Your Officer Team 2011/12
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► Better Forums
Better Forums
Better Forums give you the chance to raise any issues, discuss any ideas, or make any suggestions to shape your experience here in Birmingham. Better Forums are open to all University of Birmingham students who want to have a say.
Better Guild and Welfare Forum
Whether it’s Guild events and campaigns, or housing, community and safety issues, in this forum we want to hear how we can best represent you.
Better Education and University Forum
From course content to representation and plagiarism, the Better Education and University Forum covers every aspect of your university experience.
Better Student Groups and Sports Forum
Topics in this forum cover everything from student group room bookings, to facilities, and representation of sports groups within the Guild.
What have the Better Forums done for you?
Here are just some issues that you asked the Better Forums to action last year:
- Lower drinks prices in Joe’s - Introduced a loyalty card, Joe’s Plus, which entitles you to discounts on various beverages and meals;
- Improve signage around the building - New signage for the Guild has been purchased and implemented, with a plan to extend the enhanced signage provision over the coming year;
- Personal Tutor system - Gained feedback from students on the Personal Tutor system and met with the Director of Students Support to discuss issues raised.
When do the Better Forums take place?
Each Better Forum meets twice a term, the dates for terms are as follows:
Better Guild and Welfare Forum:
Wednesday 25th January, Rosa Parks (Guild of Students) – 2pm
Monday 27th February, Rosa Parks (Guild of Students) – 6pm
Better Education and University Forum:
Wednesday 1st February, Rosa Parks (Guild of Students) – 2pm
Wednesday 29th February, Rosa Parks (Guild of Students) – 2pm
Better Student Groups and Sports Forum:
Thursday 19th January, Venue TBC – 6:15pm
Thursday 1st March, Council Chambers – 6:15pm
What happened at the last Better Forums?
Throughout October, the Guild held its first round of Better Forums. Approximately 200 of you attended the forums which once again proved to be a great opportunity to air your views on how the Guild can work for you.
Here is a brief summary of some of the issues raised.
Better Guild and Welfare Forum
- The Welcome Week experience
- Ideas for the Guild’s Welfare Wednesday initiative
- Graduate employability
- The processes of Guild Council
- Rooms within the Guild
Better Education and University Forum
- Frequency of university communication over the summer
- Exam feedback and timetabling
- The university’s induction process.
- Transport and promotion of the national demonstration on November 9th
- Workload of the Vice President (Education) being effectively managed in his absence.
Better Student Groups and Sports Forum
- How student groups operate within the Guild Students
- Experience of the Society Fairs
- Ideas for new Student Development chalk board
- Concerns over Costa Coffee
For full details of all the issues raised and the actions logged, please click here.
Can’t make a Better Forum but would like to keep updated?
Each of our Better Forums run a live feeds on Twitter. To keep up-to-date with the Forums as they happen, please use the following # tags.
Better Education & University Forum - #BetterEU
Better Student Groups and Sports Forum - #BetterSGS
Better Guild and Welfare Forum - #BetterGW
Want to know more?
To find out more about what Better Forums can do for you, please email studentvoice@guild.bham.ac.uk or follow us on Twitter @StudentVoiceGOS
