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Meet your Sabbatical Team for

2011/2012 SUSU is run by seven Sabbatical Officers, all of them students of the University that were democratically elected by students. Each one looks after different areas of SUSU, but who are they and what are their roles?

Sam Ling Union PresidentYour time here provides you with an amazing array of opportunities to take advantage of. My role as President is to work hard to ensure that SUSU is everything you need it to be, and that every student’s voice is listened to.

Sasha Watson Vice President Academic AffairsMy job is to represent your interests within the University, ensuring that they understand what students want from a degree. From tutor support and feedback, to lecture hours and careers advice, I want to make sure that the University provides you with the experience that you deserve and to make sure that the University hears your voice.

Joe McLoughlin Vice President CommunicationsIt’s my responsibility to ensure that there is effective communication between all of SUSU through a variety of platforms, such as www.susu.org, social networking and the media departments. I am also responsible for the democratic processes within SUSU and all elections.

Jonny Brooks-Bartlett Vice President Sports Development I’m in charge of meeting all of your sport and health needs whilst you’re at the University. I also look after the Athletic Union to encourage participation in sport at the University.

Shane Murphy Vice President Student EngagementThere’s lots of ways to engage with your SUSU, from a wide range of societies, to raising money for charity through RAG. I also look after the JCR teams in halls to make sure that you settle in to university life and get the most out of your time here.

Frankie Fry Vice President Welfare & Communities Your wellbeing is my top priority and I’m here to make your university experience as trouble free as possible. Whether you’re feeling a bit homesick or you’re having trouble with your flatmates, I’m here to support you. I’m also responsible for building a great relationship with the local community, showcasing your talents and encouraging a reciprocal respectful relationship between you and local residents.

Simon Protheroe Vice President Winchester & SitesIf you are a sites student then I’m here to help you get the most out of your university experience. I will be working hard to give you all of the opportunities that you deserve. I’m also here to represent you with any issues you may have with your courses or facilities.

Prepare for successHere is a useful resource that has lots of information and tips on studying in the UK and also explains some of the differences between academic studying in your home country and the UK:www.prepareforsuccess.org.uk

English for Academic Purposes

(EAP) 2011/2012Do you want to continue to improve your English during your time at the University of Southampton? If so, the University offers a program with a range of ways to access support free of charge if you are enrolled at the University. You can find out more about the EAP program here: www.soton.ac.uk/cls/english/support.html

International student representation at the University of SouthamptonAs a member of SUSU, you are involved in decisions that affect your time at university and can represent your fellow students on important issues. One way to get involved is to become a student representative. These are positions that students volunteer for, and their role is to make sure that the University is providing the quality, care and attention that you need during your studies. Do you have a problem with your course? By becoming a student representative, you will have the opportunity to talk directly with academic staff to try and resolve them.

Without student representatives, the University cannot make the positive changes it needs to make sure that your course is the best it possibly can be. If you would like to be involved and help make a difference there are different positions available - you could become a Course Rep, Academic President or Faculty Officer. Each of these positions has differing levels of responsibility, but the core role is to represent fellow students and to make sure that the University hears about any issues and resolves them.

You can volunteer for a student representative position at the start of the academic year, and more details about how to do so will be given during your Induction talks welcoming you to the University. If you are chosen as a volunteer you will be given full training, as well as support throughout the year. On top of that, you will also receive 15 Graduate Passport Points, which is the University’s Recognition Scheme.

To find out more about these roles, you can visit www.susu.org/education.

Your Elections 2011

Look out for Your Elections between Tuesday 6 September 2011 and Friday 14 October 2011, where you can have your say in how SUSU operates. There are three major opportunities available for you to get involved:

- You can become a Student Leader, helping run events and represent students; - Or you could be a SUSU Trustee, helping to make financial decisions for this £7million turnover organisation; - You can also become a Union Councillor, helping to set policy. Last year, student volunteers in this position sanctioned a referendum on joining the National Union of Students, debated whether to ban Nestlé products on our premises, and also agreed the plans to renovate Level 4 in The Union (Building 42).

One Student Leader position you can run for is International Officer. This role is another great way to get involved in university life and represent your fellow students by organising events for other international students, meeting lots of people, and developing your personal skills. Last year’s Officer organised an International World Cup event, trips around the country, and barbecues for international students – you can be really creative with what you decide to do, and you will be fully supported along the way. For more details you can visit www.susu.org/elections.

Language exchange volunteers wanted!

The Community Volunteering department at SUSU is currently running a language befriending scheme. This aims to link people who are interested in sharing their language skills with other students. If you would like to meet up with another student to help them develop their language skills - then why not sign up? We often receive queries for help with English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Arabic, Chinese and a variety of other languages too. You can volunteer at times that suit you and can help out via email contact or in person.

For more information and to sign up, visit www.susu.org/community-volunteering/opportunities-detail.html?opportunity=Language+Exchange+Volunteers or you can email volunteering@soton.ac.uk

Get Ready For Southampton

Get Ready for Southampton is an eLearning service that has been developed for international students. It’s a free online course about living and studying at the University of Southampton and can be found here www.getreadyfor.soton.ac.uk

If you’re an international student and have been offered a place at, or are in the process of applying to, the University of Southampton, then you can have access to this resource to help you find out what living and studying in Southampton will be like. Here are some of the things the course aims to do:

• help you learn about Southampton • help you find out about everyday life at the University • help you find out about the academic culture of a UK university and what to expect when you begin your studies To use this online resource, you should receive an email with a username and password from the International Office. If you haven’t received an email, or if you have any questions, then please contact the International Office: www.soton.ac.uk/international/contactus/index.html

Events in SeptemberMeet and Greet Service (Monday 19 September - Wednesday 21 September 2011): This is a free service for new international students who arrive in the UK at Heathrow airport. For more information please visit: www.soton.ac.uk/international/welcome/meet_and_greet.shtml

SUSU Orienteering Event (Wednesday 21 September 2011 from 15:00 – 17:00, Bar 3, SUSU) A chance to get to know other students through a discovery activity where you find your way around campus. Food and drink will also be provided.

International and EU Student Welcome Programme (Thursday 22 September – Sunday 25 September 2011): This welcome programme has been put together by the International Office, SUSU and Student Services. It has been designed to help you settle in to Southampton and university life, and to help you make friends. There are many exciting events and activities taking place, so please see the website for more information: www.soton.ac.uk/international/welcome/index.shtml

Academic Welcome Day (Friday 23 September 2011): The talks and activities on offer are designed to introduce you to studying at the University of Southampton. You can visit www.soton.ac.uk/international/welcome/academic_welcome_day.shtml for more details.

Your Freshers’ (Friday 23 – Friday 30 September 2011): An exciting week when all new students move in, make new friends, pick up some freebies, find out about and join student clubs and societies and learn about adjusting to university life. Find out more about all of the great events and more at: www.susu.org/fresh

September 2011