A very warm welcome to the October/ November newsletter from Teesside University Students’ Union (TUSU). We hope everyone is settling/ settling back into university life and enjoying the start of Semester One. We also hope you had a great Freshers and enjoyed any of the day or evening events we ran that you attended.
This month we are looking ahead to our very important Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 16th November, great day and evening events, campaigns around student safety and much more. As always, we want to remind you that your TUSU is here for both the good and bad times. We can offer advice and help through SU Student Support (SUSS) with any issues you are encountering. We also have multi-award-winning social and study spaces for you to use day and night.
We also know that, unfortunately, some students continue to struggle to find suitable accommodation for themselves and, in some cases, family members too. We continue to work with the University and do all we can on this difficult issue, but we want to hear from you about your recent experiences with student accommodation in Middlesbrough and the nearby area. Please take a moment to complete our short, simple survey now. Our student advisers have also prepared some useful information on the short-term steps you can take if you are looking for accommodation; see their advice further down this newsletter in the item titled “Our advice for students seeking accommodation”.
Have a great month, and, as always, make sure TUSU is right at the heart of your student life.
Eby, Femi and Nigil – TUSU Student Officers 2022/23
The TUSU Annual General Meeting (AGM) takes place on Tue, 15th November, at 5 pm in The Hub (2nd floor, SU Building). It is an opportunity for ALL current students to hear from the Student Officers about their plans for the year ahead and put YOUR questions.
We are so keen for students to attend that we are offering FREE FOOD vouchers (exact details to be confirmed soon) to as many of those who attend as we possibly can. To be in with the best chance of getting a voucher, please book your place at the meeting in advance through the AGM link below. PLEASE NOTE: YOU CAN STILL ATTEND THE MEETING IF YOU DO NOT BOOK IN ADVANCE, PROVIDED YOU ARE A CURRENT TEESSIDE UNI STUDENT, BUT IT JUST MEANS YOU WILL BE PRIORITISED FOR THE VOUCHER IF YOU BOOK.
There is also £50for the society that gets the highest proportion of their members to attend and £50 for the society who get the highest total number of members to attend; this will be added to the group’s budgets soon after the meeting.
Find out more, read the agenda and check out the minutes/ video highlights of last year through tees-su.org.uk/agm.
We are a students' union that is committed to "real world" campaigns that address the key issues facing Teesside University students and truly make a difference. This includes focusing on housing, safety, physical and mental health, and course/ campus-related issues, to name a few.
At present, our Officers are particularly focussing on safety and housing. We hope as many students as possible will be able to join us for Safety Day here on the first floor of the building on 26th October. It’s a chance to get advice and info from TUSU, Teesside Uni and a range of external agencies, such as Cleveland Police and Fire, on staying safe at home and when out and about. You will also be able to share any safety concerns you have and get free safety-related items such as alarms and key rings.
We also know that, unfortunately, some students continue to struggle to find suitable accommodation for themselves and, in some cases, family members too. We continue to work with the University and do all we can on this difficult issue, but we want to hear from you about your recent experiences with student accommodation in Middlesbrough and the nearby area. Please take a moment to complete our short, simple survey now. You can also expect to see more advice and support from TUSU on what you can do about housing in the short and longer term very soon, so keep an eye on our website and social media.
Meanwhile we also want your feedback about whether your Wednesday afternoons are being kept free so you can pursue club and society related activities or if you are finding that you still have to go to lectures and seminars during that time. Our Wednesday Watch campaign aims to ensure that, wherever possible, ALL students have the time free to take part in activities and get more from your student life. Complete this short, simple survey here now.
As this semester progresses and in to Semester 2, we will launch further campaigns focussing on improving student understanding and awareness of academic misconduct and discovering more about why students do or do not get involved in societies, so please keep an eye on tees-su.org.uk/officers and our social media in the coming weeks and months for more on campaigns.
We have removed any signup costs this year as we push to remove barriers and give all students the opportunity to get involved with our brilliant societies.
Why should you join a Society?
Find out more about all of our societies and contact the activities team through tees-su.org.uk/activities.
After a fantastic Freshers, Semester 1 continues apace with plenty of day and evening action for ALL students to enjoy no matter your age, background or whether you drink alcohol or not.
In the daytime, we will have campaigns such as Safety Day and a special Health Related Societies Info Day. We are also delighted to welcome back the ever-popular Vintage Vera clothing sale to the second floor on 8th November.
In the evening, we continue to host our massive Monday Night Quiz with different fun-packed themes each week. You can sing your heart out at Karaoke on a Wednesday evening or just enjoy, erm, exceptional performances from others. We are also thrilled and a little spooked to present the legendary Nightmare on Southfield Road Halloween Party on Mon, 31st October, in The Terrace. It’s the biggest and most fun-packed Halloween bash around town, even if we do say ourselves with unbeatable drinks offers, top tunes and jaw-dropping fancy dress costumes with a £100 prize for the one we judge best.
That’s just a taste of everything coming up! Remember that our venues are open six nights a week until late (Mon to Sat, closed from 6 pm on Sun) for safe, inclusive socialising and that, as well as our unbeatable drinks offers, we also provide a wide range of non-alcoholic options. Non-students are welcome at most events, so why not bring along family and friends? Just remind them to bring ID! We will be adding plenty more besides the above, so keep an eye on tees-su.org.uk/events and make sure you follow us on facebook.com/teessidesu and instagram.com/teessidesu for the latest updates.
Hello and welcome to our new and returning students. We are your School Representatives for the 22/23 academic year. We are a team of 19 current students employed by the Students’ Union to represent each school across the university. Ultimately, we want to enhance your experience at Teesside.
We work with senior staff within our schools to help enhance the teaching and learning, facilities, and overall student experience. We also signpost students to relevant services across the university. So far in just the first few weeks of this semester, we have already helped students with technical issues, re-enrolment enquiries, timetable changes and access issues. We have also signposted students to a range of services from IT to disability services.
If you are interested in representation, there may be a chance for you to become a Course Representative. Course Reps deal with course-related concerns to improve the experience for their cohort and future students. All you need to do is speak to your Course Leader who will hold and class election. If you are selected for the role, they will then fill out a Course Rep nomination form and you will be contacted by the SU with an invite to training. We would love to work with you so enquire with your Course Leader today!
We want to hear your feedback, including success stories, positive comments and issues or concerns. You can contact us via email, Facebook, or Instagram, by attending one of our drop-in sessions or catching us on campus, we wear black hoodies.
We look forward to working with you this academic year and hope to hear from you soon but in the meantime find out more through tees-su.org.uk/schoolreps.
* TUSU reserves the right to change all opening hours/ service availability based on levels of trade.
Accommodation is increasingly difficult to find in central Middlesbrough. You may need to widen your search area and live outside of the town. This will mean travelling into campus daily, so you must also factor in the travel costs for each site on top of your rent and living costs.
Some of the main property search websites are: www.rightmove.co.uk, www.zoopla.co.uk and www.onthemarket.com.
Public Transport
There is plenty of public transport from the surrounding areas into Middlesbrough itself. Both buses and trains run daily from most areas, and often weekly or monthly passes can be purchased at a reduced rate.
Temporary Accommodation:
Whilst looking for accommodation, you may need somewhere to stay temporarily. Below are some options for this:
Air BnB – This is a popular website which allows you to rent a room or entire property. If you are here with friends or family members, this is a good option as you can split the rent and choose a property size to suit your needs.
Hostel - A hostel is a great option for students travelling on a budget. You can often get a bed in a shared dorm for around £20 - £30 pounds per night.
independenthostels.co.uk/hostels-with-private-rooms/ has hundreds of hostels across the country. Find one near you, call them or book it online.
hostelworld.com/st/hostels/europe/england/ may also be a useful site to take a look at.
Hotel - If you're looking for a bit more luxury, then staying in a hotel is an option. However, this option is often more expensive, with rates starting at around 50 pounds per night. Check out the links below for more.
We know that most students are feeling the pinch right now as living costs spiral. One great way of saving on eating out, fashion, music, cinema, travel, and more is the TOTUM app and card. It is the only OFFICIAL student discount app and card, the only one offered by the National Union of Students (NUS) and the only one we recommend!
Aside from all of that, you will be helping your TUSU as we receive payments from NUS depending on how many students download the TOTUM app, how often they use it and the number of students who upgrade to the complete TOTUM package! All that money is poured back into making your SU even better!
Teesside University Students' Union (TUSU) is led by students for students, and from February 2023, four incredible opportunities come around again!
Any current student at Teesside University* can run in our elections to find the next three people who get paid over £23,000 per year to lead TUSU and speak up for all students as President Education, President Activities and President Welfare (you may only run for one of these positions).
You could also run for one of the positions available in a separate election, representing Teesside University at the single biggest annual gathering of students and students' union. You would join the Student Officers to represent all Teesside Uni students are heard on the big stage at the NUS National Conference 2023.
Just running as a candidate is an amazing experience and a great way to boost your skills and widen your experience while ensuring we have properly contested elections with as high a voter turnout as possible! And if you are interested, NOW is the time to start getting organised!
Drop elections@tees-su.org.uk a line with questions about running in the elections and to speak to current Student Officers/ key support staff. We will also add a wealth of information, all the key dates for your diary and essential downloads to tees-su.org.uk/elections in the coming weeks, so make sure you keep checking it out.
*Various factors may prevent you from being eligible to be a Trustee of Teesside University Students' Union and thus running in the Student Officer elections. Click here to find out more , or contact us using the elections e-mail address for a confidential chat about your situation.
Your SU works closely with the University and a range of external agencies such as Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire, and the NHS to try to keep all students safe and well. It remains important to keep taking sensible precautions to minimise the risk to both yourself and other students. Check out our tips for staying safe throughout semester one below, and one last reminder that we are holding a Student Safety Day here in the SU Building on 26th October, which is a great opportunity to get advice from TUSU, the Uni and a range of external agencies concerned with student safety.
Coronavirus
Coronavirus remains a threat, especially over the winter period. We urge you to stay vigilant and careful, especially when using public spaces.
Other Tips:
