Get involved with the Student Enhancement Learning Fund (SELF) and develop a project that would look fantastic on any CV!

This year the Union and University have been working on projects such as Internationalising the Curriculum, Students at Risk of withdrawing from University, Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching, and updating the University’s Learning and Teaching Quality Enhancement Strategy.

If you would like to improve the experience here and have an idea, then why not check it against the criteria and submit it to Bob Matthew, robertgs.matthew@stir.ac.uk 

This year the Union has won a bid for £1,000 to use National Student Survey results as projects for the School Officers. You could do something too! More information and the submission criteria can be found HERE. The deadline for applications is 31st May 2013.

Help make Freshers 2013 the greatest week of the year!!

What is the F Team?

Freshers Week 2013 is set to be the biggest Freshers Week ever staged! Plans are already well underway and we want you to be a part of it. An essential element of the week is the ability for new students to really understand what it’s like to study, live and party at the University of Stirling! That’s where the F Team comes in. We are looking for a determined, bubbly and welcoming group of current students to make up the F Team and help us and new students to make Freshers 2013 a week long event never to be forgotten.
What’s involved?
Freshers Week is the most exciting week of the University year...but it can be hard work. We have a number of different slots available when we need help:

*helping to sell Freshers event tickets
*welcoming students to Halls
*promoting NUS Extra
*provide information to new students to help welcome them to the Uni
*help setup and decorate stalls in the Atrium
*help promote the Union, its services and its facilities
*promotion of Union clubs and Sports clubs
*packing and handing out Freshers 2013 Welcome Bags
*helping out in the Union on event nights

There are a whole host of roles to undertake. Roles may involve getting to the Union nice and early in the morning or working late into the night! We will be holding a training session for all those selected on Thursday 5th September 2013 starting at 11am and running until approx 2pm. It is vital that you are able to attend this session in order to be considered for the F Team. F Team members will be required from Saturday 7th September 2013 right through until Monday 16th September – obviously you won’t be asked to help out every single day during this time!

Promote, promote, promote!

We need people who are out-going, approachable and above all, ready to get stuck in and sell the Union to the Freshers and promoting the Union’s Freshers activities – we need people who can use their Uni and online social networks to get people interested in Union events. Whilst the focus is about helping Freshers feel part of the Union and prompting it to them, it’s also about getting people into events throughout the week.

What’s in it for me?

We can’t and don’t expect people to commit to the level of help we want without a little something in return! First and foremost, this is a great way to meet not only Freshers, but your fellow F Team members. We also make sure that when people are on for long shifts, we provide refreshments and food. In addition every F Team member gets their own:

*F Pass and Freshers Challenge 2013 T-Shirt
*NUS Extra card 

We will also be looking to recruit for the Union's Marketing Team from the F Team so it's a great chance to impress!! How do I apply? We aren’t expecting a dissertation, but we do need to know some important information about you – including why you think we should select you! Being a part of the F Team is always a popular role so you’ve got to sell yourself! You simply need to complete the application form (which you can access by clicking HERE) and send it along with a photo of yourself to Lauren Kirk at lauren.kirk1@stir.ac.uk  

The deadline for applications is the end of June 2013. Click on the image below to visit the Official 2013 Freshers' Week Facebook page. Get involved!

Needing to top up your bank account for freshers week? Look no further. The University is looking for two hard working students to join their team of University Porters. The contract is for June, July and August and you must be available for the whole three months. There will also be some weekend overtime available. Duties include; room set ups, furniture moves, waste collections and general portering duties. The rate of pay is £7.59/hour and you must have a driving license.

Contact Brian McIlroy, BM23@stir.ac.uk to find out more and apply. 
  

Celebrate with the International Society, get dressed up as your country and watch the Eurovision Song Contest live in Studio with themed cocktails! Starts 8pm on Saturday 18th May. Join the facebook event here.

Final Fling is over and we're all terribly sad to see it go, but you can relive the whole experience by checking out the photos on Facebook at the union page here.  

Each year the Union hosts its Annual General Meeting to review our progress, which offers students the opportunity to hold elected officers to account and to hear from the next president about the plans for the next year.

This meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday the 8th of May in 2W1 from 5:30pm. The meeting agenda can be found here, and further details can be found on Facebook here. 

Studio and Underground have new opening hours for the Final Fling this weekend. Studio is open 12 noon until 9pm Saturday and 12 noon until midnight on Sunday. Football is showing both nights with QPR v Arsenal at 5.30pm on Saturday and Man UTD v Chelsea at 4pm on Sunday. Underground will be open both days 12 noon until 5pm. 

More information on Final Fling over on the Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/finalfling2013 

The project examines the industrial history of the river Devon and explores the associated environmental and cultural legacies of its use and abuse during Scotland’s industrialisation and will culminate in a public exhibition.
If you are currently a semester 4 student and would like the opportunity to:

●enhance your employability by promoting community engagement with the local environment and its industrial heritage and also liaison with outside agencies including local schools

●experience hands on archival research and environmental investigation and play a unique role in its dissemination

●explore ways in which a lasting and tangible link between community, heritage and education can be achieved and replicated

Please email Dr. Catherine Mills c.j.mills@stir.ac.uk for further information.  Also see http://www.stir.ac.uk/cehp/projects/industrial-devon/

The volunteer placements are open to all academic disciplines, but will be of particular interest to history, education and environmental students. You will need to be available over the summer months (around 5 full days) and the autumn semester 2013 (around 8 full days). This is an unpaid internship but travel expenses are covered.

Safe Taxi Scheme

The new University of Stirling Safe Taxi Scheme became operational from 9.00pm on Monday, 29 April 2013.

The scheme has been designed to support students in emergency circumstances, by helping them get home safely if they run out of money.

A student who needs to make use of the scheme would provide his or her student card and signature as a deposit. The taxi company would collect the fare from the University on behalf of the student and the student would settle the full fare with the University within an agreed time-frame.

In the exceptional event of losing their card, students would still be able to participate in the scheme by providing alternative ID or, if no ID is available, their unique student number.

The safe taxi scheme has been devised in consultation with the Students’ Union, Police Scotland, Stirling Council and Stirling Taxi Association.  Further information is available at www.stir.ac.uk/safetaxi

Folllowing the debate a vote was held to ascertain how those in attendance would vote in the referendum. Of those who attended, 53% voted No, 44% voted Yes and 3% abstained.  Surprised?  Head to www.facebook.com/stirlingstudentsunion to discuss more!

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Come along to this unique event on campus hosted by University Chancellor & BBC Broadcaster Dr James Naughtie.  With panellists from both the Better Together and Yes Scotland campaigns, it promises to be an event not to be missed.

Guests are invited to Studio following the event.

The Union's Eilidh Sinclair accepts the Award for Union of the Year (small trading)

University of Stirling Students’ Union wins NUS Green Impact Award for commitment to improving environmental practice

The University of Stirling Students’ Union is this week not only celebrating a Green Impact Gold Award but also the Green Impact Students’ Unions Union of the Year (small trading) Award. These were presented to the Union at the annual National Union of Students (NUS) Services Convention last Thursday evening. The awards demonstrate the University of Stirling Students’ Union dedication to sustainability.

Green Impact Students’ Unions is a behavioural change programme delivered by NUS, helping students’ unions to improve environmental practice. Providing each Students’ Union with a bespoke workbook of criteria for staff to work through, the programme helps to improve practice in areas such as energy, procurement, biodiversity and waste.

Over a hundred participating Unions competed against one another in an effort to be recognised as the greenest during the annual awards ceremony – making the accolade of Gold a true distinction.

Dannie Grufferty, NUS Vice President of society and citizenship said:
"It's so important to congratulate Students' Unions for their dedication to improving environmental practice - and it's wonderful to see the standards being raised each year, thanks to the innovation and commitment displayed by countless staff and students"

Eilidh Sinclair, Environmental Projects Coordinator from the University of Stirling Students’ Union says:
“It is a tremendous honour to receive not only a Gold award but also the Union of the Year (Small Trading) Award through the national Green Impact Awards scheme. As a Union we worked hard to better our score from last year, which has been greatly compensated by receiving the two Green Impact Awards. We will strive to continuously improve our environmental work year on year. ”

For more information on the Union's sustainability work, please visit: www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/environment

If you are interested you can find a more detailed breakdown of the results here: 

The Union offices will be closed on both Friday 29th March and Monday 1st April 2013.

Tickets for the event which include reception drink, 3 course meal and entertainment are priced at £67 and will go on sale from Tuesday 16th April 2013.

Enjoy the craic this St Patrick's Day in Your Union!

There's also a chance to try out Pole/Aerial Fitness between 12noon and 3pm and the chance all week to enjoy a special Rednog and Cupcake deal from Underground.

Your Students' Union and the University are hosting our first ever Student Assembly on the 28th of Feb 4pm in Logie Lecture Theatre. This is your chance to meet John Gardner Deputy Principal (Education & Students) and find out what the future of learning, teaching and the student experience will look like over the next few years. 

John will take questions from students and be presenting some proposals about changes to the Universities teaching and assessment arrangements.  

Check out the video below (made by the clever people at AirTV) and click on the image below and follow the link to VOTE for Stirling Students' Union.