clubs & societies

OVER

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“WHEN YOU HAVE SEVERAL LECTURES A DAY, YOU REALLY NEED SOMEWHERE TO SIT AND CHILL OUT. THIS SPACE HAS MORE OF A COMMON ROOM FEEL AND IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE IT HERE.” LUCY DREWERY Primary Education with English

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A three year campaign led by the Student Officers and London Road students ensured the university acted to create a social

space for students at the London Road campus.

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ABOUT US RUSU is led by students for studentsRUSU is a democratic, student-led organisation, located at the heart of

Whiteknights Campus. We are here to guide and help all UoR students,

enabling them to make the most of their student experience throughout

their time at University.

All students on a UoR course are members of RUSU and can have a say in

directing the Students’ Union.

We are a separate organisation to the UoR which means we are

independent and can challenge them about issues affecting students.

Five Student Officers are elected each year to lead the Union, taking on

their roles full-time, either after graduating or taking a year out during their

degree. They champion the voice of students, lead on campaigns and

provide students with quality representation.

Any student can submit ideas at anytime through Change It! our online

democratic platform. This is a way of bringing issues to the Student

Officers, who decide whether to take immediate action or submit the idea to

an all-student vote.

We are more than a night out or a place to eat on campus. We represent

all UoR students, whether they study on campuses in Reading, Henley

or outside the UK, as well as distance learners taking UoR courses

worldwide.

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OUR MEMBERS

59% UNDERGRADUATES 41% POSTGRADUATES

62% HOME STUDENTS38% INTERNATIONAL

RUSU’s membership is made up of over 17,000 UoR students

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OUR AMBITIONTo deliver what students want in an accountable, inclusive and dynamic way through enhancing their university experience, with integrity at our core.

We achieve our ambition through...

Representation

The five Student Officers lead RUSU. They are supported by the Student

Trustees, Part-time Officers and Academic Reps who each represent their

respective areas.

Advice

Our free, confidential, non-judgemental, independent and non-discriminatory

Advice Service provides help to students with housing, money, welfare or

academic matters.

Activities

We support over 150 societies and sports clubs as well as student media

streams, volunteering groups and Junior Common Rooms (JCRs), all run

voluntarily by students.

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We want our students to

... have their voice heard

... feel represented by RUSU

... know that RUSU is there for them when they need us

... know that they can contact their Course Reps for support

... feel that RUSU is inclusive and celebrates diversity

... enjoy the social aspects of RUSU

... know that RUSU has their interest at the heart of everything we do

... feel like they are part of a community

... know that they have an open space to express themselves about a cause that they care about

Fact: The Secret Garden is located inbetween Bridges & Wessex Halls.

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“RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT WAS A GREAT THING TO DO. IT TAUGHT ME

A LOT ABOUT MY CHARACTER, HOW I WORK IN A GROUP AND HOW PEOPLE

SEE ME.”ASH SEEBORUN

Mathematics & Statistics

Ash ran for president in the RUSU Elections in 2015. Although he didn’t win, the experience was a valuable insight into his own strengths and weaknesses.

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OUR REACHParticipation, Representation and Advice are at the core of what RUSU does. We work hard to get students’ voices heard.

Representation

Main Elections

students voted in February during RUSU Elections 2015,

an all-time record and a 30% increase on 2014 Elections.

They were voting for a record 37 candidates for the five Student Officers

positions and for candidates running for Part-time Officer, Faculty Rep and

Student Trustee positions.

Course Reps

increase in votes from the previous year. 1,089 students

voted and 368 students were elected as Course Reps.

Faculty Reps

increase in votes for Faculty Reps from the previous year.

A record 2,123 students voted and elected 13 Faculty Reps.

3,640

81%

500%

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Advice

554 students were seen by our independent advice team. 614 new cases and enquiries were recorded.

£115,245 was saved or gained for students.

Activities

107 societies in total with 20 new ones created.

3,665 students joined societies, over 1,200 more than in

the previous year.

53 sports clubs with 3 new ones created. students participated in sports, an increase of 20% on

1,966

Fact: The Junction 11 Show, Hat’s & Pats was nominated for Best Entertainment Show at the Student Radio Awards.

the previous year.

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HIGHLIGHTSTake a look at some of the great things that happened at RUSU in 2014/2015

BAME Conference: Why is my curriculum white?

Academics from around the UK came to Reading to tackle the issue of the

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) attainment gap in Higher Education.

At Reading, 78% of UoR white graduates achieved a 1st or a 2:1 in comparison

to only 56% of BAME graduates, despite coming to university with the same

qualifications. This represents an attainment gap of 22% compared to the

national average of 17.7% in December 2014.

Panelists, students and UoR staff discussed whether courses are inclusive

enough for BAME students and the lack of cultural diversity in the curriculum.

There were also inspiring talks from BAME students about their own

experience and from panelists, discussing the pay gap between black and

white professors.

RUSU Excellence Awards

RUSU awarded 8 Excellence Awards to UoR staff. These awards were led

by Sara Chandran (Education Officer 2014/15) which aimed to recognise

members of staff who students believed had gone above and beyond

expectations, tirelessly working to improve the delivery of teaching and learning

experiences.

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RUSU Partnership in Teaching and Learning Showcase

100 students and UoR staff attended the RUSU Partnership in Teaching and

Learning Showcase. This was an opportunity for University staff that had been

recognised by students in the Excellence Awards to share best practice with

colleagues from across the institution. It was also a chance for students and

staff who have worked together to showcase the benefits of creating joint

initiatives to enhance and develop aspects of courses.

Award for ‘LGBT+ Event of the Year’

RUSU’s month long celebration of LGBT+ History in February won ‘LGBT+

Event of the Year’ at the national student LGBT+ Conference. The events were

organised and run by RUSU’s Part-Time Officer and the LGBT+ Society. We

were praised for the inclusiveness and range of events and were chosen ahead

of 200 other students’ unions from across the country to take home the award.

Café Mondial Extension

Responding to significant demand from students, particularly international

students, RUSU worked with the UoR to expand our building.

The extension was completed in time for our Summer Ball 2015 and is now

available for Clubs and Societies to use for their activities. This expansion

brings our overall venues capacity to 2,600 which makes it the largest

entertainment venue in Reading.

Fact: Our Men’s Hockey 1st Team were promoted to the Premiership

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“WINNING THE CHANGE IT! VOTE WAS THE DEFINING MOMENT OF

OUR CAMPAIGN. WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF RUSU, I EXPECT THE

CAMPAIGN WOULD HAVE DIED OUT BY NOW.”

CHRIS FOYE Real Estate & Planning PHD

Matthew and Chris, both PhD students, submitted their ongoing

campaign to RUSU’s campaigning platform Change It!.

Students voted for RUSU to work on this campaign as a priority for two

years, or until change is achieved.

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ACHIEVEMENTS RUSU campaigns are proof that when students work together they can achieve great things.

Fossil Free Campaign

The RUSU Community & Development Officer 2014/15 led a campaign to

lobby the UoR to stop investing students’ fees in coal, oil and gas companies

whose activities are accelerating climate change and creating irreparable

damage to the planet.

A report on Fossil Free Divestment was considered at the UoR Investments

Committee and the UoR has now committed to researching the impact of

divesting from fossil fuels.

Mature & Postgraduate Students’ Common Room

After being voted as a Change It! campaign, RUSU successfully lobbied the

UoR to provide a dedicated social space for Mature & Postgraduate Students.

This space is located in the Calthorpe Room (JCR) on the second floor of the

URS Building.

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Living Wage Campaign

Following a successful Change It! campaign and support from the Student

Officers led by Natalie Harper (President 2014/15), The Living Wage Campaign

report was submitted to University Council. The campaign has been featured in

The Guardian, with over 900 students and staff having signed the petition asking

the UoR to pay the living wage to its staff.

RUSU Says RELAX

Over 1,000 students participated in the RUSU says RELAX campaign. This

campaign was designed to help students alleviate the stresses of exam and

revision pressure. It included the ever popular petting zoo, reptile farm and the

distrubution of over 200 free healthy breakfast boxes to students during exam

and revision periods.

Hot drinks in the Library

As a result of a successful Change It! campaign the University Library staff

agreed to allow students to have hot drinks in the library. This was described

by grateful Masters student Robert Kempster as “ RUSU’s biggest achivement

ever!”.

Lost Generation: Register to Vote

As part of our committment to wider student democracy RUSU led a successful

National Union of Students (NUS) backed campaign to increase the number of

students registered to vote in the local and general elections. This campaign

was led by Charlie Holman (Student Engagment Officer 2014/15) which

resulted in a 60% increase in the number of students able to have a voice in

the future of national politics.

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Raising And Giving

RAG raised £6,244.20 for their chosen charities: The Rahab Project, a charity that supports the holistic care of women in prostitution and victims of trafficking and Children with Cancer UK. Fundraising included the first ever LOST at Reading with students making their way back from Brighton and a Jailbreak Event that saw students break out of the country and raise over £2,000.

Sports, Societies and JCRs also got involved to raise £4,162.67 for a variety of local, national and international charities.

In total students raised £10,406.87 which was £3,124.23 more than the previous year.

Volunteering

1,200 volunteers were involved with both one-off and long-term projects. Students volunteered over 4,530 hours, the equivalent of 27 weeks. These projects help students to meet new people, gain new skills to put on their CV, while helping others by getting involved with a cause that truly matters to them.

One-Off Volunteering

Weekly events such as the Make a Difference (MAD) Days have allowed students to take part in events including hosting a Hawaiian party for the elderly, running craft activities for children and maintaining the Secret Garden. RUSU also offered a number of micro-volunteering oppertunities including the Create & Make Sessions where students made Christmas Cards for a local care home.

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Long-Term Projects

RUSU supports a number of local and national charities. Here are some of the

projects and what they have achieved:

NHS Blood Drive

A new project allowing students the chance to support the running of blood

donation sessions in Reading.

KEEN

This is a charity that provides arts based activities to childern with special

needs. KEEN won Project of the Year at the RUSU Volunteering Awards

2014/15.

Tea Party Committee

The Tea Party Committee launched a new regular bingo session at Lakeside

Residents’ Home in addition to their hugely enjoyable tea parties for the elderly.

Student Eats

This enviromental project run by the Botanika Society gives students the

opportunity to grow their own fresh produce. The volunteers run taster

sessions, workshops and maintain the Secret Garden on Campus.

Talk for Ages

This project encourages students to spend an hour or so chatting with the

elderly at a local care home. Residents and volunteers alike find this time very

enjoyable and rewarding.

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“I’M THRILLED TO BITS, I’VE NEVER HAD SUCH A LOVELY AFTERNOON” PEARL Resident at Lakeside Residential Home

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International postgraduate students Neha Narendra Penta, Adya Surbhi and Zhansaya Abdikhairanova spent an afternoon volunteering at Lakeside Residential Home

as part of ‘Talk for Ages’, a RUSU volunteering project.

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INCOME A large proportion of our income comes from a block grant from the UoR, the rest we raise through our commercial services.

£1.6M £1.3M

£954K

£706K

£560K

£249K £32K

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Incoming Resources from Generated Funds

Grant Income £954,240

Money provided from the UoR.

Marketing, Sponsorship &

Franchised Space £249,270

This is money raised from Freshers’ Fayre and the sale of

NUS Extra Cards.

This also includes rental income from RUSU tenants such as

Blackwells and the Bagel Man.

Other Income £983

Interest Receivable £2,716

Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities Social Venues & Events £1,645,175 Income from Mojo’s Bar and Kitchen, Café Mondial, 3sixty nightclub and events including the Summer Ball

Student Shops £1,344,703 Income from Campus Central and the Online Shop

Student Activities £560,604 Income from membership fees, the sale of Sports Federation Insurance and club photographs.

Nursery £706,732 Income from fees paid to Little Learners’ Nursery

Student Lettings £32,607

TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES £5,497,030

Click here to view the full set of 2014/15 accounts

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£1.4M £1.3M £940K

£684K

£173K£61K

£172K

£180K£198K

EXPENDITURE As a charitable organisation our profits are re-invested into the student experience.

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Charitable Activities

Advice Services £172,371

Free, professional advice including finance, accommodation and

academic issues.

Nursery £684,097

Student Lettings

£61,914

Marketing, Sponsorship & Franchised Space

£180,276

Promoting facilities and events to students.

Governance £173,952 The money spent on Officer Trustees, Trustee Training and producing the audited accounts. Social Venues & Events £1,415,941

Student Shops £1,322,425 Democracy & Representation £198,468

Campaigns, Elections & Representation

Student Activities £940,115

Sports Clubs, Societies & Student Media.

TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDITURE £5,149,559

Cost of Generating Funds

Click here to view the full set of 2014/15 accounts

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Lisa counts joining Lacrosse as one of the best decisions she made at the UoR. She was warmly welcomed by the team

and now they are like a family on campus to her.

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‘I’D ADVISE ANY STUDENT TO JOIN A SPORT, EVEN IF IT’S SOMETHING YOU

HAVE NEVER TRIED BEFORE.’ LISA BERRY-WAITE

History & Politics

Lisa counts joining Lacrosse as one of the best decisions she made at the UoR. She was warmly welcomed by the team

and now they are like a family on campus to her.

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Your 2015/16 Student Officers…

President Oli Ratcliffe

T: 0118 378 4133 M: 0797 350 3401 E: president@ rusu.co.uk

Education Officer Niall Hamilton

T: 0118 378 4130 M: 0798 069 7089 E: educationofficer@ rusu.co.uk

Welfare Officer Nina Hager

T: 0118 378 4106 M: 0798 934 1897 E: welfareofficer@ rusu.co.uk

Engagement & Communication

Officer James Hart

T: 0118 378 4134 M: 0798 069 7088 E: engagement@ rusu.co.uk

Community & Development

Officer Ben Cooper

T: 0118 378 4136 M: 0781 217 7703 E: communityand development @rusu.co.uk

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www.rusu.co.uk/rusufreshers

/rusunews

0118 378 4100enquiries@rusu.co.uk

@RUSUtweets

Swiss 721 SWA

Submit ideas for change using Change It! at:rusu.co.uk/changeit

@RUSU_Engagement

@RUS U _ We l f a re

@RUSU_Education

@RUSU_President

@RUSU_Community

Follow yourStudent Officers

Find all Sports Clubs,Societies, VolunteeringOpportunities andStudent media at:rusu.co.uk/activities

Find out about Officerroles and elections at:rusu.co.uk/elections

See what’s on atRUSU at:www.rusu.co.uk/ents

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Reading University Students’ Union (RUSU) is a registered charity

in England and Wales (No. 1158523).