Societies Officer

Jerry's world as Societies and Services officer!

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:24:00 +0100

March and April have been a particularly busy period for the Union, from the FTO elections (including a by-election), to Varsity prep work, to the ongoing HR Review. It’s been trying, but I’ve been able to put together a list of all the positive things to come out of it; always end on a high note, I say!

Swansea University Clubs and Societies was nominated for the WhatUni Awards in the UK, and placed 4th out of 113! I’m immensely proud of the societies team, Charlotte West, Lawrence Archer, Carys Mula, and Olivia Kinsman.
Working with the union staff on improving the Health & Safety procedures in all Union venues. I’m looking forward to seeing these implemented soon, hopefully before my time is over; the boon to societies will be huge, as…
…we had a Societies forum meeting that, among other things, laid the groundwork for them being permitted to bring in their own food in future. This is an ongoing situation, and the specifics of the rules are far too complex to detail here, but if you’re interested in what this means for you and your society you can drop an email to societiesandservices@swansea-union.co.uk for more information.
In the following month’s meeting we discussed a variety of other issues, including:
- A minimum membership fee of £1 is required for all societies, but now this can be appealed for those with an ideological problem with charging money.
- A new quorum rule for all elections: at least 7 or 10% of all members, whichever is largest, must participate for it to be valid.
- Mulled over limiting number of committee positions a single student can hold, after a series of incidents over the last year.
- Debated whether to make online elections mandatory (or at least opt-out) in future. Our Societies Executive Committee, composed of 8 students, currently have to oversee nearly 130 elections!
Attended a fantastic meeting with university staff regarding student cultural diversity, understanding other cultures, and ways to help international students settle down more easily.
Met with Les Carmichael, the Union’s catering manager, to discuss the feedback received regarding the lack of variety of food on sale in Hendrefoelan village. Mr. Carmichael responded in record time, and already the situation is being fixed.
Started preparation for the SU Awards coming up in June. Nominations for the awards are now online, so please go nominate you favourite club, society or individual!
Met with the member of Union staff who is championing the Union Collective idea. The project has been a huge success so far, and has engaged and provided additional funding to many brilliant, entrepreneurially-minded students.
After the stepping down of the first place candidate, a by-election was held for the position of Societies & Services Office, which saw a record breaking 11 candidates running!
Attended the monthly Service Excellence Forum and got to speak directly to students about the customer service provided around campus. Spending so much time in an office makes it easy to become detached from the reality of the student experience, and it’s meetings like this that keep me grounded.
Assisted my colleagues with Union Feedback Week and the Union General Election campaign. Helping students get registered to vote (and also messing about in our photobooth!) was probably the most rewarding thing I’ve done in this job- democracy is the cornerstone of our society, and it’s down to young people like us to steer the future!
Arrivals plan for next academic year is already on the way and transportation for both campus during freshers fayre is already secured.

I have just two more months left to be part of this great Union and I'd like to use this opportunity to thank all the lovely students for being a major inspiration to me; it's really all of you who've achieved all the positive things above, and it's no exaggeration to say that without you there really wouldn't be a Union.

Q&A on my time in office

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 09:53:00 Z

Why did you want to be a full-time officer?
I wanted to become an FTO primarily because of the positive impact I felt could have on the student experience, but also because I wanted to be ale to influence change and encourage equal representation for students of different cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs.

Do you get paid for the work that you do?
Yes, and rather well! I work 35 hours a week, including a little out-of-hours overtime when student body events like the monthly Forums come up, which gives me some flexibility.

What support and training did you receive before and during the role?
Before the start of my contract I was given the opportunity to attend a senior management orientation meeting with the Pro-Vice Chancellors and Vice Chancellor, and on my first (terrifying) day we had an induction meeting with most of the the university staff in attendance, which was a good opportunity to network, put faces to names, and learn who I would be working with and relying on. After the initial flurry of meetings and assessments, July and August were filled with training sessions, both internal and external, which were really helpful.

In my experience, however, this job isn't one that you can sit down and memorise a handbook or train to master; how well you do is measured by the contacts and relationships you nurture.

What does your role involve?
One of my many responsibilities is providing financial and campaign support for all 122 societies, including fielding questions and assisting them with whatever forms they require. I am the chair of the Societies Executive Committee, a board consisting of 8 elected students and 3 staff members, whose responsibility is to approve (or reject) new society application forms and funding applications; and am also one of the Union trustees, a position that gives me the opportunity to make a positive impact in our service sector as well.

What is the best part about your role?
Definitely making a positive difference in the lives of students by helping them out, but close behind is the fact that I get to meet students from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. And on a more pragmatic level, this job is incidentally a brilliant way of making contacts inside and outside the university.

What are the most challenging aspects of your position?
Creating awareness of the union within the student population, hands down. As a sub-set of that gigantic end goal: engaging more students in the monthly student forum. We really do want to hear from you, guys!

This position also frequently opens you up to criticisism by students, but I've learnt not to take it personally; it's the role they're criticizing more than the person in particular. Still, a bit of a thick skin is required.

What skills have you developed as a result of this experience?
I must say I've developed a wide range of skills in the last 6 months, including communication, public speaking, debating, networking, working as part of a team, organisation, decision making, and a little bit of IT as well, but the focus is on the front half of that list: this really is a people-facing job.

What things do you wish you knew before taking up the role?
The one thing I wish I'd known about before taking this role would be finance, and how funding and budgeting work. As with every other skill involved in this job, I learnt as I went along.

How is this experience going to help you stand out in the labour market?
The labour market is in desperate need of people who can work as part of a team, and who have excellent communication skills to back it up; it's less what you know, more how you present yourself and interact with your prospective colleagues. This job also lays the groundwork for an upper management, board-of-directors-style position; it's not sitting in a big leather chair and firing people, but it certainly gives you the chance to see how things work from the inside.

Would you recommend this role to other students and why?
Absolutely! This role gives you the opportunity to make positive difference in the lives of students, and moreover it's a fantastic stepping stone to your future career, whatever it may be.

Officer Question Time!

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 18:50:00 Z

Unfortunately due to illness I was absent at the last student forum, however I have been given a list of the questions you asked and wanted to blog to publicly answer them so here goes!

1.Besides the President, a lot of the Full Time Officers fill their reports with things that they’ve attended rather than things that they’ve done, achieved or won for students. I appreciate that you go to lots of things and that's part of your job – but students aren’t paying you 16k to improve your CV’s. What do you guys do there? Can each Full Time Officer write a blog explaining what they achieved for students from attending each of the meetings / events that they’ve listed in their reports before the next Student Forum. Can the President and the General Secretary please cross-check what they’ve said against their reports and call out any factual inaccuracies before the next Student Forum.

In answer to this question I would ask you to look back at the reports I have submitted and note the things I have achieved for students. Additionally, attending meetings and conferences are a massively important part of our job and the representation we are here to do. We have an obligation to attend university meetings for YOU. There may well be several meetings which yield nothing immediately but come to fruition later and there are meetings in which we can speak up and make a huge impact. The president has an advantage here, not only from being a second year officer but also from having a wider remit than the rest of the officers and therefore sitting on meetings 'higher up' where final decisions are often made.

2.There are many people speaking about how un-united the Full time officer team is with the union system crumbling. Isn't it time the Full Time Officers stop acting like children and work together to do what's best with students?

The situation with the full time officer team has not been conducive to a pleasant working environment. This has lead to officers being unwell due to the stress of working in such an unpleasant environment. However I would like to reassure students that I am doing my upmost to provide the best support for societies and the Union's services even under these difficult circumstances.

3."The Eisteddfod Rhyng-gol is coming to Swansea Uni next year. What's the Union doing to secure its success?

Since I became aware that the eisteddfod was coming to Swansea I have been working closely with Lewys Aaron the welsh affairs officer and Llyr Roberts the y gym gym president to ensure that the eisteddfod is a success. We have had weekly meetings with the union manager, events department and marketing in order to plan the event. We have also been able to go forward to the vice chancellor of the university with a proposal for the event which resulted in an offer of help from the university. I myself am hugely looking forward to the event and the rewards it has to offer.

Will it's legacy lead to an improvement to Welsh language provision from the Union?

I have high hopes that it will, along with the enthusiasm and determination of the welsh affairs officer this year. We have also implemented the bilingualism of our societies posters and promotional materials. I am also looking forward to working on a proposal with Lewys to increase the translator provision within the union to accommodate the bilingualism needs of the whole union in time!

4.Has the societies and services officer done anything to raise more money from the University for societies?

Yes I have! I have been invited to present a paper to the university for increased funding directly for societies, going along side this I have been invited to talk about societies and student satisfaction at a seminar for academic staff along side the history society and the engineering society!

I have also looked into the union budget and have greed with the union financial and commercial manager that the grant account provision will be increase for the next academic year.

On top of all of this I have managed to secure funding from the University for Academic societies that agree to have an employability champion on their committee. Each society with a champion will be allocated £100 in a grant budget to spend on employability opportunities that can be accessed via the usual application. Each employability champion will receive specific training and support to help increase the employability of their society members!

5.The societies and services officer mentions starting up an ‘end of term shuttle bus’ in her report – who would be paying for this?

The idea of the end of term shuttle bus was on my manifesto, unfortunately it hasn't come to fruition yet due to myself being ill before Christmas.

However the original plan was to have the shuttle bus sponsored as much as possible by local funding pots and then to charge students a minimal amount to use the service, this will be a project I will be working on for the end of this term so all being well look out for the shuttle bus!

6.Despite the badly handled pole fitness fiasco, why has the societies and services not done anything to make the rules and how decisions are made about instating and registering societies public? When will the student consultation for these rules happen?

The true rules that exist on approval of societies exist within the constitution, however I will be leading a period of consultation with the current societies executive committee members to define the terms of reference for the committee for future years. Regarding the pole fitness society I was under the impression that the purpose of taking the full list of societies to trustees was purely for an item of reference and not an item for discussion or decision. As it was my first trustees meeting I was unprepared and unaware of the procedure, something which is unfortunately a hazard of the job.

7.How does the societies officer decide which societies she is going to promote? Do we have to be your friend before you’ll promote our society?

Most definitely not, assuming this question is in regards to my work Facebook profile I simply promote events which I'm either invited to or events that come up on my newsfeed, if you'd like me to promote an event drop me a message and I'll do as much as I can to help!

1. Besides the President, a lot of the Full Time Officers fill their reports with things that they’ve attended rather than things that they’ve done, achieved or won for students. I appreciate that you go to lots of things and that's part of your job – but students aren’t paying you 16k to improve your CV’s. What do you guys do there? Can each Full Time Officer write a blog explaining what they achieved for students from attending each of the meetings / events that they’ve listed in their reports before the next Student Forum. Can the President and the General Secretary please cross-check what they’ve said against their reports and call out any factual inaccuracies before the next Student Forum.

Er mwyn ateb y cwesiwn gofynaf I chi edrych yn ól ar yr adroddiadau dwi wedi creu yn barod, amlinellais yn rhein y pethau yr wyf I yn bersonol wedi cyflawni er lles y myfyrwyr. Yn ychwanegol I hyn dwi wedi mynychu cyfarfodydd a chynhadleddau sydd o bwysicrwydd enfawr fel rhan o’r swydd o eich cynrychioli CHI. Wrth gwrs, bydd yna, yn naturiol, ambell I gyfarfod ble na fydd canlyniad neu wellaint ar unwaith ond maent yn arwain tuag at wellianau yn y tymor hir. Mae gan y llywydd mantais, mae’n swyddog am yr ail flwyddyn yn olynol ac mae hefyd gan ról y llywydd cyfrifoldebau eangach na gweddill y swyddogion. O achos hyn mae’r llywydd yn mynychu cyfarfodydd sydd o ‘mwy o bwysicrwydd’ a ble mae llawer iawn o’r penderfyniadau terfynol yn cael eu penderfynu.

2. There are many people speaking about how un-united the Full time officer team is with the union system crumbling. Isn't it time the Full Time Officers stop acting like children and work together to do what's best with students?

Nid yw’r sefyllfa y flwyddyn hon wedi arwain at amgylchfa hapus a chyfyrddus. Mae’r sefyllfa wedi arwain tuag at salwch ymysg y swyddogion o achos straen gwaith. Serch hynny, hoffwn cadarnhau a sicrhau y ffaith fy mod i’n gweithio i’r eithaf er mwyn cynnal cefnogaeth o’r safon uchaf I gymdeithasau er gweathaf yr amodau anffodus.

3. "The Eisteddfod Rhyng-gol is coming to Swansea Uni next year

What's the Union doing to secure its success?

Ers i’r ffaith ein bod ni, eleni, fel Prifysgol yn cynnal yr Eisteddfod ryng-gol dod I’r amlwg dwi wedi bod yn gweithio’n agos gyda’r swyddog materion Cymreig Lewys Aron a llwydd y GymGym Llyr Roberts er mwyn sicrhau llwyddiant yr Eisteddfod. Rydym wedi cyfarfod yn wythnosol gyda rheolwr yr Undeb a’r adran marchnata er mwyn cynllunio’r digwyddiad. Rydym hefyd wedi cyflwyno cais I’r is-ganghellor, yn dilyn y cais fe cytunodd y Brifysgol I gynnig cefnogaeth. Yn bersonol dwi’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr iawn tuag at y digwyddiad.

Will it's legacy lead to an improvement to Welsh language provision from the Union?

Rwy’n gobeithiol iawn o ran yr effaith bydd y digwyddiad yn cael ar yr iaith a hefyd bwrdfrydwch y swyddog materion cymreig eleni. Rydym hefyd wedi cyflwyno polisiau dwy ieithrwydd ar gyfer posteri cymdeithasau. Rwyf hefyd yn edrych ymlaen at weithio ar gais er mwyn cynhyddu’r nifer o gyfieithwyr yn yr undeb er mwyn gweithio tuag at ddwy-ieithrwydd.

4.Has the societies and services officer done anything to raise more money from the University for societies?

Ydw, dwi wedi cael I wahodd I gyflwyno babur I’r Brifysgol yn gofyn am fwy o gyllid ar gyfer cymdeithasau, ynghyd á hyn dwi wedi cael I wahodd I siarad am foddhad myfyrwyr ac hefyd I siarad yn seminar ar gyfer staff academaidd.

Dwi hefyd yn ymchwilio i gylludeb presenol yr undeb ac dwi wedi cytuno gyda rheolwr arianol yr undeb i gynhyddu y nifer o grantiau ar gael ar gyfer blwyddyn nesaf. Bydd £100 yn cael i roi i bob cymdeithas sydd gan pencampwr i wario ar gyfleodd cyflogadwyedd. Bydd pob pencampwr yn cael I hyfforddi a chefnogaeth er mwyn hyfforddi eu haelodau.

5.The societies and services officer mentions starting up an ‘end of term shuttle bus’ in her report – who would be paying for this?

Roedd y syniad o gael bysiau ar gyfer diwedd y tymor yn fy maniffestio, ond, yn anffodus nad yw’r addewid wedi cael I gyflawnu….eto, o achos salwch personol. Serch hynny, y cynllun gwreiddiol oedd I gael bws a oedd yn cael i noddi gan fusnesau lleol er mwyn gallu sybsideiddio cost y bws I fyfyrwyr, byddaf yn gweithio tuag at gyflawnu’r addewid erbyn diwedd y tymor.

Mae’r reolau ar gyfer aelodaeth cymdeithasau yn cael eu amlinelli yn y cyfansoddiad. Serch hynny byddaf yn arwain cyfnod o ymgynori ar yr achos gyda’r rheolwr presenol o gymdeithasau a gwasanaethau er mwyn diffinio yn glir y termau sydd angen ymateb er mwyn bod yn gymdeithas swyddogol o’r Undeb. Ynglyn á’r fiasco fitrwydd pól, roeddwn o dan yr awgrym bod y syniad o gadarnahu/adnewyddu aelodaeth cymdetihasau gyda bwrdd yr ymddiriedolwyr yn ran o’r broses arferol. Cofwich, dyna oedd fy nghyfarfod ymddiriedolwyr cyntaf ac roeddwn heb baratoi. Serch hynny mae’n rhan o’r swydd.

7.How does the societies officer decide which societies she is going to promote? Do we have to be your friend before you’ll promote our society?

Yn bendant na, dwi’n cymryd e’n ganiataol bod y cwestiwn yma yn són am fy mhroffil Facebook personol. Dwi’n defnyddio fy mhroffil personol er mwyn hyrwyddo digwyddiadau dwi wedi cael I wahodd I neu ddigwyddiadau sydd yn arddangos ar fy ffrwd. Os ydych am hyrwyddo digwyddiad dewch i siarad a thrafod hyn gyda fi!

Three quizzical questions to ponder!

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 17:41:00 Z

On Monday I attended the first session of Employability Week which this year is being organised by the University Careers Department along side PwC and Abintegro. To find out more information or sign up to workshops click here: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/careers/

Below I have outlined some of the key themes of the session and some of the top tips that I'll be using in future!

Employability session 1 - becoming a stand out candidate by Abintegro

Key message-ask people in your area of interest for help, it may be hard to do but is invaluable and you can learn from other peoples experiences.

Three questions to ask yourself when planning your career...

1.Do you know what you want to do?

Do you want to..

Stay in the Local area?

Or move Far away

What sector do you want to work in and in

What size of business?

In 10 years what do you want to be doing and where do you want to be?

This is very much like character visualisation and can help you project yourself forward into your career and help you make decisions.

Tip from getting away from average joe- think about your career now, apply yourself for it and don't worry about changes in your career path, very few people end up being able to do what they set out to immediately, remember, everything in the mean time is EXPERIENCE which makes you more employable in the long run- there is value in everything, you just have to find it.

2.Do you have the tools to get what you want?

Eg. Soft skills, first impressions,

First mistake may candidates make is being too focused on selling themselves and come across instead as a bit of a shark, unfriendly and not good to work with.

Get into the habit of asking about the company or interviewers not just talking about you and your attributes.

The greatest way to make a positive first impression is to demonstrate immediately that the other person, not you, is the centre of action and conversation.Use linkedin to find out about the interviewers and company- do your homework and research. Prepared a sentence such as If I were to work here I'd be interested in doing this, or changing that, or researching that.

First impressions are also key. Ones to look out for are your body language, dress, smile, confidence, eye contact and taking a notebook and pen. Keep in mind that the interview actually starts as soon as you walk in the door, even in the elevator the first impression is key!

Behaviour is often more important than knowledge, prove that you have the skills rather than just talking about them!

Something to work on, making your verbal business card, include:

Skills

Experience

Behaviour

All with good examples, get your attributes into the interviewers memory- short and sweet!

The university have worked with Abintegro to provide soft skills tests for you to take online via the blackboard site, log onto your blackboard account, click on the my future tab, then the business e learning link for the skills tests.

3. What will you do when you get there?

In work impressions, first 30 days? Think of your goals, smart objectives, tasks.

Learning about the organisation before you get there is also vital. Getting the position is the start, your progression within a company is dependent on your performance so maybe ask to implement an idea or Ask for experience or training. Remember to use your job to get the most for yourself!!

To get employer top tips videos log onto blackboard, click on huge my future tab then click on employer videos

I found this session hugely beneficial and instead of saying 'I don't know' when someone asks me what I want to do, I now know that I'd like to work within a national organisation, possibly within a charity, that I'd like to move away from home and that I'd like to progress in 10 years into a different profession in a smaller organisation where I can have a wider impact! For less than 45 minutes I learnt a lot more than I thought I could!

Remember if you want more information on careers log on here www.swansea.ac.uk/careers/ or email me on societiesandservices@swansea-union.co.uk

Employability Week Is Upon Us!!!

Fri, 17 Jan 2014 16:00:00 Z

For those of you who aren’t taking part in one of the fantastic Week of Work (WOW) opportunities in the coming week there is an alternative programme of events taking place courtesy of the careers department. Employability week this year will take place between Monday 20^th January and Friday 24^th January in a range of venues across campus. The sessions include CV workshops, assessment centre sessions and a workshop on using social media to gain your dream job.

For My Employability Week I’ll be attending the following sessions, so why not join me and see what you can learn to make yourself more employable!

Date	Time	Location	Session
Monday 20^th January	11-11:45	Fulton Lecture Room 4	Become the standout candidate
Tuesday 21^st January	4-5pm	Fulton Lecture Room 4	What do you have to offer?
Wednesday 22^nd January	1-2pm	Fulton Lecture Room 5	Completing successful applications
“ “	2-3pm	Fulton Lecture Room 5	Using social media for job hunting
“ “	3-4pm	Fulton Lecture Room 5	Writing an effective CV and Cover Letter
Thursday 23^rd January	2-3pm	Fulton Seminar Room A	Succeeding in an Assessment Day

There are many other sessions taking place throughout the week, details of which can be found here along with how to sign up!

Datganiad o gystadlaethau Eisteddfod Ryng-golegol Abertawe 2014

Fri, 17 Jan 2014 10:44:00 Z

Datganiad o gystadlaethau Eisteddfod Ryng-golegol Abertawe 2014.

Rhestrir isod yr holl gystadlaethau

Noder: Nid dyma fydd trefn y digwyddiadau, cyhoeddir yr amserlen lawn yn agosach at Ddydd Gwyl Dewi.

Os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau cysylltwch â;

Swyddog Materion Cymreig Undeb Myfyrwyr Abertawe: Welshaffairs@swansea-union.co.uk

Neu'r Gymdeithas Gymraeg:ygymdeithasgymraeg@swansea-union.co.uk

Cyhoeddir y dyddiad cau ar gyfer y waith cartref yn fuan. Rhoddir o Leif 7 diwirnod o rybudd.

Statement of Swansea Inter-colegical Eisteddfod competitions 2014

Listed below are all competitions

Note: This is not the sequence of events and the full timetable will be released closer to Saint Davids day.

If you have any questions please contact: Welsh affairs officer, Swansea University Students union: Welshaffairs@swansea-union.co.uk

Or the Welsh Society:ygymdeithasgymraeg@swansea-union.co.uk

Gwaith Cartref

1. Barddoniaeth

1.1 Y Gadair - Cerdd gaeth neu rydd heb fod dros 100 llinell: .Pelydrau.

1.2 Englyn - Afon Tawe.

1.3 Englyn digri - Pêl-droed

1.4 Englyn coch - Wind Street.

1.4 Parodi – Cofio gan Waldo Williams

1.5 Cerdd ddychan ar y thema Dwyieithrwydd./.Dwyieithog.

1.6 Limrig - yn cynnwys y llinell ‘Pan es lawr i’r Mwmbwls un noson’

1.7 Telyneg neu Soned - Bae neu Penrhyn

2. Rhyddiaith

2.1 Y Goron - Darn o ryddiaith greadigol ar y testun: ‘Pellter’

2.2 Stori fer - 'Taith'

2.3 Blog . ‘Eisteddfod’ (o leiaf 5 postiad)

2.4 Llên meicro - Rhyfel.

2.5 Ymson . - Ar frys.

2.6 Brawddeg - BAE ABERTAWE

2.8 Portread - Ffrind gorau.

3. Dysgwyr

3.1 Stori fer - 'Dirgelwch'

3.2 Cerdd - 'Castell'

3.3 Dyddiadur neu ymson - Bwyta.

3.4 Cerdyn post - o rywle yn Ewrop.

4. Celf

4.1 Y Fedal - Darlun: .Goleuni.

4.2 Ffotograffiaeth - Technoleg.

5. Drama

5.1 Y Fedal - Drama lwyfan/teledu un act na chymer fwy na hanner awr

i.w pherfformio.

5.2 Sgets ysgafn (na chymer fwy na deng munud i’w pherfformio)

5.3 Sgriptio . Addasu darn o nofel/stori fer ar gyfer y sgrin. Rhaid

cynnwys y darn o lenyddiaeth gyda’r sgript, ac ni ddylai’r gwaith

gymryd mwy nag ugain munud i’w berfformio.

5.4 Sioe radio – Cyflwyno sioe radio iaith Gymraeg

6. Cerdd

6.1 Tlws y Cerddor . Cyfansoddiad ar gyfer unrhyw gyfuniad o leisiau

a/neu offerynnau.

7. Cyfieithu

7.1 Or Saesneg ir Gymraeg

7.2 Or Ffrangeg ir Gymraeg

7.3 Or Almaeneg ir Gymraeg

7.4 Or Sbaeneg ir Gymraeg

7.5 O un or ieithoedd Celtaidd ir Gymraeg

Testynau byw

Noder:Nid dyma trefn y digwyddiadau

Unigol

Unawd piano – Hunanddewisiad

Unawd offerynnol – Hunanddewisiad

Llefaru unigol – Hunanddewisiad (dim hirach na 5 munud)

Unawd alaw werin – Hunanddewisiad

Dawns stepio unigol (bechgyn neu ferched) – Hunanddewisiad

Unawd Cerdd Dant – Penblwydd Hapus - Arwel Jones (Telyn ar gael)

Unawd sioe gerdd – Hunanddewisiad

Unawd Merched – Hunanddewisiad

Unawd bechgyn – Hunanddewisiad

Deuawdau

Deuawd agored – Hunanddewisiad

Parti cerdd Dant – Lle bo iaith, bydd cymdeithas, Gruffudd Antur (Telyn ar gael)

Deuawd doniol – Hunanddewisiad

Comedi – Comedi ‘stand up’ unigol. (na chymer mwy na 15munud i’w berfformio)

Grwp

Ensemble Lleisiol – Hunanddewisiad

Grwp Dawnsio Gwerin – Hunanddewisiad

Ensemble offerynnol – Hunanddewisiad

Stepio i ddau neu fwy – Hunanddewisiad

Sgets – Hunanddewisiad, (dim hirach na 5 munud)

Grwp dawnsio creadigol / disgo – Hunanddewisiad

Grwp llefaru – Hunanddewisiad

Meimio – i unrhyw gan Gymraeg

Côr Sioe Gerdd – Agored

Bing-bong – Bydd pawb yn cymryd eu tro i gyfansoddi penillion ar y pryd.

Yr enillydd fydd yr un fydd yn gallu dal i fynd pan fo pawb arall wedi

methu meddwl am bennill arall. Un cynrychiolydd o bob prifysgol

Côr Merched –Pontiwn Ddyfroedd Geirwon – Paul Simon

(Cyfieithiad gan Iestyn Llwyd)

Côr bechgyn –Merch y syrcas – ‘Eric Johns’

Côr Cymysg- Hosana, Myfi yw – Penri Roberts a Linda Gittins

Potential £4000 funding increase for Academic Societies!

Fri, 10 Jan 2014 15:53:00 Z

Having just come from a meeting in the University I’m happy to announce that we have reached an agreement with the University for us to receive additional funding for Academic Societies.

The funding will be open to Academic Societies that add the committee post of ‘Employability Champion’ to their repertoire for the 2014/15 year. The University will be providing up to £100 for each society with the new committee position into an Academic Grant account. The new post will receive additional training from the careers department and have the responsibility of promoting employability events to their society’s members.

Each employability champion will then also be able to apply for the grant funding to go towards events and trips that will improve the employability of their members. For example the recent Academic Societies trip to London, organise by the Academic Societies Representative Charlotte West would have received funding from the grant budget!

This is a fantastic move forward in getting societies recognised as the huge asset they are to the Union and University. The champions will provide a huge benefit to the society members and incorporate employability into a social realm. As society members you’ll receive up to date information tailored to your subject area about opportunities that will help you get on the job ladder and pursue your dream career!

If you would like any more information, or would like to become the Employability Champion Committee Member for your society please get in touch on societiesandservices@swansea-union.co.uk

If you would like to set up an academic society and have access to the new funding please scroll to the bottom of the page and download our ‘New Societies Form’ here: http://www.swansea-union.co.uk/societies/

And then I shot my boss in the foot...

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:25:00 Z

Employability – that word that strikes fear into many and makes the best of us quake in our boots. However, help is here.

The title of this blog is a message I woke up to one morning from a friend. My first response was ‘literally?’ to which the reply, thankfully, was no. My friend was in fact referring to the notion that they had just informed their current employer that they were applying for another job, their dream job.

My friend then went on to tell me about the job and application process, including the qualities and experience required by the employers. I then had the privilege of becoming very proud, for my friend then listed his experiences, his qualities and his skills, all of which amounted to one thing, his level of EMPLOYABILITY.

So how employable are you? What can you do to take control of your future and gain your dream job? How can you improve your employability? Quite simply, you can attend one or more of the diverse range of employability sessions being run in Employability week. The week runs from Monday 20th January – Friday 24th January and includes workshops to help you write or improve your CV, the chance to have an interview with PricewaterhouseCoopers, help to manage your online presence and even information on the employability awards that you can gain while studying to give you that extra edge.

I’ll certainly be popping into a couple of sessions, I know my CV needs an update and the last interview I did was a week long ordeal that involved lots of chocolate, purple and leaflets, so I’m sure the interview skills session will help me impress in future.

To book onto a session go to swansea/prospects.ac.uk and log in with your student details, select events calendar and then book onto the workshop(s) of your choice. Employability week is the biggest helping hand you could wish for to increase your employability, job prospects and future career.

Don’t Miss Out.

A Level Results : Clearing, Confusion and Chaos

Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:02:00 +0100

Clearing – I did it. Three years ago I was in your exact position. I received results that I wasn’t expecting and immediately it began, the chaos and confusion of where to go, why to go and even what to study.

I was lucky, I was certain about the subject area that I wanted to study. So I narrowed down my search to science based subjects. The next worry, where to go and why to go there? I didn’t want to go to a huge city, I didn’t want to be swallowed up into a crowd, and I didn’t want to go too far from home. I had a few options, but after researching the different cities and courses, it was Swansea that stood out.

It wasn’t just that Swansea’s by the sea, or that it’s a campus University or that the course was perfect, it was that all of these things were in a friendly, safe and nurturing place. I looked on the University website, the local tourism website and the Union website and I was blown away with the amount of enrichment I could gain in my life on top of studying for my degree. With the Gower just a stones throw away, some of the best societies in Wales and with sports facilities to rival the best there wasn’t really a question of where I wanted to end up!

However, this isn’t just a pitch to get you to come to Swansea (although we’d really love to see you here). It is instead a friendly guide, to remind you not to panic, to think clearly, and to go where you think you’ll be happy. And of course, if all else fails, write some lists!

Coming to Swansea University is the best thing I’ve done with my life so far and it could be for you too.

Freshers’ Fayre 13

Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:01:00 +0100

With Freshers’ Fortnight fast approaching I’m busy organising Freshers’ Fayre stalls for the huge amount of fantastic societies we have here in Swansea!

This year Freshers’ Fayre will run on Tuesday 24^th September and Wednesday 25^th September in the large marquee on Fulton Lawn (don’t worry, you can’t miss it!). Each society will have a stall on which they will showcase all of their events, activities and socials, as well as answering your questions about joining in and taking part!

The Fayre will be arranged loosely around the different groups of societies that we have, these are Academic, Charitable, Faith and Cultural, Hobbies and Interests, Media, Performing Arts and Political and Campaigning. Our Fayre works on a barcode system so as you’re going round the Fayre collect a bar code from each society or club that you wish to join and stick them to the shopping list sheet you were given as you entered. Then when you’ve finished take your list to a pay point to pay for your membership! You’ll then be automatically be added to the society’s mailing list so you’ll receive all the information about your first meeting.

At the Fayre this year we also have several commercial stalls, ranging from O₂ who will be offering 30% off contracts for Students, to Dominos who give out free pizza! Don’t forget to take a look around these stalls to grab some ace bargains and maybe even some freebies!

Looking forward to seeing you in September! Any questions then don’t hesitate to contact me on societiesandservices@swansea-union.co.uk or tweet @ceinwinning or facebook Ceinwen Societies Cloney.

Your Executive Committee. Your Decision. Your Change.

Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:56:00 +0100

Your Executive Committee. Your Decision. Your Change.

This year society democracy is changing, changing because of, and for, you.

Previously societies have been governed by the Society Sub-Committee, a group of 7 elected representatives from each society category and me, as Societies and Services Officer. This year however it is changing! The societies’ sub-committee is being re-branded the Societies Executive Committee, and will consist of 8 members, one from each category, and an open place.

The responsibilities of the Societies’ Executive Committee cover issues such as approving new societies, allocating grant funding requests and dealing with society governance issues. The representatives from each society category can bring forward issues to each monthly meeting for consideration by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is a way of ensuring that societies run smoothly, consistently and with as much support as possible!

The Executive Committee is voted for by the members of each society in each category, and by all society members for the open place. Those wishing to stand for election must be a committee member for a society in the relevant category in order to apply and can be on any society committee for the open place. This year the vote will take place on Wednesday 28^th August between 8am-8pm online at http://www.swansea-union.co.uk/

If you’re interested, or you know of someone that may be interested in applying for the Society Executive Committee then please contact me on societiesandservices@swansea-union.co.uk or tweet @ceinwinning or facebook Ceinwen Societies Cloney.

Application deadline: Friday 23^rd August 5pm.