The Gathering - Thursday 23 August 2018

09.15

Registration

10.00

Welcome, opening remarks, and introduction to the Gathering

• Liam McCabe, NUS Scotland President
• Rachel Simpson, GCUSA President
• Linda Somerville, NUS Scotland Director

10.20

TOTUM – this changes everything

TOTUM is our revolutionary new extra product which will radically enhance students’ time at College and University.  Taking us well beyond just a discount card TOTUM will; be an engagement amplifier to let you reach more students more often, support students’ associations success by allowing new discount functionality across outlets coupled with better data, provide student ID, eventually allow students to manage their money directly from the app, and support great deals with partners so we can put pounds back in students’ pockets and in our students’ associations.

10.30

Short pitch sessions

During these short pitch sessions, you'll hear about the best of the student movement, all delivered through 10 minute talks. These were a huge hit at the Gathering 2017 so prepared to be inspired!

11.00

Getting to know you: speed networking!

To build our collective voice we first need to get to know each other to find out more about our ideas and interests. This is the start of building our movement and strengthening our collective voice. This will be an opportunity – speed style – to meet lots of new people at the event, find out where they’re from and what they do, and to share your ideas for the year ahead.

11.30

Access break

11.40

Developing a strong and influential collective voice

• Amatey Doku, Deputy President

11.55

The importance of grassroots organising in developing a strong and influential collective voice

In recent years Scotland has seen an upsurge in grassroots organising for social change, from tenants demanding decent homes and lower rents, young workers dealing with zero hours contracts to students standing with staff to defend education. Many campaigners are looking at how to build strong networks of empowered activists who can continue to create positive social change for the long term. We’ve invited four groups at the cutting-edge of grassroots organising to tell us about their work developing a collective voice for their members, and inspire you to work with your students, empowering them to organise and win.

12.45

Lunch

13.30

Workshop Block A

Dealing with the press
Working with the press can be a daunting task for small organisations and charities – and we know that students’ associations, who often work on issues which have high media interest and scrutiny, can face particular challenges. This workshop will demystify working with the press, equipping members with the basic knowledge they’ll need to react to press enquiries, whatever the topic. The session will address concerns about working with the press and look at the importance of a positive relationship with journalists. 

Campaigns and Representation Staff Network

Entering it’s second year, the Scottish Campaigns and Representation Staff Network is the community of practice for students’ association staff working in college or university students’ associations in Scotland. The network will be an opportunity to connect, build relationships, and share good practice with other staff who have remits relating to policy, campaigns, democracy and representation.

From plastics to poverty – Using Sustainable Development Goals as a campaigning tool 

Campaigning around sustainability has had its share of successes and challenges recently. This workshop will explore how different sections of society interact with our movement and with the global problems we are trying to tackle. We believe we can’t look at sustainability actions without acting on social responsibility and liberation. This session will tackle head on the controversy of single use plastics campaigning and consider how, as a movement, we can move forward in our campaigning by using the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to take action.

14.30

Workshop Block B

Campaigning on your own is rubbish

What's the difference between campaigning and organising and how can the student movement embrace best practice from both approaches? This session will explore the common pitfalls that campaigns face and how you can overcome these to improve your chance of success. We'll also outline our plans for the year ahead to develop a movement of campaigning activists. This session is designed to be a follow on session from the campaigning skills learnt at Lead and Change courses but is open to both student officers and staff.

Women and race

What is it like to be awoman of colour studying in Scotland? Scotland often evades having converstaions about race (and racism) because of its positioning against England where more attention is given to the increase in racist action. This workshop will highlight tthe issues women and non binary people of colour face in Scotland and how this manifests in teh education secotr - from looking at hate crime attacks, the attainment gap, to microagressions. Crucially we'll explore the ways in which stduents' associations can support and advocate for them.

Using communication campaigns to deliver impact for your democracy

This session will share good practice from Heriot-Watt Student Union and Strath Union in delivering successful engagement in elections. We’ll explain how ‘This Strath Girl Can’ successfully increased the number of women and non-binary candidates in elections and how Heriot-Watt SU’s communication strategy has achieved a 14% elections turnout increase in 3 years.

Modern, Graduate or Foundation… the mysterious case of the disappearing apprentice

A veritable whodunnit of apprentice representation. We know they’re out there somewhere but we haven’t seen any here at the Gathering for some time.  Where do we look, how do we find them and what do can we do with what they say. There are 25,000 apprentices in Scotland. Come and learn about life as an apprentice in Scotland and how you can work with NSoAS to make sure their voice is heard.

15.30

Access break with tea and coffee

15.45

Workshop Block C - our priorities as a movement

A local, regional and national approach to improving students’ mental health

This year we have an opportunity to shape student mental health services for the better. Every college and university in Scotland has been tasked by the Scottish Government through the Letter of Guidance to look at how they are supporting students’ mental health. Regionally, we have the opportunity to work together to improve providers’ understanding of the needs of students and the benefits of a joined-up approach between institutions, the NHS and other local mental health services. Nationally, we’re clear that more investment is required in the form of ring-fenced funding for college and universities to provide counselling services. 

TOTUM

TOTUM is the single most important development for NUS Services in decades. To get the most out of this revolutionary new product, student officers and students' associations need to know how to harness the TOTUM platform. This will strengthen students' associations, our national movement, and provide great benefits to students.

Power in a union! Working with staff TUs on your campus

Students' associations and college/university staff trade unions have a long history of working together to defend education. Working in solidarity, students have supported staff's action over their working conditions and staff have supported our calls for free education and increased investment in bursary support for students. Building a strong relationship with campus trade unions from an early point in your year will help to defend the best aspects of your institution for staff and students alike, whilst developing a powerful alliance to fight for change collectively.

Combatting gender-based violence

The Scottish Government has made it clear that colleges and universities have a responsibility for tackling and preventing gender based violence. The recent release of the ESHE toolkit provides a framework for institutions to shape their work around and it's crucial that students are involved in developing and delivering this work. During this session we'll explore the role of students' associations in this work and highlight some best practice examples, including how to develop intersectional campaigns.

16.45

Move to plenary room

16.55

Short pitch sessions

17.15

Closing remarks

17.30

Close of event

18.30

Dinner and quiz