Celebrating 10 years of the Green Impact Awards

Posted on by Laura

We’ve recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Green Impact Awards, a University of Bristol-born environmental initiative, which has gone on to have national impact. It has been adopted by over 400 UK organisations such as University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, North Bristol NHS Trust and 50 universities across the country.

Green Impact Award winners 2018

The Green Impact Scheme challenges staff to implement several actions within their departments to help the environment: things like saving energy, volunteering, using more sustainable transport and recycling. The more actions teams complete, the more points are scored, leading to a Bronze, Bronze Plus, Silver, Gold or Platinum Award. Students can volunteer as Green Impact Project Assistants or Green Impact Auditors.

  • Green Impact Project Assistants: students receive certified NUS training and then use their new skills to help Green Impact teams complete their workbooks by improving the sustainability of their workplaces. This usually begins shortly after the launch of the scheme, and ends just before it closes. Green Impact Project Assistants provide ongoing assistance to teams during this period.
  • Green Impact Auditors: students receive certified NUS training to carry out the official end-of-scheme audits of Green Impact teams and their workplaces to make sure teams have completed all actions logged in their submitted workbooks. Training and audits usually take place in one day following the close of the scheme.

“The Green Impact Awards are a fantastic testament to how the efforts of individuals and teams can combine to achieve instrumental positive effects on our environment. We’re immensely proud to have created a scheme that has gone on to be adopted across the country and of all of our staff and students whose work has contributed positively on our environment.”

Martin Wiles, University of Bristol Head of Sustainability.

For 2019, the Sustainability Team are busy planning how the Green Impact Awards will work alongside other sustainability schemes at the University. Keep an eye on the Green University pages for further updates.

Get your voice heard through your course rep!

Posted on by Sarah

Bristol Students’ Union and our University work together to give you the best university experience possible. Student course reps are an important part of the picture; they play a key role in sharing your concerns and issues with teams in the University who can make a difference.

Course reps are your ‘on-the-ground’ students, democratically elected to represent your academic interests and any concerns to the University. They can directly influence change in the schools they represent, making sure student voices are heard. Their job is to find out the things their course mates like or would like changed; anything from deadlines being too close together to not having enough bins in buildings.

Introducing the Education Network

We've got your back – especially when it comes to representing your academic interests! Here's a little introduction to The Education Network, which exists to improve all students' educational experience at Bristol.The Education Network is open to everyone, but automatically includes Academic Course Reps, Faculty Reps, Education Officers, and Academic Society Committees. You can join the Facebook group here >> http://bit.ly/2ThuEFO

Posted by Bristol SU on Thursday, 15 November 2018

Course reps share these items with University colleagues and work out ways that they can be changed – or find out why they can’t be. They have done amazing work to benefit students: for example, getting printer credits put on course accounts, feeding into building proposals, and moving the dates of reading weeks.

Staff in schools want to make student life the best it can be, but they often don’t know what the issues are. If you think of something, tell your course rep, so they can let University staff know. Find out who your course rep is on the Bristol SU website. 

Course rep elections, run by the SU, are held in March and October. Keep an eye out around campus for your chance to nominate yourself or to recommend a friend.  Being a course rep is an effective way of influencing change in your school and of getting a sense of what happens behind the scenes at our University. It also looks great on a CV.

Visit the Bristol SU Website to find out more.

Tis the season to…take a break.

Posted on by cheryl.miles

Festive greetings from Professor Hugh Brady, Vice-Chancellor and President and the University Management Team.

The holiday season is almost upon us. Although the University closes for Christmas on 21 December, you can still access some of our facilities over the break. Take a look at the services and support available over the holidays.

Merry Bristmas!

Bristol SU Living Room

If you’re staying in Bristol during the holidays, there’s still plenty going on including seasonal activities at the newly launched Bristol SU Living Room taking place from 17 – 20 December. You can also hear more about events taking place in the local area while the University is closed and meet other students who might be staying in Bristol during this time.

Don’t forget to join the UoB Staying in Bristol at Christmas Facebook page. All students are welcome to join and you can find out more about other events such as the Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and a Boxing Day Tour around the historic listed Goldney Gardens and Grotto.

Relax and unwind

The holiday season is the perfect time to take a breather and unwind ahead of the New Year. You don’t need us to tell you about all the benefits of sport and activity; it’s well known how positive an effect it can have on your mental and physical wellbeing. For those staying in Bristol, the indoor sports centre will still be open part of the time together with the Students’ Health Service. You can find out about opening hours here.

Academic support

Ease the pressure of the January exam period by getting clued up on all the academic support and tools available to you on the Study Support pages. Brush up on your revision techniques and exam preparation with these online tutorials; Revision planning, Revision techniques, Exam papers & questions and Exams & Wellbeing. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your studies, maybe take some time to reflect on what you think could help you when we reopen. Start a portfolio with Personal Development Planning (PDP) and jot down which areas you feel you could use some guidance on.

See all the Academic Support on offer for you through our Study Support pages.

Many of our services are still open while you’re away from your studies; even during the University closure dates we have study areas open and some of our services running. You can see the opening hours here.

Stay connected

We know that the festive season isn’t easy for everyone so if you want to talk to someone, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in Uni residences or not. There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

While students are not officially back until 14 January, the University reopens on 3 January and we’ll be here for you if you have any questions.  You can contact your Personal Tutor, speak to our Information Point and use the libraries and study areas.

From all of us at the University of Bristol, we wish you a restful break. Happy Holidays!

#TisTheSeason 🌟

 

Tis the season to…be helpful.

Posted on by Sarah

If you need to know where to get advice or how to get around campus, drop in to our new Information Point at Senate House and someone from our friendly team will be on hand to point you in the right direction.

Second year English student Olivia Garner has been working at the Information Point since September this year.

Olivia stands in front of the Information Point desk with an iPad in her hands

While Olivia is used to providing information on everything from finance to academic support, this month she’s getting into the festive spirit. So if you want to know who stocks the best mince pies, need advice on how to trim your tree or the best way to wrap a present, the team at the Information Point might 😉 be able to help!*

*Being totally honest, they’re not 100% sure what trimming a tree even means –  better to stick to Bristol questions that they can answer🎄😆

Team of people stood behind Information Point desk
Some of the Information Point team

The Information Point is open in Senate House, Tyndall Avenue, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm during term time.

Although the University closes for Christmas on 21 December, you can still access some of our facilities over the break. Take a look at the services and support available over the holidays.

 

 

Tis the season to…come together.

Posted on by cheryl.miles

Festive greetings from the Global Lounge Team.

We’re a global community here at the University of Bristol. If you’d like to meet new friends, learn about different cultures and hear out about studying abroad, then keep a look out for events and activities organised by the Global Lounge Team.

Why not come along to their Festive Mingle events next week? You can find out about events taking place in the local area while the University is closed over the holidays and meet other students who might be staying in Bristol. There will also be free tea and coffee, snacks and plenty of festive cheer. It’s a great opportunity to learn about how the holidays are celebrated in many different cultures and share your own traditions with others. The Festive Mingle events are taking place in the Bristol SU Living Room (Senate House, 4th floor) between Monday 17 Dec – Thursday 20 Dec from 12 pm – 2 pm.

Don’t forget, there’s also a Facebook group which you can join to connect with other students and discover what to do in Bristol over the Christmas break. If you’d like to know more about which University buildings are open over the Christmas break and when, take a look here.

#TisTheSeason

Happy Holidays!

 

Tis the season to…get a little more.

Posted on by rebecca.hobson

To help you enjoy the break and take some time to look after yourself we’ve got Academic Support all wrapped up for you.

 

 

Before the break we have extra Academic Support on offer through our Faculty Study Skills workshops. These are running until 19 December – check out what’s still available.

Many of our services are still open while you’re away from your studies; even during the University closure dates we have study areas open and some of our services running. You can see the opening hours for these services online.

While students are not officially back until 14 January, the University reopens on 3 January and we’ll be here for you if you have any questions.  You can contact your Personal Tutor, speak to our Student Information Service and use the libraries and study areas.

While you’re away, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with your studies, maybe take some time to reflect on what you think could help you when we reopen. Start a portfolio with Personal Development Planning (PDP) and jot down which areas you feel you could use some guidance on.

See what Academic Support is on offer for you through our Study Support pages.

Happy Holidays!

 

Tis the season to…stay active.

Posted on by cheryl.miles

Season’s Greetings from our Sport, Exercise and Health community. You don’t need us to tell you about all the benefits of sport and activity; it’s well known how positive an effect it can have on your mental and physical wellbeing. Although it may be tempting to abandon your usual routine over the holidays, there will also be lots of opportunities to stay active at this time of year. Choose things you enjoy and make it fun! Maybe a long walk with old friends exploring somewhere new? Check out your local exercise options – a short membership somewhere or many parks now have exercise equipment you can use. What could you do as family? Ice skating, anyone?!

For those staying in Bristol, here are the opening hours for the swimming pool, Coombe Dingle and our newly refurbished Indoor Sports Centre.

Why not look into how you can get more involved next term? You could join one of our many sports clubs and societies, start a membership and meet like-minded people, or think about sports leadership and volunteering.   

Here at Bristol, sport and activity are more than just a one-off session; it’s about belonging to a community of students, passionate about living life well.

#TisTheSeason

 

 

 

 

 

Tis the season to…be mindful.

Posted on by rebecca.hobson

If you haven’t met your new neighbours yet, why not take the festive season as an opportunity to say hello and maybe share a mince pie or two? They could keep an eye on your empty house over the holidays and perhaps bring your bins back in for you once you’ve gone. It’s great to build relationships with the community around you; find out what’s happening in your local area and get involved. You’ll meet new people and feel part of your neighbourhood.

Try to also remember your neighbours if you’re planning a festive celebration and the impact it might have on them. The guide to community living provides some good advice.

During this season we tend to generate a lot of extra stuff. Bristol Waste offer some useful ideas for recycling, reusing, re-gifting and donating to help us be mindful of our impact on resources and landfill.

Be mindful of safety – look after yourself, your belongings and each other. Security Services promote useful tips on personal safety. And if you are going to be away, make sure everyone takes responsibility for switching things off and locking up.

This time of year particularly can be difficult for some people, so help out where you can. Check out SU Volunteering for opportunities to make someone else’s festive season a little brighter.

#TisTheSeason

Joni Lloyd, Community Liaison Manager

 

 

If you’re staying in Bristol, don’t forget to join the University Staying in Bristol Facebook Group listing events and activities taking place over the festive season.

You can also find out about our opening hours during the holidays including study spaces, the Students’ Health Service and the sports facilities. If you want to talk to someone over the festive season, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in Uni residences or not. There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

 

Tis the season to…stay connected

Posted on by rebecca.hobson

As the term comes to a close, some will be preparing to return home to friends and family, while others will be staying put for ‘Bristmas’ in the city.

Whatever you have planned for the festive period, be sure to make the most of your break by enjoying time with others and finding time to unwind.

Stay connected

Those spending the break in Bristol are invited to join in with a variety of festivities.

The newly launched Bristol SU Living Room on the fourth floor of Senate House is running lots of seasonal activities, including Christmas crafts, old school games and traditional nibbles to ease you into the holiday season. Look out for the daily Festive Mingle events from 17 – 20 December too.

This is a great opportunity to find out about events taking place in the local area while the University is closed and meet other students who might be staying in Bristol during this time.

All students staying in Bristol over Christmas are welcome to enjoy Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and take a Boxing Day Tour around the historic listed Goldney Gardens and Grotto. Join the UoB Staying in Bristol at Christmas Facebook page to stay in touch and keep posted on other festive events taking place during the holiday.

Relax

The holiday season is the perfect time to take a breather from the busyness of the first term, unwind and nurture your wellbeing ahead of the New Year.

For those staying in Bristol, please find out about our opening hours during the holidays including study spaces, the Students’ Health Service and the sports facilities.

If you want to talk to someone over the festive season, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in University residences or not.

There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

Recap

After the festive break comes the January exam period. Ease the pressure by getting clued up on all the academic support and tools available to you on the Study Support pages.

For further academic support, we offer drop-ins, revision workshops, one to one sessions and tutorials.

#TisTheSeason

 

Tis the season to…celebrate community.

Posted on by rebecca.hobson

Watch some festive greetings from Eva Larkai, Chair of the BME Network and Aisha Rana-Deshmukh, President of Bollywood Dance Society.

How will you be spending your time over the holidays? #TisTheSeason

If you’re staying in Bristol, don’t forget to join the University Staying in Bristol Facebook Group listing events and activities taking place over the festive season.

You can also find out about our opening hours during the holidays including study spaces, the Students’ Health Service and the sports facilities. If you want to talk to someone over the festive season, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in Uni residences or not. There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

 

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