YUSU

Please tidy your desk before you leave

Posted by Services and Finance Officer, 18/06/2009.

When I received an email asking me to make sure I cleared my desk and area of any clutter, old files, mess, etc, before I left, the reality that I'm leaving what has been my home for the last two years (not counting the time I spent in student politics as an undergrad), in just over two weeks set in. I'll write a little piece before I leave, and when I have my tissues ready.

Since the last UGM I've been working on lots of little things as well as undertaking some exciting projects and trying to make sure there will be a smooth handover (and projects can be completed!) These have included:

Chairing the last Rules & Revisions Committee of the year. Here we passed forward four motions for the last UGM, including one I put together on behalf of R&R, tidying up (once more) some parts of the constitution. Points include: adding the 21 plus committee roles, modifying the LGBT committee and modifying a few clauses.

Commissioned work to begin on re-writing the Union By-laws for the end of the term. This is a live document the Union has which governs how various day to day business items of the Union should take place, how committees should work and what they should do thoughout the year, etc.

Agreed on a break-even budget for the next academic year at the Trustee board. This was hard work; our commercial areas have been tasked with producing bigger results in addition to tightening our belt in places, whilst supporting growth in some of the areas in which this Union can really make an impact: student activites and an advice centre being two of the priority areas.

Proposed, won support and funding for, and now meeting with many facility managers, provosts, etc, to agree locations to expand our digital signage system on campus. This is a new system that will have HUGE results for the Union and its bodies: messages will be relayed in real time thoughout campus, giving daily info updates, upcoming events, posters, notices, news and much more. It will help in our efforts to reduce paper whilst also make sure all areas of the campus are joined together: new Goodricke, Fairfax House, Kings Manor, etc. Watch this space!

I presented the coming year budget proposal to the University Finance Committee. We now wait to hear the outcome, although things are bleak for most areas of the University at the moment as the hatches are battened down and budgets are cut.

Discussions are ongoing in an effort to further enhance our online presence and offer more and improved services. Our online sales system to date has passed the £1million turnover mark, which is a massive achievement and testement to the growth in online use. Not only does this make our services available 24/7, but it drastically reduces our cash handling.

Further work has been taken to continue the search for Sir YUSU's external trustees. We have extended the deadline until September 2009 and will be working with the Alumni Relations office.

YUSU operates a team of trained door staff on campus and each year we recruit new students to take part, gain experience and employment. Last week we held interviews for the manager positions and have appointed two students to lead the team for 2009/2010.

I supported our media societies last Friday down in London where we successfully scooped two out of three of the NUS Awards for Media. We won best media outlet of the year for Nouse and our Anna Bucks won presenter of the year! Well done!

For the next few weeks a lot of work will go into some of the final events we are running, including the York Sport Dinner, Media awards, Woodstock and the Graduation Dinner & Summer Ball, not to mention the many events we will be supporting run by our bodies...

So for now, enjoy your last few weeks of term and I'll write my final update soon.