News for Glamlife

Advice Zone Online is USW’s new online student support system, which makes finding answers to your questions easier than ever.

Advice Zone Online is the University’s recently launched online student support system. It’s one central place where you can access support from any part of the University, with any type of issue you might have.

Currently Advice Zone Online lets students view Frequently Asked Questions and ask new questions, which will connect them with the right team at the University to get help.

How do I access Advice Zone Online?
Advice Zone Online can be accessed from the UniLife homepage:

What information can I expect to find in Advice Zone Online?
Advice Zone Online currently features frequently asked questions on everything from ‘Your Course’ to ‘Careers and Employability’. Advice Zone Online also enables you to request student letters. Appointment booking will be launching soon.

How can I view Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)?
Once you have logged into Advice Zone Online with your student credentials, you can browse categories and select a subject to see all related frequently asked questions or search using keywords.

What if I can’t find an answer to my question?
If you can’t find an answer to your question, you can ‘Ask Us a Question’. Your question will automatically be sent to the correct University ‘team’. When your question has been answered an email will be sent to your University email address asking you to login to the system.

How do I view my questions and correspondence?
Your questions are stored securely in Advice Zone Online under ‘My Questions’ enabling you to search and track, current and previous queries. You must login to Advice Zone Online with your University credentials to access and view correspondence.

What if I need to add more information to my query?
If your answer hasn’t been resolved, Advice Zone Online makes it easier to interact with staff and find the answer you’re looking for. Return to your query via the ‘My Questions’ button and select an action to re-open the enquiry.

What does ‘a question has been raised for me’ mean?
Your Campus Advice Zone will raise a question in Advice Zone Online on your behalf if your enquiry is made over the phone or face-to-face. You will need your student ID in both instances to verify your identity.

Students should no longer email their Campus Advice Zone; instead, all questions and enquiries should be logged in Advice Zone Online.

Privacy Statement
Advice Zone Online’s Privacy Statement tells you what information might be collected as you use the system, and how your privacy and data security is protected.

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From 14th May 2018, Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC in partnership with USW are placing two recycling collection points in Treforest.

These collection points will give students who are leaving halls of residence, or rented accommodation in Treforest the opportunity to drop off any reusable items. These items can then be given to fellow students and local charities. Any item that cannot be reused will be recycled.

Items we would like to see you bring to the collection points are:

• Electrical items
• Books
• Clothing
• Kitchen ware
• DVD’s, CD’s
• Textiles

If you have anything that you think would be useful for somebody, then bring it along with you.

The collection points will be situated

• Outside the Accommodation Lodge on Treforest Campus
• Near the Brooke Street entrance to the University

Opening times at the collection points will be Monday – Friday, 10:30am to 2:00pm. The collection points will be available until 16th June 2018.

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Feeling stressed at the moment ?

FREE Anxiety workshops available for students during Mental Health Awareness week
See UniLife Connect to book a place

Tues 15th May – Newport City campus 11.30am – 12.30
Tues 15th May – Cardiff ATRiuM Campus 2pm – 3pm

Thurs 17th May – Treforest campus 11.30am – 12.30
Thurs 17th May – Glyntaff Campus 2pm – 3pm

Monday 14th May. This year the focus is on stress.

Stress is not a mental health problem in itself, but it is a key cause of mental health problems like depression and anxiety and is often linked to self-harm and suicide.
Stress is also known to lead to physical health problems like muscle and joint pain and cardiovascular problems.

Spotting the signs of stress early is crucial to enabling us to manage it and ensuring it isn’t allowed to develop into a more serious problem.

Why not take the stress test, designed using the evidence-based perceived stress scale?

Take the stress test and see how you’re doing

Anxiety workshops are also being held on all campuses next week
Tues 15th May Newport and at the ATRiuM
Thurs 17th May Treforest and Glyntaff

see UniLife Connect to book a place on any of the workshops

Free Anxiety Management Workshops as part of Mental Health Awareness Week; learn techniques that will help you to better manage anxiety.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2018, The Wellbeing Service is running four Anxiety Management Workshops, one per campus:

Tuesday 15th May
Newport City Campus room NC E07 at 11:30am – 12:30pm – Book
Atrium Campus room CA AH 006 at 2:00pm – 3:00pm – Book

Thursday 17th May
Treforest Campus room TR H230 at 11:30am – 12:30pm – Book
Glyntaff Campus room GT EM127 at 2:00pm – 3:00pm – Book

During the one-hour session, the workshops will help you understand anxiety, why we experience it and what some of the causes are. They will explore different techniques aimed at helping you to manage anxiety, thereby reducing the distress it causes.

The workshops are free to attend; book your place online through UniLife Connect.

To view a full list of the activities planned during Mental Health Awareness Week 2018, please see here.

Mental Health Awareness Week is the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health and inspire action to promote the message of good mental health for all. For more information, please see Mental Health Foundation.

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Would you like to take part in the Higher Education Alcohol and Drug Survey?

The HEADS Survey

HEADS is a survey of university students in Wales. The main aim is to understand more about alcohol and drug use within Higher Education. HEADS also aims to find out more about victimisation experiences, offending behaviour and gambling.

HEADS is anonymous and wholly voluntary. There is no obligation to take part, although we really hope that you will! It will take you no more than 10 minutes to complete.

Taking part will give you the chance to win an iPad, Amazon vouchers or high street shopping vouchers.

Please click here to take part in the HEADS survey.

Help With Alcohol And Drug Problems

If you have concerns about your own or a friend’s use of alcohol, use of drugs, or gambling,
please see the following UniLife pages:
Drugs and Substance Misuse
Gambling

Other sources of support are listed below:

DAN 24/7 (Wales Drug and Alcohol Helpline)
Tel: 08088082234; or text DAN to 81066; or go to http://www.dan247.org.uk/

The Living Room in Cardiff
(for support with gambling problems)
Tel: 029 2049 3895
Web: http://www.cais.co.uk/services/living-room-cardiff/

Gamblers Anonymous
Tel: 020 7384 3040 (calls charged at local rate)
Web: https://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/

Victim Support
Web: https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-and-support/get-help/support-near-you/wales
Tel: South Wales – 0300 303 0161
Tel: Gwent – 0300 123 2133
Tel: North Wales – 0300 30 30 159
Tel: Dyfed Powys – 0300 123 2996

More Information About The Survey

HEADS has been developed by researchers at the University of South Wales with the support of Welsh Government and the Developing a Caring Wales (DACW) consortium of drug and alcohol charities.

The survey company that holds the data is Smart Survey, which is based in the UK. The company is keen to preserve anonymity and ensures that not even the IP address of the respondent is held. The questions cover some personal issues and we assure you that there is no way that this information could be traced back to you or fall into the wrong hands. The survey is conducted by Professor Katy Holloway and Emeritus Professor Trevor Bennett from the Centre for Criminology at the University of South Wales in collaboration with Dr Rhian Hills from Welsh Government. The results will be presented in aggregated form and we plan to publish in academic peer-reviewed journals. The research has received ethical approval from the University of South Wales, Faculty of Business and Society Research Committee. If you have any queries about any aspect of HEADS, please contact us at headssurvey@southwales.ac.uk.

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The University’s LGBT+ support group have developed a Trans Equality Statement and invite your thoughts and feedback to ensure it is representative of staff and students at USW.

The University’s LGBT+ support group, Spectrum, have developed a Trans Equality Statement for the University to adopt. This statement outlines a number of values to ensure equality and inclusivity for trans staff and students at USW.

Spectrum encourage you to share your thoughts on this policy statement and welcome any feedback you might have, especially if there is anything you feel has not been included that you think needs to be.

The policy statement will continue to be developed in the coming months to include how these principles will be implemented in practice. If you would like to be involved in discussing what needs to be included in the guidance, or you would like to share your feedback, please email clare.payton-stagg@southwales.ac.uk and/or ray.vincent@southwales.ac.uk.

Spectrum invite you to share your views via email, telephone or face to face and welcome all comments by Wednesday 16th May 2018.

Spectrum exists to support students and staff at USW and to promote awareness of LGBT+ issues within the University. It is a collective of LGBT+ staff members and supportive allies.

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Congratulations to the students of the School of Education, Early Years and Social Work who, for the second year running, has achieved the highest response rate at the close of the NSS survey.

The top five schools at end of the NSS survey were as follows:

1. Education, Early Years and Social Work: 88.56%
2. Design and Digital: 86.73%
3. Production and Performance: 86.43%
4. Business School: 86.26%
5. Psychology and Therapeutic Studies: 83.26%

A record number of students have completed the 2018 National Student Survey in the University of South Wales, which put USW 10.6% above the sector average. The final response rate was 80.9% compared with 75.6% in 2017, so a big thank you to everyone who took part in the survey.

The Students’ Union will now work with the School of Education, Early Years and Social Work to agree on the form of the celebration.

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USW Marketing and Student Recruitment are looking for student ambassadors to represent the University at:

• Information Fairs
• Open Days
• UCAS events
• Conferences
• Open Evenings
• Interview Days
• Freshers’ Week

Why sign up?

• Build your CV
• Help Promote your Uni
• Learn new skills
• Meet new people
• Get paid

Recruitment for USW Student Ambassadors has now closed and will re-open in the new academic year. In the meantime, if you have any questions please feel free to email us at Ambassadors@southwales.ac.uk

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The Students’ Union Mental Health Awareness Month is running throughout May and as part of the ‘Have a Hygge’ Campaign they are bringing the dogs back on campus!

So come and de-stress with some furry friends . . . starting this Friday in the Atrium Lobby.

Pet a Pooch dates are as follows:
Cardiff: Friday 4 May 10am – 3pm – Atrium Lobby
Newport: Friday 11 May 10am – 3pm – Newport Lobby
Glyntaff: Monday 14 May 10am – 12pm – SU Student Box
Treforest: Monday 14 May 2pm – 4pm – Cables bar, Students’ Union

*Hygge – Danish for feeling safe, relaxed and comforted.

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