Your Communities
Your University Community
All staff and students are asked to take responsibility for helping to create an environmentally friendly, sustainable and multicultural campus. Partnership and collaborative working between staff and students is actively encouraged so we can create mutually beneficial learning communities. Members of the University community also share a duty to act responsibly towards each other. Consideration towards others is the key principle, whether face to face, via social networking sites, material sent by post or text/emails.
The University is committed to recycling or recovering as much of its waste as possible and also encourages staff and students to use sustainable travel when going to and from the campus. The Green Impact initiative further underlines this commitment to sustainable development approaches. Students are encouraged to use the various recycling initiatives available for any unwanted household goods when moving out of their private student accommodation at the end of the academic year.
Your Local Community
The University has a good relationship with local communities. Engaging positively with your community and helping maintain those relationships includes getting to know your neighbours and respecting diverse ways of life (eg they may be elderly, have very young children or come from a different background). You could also take part in community volunteering projects, and become inspired as an active citizen. Living in University accommodation also means you are part of a vibrant student community.
One of the challenges of living in a local community is learning how to integrate successfully into a neighbourhood setting. You are therefore encouraged to respect your neighbours and help promote acceptable behaviour and good community relations. Problems can occur with neighbours where reasonable conventions regarding noise disturbance are ignored. Examples might include shouting, swearing, slamming of doors, revving cars and playing loud music. The Students' Union runs a "Staying up, keep it down" campaign encouraging you to keep noise to acceptable levels when staying up late.
Other behaviours that can cause issues include irresponsible disposal of rubbish and litter, inconsiderate parking and other antisocial behaviour. Antisocial and inappropriate behaviour is taken extremely seriously by the University and action will be taken under the University Discipline Regulations where appropriate.
Helping the City of Sheffield Community
Working in the community on a voluntary basis helps students gain valuable work experience. Sheffield Volunteering (run by the Students' Union) is an award winning programme which provides a wide range of community volunteering opportunities. Some examples of activities are:-
Storying Sheffield is an innovative art and community project based in the School of English. Undergraduate students and people from the city with no family background in higher education are working and studying together to produce, record, and collect stories, fragments of stories, and many other diverse representations of the lives of Sheffield people, and the 'life' of Sheffield.
A Nice Time on Saturdays which provides activity days for 8-11 year old bereaved children. These are monthly trips on a Saturday to various locations in Sheffield with transport provided.