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A policy is an idea that a student has had which they believe will make the student experience at Sheffield Hallam University better.
A policy is effectively an idea that a student, or a number of students, have had which they believe will make the student experience at Sheffield Hallam University better. Once passed, policies are binding for three years - and the Students' Union needs to work to make sure they happen! As a Students' Union we have a number of policies on various topics, the details of these and the person responsible for them can be found below...
Content Warnings ↓
Approved: 21/01/2021 Expires: 21/01/2024 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: Mandate full time elected officers to support this policy and implement content warnings on relevant Students' Union content. Policy document Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers
Request an update on this policy
BAME Mentoring Scheme ↓
Approved: 19/05/2020 Expires: 19/05/2023 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To mandate the Students’ Union under the lead of the President and the BME Rep to implement the mentoring scheme. a BAME matching mentoring scheme will be an effective way to ensure BAME students access support. Due to cultural barriers BAME students experience and the difficulty of obtaining culturally- diverse support within Sheffield Hallam University. This scheme would effectively help BAME students improve their confidence and share their experience with a mentor of shared background. Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President, College Officers and BME Rep
Academic Rights ↓
Approved: 03/12/2019 Expires: 03/12/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To deliver an annual campaign that promotes awareness of students' academic rights, and the support available and steps students can take if they feel their rights have been infringed." "To mandate the Education Officer to work with the University to develop and implement an 'academic agreement' that outlines students' key rights and responsibilities clearly in a single document." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers
Education is a right, not a privilege ↓
Approved: 03/12/2019 Expires: 03/12/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "The students union, the Education officer and President must ensure that there is representation of Hallam Students and that agendas on HE that may affect Hallam Students, are highlighted and efforts are made to lobby for Hallam Students educational rights." "Through organisations like NUS and the Office for Students, Hallam Officers must lobby to highlight the potential risks associated with reducing tuition fees, and higher subject costs. This limits the access to education for our student membership." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers
Anonymous Marking ↓
Approved: 17/05/2018 Expires: 16/05/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To promote and raise the awareness that anonymous marking should not just be used for exams but for all types of assessment where possible." "To raise anonymous marking in all relevant opportunities, discussions, meetings and committees with the University." Policy Document Updates: 2016 - Raised the importance of anonymous marking as part of the University's Assessment Journey programme team 2017 - Secured a trial for the anonymous marking of coursework in some courses in the faculty of Development and Society. Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers
Attendance Monitoring ↓
Approved: 23/04/2021 Expires: 23/04/2024 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To mandate both the Education Officer and Welfare & Community Officer to take forward any student concerns on this issue to the University." "Full Time Officers should strongly oppose any future proposals from the University to incorporate attendance into disciplinary matters." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers
Approved: 23/04/2021 Expires: 23/04/2024 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To lobby the University and campaign to keep Wednesday afternoons free from timetable sessions." "To establish a protocol for students to report any Wednesday afternoon timetabling issues which can be fed straight to the University." "To mandate full time elected Officers to make all volunteers and representatives within Sheffield Hallam Students' Union aware of this policy" Policy Document Updates: 2014 - The University Guiding Timetabling Principles were created and indicated "to avoid where possible the scheduling of activities on Wednesday after 13:00 for full-time undergraduate students. 2015 - The SU conducted research into barriers of taking part in Sport and found that timetabled activity on Wednesday affected belonging, academic performance, team selection and making friends. 2016 - The 2015/16 Student Voice Report recommended that the University create a strategic plan with the aim to reduce Wednesday afternoon teaching. 2017 - The 2016/17 Student Voice Report noted that there had been a 39% reduction in timetabled activity on Wednesday afternoons and recommended that there be an annual measured reduction. 2018 - The SU gathered student opinion to inform and update the University Guiding Timetabling Principles to reflect current student needs. 2021 - The policy is renewed for further work. Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers
Approved: 10/03/2021 Expires: 10/03/2024 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: 1. To stand in solidarity with those currently withholding rent, either through inability to pay, or to lobby the University to meet all of SHU rent strike’s demands. 2. To support the rent strike by publicising the rent strikers demands to all students in a joint letter with campus unions, and financially by covering reasonable printing and campaign material costs. Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 15/02/2021 Expires: 15/02/2024 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: 1. Via Islamophobia Awareness Month educate students on Islam and as a union lead on this every academic year in November. Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 19/05/2020 Expires: 19/05/2023 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: 1. To mandate the SHSU led by the President and the College Officers to take the lead on this policy and ensure that SHSU acts as a supportive custodian of the TEDxSheffieldHallamUniversity ideologies. Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President & College Officers
Approved: 03/12/2019 Expires: 13/12/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To lobby the university to better promote Disabled Student Services and its services, including DSA application support, to students." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President & Disabled Students Rep
Approved: 03/12/2019 Expires: 13/12/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To mandate the Officers of this Union to not engage with the Prevent strategy or implement the proposals of the Act, and to boycott it as far as legally possible, including no member of staff including directors and the CEO to attend the safeguarding steering group. " Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 17/11/2017 Expires: 16/11/2020 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To mandate the Sports & Physical Activity Officer to work with the University to build bike sheds at in front of the Owen building (or cover the existent bike racks)." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: Wellbeing, Sport and Physical Activity
Approved: 08/11/2016 Renewed: 13/01/2020 Expires 13/01/2023 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "The International Students’ Rep to take the lead on this policy and ensure that a practical programme is developed for international students to integrate." "To lobby and work in partnership with the University to provide the Hallam International Students' (“ONE RACE”) event." "The ONE RACE event will be an annual event held by the Students' Union and led by the International Students' Rep." Policy Document Updates: May 2017 - Sheffield Hallam SU hosted it's first One Race event. May 2018 - SHSU hosted it's second annual One Race event. May 2019 - SHSU hosted it's third annual One Race event. Officer(s) Responsible: International Students Officer
Approved: 12/02/2019 Expires: 12/02/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To endorse the Post Study Work Visa Now campaign and work with other campaign signatories to raise the campaign's profile." "To support Post Study Work Visa Now by signing and campaigning for their petition, which demands: - Government to reintroduce a post-study work visa that allows graduates to work in the UK for at least two years after graduation." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: International Students Officer
Approved: 22/01/2019 Expires: 22/01/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To work with UCU to ensure the best outcome for staff with minimum impact on students." "To stand in solidarity with UCU staff, if and when they ballot to strike or go on strike, and in other matters." "To educate students on UCU matters and encourage students not to cross the picket line on the day." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: Presient & College Officers
Approved: 06/11/2018 Expires: 06/11/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "Campaign for reproductive justice and the removal of barriers to abortion access in Northern Ireland." "Support the NUS-USI “Trust Us” campaign for the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland." "Advocate for abortion reform in a manner which is inclusive of women, trans men, non-binary and gender fluid people." "Campaign for the decriminalisation of abortion throughout the UK." "Engage with non-student groups such as BPAS to support the campaign for the decriminalisation of abortion throughout the UK." "Support the campaign for reproductive justice and decriminalisation of abortion worldwide." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: Wellbeing, Sport and Physical Activity Officer
Approved: 12/02/2019 Expires: 12/02/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "Make it the responsibility of the student union to remove ALL still bottled water from sale with immediate effect and replace these items with a reusable alternative." "To meet with and lobby the University to get ALL commercial outlets on Sheffield Hallam University campuses to remove ALL still bottled water from sale and replace these items with a reusable alternative." "Work in conjunction with the estates team to install and maintain more accessible water fountains/coolers so that reusable bottles can be filled easily." Policy Document Updates: 2019 - The SU published SHUstainability: Promoting Green Thinking which highlights student opinion and suggests recommendations to improve sustainability practices of SHU students. Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 17/11/2017 Expires: 16/11/2020 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To run a marketing campaign on the lifecycle of disposable packaging such as coffee cups." "To push that at our Coffee Union outlet we offer discounts to those that re-use their paper coffee cups/bring their own." "To discuss the issue with the University, and lobby where possible that they implement and commit to a similar catering outlet discount scheme for coffee cups." "To ask the University to explore the possibility of schemes which do properly recycle these disposable items." "To look at the viability of selling branded plastic re-usable containers, and lobby the University to do the same." Policy Document Updates: 2019 - The SU published SHUstainability: Promoting Green Thinking which highlights student opinion and suggests recommendations to improve sustainability practices of SHU students. Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 28/05/2021 Expires: 28/05/2024 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To establish a Sustainability Committee at Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union and to ensure that a committee is promoted and elected every year." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 23/04/2021 Expires: 23/04/2024 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: 1. Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union will ensure all media posted on social media platforms, including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, are accessible. 2. Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union will ensure posts are accessible by taking the following steps: a. Include captions/subtitles on video content b. Add image descriptions (‘alt text’) to all photo images/graphics (see appendix 1) c. Include warnings if a video contains flashing images d. Include content warnings at the start of posts/videos with sensitive topics, acting in line with the Content Warnings Policy - e.g. Content Warning: Eating Disorders e. Be mindful of the number of emojis/emoticons - e.g. avoid using the same emoji multiple times in a row 3. The Students’ Union President and Officer Team will lobby the University to follow the same steps as SHSU to create inclusive and acceptable social media posts. Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President and Officer Team
Approved: 17/05/2018 Expires: 16/05/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To seek support from national organisations such as NUS and the Carer's trust 'Going higher' campaign and local organisations such as Carers in Sheffield." "To work collaboratively with the university to explore what steps can be taken to best support student carers." "To undertake research into how the union can support student carers." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers
Approved: 22/01/2019 Expires: 22/01/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "That the Students' Union has the short term aim of delivering consent workshops workshops as regularly as is feasible, to freshers and within skills training drives." "That the Students' Union has the long term aim of lobbying the university to implement them as a part of the induction week for new students." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: Wellbeing, Sport ad Physical Activity Officer
Approved: 17/05/2018 Expires: 17/05/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To mandate at least one committee member on either committees of sports clubs or societies to attend diversity and welfare training." "For the Union to develop welfare support training in their Diversity and Equal Opportunities training programme" "To work with liberation Reps and respective groups in developing content for the committee training." "To ensure staff are given the correct training in order to understand and implement the policy." Policy Document Updates: 2016 - Training was provided for society committees on equality and diversity, with more than 20 societies attending the training on equality and diversity. 2016 - Training has also been provided to Sports clubs, facilitated by the Sports and Physical Activities Officer and the Welfare and Community Officer. Officer(s) Responsible: Wellbeing, Sport and Physical Activity Officer
Approved: 17/05/2018 Expires: 17/05/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To lobby transport providers to embed a sustainable single student and apprentice fare system across all operators." "To Support Sheffield College SU in the efforts to Institute South Yorkshire-wide apprenticeships fare on all forms of public transport." "To continue to provide representation when decisions affecting students are made by companies, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive or local authorities." Policy Document Updates: 2014 - Secured a freeze on student bus fares at £1 for a single in the 2014/15 academic year. 2015 - Provided research on the impact of transport costs on students within the 2015 Student Voice Report. 2016 - Introduced discounted bus tickets when a SHU Card is presented in the HUBS from 2016. Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 06/11/2018 Expires: 06/11/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To ensure that Gender Neutral Toilet’s are incorporated in any future development projects within the existing SU building (HUBS)" "To mandate the student officers to explore the possibility with the trustee board of installing gender neutral toilets in the HUBS building." "Lobby Sheffield Hallam University to implement a Gender Neutral Toilet/Facilities Policy to ensure Gender Neutral Toilets are incorporated in any future development projects within the existing University buildings/facilities and any building/facilities purchased or developed in the future by Sheffield Hallam University." "Work alongside organisations such as Around the Toilet (Lead by Dr Slater - SHU), Action for Trans Health and the NUS LGBT+ Campaign to campaign for Gender Neutral Toilets." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 06/11/2018 Expires: 06/11/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To provide the option for individuals to specify their own non-binary gender identity on all Students' Union documentation where gender identity is asked." "To provide the option ‘prefer not to select’ where possible in all Students' Union documentation where gender identity is asked." "The Students' Union should ensure any documentation from external parties/affiliated organisations adhere to this policy if a gender identity question/question regarding demographic information is requested." Policy Document Updates: 2016 - All Students' Union documentation and surveys provide the option to self-identify gender. Officer(s) Responsible: President & College Officers
Approved: 23/04/2021 Expires: 23/04/2024 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To change the use of ‘LGBT’ to ‘LGBT+’ in all SHSU documents, literature, posts and any other use of the term." "Update any online resources and literature to ‘LGBT+’ where this is not already the case." "Urge Sheffield Hallam University to adopt the use of ‘LGBT+’ in all forms of literature, information resources, communications and any other form of media." "Promote the reasoning behind the change and educate staff and students of SHU and SHSU about identities covered by the ‘+’ and why it is important to identify these in the LGBT+ umbrella name." Policy Document Updates: 2016 - All Sheffield Hallam Students' Union documentation, including the Articles of Governance uses the term LGBT+. Officer(s) Responsible: President & LGBT Rep
Approved: 22/01/2019 Expires: 22/01/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To campaign on mental health via the Mind Your Head Campaign consistently throughout the academic year." "Lobby for University to provide accessible spaces, where it’s quiet and space for Students to think." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 06/11/2018 Expires: 06/11/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To actively support equality in blood donorship and to work with external organisations lobbying on this topic." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: LGBT Rep
Approved: 06/11/2018 Expires: 06/11/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To create a committee (of student volunteer PeriodPositive Champions via a student volunteer project, who will liaise with the Women’s and LGBT+ reps) to initiate the charter process and participate in workshops to learn more about menstruation and menstrual taboo basics, to support union-based discussions around periods will always be positive and free of stigma." "To include all students and staff in education regardless of their gender, including making sure our discussions of periods are trans-inclusive." "Implement broader workshops to educate and raise awareness of menstrual taboo issues amongst staff, officers, reps, and society committees." "Propose a motion at the NUS conference for the NUS to join the #periodpositive charter." "Campaign for the awareness and use of reusable menstrual products, keep a supply of display samples from different brands of cups, cloth pads and period pants, and look into subsidising the purchase of or offering workshops on making or switching to reusables, to support environmental initiatives around reducing single-use plastics" "Improve signage reminding students and visitors not to flush disposable menstrual products and wipes and ensure that we share information about plastic-free disposables, and will ensure our printed language use avoids terms like ‘sanitary’, ‘feminine hygiene’ or other stigmatising language." "Continue to provide free emergency menstrual products for anyone who is caught by surprise and in need, will ensure there are a variety of types and brands available, and will distribute a resource explaining reusables for future reference to those needing emergency disposables." "Refer to the charter and our self-assessment targets (see below) to uphold improved practice and atmosphere to support people dealing with period poverty." "Become the first union to gain the #periodpositive Charter Mark, and eventually lobby the university to become the first #periodpositive university." "Appoint #periodpositive champions through a volunteering project, supported by the volunteering advisors and the Hubs staff team." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: Women's Rep
Approved: 06/11/2018 Expires: 06/11/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To support and campaign for the full decriminalisation of sex work." "To support sex worker led organisations, who work to improve the lives of sex workers across the UK and beyond." "To campaign against any attempted to introduce the Nordic Model in the UK" Policy Document Updates: May 2019 - Sheffield Hallam SU Women's Rep wrote a letter to the chief licensing officer of Sheffield City Council to voice our support of spearmint rhino's license renewal. Officer(s) Responsible: Wellbeing, Sport and Physical Activity Officer
Approved: 17/05/2018 Expires: 17/05/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "Work with the University to improve awareness of sexual health issues and the services available to Sheffield Hallam students." "Work with student health at SHU as well as other outside agencies (NHS Choices and Gay Sheffield .etc) to provide sexual health services/drop in sessions within the Students' Union." "Where possible offer free contraception or where appropriate signpost students to other services offering free contraception." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: Wellbeing, Sport and Physical Activity Officer
Approved: 01/12/2020 Expires: 01/12/2023 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "1. To work with the university to create a comprehensive, coherent plan to improve the wellbeing of students that is built on student feedback, particularly those of liberation and minority students. Our campaigns and stances will be inclusive and caring, and developed with and for all members of students’ unions. 2. To prioritise the voices of the liberation groups, by taking direct steps to tackle the lack of culturally competent support services across departments, campuses, and placement providers. 3. To relaunch Students Not Suspects, and fight the Prevent agenda in education, counselling services and society as a whole. Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 17/12/2010 Expires: 17/12/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: " To ringfence £200 (or an equivalent proportion of the Rep Committee campaign budget, should it be altered in future years) of Rep Committee's campaign budget for each Liberation Committee." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 17/11/2017 Expires: 17/11/2020 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "Not to allow any individual who is known to hold racist or fascist, to speak at a union event in accordance with the External Speakers Policy" "Not to allow any individual who is known to hold racist or fascist from distributing any written or recorded material in the union which expresses those views." "That no elected officer of the union will speak on a platform with an individual who is known to hold racist or fascist views and may be likely to express those views." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 06/02/2018 Expires: 06/02/2021 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To mandate all elected individuals on Students Union Council (not including Zone Chairs, Zone Vice-Chairs, Union Council Chair or Open Space Council positions) to be required to fill out and submit the "Accountability Report" and submit this at least 8 working days before every union council." "All individuals that can be held accountable to report on every manifesto point that the individual was elected on and that these cannot be removed or replaced. This is the baseline minimum required of all these elected individuals." "To mandate the Union Council Chair to ensure these Accountability Reports are sent out to council members at least 5 working days before the Union Council meeting to ensure proper scrutiny. " Policy Document Updates: March 2019 - The referendum, which proposed the introduction of Officer Accountability Panels, passed with a total of 1557 votes. Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 17/11/2017 Expires: 17/11/2020 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To take a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment in the Union in accordance to NUS’s definition of sexual harassment." "To promote the Union’s stance on sexual harassment through a publicity campaign in consultation with the Community & Welfare and Women’s Rep." "To call upon the University for an updated sexual harassment policy in light of the hidden marks report." "To not display images in the Union which objectify, fetishize or stereotype people." Policy Document Officer(s) Responsible: President
Approved: 12/02/2019 Expires: 12/02/2022 Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves: "To ensure that all Union Council meetings are at the very minimum sound recorded, and all members of Union Council to sign documentation agreeing to this." "To ensure a published agenda for each upcoming Council session is uploaded to the Students' Union website - along with the date, time and location of the session" "To ensure minutes from Union Council meetings are added to the Students' Union website, starting from the 22/01/2019 and continuing until such time as this policy is reviewed." "To make all audio/video footage of the meetings available to all students via social media as well as keeping a copy for the archive." Policy Document Updates: April 2019 - Details of each Union Council can now be found on the SHSU website. Officer(s) Responsible: President
If you have feedback or opinions on any of the above policies, you can contact electedrepsupport@shu.ac.uk with your comments. Let us know you would like your comments forwarded on to any specific reps/officers (see list below) - if not they will be provided to the Council as a whole.