kent union plan 2011-2014

The Kent Union Plan2011 - 2014

Building a better future for students

Introduction from the President

UK students’ unions play a vital role in enhancing the student experience and ensuring students get the most from their time at university. Students’ unions are agents of change, the voice of students on campus and in the local community and major service providers. They have a proud history stretching back to the 19th Century and they have helped shape society ever since, particularly by developing students as rounded individuals who leave university with more than just a degree.

Kent Union has a similarly proud history, stretching 45 years to the earliest days of the University of Kent. Indeed, our

radio station began broadcasting within a year of the University opening, making it the oldest student radio station in the UK. Today, Kent Union is one of the most successful students’ unions in Britain. We employ 600 people, including over 450 students; we operate over 200 clubs and societies and support thousands of student volunteers; we run an award winning radio station and a network of hundreds of student representatives; we run a diverse range of services from a nursery to a nightclub and we are a powerful campaigning organisation that represents students to local government and the University. Our new Plan 2011-2014, ‘From Good to Great’, recognises that we have achieved a lot in recent years. It also sets out our ambition to become a truly great organisation that delivers even better services to our members, the 19,000 students of the University of Kent. From Good to Great is challenging, ambitious and bold; but we are confident we can achieve the objectives we have set ourselves.

Helen Wood,President and Chair of the Board of Trustees 2009 - 11May 2011

Introduction from the Chief Executive

Kent Union has come a long way in the last few years, not least achieving a year-on-year rise in overall student satisfaction with Kent Union for the last 8 years, and achieving 72% of students rating us ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good’ in our last student satisfaction survey. Last year (2009 - 10), students volunteering through Kent Union gave 38,000 hours of volunteer time to the local community and we were recognised as an outstanding employer, being placed 21st in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For. But we are an ambitious organisation that wants to achieve much more. ‘From Good to Great’ outlines our plan to become a great organisation; it recognises that we are operating in extremely challenging times, but also that there will be opportunities presented by the period of upheaval and change that we are entering. Our new plan has been developed through widespread consultation with our members, the students of the University of Kent, as well as with our 600 staff and the University. We are excited about the challenges that we have set ourselves and we hope that you are too.

Jim Gardner,Chief ExecutiveMay 2011


One page summary of our plan

Kent Union is a charity

which exists for the advancement of education of students at the University of Kent for the public

benefit.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Our Values

DemocraticOutstanding

InclusiveResponsibleProfessional

Our

vis

ion is

to be an exceptional organisation that has a lasting impact on the w

orld around us.

We w

ill achieve o

ur vision

through helping our members grow as people, representing their views and bein

g a su

stai

nabl

e an

d r

esp

on

sib

le o

rgan

isat

ion

.

Enh

an

cin

g t

hE

stU

dEn

t Ex

PEr

iEnc

E

We h

elp stu

den

ts to stay o

n track w

ith

their co

urses, to

com

plete their stu

dies

and

to en

joy th

eir time at K

ent

thE VOicE O

f

stUdEnts

We represe

nt our m

embers to th

e Universi

ty, th

e

communities i

n which th

ey live and to

wider

society th

rough our m

embership of th

e national

student m

ovement.

sUPPOrting gradUatE

EmPlOyaBility

We work with the University to help students

develop transferable skills and self-confidence

so that they are better able to secure graduate

employm

ent.

sUst

ain

aB

lE a

nd

hEa

lth

y O

rg

an

isat

iOn

We

ensu

re th

at K

ent

Un

ion

mee

ts it

s ch

arita

ble

obj

ectiv

es a

nd

is a

su

cces

sfu

l, w

ell-

gove

rned

and

wel

l-m

anag

ed o

rgan

isat

ion

, wh

ich

kee

ps

an e

ye o

n th

e pr

esen

t as

wel

l as

ensu

res

its

lon

g-te

rm fu

ture

crEating changE

We take positive action to create change and to help students play a full role in society


September 1965Kent Union was established and run entirely by volunteers

December 1965The first edition of the Union’s student newspaper, inCant, was published.

1966The student radio station began broadcasting - making it the oldest student radio station in the country!

Early 1970sKent Union moved into the

Mandela Building which was originally two family homes

for College Masters.

This building has continued to be home for the Union to

the present day, although the Union now operates from 9

buildings in both Canterbury and Chatham and the

Mandela Building has been refurbished and extended.

1971The Union’s first retail outlet was opened, generating sales of £7,000 and a surplus of £305.

Kent Union’s retail department now consists of 5 stores and annual revenues of £4.5 million

Late 1970sThe Student Advice Centre was opened with its first dedicated adviser.

The service now has a team of 9 professional advisers, helping over 3,000 students a year.

Throughout the 1980sKent Union was a particularly active campaigning organisation, heavily involved in a range of social issues, including the anti-apartheid movement and operating a bursary scheme for black South Africans to study at the University of Kent.

1993Kent Union opened its first Licensed Trade premises, Woody’s Bar.

Kent Union’s Licensed Trade Department now consists of a purpose-built, 1,200 capacity nightclub, a live-entertainment venue with a capacity of 500 and 3 bars, including the original Woody’s Bar (although it has had a couple of ‘facelifts’!), and has annual revenues of £2.5 million.

1998Kent Union underwent a major transformation, with the opening of the Venue nightclub, new Campus Shop and new Student Activities Centre.

This catapulted Kent Union from a small students’ union with 50 staff to a medium-sized organisation with 250 staff and annual revenues of £4million.

Since 1998Since 1998, Kent Union

has continued to develop, taking over Parkwood

Shop in 2003, opening a full range of services at the Medway campus

of the University in 2005 and taking over the Oaks

Nursery and Rutherford Bar in 2007.

TodayKent Union employs 600 people and has annual revenues of £10 million; it operates across Kent and provides a rich diversity of services to its members, including over 200 clubs and societies, an FM radio station, 2 student newspapers and 100’s of volunteering opportunities, a jobshob and advice service, late-night entertainment venues, bars, catering outlets and shops plus an on campus nursery.

history of Kent Union

One page summary of our plan

Kent Union is a charity

which exists for the advancement of education of students at the University of Kent for the public

benefit.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Our Values

DemocraticOutstanding

InclusiveResponsibleProfessional

Our

vis

ion is

to be an exceptional organisation that has a lasting impact on the w

orld around us.

We w

ill achieve o

ur vision

through helping our members grow as people, representing their views and bein

g a su

stai

nabl

e an

d r

esp

on

sib

le o

rgan

isat

ion

.

Enh

an

cin

g t

hE

stU

dEn

t Ex

PEr

iEnc

E

We h

elp stu

den

ts to stay o

n track w

ith

their co

urses, to

com

plete their stu

dies

and

to en

joy th

eir time at K

ent

thE VOicE O

f

stUdEnts

We represe

nt our m

embers to th

e Universi

ty, th

e

communities i

n which th

ey live and to

wider

society th

rough our m

embership of th

e national

student m

ovement.

sUPPOrting gradUatE

EmPlOyaBility

We work with the University to help students

develop transferable skills and self-confidence

so that they are better able to secure graduate

employm

ent.

sUst

ain

aB

lE a

nd

hEa

lth

y O

rg

an

isat

iOn

We

ensu

re th

at K

ent

Un

ion

mee

ts it

s ch

arita

ble

obj

ectiv

es a

nd

is a

su

cces

sfu

l, w

ell-

gove

rned

and

wel

l-m

anag

ed o

rgan

isat

ion

, wh

ich

kee

ps

an e

ye o

n th

e pr

esen

t as

wel

l as

ensu

res

its

lon

g-te

rm fu

ture

crEating changE

We take positive action to create change and to help students play a full role in society


tOtal

19,664

nUmBEr Of stUdEnts

WhitE

68%

asian

9%

BlacK

9%

chinEsE: 5%

mixEd: 4%

UnKnOWn : 5%

Ethnicity

hOmE

79%

OVErsEas

12%

EU

9%

hOmE / EU / OVErsEas

UndEr 21

64%

21 - 24

15%

25 - 40

14%

41 - 60: 6%

agE

fEmalE

53%

malE

47%

gEndEr

Pt / Ug

14%

ft / Pg

9%Pt / Pg: 5%

ft / Ug

71%

tyPE and lEVEl Of

stUdy

OT

HER

: 1%

61+

: 1%

sOUrcE:

University of Kent Student Planning and Data Office

Blue Book Statistics

as Of:

1st December 2010

Kent students


the world around us

The current economic and political environment is particularly challenging, with deep cuts to public sector funding that will affect universities and students’ unions. The changes to higher education funding will fundamentally alter the way in which universities operate and the way students view their higher education experience. We expect that students’ and the University’s expectations of Kent Union will increase and we thus need to focus on those things that we can excel at – our ‘core competencies’. We expect that, over the next decade, there will be a rationalisation of service provision within the higher education sector, with some existing services being closed and new services being introduced; we also expect there to be changes to the service providers. This presents both threats and opportunities to Kent Union; we need to ensure that those services we continue to offer are efficient and high quality, but also that we are in a position to bid for the opportunity to run new services. Therefore, we view the current economic ‘crisis’ as a time of ‘dangerous opportunity’1.

1 In Chinese, the word “crisis” translates literally as dangerous opportunity.

Our recent successes

Kent Union has achieved a great deal in the past few years and we now have a reputation as one of the best students’ unions in the UK. Some of the highlights of the last few years include achieving a year-on-year increase in the overall satisfaction of students in Kent Union; in our latest student satisfaction survey (November 2010), 72% of the 1,384 respondents rated us as ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good’. In 2009, we won a Third Sector Excellence Award in the category of Transparency and Accountability and in March 2010, we achieved the 2nd highest student election turnout in the UK. We have been included in the Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to Work For list for the last three years, achieving 19th in 2011 and we have ‘triple investor status’ with Investor in People, Investing in Volunteers and Investor in Diversity status. We have won four National Student Volunteering Awards since 2002 and three National Student Radio Awards over the last two years. Finally, we have been national winner in the Best Bar None competition for 3 of the 6 years that the scheme has been run (the Best Bar None scheme is a national competition to accredit and promote socially responsible licensed trade management).

Our relationship with the Universities at medway students’ association (Umsa)

UMSA is a partnership between the students’ unions of Canterbury Christ Church University, the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent. UMSA is run by Kent Union, on behalf of all of the partners; it provides services for all three universities’ students and is funded by all three universities. Whilst UMSA is an integral part of Kent Union, governed by Kent Union’s Board of Trustees and managed through Kent Union’s management structure, it is also complicated and unique in the UK, with its remit to provide services to three separate universities’ students. UMSA therefore sits underneath the overall Kent Union plan, but will have its own, separate plan for 2011-2014.

Our relationship with the University of Kent

Kent Union is an integral part of the University of Kent, but a separate legal entity with its own governance arrangements. We are largely funded by the University of Kent; we are based in the University’s buildings and on its land; and we are an integral part of the student experience at Kent. Our relationship with the University is one of a critical friend; we exist in large part to represent students to the University, so we sometimes disagree with the University, but our relationship is one of mutual benefit. We support a network of hundreds of student representatives, who represent students at every level within the University, from Course Reps to membership of the University’s governing body. Through voicing the concerns of students, we are able to improve the student experience and also help the University to improve. We also have a key role in supporting student recruitment, by offering a range of great services to students.

Putting it all into context


mutual benefitOur representation and campaigning activity and our services are mutually

beneficial. Our services help students get the most from their university experience and bring us into direct contact with them,

so that we can better understand their needs, wants and desires. We use this insight to give our campaigning activity an authoritative voice and legitimacy.

Involvement of students in our services also provides us with an opportunity to deliver lasting change by helping shape the leaders of tomorrow. It’s mutually

beneficial: our services inform our ability to effectively represent our members to the University, the local community and

wider society.

delivering changeStudents’ unions were established as membership organisations in the 19th Century to be the voice of students. Representing our members’ views to the University, the local community and the country (through the national student organisations) remains one of our key activities. We are the voice of students at the University of Kent, working to continuously improve the educational experience and the lives of students at Kent.

We also campaign for social change, standing up for under-represented groups and taking a positive and strong stance on social issues. We take positive action on diversity and equality of opportunity, employment practices and ethical and environmental issues; we also work hard to give something back to the community through raising money for charity, supporting student volunteering in the community and allowing our staff to volunteer during work-time.

delivering services

During 2009/10, we served our 18,000 members at campuses in Brussels, Canterbury,

Chatham and a variety of small sites across Kent. We supported over 200 clubs and

societies with 8,000 members; we ran a full-time FM radio station and produced a student

newspaper; we had 110,000 customer visits to our nightclub; 1,500 students volunteered

through our volunteering programmes; we served 2.5million customers across our retail

department; we ran one of the largest student summer balls in the United Kingdom, with 5,000

students attending; we helped 3,000 students through our advice services department; we employed almost 600 students, directly and

through JobShop temps, putting £800,000 into students’ pockets; we helped a further 2,800 students find employment through JobShop;

our children’s nursery served over 100 children and generated revenues of £450,000; overall, our services generated £7million of income on top of the £1.5million we received in university

funding.

Our services attract students to the University of Kent, help students make the most of their

studies and complete their degrees, help them find and maintain their friendships and enjoy

University. Many of our activities also help students develop transferable skills and self-

confidence, thus making them more employable when they graduate.


creating change

We take positive action to create change and to help students play a full role in society.

Enhancing the student experience

We help students to stay on track with their courses, to complete their studies and to enjoy their time at Kent.

the voice of students

We are the voice of all students at the University of Kent; we represent our members to the University, the communities in which they live and to wider society through our membership of the national student movement.

supporting graduate employability

We work with the University to help students develop transferable skills and self-confidence so that they are better able to secure graduate employment.

sustainable and healthy organisation

We ensure that Kent Union meets its charitable objectives and is a successful, well-governed and well-managed organisation, which keeps an eye on the present as well as ensures its long-term future.

Our PlanFrom good to great

2011 - 2014

Our plan for the next three years builds upon our many successes over the past three years and acknowledges the challenging environment that we are entering. The Plan is more focused in recognition of this environment and is divided into just five areas:

Our Charitable Purpose

Kent Union’s charitable object, as detailed in its constitution, is the advancement of education of students at the University of Kent for the public benefit.

Our Vision

Our vision is to be an exceptional organisation that has a lasting impact upon the world around us, through helping our members grow as people, representing their views to improve the educational experience at the University of Kent and being a sustainable and responsible organisation.

We will know if we are on track with our vision by annually measuring students’ overall satisfaction with Kent Union – our aim is to achieve 90% of students rating us as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ by July 2014.

Our Values

democratic

We are student led through strong democratic structures; we believe in the principle and power of democracy; our members play an active role in our democracy and in society.

Outstanding

We know that our stakeholders expect a lot from us, so we endeavour to excel at everything we do – representing students and providing high quality services.

inclusive

We have a deep belief in the principle of equality of opportunity and take positive action to promote diversity; we campaign on behalf of discriminated-against groups and have an inclusive culture.

responsible

We are an open, transparent and responsible organisation; we have strong and effective governance arrangements; we implement best ethical and environmental practice and are committed to the principle of volunteerism.

Professional

We have a professional management team and professional staff and we are an outstanding employer; we create a positive working environment in which our staff enjoy work and are passionate about what they do.


creating changeMaking the world a better placeWe take positive action to create change and to help students play a full role in society.

Our Big goalsBy July 2014:

CC 1

Our members will annually cast 200,000 votes in our democratic processes and at least 50% of our members will have voted in a Kent Union vote at some stage in the year

CC2

At least 3,000 of our members will be actively participating in voluntary activity through Kent Union, donating 100,000 hours of their time to the community; this could be through volunteering in the community, running a club or society, holding elected office, being a course rep or volunteering in our student media

CC 3 We will have achieved Leaders in Diversity status from the National Centre for Diversity

CC4We will be able to demonstrate that we reflect more fully the diversity of our membership and local community

CC5We will have raised at least £100,000 of external funding for volunteering or environmental initiatives

areas of activity

1 Democracy

We promote democratic engagement from our members both internally and in wider society

2 Campaigns

We take positive action internally and campaign externally on ethical and environmental issues

3 Diversity

We take positive action on equality of opportunity and promoting diversity

4 Volunteering

We encourage and facilitate students to volunteer


Enhancing the student experienceHelping students graduateWe help students to stay on track with their courses, to complete their studies and to enjoy their time at Kent.


SE 1

We will have completed a full strategic review of our advice services and introduced new delivery methods to ensure they are user-focused

SE2

We will employ 700 students per annum directly or through JobShop and put £1million back into students’ pockets in staff wages each year

SE3

We will have increased the number of students involved in clubs and societies to 50% of our membership, whilst retaining members’ satisfaction

SE4

Over 90% of our members will rate Kent Union as either Good or Very Good in our annual student satisfaction survey

SE5

We will have opened a new student media centre, providing state-of-the-art facilities for print, radio, on-line and video media

SE6

We will have secured agreement from the University for a new Union Building that is fit for one of the best students’ unions in the UK and a top 20 University

areas of activity1 Advice

We run highly professional and externally accredited advice centres with a team of dedicated and well-trained advisers

2 Employment

We employ hundreds of students directly and help hundreds more find employment through JobShop

3 Enjoyment

We help thousands of students to make friends and enjoy themselves through running over 200 sports clubs and societies and a variety of other student activities and volunteering initiatives

4 Social Life

We help students enjoy their time at University, through a full social life, involvement in a range of student activities, provision of a diverse and exciting entertainment programme and through organising Welcome Week


the voice of studentsSpeaking up for the rights of studentsWe are the voice of all students at the University of Kent; we represent our members to the University, the communities in which they live and to wider society through our membership of the national student movement.

areas of activity1 Representation

We represent our members to the University and ensure that their interests are kept at the forefront of the University’s decision-making

2 Course Reps

We run a comprehensive course rep system, in partnership with the academic schools, with a network of professionally-supported course reps who offer student feedback on the academic experience

3 Community

We represent our members to the communities in which they live and study through engagement with local government, local politicians and local media

4 Action

We represent our members to wider society through active membership of the national student organisations, including NUS, BUCS and NUSSL


VS 1

We will publish at least 3 campaign objectives each year of the plan and, across the course of the plan,

VS2

We will have improved our course rep system significantly, such that at least 75% of our members agree that their course rep provides them with effective representation

VS3

We will have received 5000 submissions to our new Teaching Awards across the course of the plan

VS4We will engage with local MP’s, MEP’s, District and County Council members and officers to secure change for our members


supporting graduate employabilityDeveloping skills to ensure kent students are attractive to employers

We work with the University to help students develop transferable skills and self-confidence so that they are better able to secure graduate employment.


GE1We will increase the number of students who work for the University or Kent Union by 20%

GE2

We will introduce a system for certifying all training for student staff and every student who works for us will leave, at least, with a certified transcript for courses they have done

GE3

We will work with University departments to develop relevant internship and work placement programs and identify projects suitable for final year assignments

GE4

10% of our members will graduate with our new University-endorsed ‘skills transcript’, detailing the transferable skills that they developed through involvement in Kent Union activities or employment

1 Employment

We employ hundreds of students directly, helping them develop transferable skills, gain qualifications and build their self-confidence

2 Finding Work

We help hundreds of students to find employment through JobShop and JobShop Temps

3 Elections

We elect hundreds of students to serve in positions of responsibility as elected officers, where they develop transferable skills and build their self-confidence

4 Activities

We offer a wide range of student activities, including clubs, societies, student media and volunteering, through which students develop transferable skills, build their bank of life experiences and develop self-confidence

5 Employability

Throughout all of these activities, we help students understand, reflect upon and capture how they have increased their employability

areas of activity


sustainable and healthy organisationBuilding a better future for studentsWe ensure that Kent Union meets its charitable objectives and is a successful, well-governed and well-managed organisation, which keeps an eye on the present as well as ensures its long-term future.

areas of activity1 Stewardship

We ensure good stewardship of the organisation through effective governance and good strategic management

2 Best Practice

We implement best practice in equality of opportunity and ethical and environmental management

3 Outstanding

We are an outstanding employer, offering a safe, flexible and friendly work environment in which our staff are happy, motivated, well-trained and well-managed so that they are able to deliver great services to our members

4 Finances

We ensure strong financial management and run our commercial services to enable us to fund student support and activities and invest in the future of our services


SH1

We will build our reserves over the life of the plan, generating a modest surplus in each year of the plan

SH2We will have reduced our carbon footprint per fte employee by 10%

SH3

Over the life of the plan, we will allocate at least 5% of our capital expenditure budget for initiatives that reduce our carbon footprint

SH4

We will have opened a new nursery and increased the number of places for student parents

SH5

We will remain in the Sunday Times Best 100 Best Places to Work in the Public / Third Sector throughout the life of the plan and achieve a top 10 ranking in at least one year

SH6

We will retain our Full Assurance from the University Internal Audit throughout the life of the plan

Kent Union, Mandela Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NW T: 01227 824200 E: [email protected] Charity number: 1138210

Printed using sustainably-sourced materials | May 2011

kent union plan 2011-2014

Documents

university of kent

voice of students

presidentuk students

successful students

kent union plan2011

great organisation

plankent union

student representatives