Social facilities
The Student's Union
What makes your time at university memorable and exciting is learning new skills and interacting with other students – experiences that do not have to be limited to the classroom.
Socialising with new friends at a society meeting or over a game of football; writing articles for the student magazine; getting training and advice from union staff; or grabbing a bite to eat and attending evening events at the campus bar: all benefits of interacting with the Students’ Union.
Students' Unions
Students at the Greenwich and Avery Hill Campuses come under the Students' Union of the University of Greenwich (SUUG), students at the Medway Campus come under the Universities at Medway Students' Association (UMSA). UMSA was formed by the Students' Unions of the different institutions at Medway (Universities of Greenwich and Kent Canterbury Christ Church University and Mid Kent College) which have pooled resources to provide the best possible services to all students based there. Like SUUG, UMSA acts as a provider of advice, entertainment and commercial services.
Membership
Joining the Students’ Union will be a big help. Membership is free and automatic on registering at the university, unless you opt out. Your university resource card, which carries the Students’ Union and National Union of Students (NUS) logos, allows access to a wide range of services and activities, including voting in student elections. A separate NUS Extra card is also available. This works with your resource card to provide over 800 student discounts on goods and services, including travel, meals, fitness clubs and visitor attractions. The NUS Extra card also incorporates the international student identity card, the international form of student ID. This gives students access to over 35,000 discounts in 116 countries worldwide. For more information on NUS, log onto www.nusonline.co.uk
Democracy and duty
The union is democratically run by the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) on behalf of students. It has five sabbatical officers: a president and four vice-presidents, each with a portfolio (education; campaigns and communications; sports and societies; and services). These students have been elected to take a year off studies to represent you.
The rest of the SRC membership is made up of elected representatives from each School and volunteers who support student representation across the three campuses. As a union member you can vote for representatives and even stand for election yourself.
What’s on?
In the Students’ Union bars and cafés you can escape the pressures of study, meet friends and get to know new people. Each bar has its own unique atmosphere and offers regular entertainment, from comedy nights, quizzes and karaoke, to seasonal events and charity fundraisers.
The academic year kicks off with Freshers’ Week to welcome new students and reunite old ones. Events include activity days, themed nights and a Freshers’ Fair, where you can sign up to clubs and societies, and take advantage of offers from local and national companies. The year ends with the Summer Ball, a chance to dress up and dance the night away in grand locations, such as the Painted Hall at Greenwich. Union clubs and societies also organise activities for members and other students in union bars and other local venues.
Clubs and societies
The Students’ Union offers all sorts of clubs and societies to join. Sports fans may be interested in our American football club, the Greenwich Mariners, which competes within the British Student American Football Association, or our cricket and basketball clubs, all of which have enjoyed successes. The most popular team sports, such as football, rugby and netball, have multiple teams and compete against other universities in the British Universities Sports Association.
Medway students can join the aforementioned clubs or UMSA's own clubs which compete in Southern England Student Sports Association (SESSA) competitions. Sports clubs include men's football, women's fotball, netball, rugby, men's and women's basketball, mixed hockey and rowing. Sports facilities across the campuses include pitches for football and rugby, courts for badmington and tennis, and gyms to train in. Footballers at Avery Hill can use an artificial playing surface built by Charlton Athletic Football Club. Shared with the club's training academy, the Airdome is protected for half the year by a "bubble" structure.
If you are not sports-minded, there are over 20 societies you can join. Representing a range of interests, faiths and nationalities, these include Law, Future Aspirations, Christian Union, Muslim, Nigerian and Chinese associations, as well as Mardi Gras and our own Greenwich Student Radio.
A full list of sports clubs and societies is on the Students’ Union website or in the handbook given to new students at the Freshers’ Fair. Cheese lovers, synchronised swimmers, postcard collectors – whatever your special interest, we will help you set up your own club if there is enough demand.
Advice and training
The union is a source of help and support, and employs a team of professional student advisers. Advice covers finance, accommodation and academic support, as well as many other aspects of student life.
Be Involved To Evolve (BITE)
Since 1995, the union has provided free transferable skills training to students. BITE courses are delivered by student trainers to help students learn new skills and improve their job prospects. This is designed to give you a boost during academic studies, in your social and personal life, and in work after leaving university.
Student website and magazine
The union has its own website at www.suug.co.uk and publishes a magazine, Sarky Cutt. Produced by students, this offers loads of useful information, details of union events, and informative articles on local, national and university issues. Contributions are welcome.
The Universities at Medway Students’ Association (UMSA) was formed by the students’ unions of the different institutions at Medway, which have pooled resources to provide the best possible services to all students based there. UMSA, located in the new Pilkington Building, acts as a provider of advice, entertainment and commercial services, as well as activities including its own joint sports clubs and societies. For more information, log on to www.umsa.org.uk.