Recruitment week
As you hopefully were aware, 16-20 November was Recruitment Week for our Branch (and the entire national organization). It is probably the busiest week for Recruitment Officers, who are nominally in control of all the events, and I spent much of the week trying (and sometimes failing) to ensure that all the stalls were adequately supplied with promotional material. At Northumbria we had three tables dotted about the campus. At Coach Lane, UCU volunteers were welcomed people entering the main foyer of the Campus. Although the draughts from the doors meant that this position wasn't as comfortable as it might have been, it enabled our volunteers to engage with a large number of staff as they moved around campus. UCU's stall at CCE was slightly more protected from the elements, and enabled volunteers to talk with staff members who were entering the building, heading for the café, or loitering at the building's entrance. Finally, a table outside the refectory in the Ellison Building offered volunteers the chance to meet large numbers of staff as they headed to and from their lunch. Thanks to the generosity of Head Office, we had a large quantity of goodies to give away. The book bags and notepads were extremely popular, although contrary to the prediction of our Health and Safety Officer, the apples we provided were not met with as much enthusiasm as the muffins that were also available.