iso International Student's Officer

Did you notice a big buzz on campus this week?

This is because Guild Officer Elections are on!
Every year, students vote for the candidates they most want to represent them in different areas, all students at the University of Birmingham can vote on these elections.

Of note, there is an International Students’ Officer position, for which all students can vote.

Voting opens online on Friday 2nd of March 2012, more details on: http://guildofstudents.com/content/790393/

If you are in a dilemma and cannot decide on which candidate you like in what order, you can use the VoteMatch service to try and match yourself to each person’s policies!

Dear all,

You might have noticed some advertisement for the Guild Officer Elections.  Basically, nominations are being accepted for ALL officer positions (from sabbatical to non-sabbatical).  They must be received by the Monday 6th February 2012.

More details can be found on here.  The officers elected in this round will hold office during the academic year 2012-2013.

You can contact the relevant officers to ask about their roles if you want to run but are not quite sure about the position you want to go for.

ALL students at the University of Birmingham can run in these elections, and EVERYONE can vote too! Voting will be open in March; but at that time you will see all candidates campaigning frantically on campus, which will turn all bright and cheery!

To international students who want to run for a sabbatical position but are worried about their visa, there is a Sabbatical visa available for a year if you are elected as an officer.  So don’t let your status affect your candidacy!

The International Students’ Officer position
If you are considering running for the International Students’ Officer position, then go ahead with it!

The sooner you do it the better!

Even if you do not get elected in the end, you will have a load of fun campaigning and running around trying to convinve people to vote for you.

Regarding an ISO’s responsibilities, the classic line is that you represent all international students to the Guild, the University and other organisations as well.  You attend meetings with many different people, and you get to see how a big institution like the Guild or the University runs.  I personally find that experiencing what goes on behind the scenes outside lectures is very enriching.

With respect to the commitment you have to make as a non-sabbatical officer (which means a part-time officer who also does their course alongside holding office), it really depends on how much time you have on your hands.  They say that the more you put in the more you get out of it.  This is true, but you can juggle your course requirements around your officer role.  Plus you learn to delegate responsibilities to different people, either within the Guild or beyond, who will help you get the job done.  They are always there and ready to help.  They are also there to listen to you if you have any concerns worrying you.

I think being an ISO trains you in so many ways, you get to meet loads of people from all over the country which helps enhance your people and communication skills.  You become a leader as you have to make sensible choices as to what needs doing and how to capture your fellow international students’ interests and attention.  You become a manager in running the International Students’ Association (with whom you work very closely).  You are also answerable to the student body with regards to the work that you are doing and how you are ticking off your manifesto points (the changes you say you will bring about); and that is through Guild Council.

If you feel you might not yet have the necessary skills or experience to run for this position, or any at all, then do not worry!  No one is perfectly ready for the officer positions, that is why all elected candidates are trained thoroughly over the summer.  It is a steep learning curve, but all worth it in the end.

Therefore, if you want to make a difference to your fellow students, we are very eager to hear from you!  Do submit your nomination forms and manifestos before the 6 February deadline.  Your contributions will be valuable to us and all students too!

With best wishes,

Noorie
ISO 2011-2012

Happy 2012 everyone!

I hope you are enjoying the season’s festivities and a good break from all the Uni work.

It will not be very long before term resumes and the brum clock starts ticking again!  Brace yourselves for some exciting events across the Spring Term!

There are Housing Fairs on Wednesday the 11th January 10-4 in the Deb Hall, and on Wednesday 25th January 11-5 in Shackleton on the Vale.  You will be able to meet with landlords, and also the West Midlands Police at these events for any queries you might have regarding housing (& security).
If, on the other hand, you feel that you might not have found housemates for next year, then do not worry! There are Mixing Events on Tue 17th January 7-9 in the Amos Room at the Guild, and on Tue 24th January 7-9 in Lower Rios Shackleton.  You will be able to meet with other students who are looking for housemates at these Mixing Events.
Please do remember to have your contracts checked at the ARC or by the Student Mentors before signing and committing to anything or any property.
For more advice on househunting, and to access the presentation by the Vice President Housing & Community (Zuki) on what to look for in a property, click here.
If you are already living in private accommodation, and feel that you could do with some support in dealing with your landlord or anything to do with housing, you can still get in touch with the ARC.  Of course, you can also access all househunting resources from the Guild for finding a house for next year and get your new contracts checked!

There is also the ‘Get Involved’ Sports & Recreation Fair on the Friday the 13th January, as well as a Get Involved Societies Fair on the 31st of January 10.30-3.30!

Guild Officer Elections
Nominations for Guild Officer Elections will open on the 16th of January 2012.  All 17 sabbatical and non-sabbatical positions will be open for nomination/election.  The term of office for the Elected Officers will be the 2012/2013 academic year.
If you want to represent your fellow students, or want to give something back to the Guild & the University, then do consider running for these elections! More details will be available on the Guild website.
If you are considering to run for the International Students’ Officer position, (which will be a non-sabbatical position for 2012/2013), but are concerned about how big a commitment the role is, or have any worries at all, then do not hesitate to get in touch with me on iso@guild.bham.ac.uk.  I will be very happy to answer any question you might have about the position.

See you all back on campus soon!

Best wishes for a successful new year

Noorie
Your International Students’ Officer

Hello everyone!

So it’s been over a month since my last blog!
Here is all I have been up to over the past few weeks (apart from my degree work that is…).

ISA Committee
The new committee had an informal handover meeting from the outgoing chair and events’ officer on Monday the 14th November 2011.
The ISA committee by-elections were held on Monday the 21st November 2011 from 5-6 pm in Guild Council Chambers.  Livia Tverdun was elected as Events’ Officer.
The Sports Officer position has not been filled.

The new ISA had their first Meet & Greet on the Tuesday 29th November 2011 from 5-6.30 pm in the Chaplaincy kitchen area.  A few people turned up, including someone who made delicious Korean pancakes!
Pictures from the event can be found on here.

ISAS Trips to Oxford
I went on a trip organised by the International Students’ Advisory Service (ISAS) to Oxford on the 26th November 2011. 
During the trip some students contributed their funny stories about life in the UK, including some cultural differences in greeting people, as well as the efficiency in recovering lost items here!

Guild Officer training on intercultural awareness
The Guild Officer Group was invited to a specially planned Bridging our world workshop on the 1st of December.  This was together with members of the ISA committee to raise awareness of cultural issues among Guild Officers.  6 Guild Officers attended.  It was delivered by the Careers & Employability Centre.

Link-up programme
Academic Services at the University of Birmingham has set up a new programme called Link-up, which is meant to pair up international students with local ones over Christmas so that they each have things to do around in Birmingham over the Christmas break.
The International Student sign-up closed today; the Home Students sign-up is open until Wednesday 7th December, and can be found here.
So if you are a student staying local over the holidays, sign up! It will be a great opportunity to make friends with someone from another part of the world and to learn about their culture!

English language support for international students and their partners
Do you struggle with your English?  Do you think you could do with some help with your academic or even everyday English?
Then have a look at the English for International Students Unit.

What’s on in Birmingham over Christmas?
If you are around in Birmingham over the Christmas period, you can find out what’s on in and around the city here.
You can also sign up to the Birmingham City Council monthly Bulletin Service here.  This will help you keep abreast of everything going on in the city!

… and something a little more local for students staying behind over the holidays!
The Student Mentor Scheme is holding its annual Christmas social on Thursday the 15th December 2011 @ 7-9.30 pm.  This is an evening where all students staying back in University residences meet up around food, drinks and Christmas cheer to celebrate the festive season and end the term in style!
If you are around and would like to attend, sign up here.  The deadline for signing up to this free event is Tuesday 13th December 2011.

If you want to get in touch with me, email iso@guild.bham.ac.uk

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Noorie x