RepresentingEvery StudentThe Membership Engagement Report

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Contents

Introduction

Key achievements

Report Findings

PART 1: Key performance indicators

1.1 Engagement targets report

1.2 Postgraduate, international and mature student statistics

1.3 Elections and referenda

PART 2: What students think

2.1 National Student Survey results

2.2 International Student Barometer results

2.3 Quality Assurance Agency report

2.4 Analysis

PART 3: PGA case study

3.1 Progress to date

3.2 Future development

PART 4: Future plans and conclusion

4.1 Future plans

4.2 Conclusion

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Introduction

The whole landscape of higher education in the UK is changing. The student cohort is diversifying year on year, bringing with it more complexity in the differing needs, aspirations and demands from students of their university experience.

This report pulls together lots of different information about what students think of us, our progress towards achieving our engagement objectives, as well as information about what we have been doing and what we plan to do in the future. It should be seen as a snapshot of the work we do and will do in the next two years. In some areas we are doing extremely well, in others we need to improve, but we have tried to be open and honest about where our strengths and weaknesses lie, so that we can respectively build on and address them.

Last year we were granted considerable extra funding from the University, to focus on how we engage with our membership. We have used these funds, as well as reallocating other Union resources, and in particular staff, in order to prioritise the key areas that this report outlines, focusing specifically on postgraduate, international and mature students, and how they engage with and utilise Union facilities and activities. We started by conducting research to find out where we are, what we are good at and what we need to improve, and from there we have started work to bring about a step change that will greatly improve the way we engage with our membership.

The University’s new strategic plan working toward 2018 sets out an ambitious strategy of growth and change with the development of the distinct experience the University offers to students, staff, alumni and the community at its heart. It is our hope that through our increased focus on membership engagement we will be able to drive positive change alongside the University’s plans. We are particularly keen to work in partnership with the University on relevant aspects of their strategy - for example on cultural awareness initiatives such as One World Week and other cross-cultural exchange activities.

If students’ unions are to be serious about the representation of their membership then we need to reassess the way we carry out all of our activities. From representation, to provision of advice services, to sports clubs and societies: the focus needs to shift to considering how we get those students who are traditionally underrepresented more engaged in what we do. We have to get out there, bringing the conversations about what constitutes the student experience to the students themselves.

The student body is changing, and our Students’ Union is changing too - this is what membership engagement, and this report, is all about.

Carl Salton-CoxOperations Officer

Kelly McBridePresident

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The staff perspective:

This year has been incredibly exciting for the Union – a year of significant development in what we offer and how we relate to our membership. We have recognised that in order for the Union to be more fully representative we have to better engage with the whole Sussex student body, in particular those who are postgraduate, international and mature students.

To this end we have refocused our resources and changed our staffing structure to develop a strong membership engagement strategy, which is shaped by a deeply held set of principles.

We believe that students’ unions should truly be run by students for students.

This means that all of our members should have real power to shape their Union – and their University experience – in the way they want, and that our Union should be relevant enough to our members’ lives as students that they will want to use this power.

The impact we wish to have on our members is that they:

● Know that the Union listens to their concerns and acts on them; ● Understand how they can influence what the Union does; ● Know that the Union is an effective force for positive social change, both within the University and externally; ● Know that the Union is a facilitator of stimulating, challenging debate, where they will be exposed to a multiplicity

of views and ideas and where such diversity is respected and celebrated; ● Know that they are members of the Union and be proud of this.

This report sets out what we have done - and what we plan to do - to make this a reality.

Steve EagleDirector of Membership Engagement

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Key achievements 2012/13

Been recognised by NUS as

sector leaders in supporting student

parents

Held sell out Eid, Holi, Diwali and

Chinese New Year cultural events

663 postraduates voted in this

year’s Spring term elections (16% of

the vote)

Achieved a record turnout of 3,866 (nearly 30% of

Sussex students) in our Spring term

elections

43% of students in total voted in

this year’s elections and

referenda

We registered 3,112 sports clubs and

societies members

Established a Postgraduate Association

with an elected Postgraduate

Association Chair and Committee

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It was great to see so many students involved in the Holi celebration this year from so many different backgrounds.

Jo Stovell - Events Intern & recent Sussex graduate

Photographer: Stuart Robinson

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Established a Postgraduate Association with an elected Postgraduate Association Chair and Committee;

Our accomplishments 2012/13

Created a Social Policy & Campaigns Manager post to improve staff support for our campaigning activity so that it is evidence-led and addresses the real

issues that affect students;

Continued to develop our cultural events calenda with high tunout for our Eid, Holi, Diwali and Chinese New Year celebrations;

Improved our officer elections process by better informing students of what being an officer is really like, providing more support to candidates through our Candidates’ Conference and better publicizing our elections

through the use of student Elections Ambassadors;

43% of students in total voted in this year’s elections and referenda.Achieved a record turnout of 3,866 (nearly 30% of Sussex students), in our

full and part-time officer elections in February 2013, one of the highest turnouts in students’ union elections in the country;

Changed how students set Union policy through our Students Decide portal and recent Decision Time week of debates, Union scrutiny events

and online referenda, achieving another record turnout with 2097 students voting in these referenda;

Brought the East Slope Families Room back into use for student parents and their children and organized successful social events.

Conducted an accessibility audit of the Union and introduced an equality impact assessment process for major Union strategies and events to

improve their inclusivity;

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Started work on better demographic monitoring of student involvement in everything we do, including our trading company;

Conducted extensive research, particularly amongst international and postgraduate students, as part of our input into the recent Quality

Assurance Agency’s review of the University and developed innovative ways of encouraging students to have input into the writing of our report

for the reviewers;

Started on a comprehensive review of our committee and decision making structures to make them more accessible to students and run more effectively;

Established a Buddy Scheme (primarily for new international students) and started work on a cross-cultural exchange strategy to facilitate better

integration between international and home students;

Introduced new and improved tools for Student Reps (such as an online survey tool Reps can use) so they can seek better feed-in from their cohort;

Received national recognition from NUS and Shelter for our Rate Your Landlord survey and worked to establish a Letting Agents Awards Scheme;

Began an ‘out there officer’ scheme, where officers spend set allocations of their time interacting and consulting with Sussex students;

Created a Community Engagement strategy, and begun setting up a community rep scheme, to help foster an increased sense of belonging to

our local community amongst students;

Made better links with Brighton & Hove Council, with students now represented on the Alcohol Control Board, housing and transport planning

partnerships;

Compiled a comprehensive report and launched a campaign about student mental health and well being, signing the ‘Time to Change’ pledge

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Engagement targets reportOver the past year we have been working to increase the level of representation and participation of minority and underrepresented student groups within all of our activities. Last year we set ourselves some ambitious targets to make sure that engaging with all students was at the heart of everything we do and we think we’ve made a great start! You can see how we’ve done so far in the table below:

Initiative Progress2013 Target

Increase events and services for postgraduate, international and mature students.

Develop a well-established cultural events calendar running 4 events with a 75% attendance.

Ran 5 cultural events (Eid, Holi, Superbowl, Chinese New Year and Diwali), all with at least an 85% attendance.

Develop an entertainment programme for postgraduate and mature students.

Programme developed with several events run so far this year such as cocktail nights, quizzes, tea parties, etc.

Provide support, training and resources for existing and new sport clubs, societies and volunteering activity to attract postgraduate, international and mature students.

3,000 registered members in sport clubs and societies.

3,112 registered members.

At least 10% of new memberships coming from postgraduate, international and mature students.

Current levels are: Mature 13%;PG 9.5%

Dedicated staff support to provide a stand-alone Postgraduate Association (PGA), providing activities and services for postgraduate students.

Develop and instigate a PGA with staff support.

Consultation completed. Staff support and resources in place. PGA created, PGA Chair post elected and Committee formed.

Produce targeted election publicity and provide dedicated support for candidates from under-represented groups.

Females over represented by 8%Males under represented by 8%Undergraduates over by 8%Postgraduates under by 8%White students over by 8%All other ethnicities combined under by 8%Under 21 under by 15%21 - 24 yrs over by 18%

The demographic of the overall student body is reflected in the candidates for elections.

Increase the amount of postgraduate students voting in Union elections

34% of students voting in Students’ Union elections and Referenda (27% in 2012)

446 voted in last year’s Full-time Officer elections (12.5% of the vote), 663 voted in 2012/13 Spring term elections (16% of the vote)

43% of students voted in an election or referenda; 30% (3866, highest ever turnout) voted in this year’s full and part-time officer elections; 2100 (16% of all students) voted in this year’s referenda; 13 times more Chinese students voted in the 2012/13 Spring term elections compared to 2011/12; students of 108 nationalities voted in the 2012/13 Spring term elections compared to 93 nationalities in 2011/12

Increase market research undertaken with under-represented groups to better understand the issues affecting them

At least one of the Union’s campaigns to be addressing an issue that directly affects these groups

Specific surveys and focus groups carried out for postgraduates, international students and student parents. Six campaigns run on issues that directly affects these groups.

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Postgraduate, international and mature student statistics

We have started collecting more extensive data about the students that participate in our activities. We use this information to identify areas where we can further improve participation rates and understand how are students are involved with the activities we offer.

This is the information we have gathered so far this year with last year’s figures (where available) in brackets (note therefore that figures are likely to increase).

The figures show the percentage of students from that demographic group who participated e.g. almost 2% of all PGT students are members of our sports clubs.

PGT PGR International

1.93% (3.15%)

6.40% (4.86%)

- (1.14%)

- (1.97%)

3.24% (6.88%)

(15.33%)

- (2.54%)

1.85% (5.46%)

4.31% (9.51%)

- (1.58%)

- (0.26%)

2.11% (4.75%)

(8.45%)

- (1.58%)

- (3.43%)

- (5.87%)

-

- (0.98%)

1.06% (3.54%)

(17.92%)

- (1.50%)

Sports members

Society members

Society committee members

Community volunteers

Advice Centre clients

Full-time election voters

Market research respondents

[Some data for this year is currently unavailable]

Note also that the demographic data used for analysis is from 2010/11 and the student body has changed since then - e.g. 2% of the number of PGT students registered in 2010/11 are sports club members.

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Other engagement activity

Our work to engage students, particularly postgraduates, international students and mature students has involved every aspect of the Students’ Union.This table illustrates how our activities have directly or indirectly targeted these particular student groups;

= indirectly targeted = directly targeted

P MIInitiative/Activity

2012 Freshers branding used ‘hello’ in a variety of languages

Postgraduate Association set up for postgraduate students

All students encouraged to stand and vote in Union elections

Buddy scheme matching student volunteers with incoming students

Campaigns we run

Family room managed by the Students’ Union to provide play space for student families

QAA Student Written Submission reflected the diversity of the student body

Cultural events, e.g. Holi, Diwali and Chinese New Year

Freshers week events for students living off campus

Union volunteers involve a range of students and mean they are visible to students and visitors in Falmer House

Range of products in the Falmer House shop and Falmer Bar, e.g. bubble tea

Participation in Sussex signpost induction event

Pre-MA talks run for students

Range of events organised in our bars

Bus ticket instructions in different languages in Falmer Shop

Events for postgraduates, e.g. Freshers Week coffee morning

Some societies are aimed at particular student groups

Improved our student recruitment in part to remove potential barriers forinternational students

Signposting international students to Careers service for application advice

Events for student parents, e.g. family tea party

Social policy work on issues affecting associate tutors, student parents, student housing and international student recruitment

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Specific pages of Advice website for some student groups

Freshers web-pages for specific groups created

‘Students with Kids’ advice booklets

Computer repair service

Non-alcohol focused events

Events run in conjunction with the Research Hive

Common room development (non-alcoholic)

Newsletter allowing for segmentation (for targeted emails)

Campus Halls Cup sports competition between different areas of accommodation

Freshers Welcome Team wore badges showing which languages they speak

Cheap trial sports sessions (Sportivate)

New sports clubs (i.e. swimming and table tennis)

Increased the range and choice of products sold in our bars to specifically target these groups

Robust demographic data-gathering now established

Internal equality impact assessment system put in place

Doctoral school links, e.g. promoting officer positions and running joint events

Associate Tutors research and report with recommendations

Surveying and running focus groups with international postgraduate students oninduction and study skills support

Working with the University to ensure all recruitment agents follow best practice

Supporting student parents, e.g. running social events aimed at student parents and their offspring in partnership with Residential Services, launching a student parent society

Working to improve student housing, e.g. issuing our Rate Your Landlord report, proposing that the University acts as guarantor for students who do not have a UK-based guarantor, establishing a letting agents awards scheme (to be launchedthis year) and securing a place on Brighton & Hove Council’s Housing Strategy Group

P MIInitiative/Activity

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Elections and referenda

This year 43% of students voted in Students’ Union elections and referenda, beating our 2013 target of 34% and putting the Students’ Union firmly on track to achieve the ambitious target of getting over 50% of our members voting in a Students’ Union election and/or referendum at some stage in the year by 2014. This puts us in the top five unions nationally for democratic engagement.

This increased turnout has been the result of a number of well thought out marketing and engagement plans we have been implementing over the past couple of years to reach out and make our democracy as open, accessible and relevant to all Sussex students as possible, backed up by increased resources.

During this time we have reviewed the way we promote our elections as part of a bigger project to implement the key principle of our communications strategy - ‘We tell students what they need to know and not what we want to tell them’.

We understand that the elections marketing period actually lasts from the moment new students log onto our Freshers page to the day they graduate, and by showing them the impact voting has had - not only at a campus level but also on a local and national level - we can improve our voter maintenance whilst also encouraging new voters to start using their right to vote. We also focused on making sure all Students’ Union staff and volunteers are aware of the importance of and help promote our elections. As part of this - and because we know the importance of peer to peer engagement - we recruited a team of student elections ambassadors for our Spring term elections and referenda to go out around campus encouraging students to vote. They also deliberately targeted under-represented groups - for example by going to Jubilee lecture theatre at appropriate times to encourage BMEc and international students to vote.

We know that better democratic engagement with our students is an on-going process. Moving forward we aim to further increase voter turnout by making sure all student groups feel that voting is worthwhile, beneficial and capable of making a real difference to their lives at Sussex.

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We tell students what they need to know and not what we want to tell them.

Tori Cherry-Downes - Marketing & Events Manager

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What students think

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National Student Survey results:

International and mature students were more satisfied with the Students’ Union than the sector-wide averages according to the 2012 National Student Survey:

International Student Barometer results:

The International Student Barometer (ISB) regularly shows that satisfaction amongst international students with the Students’ Union and our clubs and societies is very high. The autumn 2012 results show that satisfaction with the Students’ Union is 93% and our clubs and societies is 93.9%, both above the average rating for support services at Sussex. The Students’ Union satisfaction rate exceeds the international, national and 1994 group averages. However we have previously been ranked as the top Students’ Union in the 1994 Group in the ISB results but are now in fourth place.

In addition usage of the Union and our clubs and societies is often comparatively low amongst ISB respondents compared to similar institutions. Usage of the Students’ Union in the autumn 2012 results was 51% compared to 65% at 1994 Group institutions that take part in the ISB.

We feel that increasing capacity for participation in our activities and better communication with students will help us increase the number of actively engaged students who can benefit from what we offer.

Demographic Sector-widesatisfaction (% agree)Sussex satisfaction (%)

EU (excl UK) 70 65

Other (excl UK) 78 70

Mature 68 59

93%of international students

are satisfied with the Students’

Union

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Quality Assurance Agency report:

This year the Students’ Union engagement team compiled the Student Written Submission for the University’s QAA institutional review. This drew upon existing research as well as specific research carried out to inform the report. This included a survey for postgraduates and focus groups with postgraduates and international students.

The QAA key findings letter (April 2013) includes recommendations for areas the University should develop including support for research postgraduates, reporting on improvements, and reviewing, improving and, where appropriate, widening the range of mechanisms for all students to make an effective contribution to quality assurance and quality enhancement.

We have worked with the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Academic Registrar on a joint action plan to address issues identified in our Student Written Submission and can assist the University to implement the QAA’s recommendations by:

Student Reps

Continuing to develop and improve the Student Rep Scheme, as it is a central pillar of student involvement in quality assurance and enhancement.

Communication

Improving communication with all sections of the student body to enable us to gather feed-in on relevant issues and assist with the dissemination of information.

Postgraduate Association

Using our Postgraduate Association to build strong links with postgraduate students and help develop a postgraduate community at Sussex. We will also be well-placed to carry out research into how best the University can support these students.

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Analysis

These figures suggest that the Students’ Union and the opportunities we provide are valued by students who are aware of and make use of us. Improving participation and satisfaction depends on enabling more students to get involved with the things the Students’ Union does. Whilst we have been developing our communications and marketing as well as increasing capacity for students to get involved we are keen to do further work in this area through increased investment. It is only through consistent dedication of time and resources that we will be able to continue to improve on these areas.

We believe we are also well placed to help the University improve its ranking and reputation in key areas, such as providing opportunities for international students to meet domestic students and promote mutually enriching cross-cultural exchange. We also believe - and research has shown - that our activities will help improve retention rates.

This year we’ve engaged with our membership like never before. By changing the way we communicate with postgraduate and international students, we’ve seen levels of participation rocket.

Kit Bradshaw - Communications Officer

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PGA case study

The process we went through in creating the Postgraduate Association (PGA) is a great example of involving students from the outset of a project and thus ensuring that they feel ownership of the end result.

We established a PGA Development Group which primarily consisted of postgraduate taught and research students who had expressed an interest in being involved in the creation of a PGA at an event we held at the start of the Autumn term. The Development Group met fortnightly over the Autumn term with the aim of creating a proposal setting out how the PGA would work to go to Union Council before the end of the term. Each meeting focused on a different aspect of the PGA - for example defining the PGA’s aims; what the Committee structure should be; how to select the Chair.

We also sought input from the whole Sussex postgraduate body, sending out a survey which had 230 respondents, asking for their views on what a PGA should do and asking in particular whether the role of PGA Chair should be a full-time or part-time elected position, and if part-time whether the postholder should receive payment for their duties. The responses strongly suggested that the role of Chair should be a part-time, paid position (in order to make it as attractive as possible to postgraduates) and this is what we proposed to Union Council and which Council accepted on a trial basis.

We also kept postgraduate students informed of the PGA’s development through targeted communications working closely with the Doctoral School.

We sought nominations for the PGA Chair alongside our Union Executive elections in the Spring term and four candidates stood for election. The successful candidate was Akin Oyawale, an International Security postgraduate taught student from Nigeria, and he took office very shortly after being elected. His term of office will run until the end of September 2013, when he ceases to be a Sussex student, and we will elect a new Chair for the whole of the 2013/14 academic year in our October elections (this will be the usual electoral cycle for this position).

Akin Oyawale - Postgraduate Association Chair

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Here’s what Akin says about his time as PGA Chair so far:

‘Being the Chair of the Postgraduate Association has been a wonderful experience so far. Having to work with well qualified and experienced members of staff has made a real positive difference in my first couple of months in office as Chair. Constituting the first ever PGA committee has been quite arduous but has so far been carried out with sublime panache by the team!

Within these few months, we have succeeded in building a strong team and we hope to have an eventful summer with social events such as a family get together for postgraduate students and mature students with families, a dissertation submission party involving a barbecue and beach party, tea and coffee mornings and cocktail nights. We also hope to have an event for our members with disabilities in future. These and more are geared towards making life at Sussex a wonderful experience for postgraduate students.

We will also be represented at the upcoming NUS postgraduate conference. This presents our PGA with an opportunity to keep abreast with PGA developments across the country and also play an active role in postgraduate student affairs nationally.

Over the next few months we hope to lay a solid foundation that future PGA committees can really build on.’

The Committee has now started meeting regularly and is setting the PGA’s priorities. Creating dedicated postgraduate social space is one of the Association’s most important goals.

Create a postgraduate common room. Increase staff support to the PGA

Ensure the PGA coordinates a regular programme of social and community-building events for its members,

including an annual PGA Conference.

Work with the University to raise the profile of postgraduate students at Sussex, and attract more

postgraduate students to study here.

P G A

Support the PGA to campaign effectively on postgraduate issues.

Secure formal representation for the PGA on relevant University and Union committees.

Over the next two years we plan to:

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Future plans

Over the next two years we will:

Initiative

Support the development of the Postgraduate Association

Further develop Decision Time into a conference style event and transform Students Decide into a comprehensive online feed-in, social policy evidence collection and consultation hub

Overhaul our elected officer induction and increase staff support for officers

Expand our Out There Officers initiative, with scheduled department visits, and a focus on more one to one interaction with postgraduate, international and mature students

Achieve a step change in participation in elections and referenda

Develop our cross-cultural exchange strategy and work with the University to provide a range of cross-cultural exchange activities under the banner of One World Week

Implement our Community Engagement strategy and prioritise the creation of a Community Reps Scheme

Target

Develop a dedicated social space for postgraduates - end of 2013/14

Host an annual Postgraduate Association Conference - One per year.

Run a program of regular social events - At least 4 per year

PGA represented on relevant Union and University committees - 2013/14

First event held in 2013/14

Develop an accessible online platform for students to interact with the Union and its officers - 2013/14

Online Hub active and tested by end of 2014/15

New programme for July 2013

Review 2013/14

Every department visited in 2013/14

Termly feed in events aimed specifically at postgraduate, international and mature students - trial in 2013/14

50% of students voted in Students’ Union elections/referenda by 2015

Demonstrable improvement in more accurately reflecting the demographics of the student body in all democratic activity - end of 2014/15

Strategy developed - September 2013

Action plans and implementation - 2013/14

One World Week event trial and review - 2013/14

Pilot scheme starts - 2013/14

Ensure regular attendance at priority Local Action Team meetings - 2013/14

At least 12 trained reps in the local community - end of 2014/15

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Initiative

Analyse our demographic monitoring data and use this information to improve the inclusivity of what we do across all of our activities

Target

Create action plans for all areas based on areas of weakness - September 2013

Review of progress - end of 2013/14

Demonstrable improvement in reflecting the demographics of the student body in useage of all Union facilities/activities (inc. trading) - 2014/15

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Conclusion

Through extensive research 2012/2013 saw us identify the areas we need to focus on and work has begun on addressing them, as outlined in this report. Our work over the next two years will be more significant than a slight shifting of priorities, but represents a step change, which we hope will transform the way we carry out all of our activities to the benefit of our ever diversifying membership.

We want to enhance the experience of all our members and it is only through co-ordinated effort - working with the University, challenging when necessary, supporting wherever possible - that we can achieve this.

We believe students should not be passive consumers but instead active participants providing services, experiences and complementary education for themselves. It is only by understanding and engaging with all who make up our diverse student body that we can hope to make this a reality.

For us membership engagement is of vital importance if we are to achieve our mission ‘to enable students at Sussex to make a positive difference to their University experience’. And it is only through adequately resourcing these areas that our mission will ever become a reality.

It is our ambition that by 2015 we can truly say that we represent all students at Sussex and that we actively work with students - and with the University as partners - to overcome perceived barriers to participation at all levels of a student’s engagement within the University and the Students’ Union.

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Continuing to establish and develop the Postgraduate Association - which helps create a postgraduate

community and give postgraduate students a greater voice in the Union and University, allowing them to influence and

improve their own experience at Sussex.

The creation and implementation of a cross-cultural exchange strategy, developing a One World Week in partnership with the University, as well as providing

regular events and activities to promote the benefits of internationalisation.

The active pursuit of our community engagement strategy focusing on demonstrating the benefits that

students from around the world, and all backgrounds, give to the local and wider community.

A significant drive to ensure that underrepresented students can not only access, but actively influence, the

way we run all of our activities, services and campaigning work. This also includes working to ensure that

postgraduate, international and mature students are fully engaged with our democratic processes and represented

within our democratic and governance structures.

We believe that we must dedicate time, resources, and specifically funding, into four key priority areas:

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Notes

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Notes

www.sussexstudent.com/membershipengagementreport