1 Hall Rep Training

2 Housekeeping In the event of a fire alarm sounding, please use your nearest exit and head to the lawn outside the front of the Northern Stage. Toilets are located at the end of the corridor, just past the double doors. To help promote the training we may take photos during the session. If you would prefer not to be in the photos, please let us know.

3 Objectives Know the key parts of your role and who you should work with. Understand the importance of being representative. Understand your role at Hall Exec meetings. Identify ways you can promote yourself to the students in your halls. Know the importance of feeding back.

4 Icebreaker Introduce yourself to your table with the following information: Name Halls of Residence Best thing about your Halls of Residence and one thing you would improve Not only is this activity designed to get people talking on their tables, it is also designed to demonstrate that students already have opinions about their experience at University and that as Course Reps it is their responsibility to reflect these opinions.

5 Hall Reps Hall Reps started in 2010/11Hall Reps in all University Managed Halls Partnership between Students’ Union and Accommodation Services at the University

6 The Students’ Union (NUSU)Run by students, for students Not for profit 6 full time sabbatical officers, elected by YOU Part time officers REPRESENTATION IS MAIN FOCUS Supported by permanent staff e.g. student advisers, finance team, marketing department

7 Paul Bandeen Head of ResidencesAll copy must be typed over existing copy in the appropriate template. Copy and pasting text will result in changing the style of the typography. The palette of designated colours can be found in the font toolbox under ‘More Font Colours’. If you need to insert a new slide while on a slide with similar content, then select ‘Duplicate Slide’. Images must be scaled to 25% in size after inserting picture ‘From File’. Then ‘Arrange’ > ‘Send To Back’. The images click to the guidelines for positioning. Use an existing slide as a guide, then remove the pervious images. All images must be cropped without distortion to maintain original proportions. Template Style Notes Image sizes are as follows: Full page image: 2894 pixels wide x 2173 high 1 side image: 679 pixels wide x 1813 high 2 side images: 679 pixels wide x 895 high (both images) 3 side images: 679 pixels wide x 590 high (1st & 2nd image), 679 pixels wide x 600 high (3rd image)

8 Key points Newcastle University has a tradition of providing good quality accommodation for our students We need to meet the changing demands and expectations of students and provide a positive experience Support the University in meeting and maintaining recruitment targets Student numbers have grown by 25% over the last 10 years 4 students apply for every existing University en-suite room Intro slide: Red heading level 1 heading Blue text level 2 heading Grey text, body text 8

9 Aspirations Student accommodation that is innovative and reflects modern student living All stakeholders, members of the local community and residents are fully included, engaged with and listened to Consistency of service and working with residents Redevelopments and refurbishments Social media and engagement Slide style with bullet points 9

10 Senior Management TeamSlide style with bullet points 10

11 Residence Management Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4 Christine CattersonResidence Manager Deana Boulton Dianne Wilson Alison Clemett Private Sector Manager Castle Leazes and Leazes Parade Richardson Road, Marris House and Leazes Terrace Windsor Terrace, Kensington & Park Terrace, Jesmond Road, Grand Hotel, St Mary’s College, Bowsden Court, Easton Hall, Henderson Old Hall NUstudent homes, Partnership schemes, Private Rented 1441 bed spaces 1508 bed spaces 1689 bed spaces Slide style with bullet points 11

12 What are Hall Reps? You are volunteers from your halls who wish to represent the students in your halls. You will be attending hall exec meetings (and maybe others), letting staff from Accommodation Services know the positive / negative aspects of your fellow students’ experience in halls. Keep the Union up-to-date on what is going on in your halls.

13 Hall Rep Benefits Meet new people.Develop skills & enhanced employability. NCL+ Award Accreditation Scheme. Free Hoody. The chance of further progression: Hall Rep (You) > Community Rep > Part-time Officer > President.> President. Quote from an existing course rep – illustrates the wide range of benefits to students.

14 Don’t take our word for it…"I thought that being a Hall Rep would be something difficult and serious, but it was actually just really fun way to let the Union know exactly what students want" "Being a hall rep is a fun way to spend time in halls and make the best of Freshers’" "Great way to get your opinion across and bring your halls together"

15 Your role and responsibilities

16 The role of a Hall Rep What are your most important tasks as a Hall Rep? Promotion! to the students that you represent that you are their Hall Rep Gathering feedback Attend the meetings Feeding back to those you represent. What skills do you need to be an effective Hall Rep? Written and verbal communication skills Teamwork – negotiation, diplomacy, problem solving Presentation skills Organisation – effective time management Who will your decisions affect? THE STUDENTS YOU REPRESENT! Staff in accommodation services Other reps Newcastle University Students’ Union and the University Future students in halls Give each group an Activity 1 sheet and give them 5 minutes to answer the questions. After the 5 minutes ask one group to read out their answer and see if other groups have any additional answers. Answers are as follows What are your most important tasks as a Course Rep? Promote to the students that you represent that you are their Course Rep Find out what your fellow students have an opinion on – circulate s, do lecture shout outs, put up a poster or make a Facebook group – and most importantly, talk to people! If your subject has a society, ask the President if they can help you out. Take on board the views you are informed of, and present them coherently and constructively at the next meeting… even if you don’t agree! Give feedback. Keep your fellow students informed about what’s being done for them, using the methods mentioned above. Also, get feedback about the decisions made at the meetings to keep the feedback loop going – your fellow students should know their views are taken seriously and being acted on. Most important task! 2. What skills do you need to be an effective Course Rep? Of course not many people are lucky enough to start out with all these skills, but hopefully during your time as a rep you will gain confidence and increase your employability with those all important ‘transferrable skills’! This isn’t an exhaustive list so feel free to add to it as you go along: Communication skills, both verbal and written Teamwork Presentation skills Note taking Negotiation Problem solving Diplomacy Time keeping Organisation 3. Who will your decisions affect?: STUDENTS! These are the people you represent, so make sure you get their input and let them know the outcomes of your meetings. Staff – the other ‘S’ in the SSC: While you are the voice of students it is important to be understanding of the views of the other committee members. Most of the time they want the best for the students but it is not always possible to give you everything you ask for, so be diplomatic and don’t be put off by one knock-back. Other reps – you’ll be glad of their support when an issue arises that you feel strongly about, so be willing to back them up if that’s what other students want. A united front is always stronger so try to have a chat before meetings so you’re not caught out by what each other has to say. Newcastle University Students’ Union and the University The entire student body – there may be issues you raise, e.g. library facilities, that will affect all students, not just those on your course. Future students – the changes you make now will benefit students for years to come!

17 Representing Different Opinions

18 Being Representative A key part of the Hall Rep role is being representative. Giving the opinions of the majority of students, rather than your own opinion. What do you think are the benefits of doing this are?

19 Know your limits... You are not a counsellorYou are not there to sort out individual issues Do not attempt to give legal or other specialist advice Consult us before promoting any external events, companies or products

20 Hall Exec Meetings Three meetings over the yearChaired by NUSU President Attended by staff from Accommodation Services SSC meetings are held at least four times year and are an opportunity for reps to present feedback from students to staff. If there are any issues that students wish to see addressed, SSC meetings are a forum where they can, hopefully, be resolved. As reps your job is to feedback and decisions reached in the meeting to your fellow students. The meetings themselves usually last between one and two hours and are always student led. The majority of attendees will be students and the meeting will be led by a Student Chair. The Chair is supported by a Secretary. While students get first refusal to be SSC Secretary, on the occasions that there is no student interest, a staff member will take on this role. Their main responsibility during the meeting is to take notes/minutes to keep a record of what has been discussed and agreed upon. Other attendees will include a staff facilitator, relevant academic staff and staff from Central Services, such as IT, the library, and/or the Students’ Union. It is vitally important that you intend! SSC meetings are your main platform for implementing positive change!

21 Before Speak to students and other Hall Reps in your halls.Contact us if you want to speak about something at the next Hall Exec meeting. Once the agenda is ed, get some feedback on what is going to be discussed. Firstly, you need to ensure that you’re well prepared for the meeting. The main thing you can do in this regard is to speak to the students you represent and other Course Reps in your school. With regards to speaking to your fellow students, you may want to organise lecture shout outs, send a group , or engage with people on social media asking them about any issues they would like you to raise. REMEMBER: KNOW YOUR LIMITS! Exercise judgement about whether the issues presented to you are best addressed at the SSC. Speaking to other Course Reps will allow you to co-ordinate on any key issues that have arisen across the school. After speaking to your fellow students and other Course Reps, you should contact the SSC Secretary regarding any items you want to put on the agenda. Once the agenda has been sent out, gather feedback (using the same communication methods as before) from students about it, so both they and you are aware of what is going to be discussed.

22 During Be positive in your discussions.Ask if you're unclear on something. Feedback on any achievements. Discuss solutions to any issues/problems. Try to keep your opinion representative. Be vocal! In addition to these points, it is important that you stick to the agenda. If you have any other items you wish to raise, bring these up during the ‘Any Other Business’ section of the meeting. Give out an example agenda

23 After Check the minutesFeedback any changes to other students in your halls Promote all of the Hall Rep achievements! You should check the minutes after the meeting to ensure that you have not been misrepresented. If there is anything you wish to change, let the SSC Secretary know. Ensure that you complete any tasks assigned to you during the meeting. It is vital that you let the students you represent know about any decisions reached in the meeting that will affect them. In particular, you should feedback to any students who have asked you to raise something at the SSC on their behalf. Find out what students think about the decisions made at the SSC and promote achievements. It is vital that students are aware of any positive changes that have been made!

24 How can you promote yourself?Make yourself known How can you promote yourself? Brainstorm

25 How you can promote yourself?Methods Hints & Tips Notice boards Posters Suggestion polls Suggestion Boxes Social Networking Sites Drop-ins / Informal catch-ups Hoodies Students’ Union Council Collaborate as a hall Make videos Use Facebook polls Send regular communication Keep your communication short and simple BE PRO-ACTIVE & CREATIVE!

26 What happens now! Promote yourself within your hall as your hall rep, letting your hall mates know what you can do for them. Attend the Hall Exec Meeting on 22nd November in the Lounge(1st floor of the SU). Free lunch and hoody! We’ll invite you to Hall Rep Facebook Group

27 NCL+ Award Accreditation SchemeWant your experience as a Hall Rep on your degree transcript? Then sign up for the accreditation scheme Jo Day to sign-up.

28 Thank you for coming! Jack Taylor e: t: Kay Hattam e: t: Paul Bandeen (Manager of accommodation services) e: Lesley James (Secretary for Halls Exec) e: