The University of Law Students' Union

The Shortlist is out and the invites have been sent - a massive well done and congratulations to everyone shortlisted!

We'd also love to say thank you -

- to our amazing students and staff who submitted over 800 nominations this year
- to all our wonderful shortlisting team for scoring hundreds of nominations and attending panel meetings to decide on this years' winners
- to the team of staff who are busy planning the awards evening, we can't wait!

To read the shortlist visit our website: https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/su-awards

Local elections are coming up on Thursday 2nd May!

It’s really important to have your voice heard so please don’t forget to register to vote before 11:59pm on 16th April.

Remember, you need to re-register if you have recently changed address. It only takes just 5 minutes and all you need is your National Insurance Number.

Visit or search - https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

The Students’ Union is pleased to announce the results for our Co-President Elections.

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all the candidates and voters!

Co President Academic Affairs:
Peter Bolaji

Co-President Union Development:
Uche Chigozirim Adika

We were thrilled to see another increase in the numbers of students taking part in the Co-President elections this year, with a turnout of 7.7% (up from 4.4% this time last year).

The new Co-Presidents will start their role in July and begin training, and developing their goals for the year ahead.

Voting has now closed!

Thank you to all the voters who took part in the Co-President Elections and well done to all the candidates who have worked really hard to get their messages out.

We’re thrilled to see the growing engagement in our democratic processes, with 1321 students voting compared to 755 this time last year.

We’ll be counting the results and contacting candidates on Monday so keep an eye out for the results soon!

There's less than 24 hours left to vote for your next SU Co-Presidents!

We're thrilled that over 50% more students have voted than this time last year, but we're sure we can do better than that!

Remember there's loads of resources available on our voting page to help you make an informed choice including Candidate Question Time videos, manifestos and posters, and more!

https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/lead

Women’s History Month, Ramadan, and Easter are just three of the many different events you can celebrate at ULaw!

To find out more, use the MyULaw app.

📲 Download the app from Google Play/App Store
🔑 Log in with your student details
📅 Go to the Events tile

Events are uploaded every Friday, so keep your eyes peeled!

Meet the candidates!

Click through the posts to see a range of introductions and information from this years' Co-President candidates - we think they look FAB 🌟

Voting is still open for another week, head over to our website for more information: https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/lead

In partnership with the Money and Housing team at ULaw and in celebration of - we invite you to enter the prize draw to win Amazon vouchers worth up to £50!

All you have to do to enter is tell us one thing you wish you had known about money or housing before you started uni.

Email your answer to [email protected] from your ULaw email account – entitle your email NSMW24 prize draw.

Deadline for entries is 23:59 17 March 2024

Winners will be selected randomly and contacted by Friday 23 March 2024

Remember we have a load of resources and guidance on improving your financial wellbeing at

https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/nationalstudentmoneyweek

We are pleased to announce that our Question Time event will take place on Teams on Thursday 14th March, 5pm-8pm. We will be asking the candidates all the important questions on behalf of students.

All students are welcome, but don’t worry if you can’t attend, as the full version and highlights will be uploaded to our website after the event.

The link to submit questions and join the event are on our Lead ULaw website page - https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/lead

Don’t miss this great opportunity to get to know the candidates who want to represent you!

The Students’ Union is pleased to announce that voting is open for our Co-President Elections!

The Co-Presidents of the SU are elected each year after spending some time as students at ULaw. They work full time to help ensure that students are represented within the university, from day-to-day operations to the most senior meetings.

With the support of a team of staff, they act on student feedback, work on campaigns and events, and try to make positive change for current and future students.

Read more about the election, meet the candidates, and VOTE using the link below!

https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/lead

❌ Voting closes on Friday, 20th October at 12:00 PM ❌

Sometimes what may seem like a harmless habit can start to turn into something more serious and can start to spiral out of control. Gambling and gaming are easily accessible; research shows that 79% of students have gamed, whilst 47% have gambled in the last year.

As part of National Student Money week, you can read more about gambling and risky behaviour on our website which includes links to helpful organisations.

There will be an online talk provided by tomorrow, Thurs 7 March 2.30pm – 3.30pm - you can find the registration link on our site.

https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/nationalstudentmoneyweek

It's National Student Money Week!

In partnership with the University of Law Money and Housing Team, we'll be posting new topics every day to help you maintain your financial wellbeing at university.

There's also a competition to win a £50 amazon voucher - simply share one thing you wish you had known about money or housing before you started uni!

Today's focus is on 'How to Budget'.

One of the best things you can do to gain control of your money situation is to draw up a budget.

Visit our NSMW page to read a list of resources and learn more.

https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/nationalstudentmoneyweek

Nominations have now closed!

Thank you to the staff and students who have encouraged someone to put themselves forward, and congratulations to the candidates who have taken their first steps to making real change.

We're thrilled to announce a 107% increase in the number of nominations from last year. We'll be working with all the candidates closely over the next few weeks to support them through the election.

Voting is open from Monday 11th March until Friday the 22nd, so keep an eye out for more details coming soon.

The ULaw EDI team are hosting three virtual events for all Ulaw staff and students on 14th March for

11 – 11.45AM - Talk and Q&A with Yeme Onoabhagbe, interim CEO Student Minds

12 – 12.45PM - Virtual ‘Singing for Wellbeing’ with vocal coach Dan Cooper Biiah

1 – 2.15PM - Talk and Q&A with award-winning mental health speaker Daniel Wilsher from Damaged Goods

Email [email protected] to register using your ULaw email address

Please be advised that the talks may be distressing for some individuals, you will be able to mute or leave the session if you need to at any time. If you find yourself feeling emotionally impacted or need support, please reach out to the designated support services in the University or within your community. We are committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for all attendees.

Time is ticking - don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!

If you are still on the fence, remember you can always submit your nomination and receive further support before voting opens.

1. Visit https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/lead to read the role descriptions, candidate handbook and more information about the role to make sure it’s for you.

2. Follow the linked button to the nominations page and select the role you’re interested in. You will be asked for some more information, including a short manifesto. There is some guidance in the handbook about what to write, and we can provide advice and guidance if you need it.

3. We will be in touch to confirm your nomination and offer additional support with taking part in the election or answer any questions you might have about the role.

4. That’s it! Nominations close on Friday, 1st of March at 12PM. Next week we will offer further support to prepare you for the voting period, which runs from 11th-22nd of March.

Hello, all! I am Huma Hasan, your Co-President Academic Affairs for 2023/24. My job focuses on the academic aspect of supporting students at the Students’ Union. My job is to raise your student voice and profile to the highest levels in the university. I advocate for your student rights in areas including exams, the curriculum, and day to day teaching. I also focus on other areas that enable students to do the best they can at university like mental health and wellbeing support, as well as equality diversity and inclusion. I also have made resources and strengthened structures that existed, like improving the training for class reps and curating a wealth of LGBTQ+ and ally resources, informative BAME cultural resources, and useful study skill resources.

You may be thinking about your next career steps, and if you're looking to increase some leadership skills then this is a fantastic opportunity. I’ve developed my leadership and project management skills through leading on different projects including sustainability and gained experience from working with senior members of staff.

I nominated myself in the election because I knew I could make a difference and help improve the student experience. I identified issues, I had ideas, and I was ready to make the changes necessary. I am sure lots of you have great ideas and plans for making positive changes here. There’s lots of support for getting your plans into action, and everyone at the Students’ Union are really welcoming and supportive. During the handover to the next president, I will also give you lots of guidance and support.

There is also lots of support for the election, including with writing manifestos. If you would like a helping hand or if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] or the Students’ Union at [email protected].

The deadline to put yourself forward is this Friday 1st March at Midday. Do visit the website at www.studentsunion.law.ac.uk/lead for more information.

The Leeds Campus are hosting an International Women's Day event on the 13th of March at 13:30pm.

The event is available to staff and students from all campuses and will be streamed on Teams.

The event will consist of a panel event with several women from legal and academic backgrounds answering questions about their careers and their lives. Then an open Q&A will commence where you can ask any questions you may have.

The speakers currently consist of:
- A University of Law Criminology Lecturer and Academic
- A Managing Partner for a firm based in Leeds and Bradford.
- A nationally renowned Consultant from a Yorkshire-based law firm.
- A Director and Solicitor Advocate from a North East based law firm.

This is subject to change.

To sign up please follow this link:
https://forms.office.com/e/nJSyuiTdtu

(You must be logged into your University of Law account on Microsoft to access this link).

Could you be the next leaders of the student voice at ULaw?
Are you looking for a role that gives you valuable experiences?
Do you want to make positive change?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you should consider running to be our next SU Co-President.

The Co-Presidents of the SU are elected each year after spending some time as students at ULaw. They work full time to help ensure that students are represented within the university, from day to day operations to the most senior meetings.

With the support of a team of staff, they act on student feedback, work on campaigns and events, and try to make positive change for current and future students.

The deadline to nominate yourself is this Friday at Midday, so don't delay! Visit https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/lead or get in touch for more information.

Don't forget nominations are open for the annual SU Awards!

For our brilliant student led communities you can nominate for:

- Club of the year
- Society of the year
- Event of the year
- Outstanding contribution
- Membership engagement
- Community Impact
-Outstanding contribution to Employability
- Outstanding contribution to wellbeing

Nominations close on the 20th of March.

https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/su-awards

We're thrilled to launch the Spring 2024 Skills Development Programme today!

The SDP is a series of workshops and courses which aim to provide additional skills and qualifications that you may not get chance to gain through your academic course.

The new booklet features:

- over 30 sessions and workshops for students and staff
- links to online learning resources
- a new way to sign up through our website!

Check it out here: https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/sdp

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿📣 Myfyrwyr Cymraeg! 📣🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

MPs on the UK House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee are seeking a range of views from Welsh-domiciled students studying outside of Wales about why they chose to study outside of Wales, and whether they intend to return to Wales upon the completion of their studies.

If you are from Wales and study outside of Wales, they would like to hear from you!

Find the survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/bd7MbLecVc

Holocaust Memorial Day Online Vigil at The University of Law 🕯️

Friday 26th January 12.30pm – 1pm (via Teams)

Current students and staff are invited to join us for an online vigil to commemorate the millions of lives lost and the communities persecuted during the Holocaust. The official theme for 2024 is ‘Fragility of Freedom’ and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

The event will include readings and short poems, as well as the customary silence. In coming together and increasing the awareness of the historical atrocities committed, we hope to foster a sense of unity and community.

To register email [email protected]
Please note: Events of this kind are made possible by members of staff and students volunteering their time with support from the EDI team. If you would like to set up an event or initiative, please contact [email protected] and the EDI Team will be happy to discuss this with you.

ACCESSIBILITY INFO

- Auto closed captioning will be enabled, so attendees can turn this feature on during the event.
- Camera and microphones will be disabled for attendees. Only the organisers and speakers will be able to use their cameras and microphones.
- For the majority of the event, up to five people (the host and speakers) will appear on camera.
- There will be no general chat function for attendees.
- This event will not be recorded.
- Moderators will be present on the call ensure that the ULaw code of conduct is adhered to.
- We will follow up with all registered attendees via email after the event, to ask for feedback and links to signposted services.

If anyone interested in the event has accessibility needs that are not covered/met by the above information, please let us know at [email protected].

☕➕🧁

Birmingham students!

We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to all of you for our upcoming Students' Union Coffee and Cake event, set to take place at the Birmingham campus café on Friday 26th January, from 12 to 3pm.

Organised by your SU Co-President Huma, this event will hopefully be the first in many visits to campuses across the UK which will offer students:

- the perfect opportunity for you to mingle with fellow students, fostering new friendships and connections
- an excellent chance to learn about the diverse support services available to you
- a way for us all to explore how we can assist in making your academic journey more fulfilling

Come join us for an afternoon filled with cakes, tasty nibbles, and steaming hot drinks.

To help us ensure we have enough treats for everyone and accommodate any dietary requirements, we kindly ask you to fill in this short form using the following link to confirm your attendance:
https://forms.office.com/e/YtxE3cww7E

We look forward to seeing you there!

🥳 Nominations are open for the 2024 SU Awards! 🎉

The SU Awards celebrate those members of the University community who go above and beyond to make student life that little bit easier. This could be the tutor who teaches that topic with so much enthusiasm, the cleaner who always gives you a smile in the mornings or the society that you can always rely on to get a break from the workshops and just have fun with fellow students.

There are two categories to nominate for, Clubs and Society Awards & The Excellence Awards. Both of these categories have awards that represent the whole student experience.

Nominations for the awards are open until 20th March 2024.

Visit https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/su-awards to read more and find links to the nomination forms.

ULaw Leagues is a cross-campus and inter-campus competition which consists of a range of fun team and individual activities.

Compete against other teams on your campus, and see where you place on the national leader board!

There's even a top prize of £50 vouchers of your choice for each member of your team!

studentsunion.law.ac.uk/leagues

We have another self-defence class on the horizon! If you're interested, please email [email protected] for more information before 10am this Friday, 22nd December.

Feedback from the last class said:

"This is knowledge I will carry with me for life"
"Brilliant! Amazing! Empowering."
"I felt very comfortable throughout the course"

Location: Birmingham campus, room TBC
Date: Saturday 20th Jan 2024
Time: 9am-5:30pm
Cost: £7 per person
Course provided by Heather from Surge Defence: https://www.surgedefence.com/

Today we say goodbye (for now), and wish Emma all the best as she heads off on maternity leave! 👶😍

As the SU manager, Emma works tirelessly to support our students and team of staff every day and she will be missed very much until her return later next year.

We'll be welcoming her maternity cover next week so keep your eyes peeled for some updates to the team.

Congratulations Emma on the future addition to the family - we can't wait to meet them!

Following the result of the SU Independence Referendum, we discussed the outcomes with the University Executive and have faced challenges in progressing the campaign. Your SU Co-Presidents have written an open letter to all students to highlight these issues:

https://studentsunion.law.ac.uk/articles/su-independence-co-presidents-statement

The statement includes:

- being honest with the student body and their concerns that the University has let you down and has silenced your voice
- their frustrations that the University feel that "Students don't understand what they're voting for - they'd vote for anything"
- examples of the challenges faced by students and staff due to the dependence of the SU on the University
- their feelings on being the lowest funded SU in the UK and how the costs of independence fall short of the average spending in the sector
- ways that students can take action to help us ensure the SU can properly represent you