Officer Induction 2022

WELCOME TO THE
STUDENTS' UNION

YOUR SU

Our Purpose: We are a registered charity that exists to support
an excellent student experience at Leeds Beckett University.  We

do this through providing and supporting course reps,
volunteering opportunities, societies, events and entertainments;

campaigning with and on behalf of students; offering support,
employability skills, advice and information.

Our Vision: We will support, connect and
represent all Leeds Beckett students.

HOW WE OPERATE: OUR TEAMS

BOARD OF OFFICERS SENIOR
TRUSTEES MANAGEMENT

TEAM (SMT)

OPERATIONS ADVICE COMMERCIAL FINANCE
& HR SERVICE SERVICES &
EVENTS

MARKETING & STUDENT STUDENT
COMMS ACTIVITIES VOICE

HOW WE OPERATE

WHO'S WHO?

HOW WE OPERATE:

THE OFFICE

BRING YOUR PASS - you can't get in to any of the areas without it
The tall unit near the meeting room (kitchen entrance) is full of stationary if you
need it. You can also use a locker for the day though we ask that you don’t take
the keys home overnight.

If you need to book an office space for private use the back office is available, and
you can book through Monday.com or get in touch with Becca or Jennah and they
can sort it for you. If you need a space booking for anything you can do this
through Becca and the Welcome Desk team.

If you want to order anything from any supplier, check with Ops & HR as they will
need to raise a PO and have that approved before the order can be placed. A new
supplier form will also need to be completed in some cases. If you have any other
Finance related queries or questions, Mel is really approachable and happy to help
however she can.

HOW WE OPERATE:

THE KITCHEN

Upon entering the lights in the kitchen will come on by themselves, they are motion
activated DON’T USE THE SWITCH to turn on the lights as it will turn off the
common area lights instead!

Help yourself to tea and coffee – an selection of milk will be in the fridge, with a
date for you to check. If we’re out of milk let someone on the Welcome Desk know.
The large boiler on the wall dispenses hot water and will have a little over spill
when you stop using it – that’s normal. Use the dishwasher, we put it on at the end
of the work day so just check that it’s all dirty before you pop anything in.

If you’re bringing in Fish please tell Katie Smith Lawrence (advice team) as she has
an allergy and needs to avoid all fish. You can use the microwave to heat up food,
just remember to cover it and to take your empties home.

HOW WE OPERATE: BOAD OF TRUSTEES

The independent Board of Trustees oversees the running of the
Students’ Union. Our trustees, including 2 appointed Student
Trustees, are legally responsible for ensuring that everything we do
is in the best interests of our students, that we comply with charity
law and also sign off our Strategic Plan to make sure we’re heading

in the right direction.



The board meets five times a year and is responsible for directing the
affairs of the Students’ Union. To ensure we are solvent, well run and
deliver our objectives the board is made up of a mix of five full-time

officers, lay trustees and student trustees.

HOW WE OPERATE: STRATEGIC PLAN

2020-2023

Mission: Making Students’ Lives Better 



Vision: We will support, connect and represent all Leeds Beckett students. 





Over the next three years Leeds Beckett Students’ Union will work towards four
strategic themes. 
Theme 1: We will positively impact the finances of our students
Theme 2: We will contribute to the success and development of our students
Theme 3: We will help to create a sense of belonging for our student community
Theme 4: We will ensure that students feel supported 



All of this work is unpinned by the values of the Students’ Union:
to be welcoming, fun, sustainable, brave, inclusive and dynamic.

WHAT WE DO: OVERVIEW

The Students' Union exists to make students' lives better. We do this by
promoting the interests of our students on a course-by-course basis with our
Course Representatives all the way through to the national level through our
work with the National Union of Students (NUS). Our decision-making system is
divided into four forums (Education, Equality & Diversity, Welfare, and
Activities) that meet throughout the year to solve issues that matter to our
student community.

We also coordinate hundreds of societies and volunteering programmes to
connect students, provide valuable opportunities, and enrich their university
experiences. Should any Beckett students require some impartial advice during
their studies, we have an excellent Advice Team ready to help with regular
drop-in appointments across both campuses. Our social spaces, along with
regular events and gigs, provide chances for students to socialise and enjoy
themselves outside of their courses.

All of this and much, much more make up your Students' Union. The next slides
will dive into more detail on what we do.

WHAT WE DO: REPRESENTATION

OFFICER TEAM

The SU's Officer Team exists to make
students' lives better by addressing the
varied needs of our members. The officers
do this by listening to the ideas & wishes
of students and communicating them back
to the SU, the University and the city of
Leeds to ensure they are heard and
considered at the highest of levels. The
officer roles consist of: the SU President,
Academic Experience Officer, Activities &
Events officer and the Welfare &
Community Officer.

WHAT WE DO: REPRESENTATION

COMMUNITY LEADERS

Our Student Communities exist to allow all these groups to discuss issues and
propose ideas on how they can be tackled, shaping the campaigning agenda of
the Students’ Union.

Each Student Community elects a Leader (formerly known as Convenors), whose
role it is to lead and coordinate the work of the Community, helping to facilitate
discussion and to act as the key point of contact to work closely with the Students’
Union’s full-time Officers and staff. Current Community Leaders include Disabled,
International, Trans, Black, Asian & Minoritised Ethnicity, Student Parents & Carers,
Women, and LGB+ representatives.

WHAT WE DO: REPRESENTATION
COURSE REPS

Course Representation at Leeds Beckett is formed of a partnership
between the University, the Students' Union and students. Course Reps
play a vital part in finding out about the student experience at Leeds
Beckett University and how we can continually improve our services as a
broad learning community.

Each year, around 1000 students are elected by their peers to act as
Course Representatives, working on behalf of their fellow students to
gather feedback, resolve issues and share best practice. Course reps are
supported by the SU's Student Voice team.

WHAT WE DO: REPRESENTATION
MAKING CHANGE VIA ACTIVISM & CAMPAIGNS

The SU has a variety of student representatives that work alongside us
to speak on behalf of many different communities at Leeds Beckett.
They include several student community convenors who are elected
each year, and Academic Representation Assistants overseen by the
Student Voice team.

We also run a number of campaigns surrounding issues
that affect all students, such as the Give An X
campaign to promote voting amongst students, Free
Education, Anti-Racism, and Divest/Invest which calls
on the University to contribute through action to the
creation of a more just and sustainable world.

WHAT WE DO: REPRESENTATION

ELECTIONS

Leeds Beckett Students’ Union exists to represent each of the 25,000 students that
study here at Leeds Beckett. To do this effectively, we pride ourselves on having strong
student leadership in place to influence and direct the work we do to improve the lives
of students on campus, in the local community, and nationally.

Each year, the Students' Union hosts
an election in order for students to
choose a team of student officers to
lead the SU. The officer team works
full-time to support students, enact
change and address the many
different needs of the student body.
Any Leeds Beckett student can put
themselves forward to be elected.

WHAT WE DO: ADVICE

• We offer independent advice to students on a variety of • We guide students through
issues that they might have problems with whilst they are procedures and processes.
at university.
• We attend hearings and certain
• We are a confidential service. We will only breach meetings with students.
confidentiality if there was a legal requirement to do so, if a
student was putting themselves or others at risk or where • We work closely with other
there is a conflict of interest. services and departments to gather
information on a student’s case to
• We are a non-judgemental service. We will advise a get a full picture of their
student regardless of what the outcome of their case might circumstances and advise on
be. options available to them.

• We are a non-directive service. When a student comes to
us with a problem, we don’t tell them what to do. We advise
them in relation to their options, what steps to take and
potential outcomes of each option.

• We are a holistic service. If a student comes to us with an
issue and we know this has the potential to raise further
issues we will advise them on those as well.

WHAT WE DO: ADVICE

CONTINUED

The LBSU Advice Service advise on a wide variety of topics, including...





Academic Regulations Advice - Academic Integrity - Appeals - Changing
Courses - Complaints - Disciplinaries - Mitigation / Extenuating Circumstances
- Permanent Withdrawal - Progression - Suspending Studies - Housing Advice -

Contract Checks - Disputes with Landlords - Deposits - Disrepair - Money
Advice - Benefits - Council Tax - Debt - Student Finance England

FREE

CONFIDENTIAL

ADVICE

WHAT WE DO: ADVICE

CONTINUED

The team advises students remotely via phone, email and face to face at our
City Campus appointments.



We aim to respond to all queries within 48 hours during working days (Mon-Fri)



Students can contact the service by clicking on the Get Advice button on the
advice section of the website: https://www.leedsbeckettsu.co.uk/advice/


We can't contact students at the request of a third party, so if you have a
student who you feel would benefit from our advice, please urge them to
contact us directly via the above method.

WHAT WE DO: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

HAVE YOUR SAY

Our decision-making system is divided into four forums - Education,
Equality & Diversity, Welfare, and Activities - that meet throughout the year
to discuss and decide upon the things that matter to students.
Here's how it works:



1. Tell us!  Our online 'Have Your Say' tool is always open for students to

give their opinion or make suggestions, no matter how big or small.
2. Promote the idea. If the idea is responded to by at least 50 students, it

will be sent for discussion at the relevant forum.
3. See the change.  Come along to the Forum to discuss the idea and

encourage peers to support it.

WHAT WE DO: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

BECKETT AWARD

The Beckett Award is an accreditation scheme
created to recognise students for their extracurricular
activities and boost their employability.

Beckett Award's three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold,
are assigned to students based on their engagement
and level of activity. Students track their activity
hours and reflect on developing skills, resulting in
students being more prepared for graduate
competiton and efficient in selling their skills to
employers.

WHAT WE DO: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

STUDENT STAFF

Each year, we hire dozens of students to assist with our day-to-day
operations. We hire students as Helpdesk Assistants, who work with the
Admin team to provide front of house services to students looking to get
involved with the SU, book events in our spaces or speak with the Advice
team. We also hire students to help put on our many events and gigs, work at

the Hive bars, and speak with prospective students at Open Days.

WHAT WE DO: EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRESHERS

Each September, the SU hosts a large-scale Freshers Fair at each campus to
welcome new students and re-welcome returning ones.



These fairs, which are also repeated each January and known as Re-Freshers,
include dozens of stalls showcasing Leeds Beckett's societies, events,
volunteering opportunities and local businesses.

WHAT WE DO: EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

LIVE MUSIC

The Stage at City Campus is run by the Students’ Union and has hosted some of the
most seminal artists of the century. Since 1970, we have hosted Nirvana, Blur, The
Buzzcocks, Foo Fighters, The Sex Pistols, Radiohead and many more in our 1020
capacity venue. These acts have helped lay the foundations for what is now one of
Leeds’ best loved music venues. In recent years, we have hosted a number of amazing
acts including Foals, Interpol and Lower Than Atlantis. In 2019, we held a student-run
festival, Beckett Fest, which highlighted local artists and student groups.

WHAT WE DO: EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Our social spaces, The Hive City & The Hive Headingley, exist to
provide spaces for students to eat, drink, relax and socialise. They

offer vegan options, Starbucks coffee and plenty of space for
students to get together.



The Headingley space is located at the far end of Student Central
(near Beckett Kitchen) and the City space is located in the
Woodhouse Building, just off Portland Way.

WHAT WE DO: STUDENT ACTIVITIES

VOLUNTEERING 

Many Leeds Beckett students choose to spend some of their time volunteering
while at university. Dozens of organisations from the local area have partnered
with the SU to involve students and promote positive change throughout Leeds as
well as providing excellent opportunities and employability skills for students. We

partner with organisations that provide support for animals, conservation,
homelessness, health, children/young people and more.

University and SU staff can get involved with volunteering, too!

WHAT WE DO: STUDENT ACTIVITIES

SOCIETIES

We offer many different ways in which students can engage with the SU, the
university, the wider Leeds community and each other. One of these ways is by
participating in one (or more!) of our 70+ societies.

Societies are student-led activity groups which focus on anything from academic
courses or general interests such as music or film to faith, culture, liberation and
political groups. These societies hold lots of events each year for their members,
providing excellent opportunities for making new friends, exploring interests and
enriching students' overall university experience. Societies are supported by our
Student Activities Team here at the SU.

WHAT WE DO: STUDENT ACTIVITIES

ECO SOUP & SHOP ZERO

The SU operates Ecosoup, a student-led
social enterprise responding to the problem
of food waste, making use of surplus food to
create healthy vegan meals on a pay-as-
you-feel basis.

Shop Zero provides in-house volunteering
opportunities based on campus for student
to get involved in. Providing volunteering
opportunities, affordable food and access to
refill stations for dried food items, all from
the comfort of our own campus.