StARs Training Quiz
2014
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How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
1. Worcester Students’ Union is:
A department
of the
University
A registered
charity
A private
company
That’s wrong
Worcester Students’ Union is not a department
of the University.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s wrong
Worcester Students’ Union is not a private
company.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s right
Worcester Students’ Union is an independent,
registered charity. This means that all of our
income must be used to fulfil our charitable
objects. It also means that we can support
students if they have a complaint about the
University, if they are unhappy with their
student experience or if they want to see
changes made which will improve their course
or other areas of student life.
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How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
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2. Worcester Students’ Union’s objects (the
reason it exists) are:
The advancement of
education of students
of the University of
Worcester
The provision of sports
clubs and societies for
students
The advancement of
political campaigns on
behalf of the National
Union of Students
(NUS)
That’s wrong
The SU does support student-led sports clubs
and societies, but that’s not the organisation’s
primary aim.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s wrong
Worcester Students’ Union is affiliated to NUS
and members may choose to support national
campaigns, but that’s not its primary aim.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s right
Everything we do as an organisation must,
ultimately, benefit our members and have a
positive impact on their student experience.
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3. The members of Worcester Students’ Union
are:
Students who buy
an NUS Extra card
Students who have
joined a student
club or society
Everyone who is a
registered student
of the University of
Worcester
That’s wrong
Students who buy an NUS Extra card enjoy a
range of discounts, but this is not a membership
card and you don’t have to buy one to be a
member of Worcester Students’ Union.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s wrong
Around 1,400 students are members of at least
one student club or society, but you don’t have
to join one to be a member of Worcester
Students’ Union.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s right
Everyone who is registered for a course of study
with the University of Worcester is automatically
a member of Worcester Students’ Union, unless
they choose to opt out of membership. The
only thing you need, to show that you are a
member, is your University ID number or card.
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4. Worcester Students’ Union gets most of its
income from:
The membership
fees it charges
A block grant from
the University of
Worcester
Profits from the
bar and the shop
That’s wrong
We don’t charge membership fees.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s wrong
All profits from the bar and the shop are
ploughed back into the organisation, but this is
not our main source of income.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s right
The University awards a block grant to the
Students’ Union every year and this makes up
the bulk of the organisation’s income. Any
profits from the upstairs bar (the downstairs is
run by an external company which runs the
University’s catering provision, so we don’t
make anything from that) and the shop are
ploughed back into the organisation too and we
receive £4.70 for every NUS Extra card sold too
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5. The governance, strategy and budget of the
Students’ Union (SU) is the responsibility of:
The board of
trustees
The executive
committee
The
University
That’s wrong
The executive committee is made up of the three
sabbatical officers and nine part-time officers. Their
activities and priorities are determined by decisions
made by students through Student Council.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s wrong
The University has a legal duty to ensure the SU
operates in a fair and democratic way, but decisions
about the way the organisation is run are made
independently of the University.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s right
Like every charity, the SU has a board of
trustees, who have responsibility for the
governance, strategy and budget of the charity.
The board is make up of the three officer
trustees (sabbatical officers), four student
trustees and three external trustees. Every year,
student trustee vacancies are advertised on our
website and via email and social media
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6. The SU holds elections every March for three
full-time paid sabbatical officer positions, as well
as voluntary part-time officer positions. Who
can stand as candidates to be sabbatical
officers?
Students in their
final year of study
Any student
registered with the
University of
Worcester
Full-time
undergraduates
That’s wrong
You don’t have to be a final year student to stand – you
can take a “sabbatical” year away from your studies to
take up a sabbatical officer role.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s wrong
You don’t have to be a full-time undergraduate to stand
for a sabbatical position. All members, including parttime students and those based in partner colleges, are
eligible to stand for election.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s right
Any registered student can stand as a candidate
to be a sabbatical officer. You don’t have to be
in your final year – you can take a “sabbatical”
year off if you’re elected and then return to your
studies. Part-time students and those based in
partner colleges are all eligible to stand for
election and, of course, to vote too.
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7. The current elected Vice President Education
is:
Wes
Hudson
Tom
Clarke
David
Green
That’s wrong
Wes Hudson is the President of the Students’ Union.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s wrong
David Green is the University’s Vice Chancellor and
Chief Executive. He was a course rep when he was a
student, so he understands the vital role played by
StARs and also how being a StAR can contribute to your
own personal development.
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Yes
No
That’s right
Tom Clarke was re-elected as Vice President
Education in March. Wes Hudson is the elected
President of the Students’ Union. David Green is
the University’s Vice Chancellor and Chief
Executive.
Sabbatical Officers cannot serve for more than
two years, so early in 2015 we’ll be opening
nominations for a new Vice President Education.
Just think – it could be you!
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8. Student Academic Reps (StARs) should be:
Selected by
their tutor or
course leader
Elected by
students
Anyone who
volunteers
That’s wrong
We know that some of you will have been invited by a
member of staff to be a StAR, but this process is not
the one favoured by the SU.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s wrong
All StARs should be volunteers, but some courses have
more volunteers than they need for adequate
representation.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s right
Every year, students should all have the opportunity to stand to
be StARs and to have a say in who should represent them. We
know that in some cases, any students who volunteer are
accepted as StARs, that first-year and second-year StARs may
continue, without challenge and that sometimes individual
students are invited by members of staff to be StARs.
The SU, with support from the University, is committed to
working towards a system which allows students to elect their
representatives, but we recognise that this may take some years.
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9. The key responsibility of StARs is to:
Help individual students with
their personal problems
Make sure that students’
complaints about their
course are taken to the
course management
committee
Ensure that students’
suggestions and issues about
their student experience are
raised and responded to
swiftly and appropriately
That’s wrong
StARs are not expected to deal with students’
individual and personal issues. Students can get
information, advice and support through Firstpoint and
also from one of the SU’s Student Advisors.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s wrong
Playing a full part in course management committees is
an important part of a StAR’s role, but some issues
can’t wait until the next meeting. StARs should also be
sure to feed back positive comments and views at
course management committee, not just complaints.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No
That’s right
StARs should do their best to see that students’ positive and
critical comments, questions and issues are raised and dealt with
as quickly as possible. The course management committee is an
important, formal forum for discussing the quality of the course,
but many matters can be addressed outside this meeting.
Do try to take positive comments, not just complaints, to the
course management committee.
StARs should not try to deal with individual students’ personal
problems – students should be advised to seek help via
Firstpoint in Peirson or to contact one of the SU’s Student
Advisors, by making an appointment through the SU Welcome
Desk, if they need support with a disagreement with the
University or have a complaint about their student experience.
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10. StARs are volunteers. They can have their
voluntary activities recognised by:
Logging their activities through the
SU website at
www.worcsu.com/volunteer/hours/
Applying for StAR accreditation at
bronze, silver or gold level
Registering for the Worcester Award
That’s right
StARs are encouraged to log and reflect on their volunteering
using any or all of these three options.
If you undertake at least 20 hours’ volunteering, you’ll get a
certificate and be invited to the VoScAs evening in May. If you
log over 50 hours, this will be recognised on your Higher
Education Achievement Report (HEAR).
You may choose to work towards StARs accreditation using the
format developed by the SU – successful completion will be
rewarded with a certificate and recognition on your HEAR.
The Worcester Award is the University’s “employability” scheme
and your activities as a StAR can also count towards this
prestigious award.
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Thanks for taking part in the quiz!
We hope it’s helped you to understand your Students’
Union a bit better and to see why you’re such an
important part of what we do.