We welcome everyone to the latest edition of the TUSU Staff Update and, as it’s the last time we will introduce it, wanted to thank all career and student staff for their commitment, hard work and invaluable support during our time in office. It has been an absolute privilege to lead an organisation where everyone is so focussed on providing the very best possible events, services and spaces for students.
We also want to wish our successors Sai, Clinton and Ganesh the very best of luck. Find out more about them in this article and be sure to take the opportunity to chat with them and give them the benefit of your experience and skills when they take over from July. We know they will appreciate everyone’s help.
In this update we also outline changes and additions to The Board of Trustees over the past 6 months, summarise which spaces and services are available when over the summer break and Kirsty Morrison (CEO) reflects on her first 12 months in the role.
Finally, we hope everyone gets some time to relax and unwind over the summer after a very busy year which we reflect on this article and wish you all a happy, successful future.
Harsha, Blessing and Ebubechi – Student Officers 2024/25.
After winning their respective elections which saw over 3,600 students cast over 10,000 votes it’s now just a matter of months until Sai Dorapally (President Education Elect), Ganesh Poshala (President International Elect) and Clinton Aideloje (President Wellbeing Elect) take office.
Find out more about them by clicking here and check out their first full interview in the latest episode of the TUSU Vodcast (available Fri, 16th May). We will also have updates from them throughout the summer as they finalise their plans for the year and announce their campaign priorities so stay tuned to our social media and website.
They will succeed the current team from this July and wanted to pay a brief tribute to them.
The board is part of the requirements of being a registered charity. It means that the overall direction and running of the SU is overseen by a wider range of people with a variety of experience, backgrounds and skills. It also helps improve decision-making, efficiency and accountability. The board has three Officer Trustees elected by the whole student body, and they hold the positions of President Education, President International and President Wellbeing.
We have six positions for External Trustees, which are filled by experienced and distinguished people from the public, private, and charitable sectors. The External Trustees are not elected by students but instead recruited by the Board of Trustees Appointments Committee to provide expert advice and guidance to the Officer Trustees. The board is completed by four positions for Student Trustees from the wider student body, they are nominated by the Board’s Appointments Committee.
The board meets 4 times a year and has the final say on all major decisions facing the Students' Union. The board discuss the progress and long-term strategy of the Students’ Union, and all members are involved in discussions and decisions on any major changes. They also monitor risks to the organisation, its policies and procedures while ensuring systems are in place to ensure officer and staff accountability. The Chief Executive of the Students' Union is accountable to them and attends board meetings to report on progress.
We have been delighted to welcome Alexander Lee-Hall and Mairead Sunley as External Trustees over the past few months, they both bring a superb range of skills and experience to the Board. Meanwhile Corinna Russell, Kingsley Omoayena and Salomey Konadu Bondah joined as Student Trustees and are all bringing invaluable grassroots feedback and advice on behalf of their fellow students.
Long serving staff
It’s always a pleasure to recognise staff who have given TUSU exceptional service over particularly long periods and, in this edition, we say thanks and congratulations to the following colleagues. We are extremely grateful to all of them for their hard work and unique contributions.
You’re a star Poppy!
We were delighted that Poppy Bibby (Cultural and Pastime Society Coordinator) was a finalist in the Outstanding Student Support Service category of this year’s prestigious Teesside University Star Awards.
The awards celebrate staff and teams who students and their colleagues feel have shown truly exceptional commitment, innovation and ability in their role. Poppy was the only member of TUSU staff to be nominated and its well-deserved recognition of her hard work and passion for helping ensure students have the best possible experience when participating in our activities and societies.
Congrats Kristy!
We send warm congratulations to Kristy Shaw (Academic Adviser) and her husband Martin who welcomed their first child X on X, X.
Mum and baby are both doing well and she will be away on maternity leave until X. We hope she thoroughly enjoys quality time with her new child and look forward to welcoming Kristy back then.
Teesside University Students’ Union (TUSU) reverts to summer opening hours from Saturday, 24th May until mid-September. The availability of the building and services/ spaces within it are affected as follows.
PLEASE NOTE: The TUSU Building is always entirely closed at weekends and on Bank Holidays over the summer except if in use for external events or during the Graduation periods (tees.ac.uk/graduation) when all of our services and spaces are available for graduates and their families to use. Services listed as available below will be accessible on weekdays only for the rest of the summer period.
The 2024/25 academic year has been another exceptional one here at TUSU with Student Officers, Reps and of course career and student staff collectively making a significant and very positive impact on the lives of thousands of Teesside University students.
Click here for a look back at the biggest and best moments in the TUSU Impact Infographic.
It doesn't feel like five minutes ago that we were in the middle of Freshers, time flies past at a rate of knots and so much has been packed in with the end of Semester 2 now not far away. From a personal perspective, it has been an exciting, energising four months since being Acting Chief Executive following the retirement of Jon Berg. I'd like to think that together, we have moved TUSU forward in that short space of time and will continue to do so. I'd like to thank everyone for the fantastic support you have given me during this time; I can't tell you how much your hard work and commitment is appreciated.
The UK HE sector faces a number of challenges from which Teesside is not insulated Changes to legislation make it tougher to recruit international students, and the University is adapting as it expands apprenticeships, TU online and looks to build on TU London Unlike a number of other institutions Teesside is financially robust and investment on campus continues with the Digital Life Building opposite the SU being built at a rapid pace Funds for the refurbishment of the SU building are still in the University budget but the project is currently on hold In the meantime your management team have been working on a short term "plan B" that looks to replace a substantial amount of worn out kit we need in order to deliver an outstanding student experience This funding bid has been submitted, and I'll be meeting University colleagues shortly to discuss it.
The Awards Dinner really put into perspective what TUSU is all about, with Officers, staff and student staff from all departments delivering a really special event for our student reps and societies; it was amazing to hear of their remarkable achievements and how they have been supported by the SU It was fantastic to see so many of the most senior University staff at the event, including the Deputy VC and Chief Operating Officer and they really enjoyed themselves, I think that speaks volumes as to the warmth of the relationship.
Kirsty Morrison, our new Chief Executive, also took time out to join the celebration. As you may know, Kirsty joins us two days a week from the start of June and then will be with us full time from the beginning of July. She has already met many of you, and I'm sure she will get a warm and typically friendly TUSU welcome!
