Baseball The Plymouth Mariners The Plymouth Mariners are an over 18s, mixed baseball team. To find out more, click here .

Freshers 2020 Many of you might be wondering how Freshers will work this year with the restrictions that Coronavirus puts in place. We want you to have the most authentic Freshers experience possible whilst also keeping you safe, so we will be running all of our usual events in person but there are limited capacities and each will be ticketed to ensure your safety, all events will be booked through Eventbrite . We want to make sure you have the best start to Plymouth College of Art and we want to help you all settle in. Our Student Union Ambassadors will be on hand to help you move into Host halls and will be at all of our events to answer any questions you might have and help you meet people from all areas of the PCA community. We want to be as inclusive as possible so we're planning events to suit everybody, from casual Coffee and Cake events to fun Drink and Draw events. You can find the full details of all events below, along with the links to book them. See you soon! City Tour September 13, 4:30-6:30 Get to know the city with our fun tour of Plymouth. We'll leave from outside PCA and your tour guides will point out all the useful shops and landmarks like the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Smeaton's Tower and Tinside Lido. The tour ends on the Barbican where we'll get fish and chips (traditional, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free). Book This Event City Tour September 21, 4:30-6:30 Get to know the city with our fun tour of Plymouth. We'll leave from outside PCA and your tour guides will point out all the useful shops and landmarks like the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Smeaton's Tower and Tinside Lido. The tour ends on the Barbican where we'll get fish and chips (traditional, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free). Book This Event City Tour September 28, 4:30-6:30 Get to know the city with our fun tour of Plymouth. We'll leave from outside PCA and your tour guides will point out all the useful shops and landmarks like the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Smeaton's Tower and Tinside Lido. The tour ends on the Barbican where we'll get fish and chips (traditional, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free). Book This Event The Box Visit October 2, 1:30 onwards Our neighbours at The Box are back and open again after their amazing renovation so we're taking you on a tour to see what they have in store for you! Book This Event City Tour October 5, 4:30-6:30 Get to know the city with our fun tour of Plymouth. We'll leave from outside PCA and your tour guides will point out all the useful shops and landmarks like the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Smeaton's Tower and Tinside Lido. The tour ends on the Barbican where we'll get fish and chips (traditional, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free). Book This Event The Box Visit October 6, 1:30 onwards Our neighbours at The Box are back and open again after their amazing renovation so we're taking you on a tour to see what they have in store for you! Book This Event Coffee and Cake Morning October 7, 10-12 Join us in the Students' Union (Tavistock Place) for some coffee and cake - perfect for those who want to socialise and get to know other students in a more chilled out and relaxed environment. Coffee, tea and cake will be provided! Book This Event Coffee and Cake Afternoon October 7, 1-3 Join us in the Students' Union (Tavistock Place) for some coffee and cake - perfect for those who want to socialise and get to know other students in a more chilled out and relaxed environment. Coffee, tea and cake will be provided! Book This Event Plant Sale w/ Nook Houseplants October 8, 12:30-4 Need some new plants to brighten up your room, or just need to replace the ones you forgot to water? Find the Nook Houseplants stall in the Students' Union (Tavistock Place) to satisfy all your plant needs! Book This Event Drink and Draw: Plant Pot Painting October 8, 5:30-9 Bevs, friends and drawing - what more could you ask for? Join us for a chilled evening of drawing, drinking and socialising in the Students' Union (Tavistock Place) - we'll have some plant pots to decorate too, for those of you who dropped into the plant sale earlier in the day. Book This Event Aquarium Trip October 11, 2-5 Join us as we visit the National Marine Aquarium ! We'll meet you outside at 1:45pm and you can explore at your leisure until 5pm, then you're free to head home or enjoy your Sunday evening at the amazing pubs and bars at the Barbican. Tickets are £20 per person, which includes admission to the Aquarium. This event will be ticketed and has a limited number due to the requirements of the Aquarium. You will need a face mask to be allowed entry - if you do not have one, let us know beforehand and we can bring a disposable face mask for you. Book This Event Tie-Dye Lunch October 14, 11:30-1:30 Join us for a fun event where you can make your own tie-dyed items whilst socialising in the Students' Union (Tavistock Place)! Book This Event Tie-Dye Lunch October 14, 2-4 Join us for a fun event where you can make your own tie-dyed items whilst socialising in the Students' Union (Tavistock Place)! Book This Event Drink and Draw October 14, 5-9 Bevs, friends and drawing - what more could you ask for? Join us for a chilled evening of drawing, drinking and socialising in the Students' Union (Tavistock Place). Book This Event Blind Date with a Book October 15, 12-5 Come along to the Students' Union and buy an affordable book, with a twist - the books will be wrapped so that you can't judge it by the cover but will have a small description so you can figure out if it's of interest to you! Books will be £1-3. Book This Event SU Merch Flash Sale October 16, 12-5 Join us in the Students' Union to browse all of the SU merch! We'll have merch items from just £1 and even a merch bundle so you can get everything for less! Book This Event Movie and Pizza Night October 20, 5:30-9 Join us for our movie night in the Students' Union - free entry and free pizza! We'll be posting a poll for you to vote on which film you'd like to see on the night! Book This Event Quiz Night October 22, 6-9 Join us for a fun quiz night in the Students' Union, with drinks available from the SU Bar. We will also be live streaming for those who feel more comfortable playing along at home. Book This Event LGBTQ+ Bar Night October 23, 5:30-9 Our LGBTQ+ Representative, Harry McCallum, is hosting an LGBTQ+ Bar Night for all of our new students to meet current members of our LGBTQ+ Society. Book This Event

Sports in Plymouth We've put together this easy guide to some of the most popular sports in the city, so you can find the ones that suit you! If you know of any others that we haven't mentioned here, please get in touch with us at studentsunion@aup.ac.uk and we'll add it to this guide. Badminton Find Out More Baseball Find Out More Basketball Find Out More Cricket Find Out More Cycling Find Out More Dance Find Out More Fitness Find Out More Football Find Out More Frisbee Find out More Netball Find Out More Rugby Find Out More Running Find Out More Skateboarding, Scootering and Rollerskating Find Out More Snowsports Find Out More Swimming Find Out More Tennis Find Out More Looking for the Clubs and Societies of Arts University Plymouth? Click here .

Lobbying Efforts 2020/21 A statement from Harriet Moore, Student Union President, on lobbying efforts. It is increasingly more obvious that you are all interested to know what is happening behind the scenes, particularly when it comes to lobbying and making sure your voices are heard. This is why I am going to update you on my lobbying efforts and keep you informed on the things that are happening that you might not ordinarily know about. This includes tuition fee refunds, rent reduction and refund, access to campus, mental health and the overall impact that the pandemic has had on students. This page includes Harriet's personal efforts of lobbying as well as local and national initiatives and updates. NUS: #StudentsDeserveBetter Campaign - October 5th, 2020 (Ongoing) It’s worth mentioning, for those of you who may not be aware, that the Students’ Union is a member of the National Union of Students, who do a great deal of work to lobby for students in all areas. The NUS is a confederation of students' unions in the United Kingdom, supporting over 600 SU’s including PCA SU. This means their voice carries a great deal of weight when it comes to lobbying the government and creating change. You can find more information about all of their campaigns here , but it’s especially worth looking into their current #StudentsDeserveBetter campaign which asks governments and universities to recognise the treatment of students during the pandemic. The goals of the campaign are: Uphold students' basic legal rights – students should not be treated differently to other members of the public and scapegoated. We should not be threatened and policed by private security forces. No academic disadvantage for students affected by Covid-19 restrictions – all universities and colleges should adopt “no detriment ” policies where needed, ensuring that no student is unfairly disadvantaged as a result of the pandemic. Rent rebates – students should not be left out of pocket, paying for accommodation they can’t use, especially when they have no clarity on whether they’ll be expected to return to campus. We are calling on governments across the UK to provide compensation for those students affected. Ensure fair treatment during accommodation lockdowns – rent reimbursement for lockdown periods and free internet access, care packages with food, wellbeing materials, and necessities, and targeted educational & mental health support, with facilitation of social activity. Provide an effective strategy for education now and for post-covid recovery – Now: an effective test & trace system in place, a move to online teaching as default and a student support package including immediate financial & wellbeing support. Post-Covid: investment into digital infrastructure and mental health support. Future: a new strategy that delivers lifelong, funded and accessible education for everyone in society. Plymouth Student Rent Strike - December 12th, 2020 (Ongoing) Plymouth Student Rent Strike is an initiative set up by students encouraging those in student accommodation to participate in a rent strike, with the slogan "can't stay, won't pay". This includes those staying in university owned halls of residence, privately owned halls of residence and accommodation let by student accommodation providers or advertised as student housing. Their demands are as follows: 40% rent reduction for students in halls of residence No evictions No penalty early contract release No penalties for rent strikers No zero hours contracts on campus (updated to include opt-in for 0 hours and the option for furlough) Universities to provide decent and affordable accommodation to students; rents capped at no higher than a quarter of the average student maintenance loan! UPSU must stop promoting Clever Student Lets For more information, check out their Facebook page . National Lockdown Response - from January 4th, 2021 As you know, the questions and concerns you raised to me as a result of the shock announcement of a third national lockdown was my highest priority. I want to thank you all for making your voices heard and getting in touch with you and your cohorts feedback. I collated all of your questions and concerns into a Google document, which I then shared with Andrew Brewerton (Principal), the Senior Leadership Team, and key staff such as the Head of HE Registry. I sat down with these staff members to stand up for you all and fought for deadline extensions, for the PCA Bursary to be paid regardless of attendance and much more. As a result, there were two big Student Mailers sent out to students full of important information. The second of these included the Lockdown Questions document that I created and shared with staff, which I also sent out to your Student Representatives so they could answer your questions. Lockdown Questions Document Access to Campus - January 14th, 2021 During this time, I also spoke to Student Union Presidents and Officers across the country who were also specialist arts universities, to see what resources their students could access on campus. This research was to ensure that students at Plymouth College of Art were getting as much, if not more, access than other students across the UK. This research showed PCA were offering students the same access and opportunities as many other universities, and also resulted in work around more accessible library resources. Access to Campus Research Lobbying GuildHE - January 22nd and 27th, 2021 I then teamed up with Lizzy Marshall of Falmouth Students’ Union and many other Student Union Representatives to write directly to the CEO of Guild HE. GuildHE is a British membership organisation representing the heads of higher education institutions, of which Plymouth College of Art is a member. This letter asked for GuildHE to speak up for students, and directly lobby for government change. It asked for consideration of students' mental health, access to facilities and more. You can read this letter and the reply we received, below. I will also be attending a GuildHE Students’ Union meeting on February 16th. Letter to Guild HE | Guild HE Response Plymouth City Council Motion on Notice - January 25th, 2021 Plymouth City Council released a Motion on Notice entitled "Supporting Student Renters and Student Landlords", which supports the aims of the Plymouth Students Rent Strike, as detailed below. Noting that students, like many other people, have suffered profound economic consequences due to the necessity of these public restrictions, the Council will ask the Cabinet member for Education, Skills and Transformation to write to the UK Government, asking relevant departments to work with student landlords, both university-owned and private, to: reduce student rent by forty percent for the rest of the academic year enable students who cannot occupy their accommodation to exit their contracts without penalty reimburse students who have paid in advance and cannot occupy their occupation reimburse lost income for student landlords whose tenants cannot occupy their accommodation consider allowing students who cannot work due to lockdown to claim Universal Credit respond to the Higher Education sector’s request for government financial support for enhanced student hardship funds allowing students to receive direct financial support across the full range of financial hardships caused by the pandemic You can find the full Plymouth City Council Motion on Notice here . Statement on Rent - February 2nd, 2021 Next, my priority became rent; rent reductions, rent refunds, rent rebates, etc. I recognise how many of you are struggling to pay rent for accommodation you cannot even access, and I thank those of you who have come to me directly to discuss this. I have done a substantial amount of research and work in this area now, looking at what different accommodation companies are offering, what Plymouth City Council are saying, and what other Students’ Unions are calling for. Below is our full statement about rent strikes, written by myself (SU President) with support from Nath Stark (Vice-President for Higher Education) and Aaron Lovelock (HE Wellbeing Representative). Plymouth College of Art Students’ Union recognises the hardships students are facing at the moment. Student wellbeing and experience is at the forefront of our minds, and your Student Union President has been working tirelessly with members of staff to raise your concerns and get answers to your questions. We have been working behind the scenes to make your voices heard; we are thankful for all of your feedback and appreciate your patience as we work through everything that you have brought to us over the past couple of weeks. We are all too aware that many of you who rely on work to cover the costs of your accommodation, cannot work during the pandemic or may have lost your jobs because of it. We are asking that all private landlords: Ensure that students have a rent reduction of 40% for the remainder of the academic year Ensure that students are not penalised if they end contracts early Ensure that students are reimbursed for accommodation they weren’t able to occupy We also recognise that there are many ways that Plymouth College of Art and your Students’ Union ensures it can support you in these difficult times. We want to reassure you that we are continuing to work with and lobby MP’s and Government to create wider policy change, including working with other Students’ Unions and universities, with Plymouth City Council, and through GuildHE, NUS, Ukadia, Universities UK and more. We will be continuing to offer financial support such as the PCA Bursary and the Higher Education Hardship Fund. Your Students’ Union President worked to ensure all students would receive their PCA Bursary regardless of attendance, and has created a Students’ Union Bursary to support you in your academic studies. As always, we will be continuing to provide advice and help for each individual student based on their circumstances and will continue to work on this issue for you all. To see the Plymouth College of Art statement on accommodation, click here . Letter to Luke Pollard - February 2nd, 2021 In addition to this, I wrote a letter to local MP Luke Pollard urging him to lobby the government for policy change to support students experiencing this issue, and to encourage landlords to reduce or refund rent for this academic year. You can see my letter to Luke Pollard below. In addition to this letter, I will be attending the Zoom call Luke Pollard MP is hosting with Emma Hardy MP (Shadow Minister for Further Education and Universities) to speak about the impact the pandemic has had on PCA students' mental, academic and financial wellbeing, and I encourage you to join in with this call. My Letter to Luke Pollard Template Letters - February 2nd, 2021 I have also written two template letters for you to send out, if you wish. The first letter is a template to landlords or accommodation providers to assist you in asking for reduced or refunded rent as a result of the national lockdown, and the second is for you to send to your local MP, urging them to support students in this matter. Template Letter to Landlords | Template Letter to Local MP PCA and UoP Letter to Landlords - February 8th, 2021 Plymouth College of Art joined with University of Plymouth for the second year running to draft a joint letter to the biggest student accommodation providers in the city, asking landlords to offer flexibility to students struggling with rent and utilities, particularly those who are not able to use their student accommodation during the lockdown. You can also send this to your landlord alongside the template letter above. Letter to Landlords Lobbying the NUS - February 14th, 2021 I once again teamed up with Lizzy Marshall of Falmouth Students' Union and many other Student Union Representatives to write directly to the National Union of Students asking them to campaign for national fee reductions or refunds. You can find our letter and its signatories attached, and I will include an update with the response from the NUS when we get one. Letter to NUS | Signatories Luke Pollard's Letter to Gavin Williamson - February 18th, 2021 On February 3rd, Luke Pollard MP held a Zoom discussion with representatives from University of Plymouth, Plymouth College of Art, Plymouth Marjon University, UPSU, PCASU and MarjonSU, as well as the wider student population in the city. Both myself and Steve Trotter, Registrar, attended this meeting. Luke was also joined by Emma Hardy MP, Shadow Minister for Further Education and Universities, who was keen to hear what students from Plymouth have to say – their concerns and their struggles. As a result of the meeting and other letters/ emails that he's received on the topic, Luke has now written to the Education Secretary to raise the issues that you and other students are facing. You can find Luke's letter here .

Get in Touch Where to find us: Arts University Plymouth Students' Union, Arts University Plymouth, Tavistock Place, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AT studentsunion@aup.ac.uk 01752 203443 Name Email Subject Message Submit Thanks for submitting! Opening Hours Monday - Thursday: 9am - 5pm Friday: 9am - 4:30pm Saturday and Sunday: Closed Times vary based on events and holidays.

Student Charter 2025/26 The Student Charter is jointly developed and agreed between the Students' Union and the University, and has been updated for 2025/26. This Charter should be read alongside the Student Code of Conduct , which includes a commitment from students to uphold the spirit of the Student Charter. Arts University Plymouth students will... Take responsibility for understanding course requirements including deadlines, and expected attendance. Keep up to date with academic regulations such as academic misconduct. Attend sessions punctually and regularly with a respectful and professional attitude. Take responsibility for keeping up to date with electronic correspondence including emails. Familiarise ourselves with our financial commitment to our course. Treat fellow students and staff members, from all backgrounds, fairly with consideration and respect. Be environmentally considerate with regards to our studies (printing, electricity consumption, no littering) Be respectful towards University and Students’ Union spaces, equipment and resources. Be mindful of the etiquette needed when using study spaces such as the library Be respectful towards our local community and be environmentally conscious. Engage in opportunities to create positive change and provide honest feedback to aid future university development. Share our knowledge and opinions, participate in the AUP culture of open communication. Demonstrate and promote the University’s embedded values of kindness, fulfilment and authenticity. Arts University Plymouth will... Provide a high-quality learning and teaching experience. Provide safe and accessible learning environments. Ensure access to clear course requirements and marking criteria. Ensure assessment feedback is thorough, timely, constructive and honest. Ensure staff maintain a high level of professionalism. Ensure students are represented on University boards and committees and respond to your feedback appropriately. Actively encourage a culture of inclusivity, equality, respect, sustainability and social responsibility. Maintain a high standard of facilities, and access to industry standard resources. Ensure that students can access high quality support services, including financial support. Help students gain employability skills and prepare for their future, including opportunities in creative sectors and spaces. Actively promote students and their work. Demonstrate and promote the University’s embedded values of kindness, fulfilment and authenticity. Arts University Plymouth Students' Union will… Listen to the student voice and facilitate discussion between students and staff. Represent the student body at relevant boards, committees and working groups. Provide opportunities to undertake positions on the Student Union Executive Committee. Provide support and services for physical, sexual and mental health, free of charge or at discounted rates. Cultivate a vibrant community with varied events and activities in response to student feedback. Signpost students to relevant support, information, and facilities. Encourage involvement with the local community through volunteering and local projects. Make students aware of the promotions, activities, petitions and campaigns of the National Union of Students (NUS). Provide access to paid work opportunities and employment, such as the Student Ambassador role and commissions. Provide social opportunities for students, including the use of a dedicated Students’ Union space. Support students with setting up student-led clubs and societies.

Skateboarding, Scootering and Rollerskating Skateparks in Plymouth Prime Delux Prime is Plymouth's only Indoor Skatepark. They have general sessions, skate tuition, over 40's nights and girls and non-binary nights! Cick here to visit their website and learn more. Central Park Skatepark This is an outdoor skatepark, lit with floodlights when it's dark out. It's located at Central Par so there are WC facilites available as well as a cafe nearby. Click here to see the park and learn more. Skateparks in Cornwall Saltmill Outdoor Skatepark - Click Here. Skatepark Locator Use this resource to find skateparks near you. Rollerskating SK8House Roller Disco - click here. Plymouth Roller Disco & Learn 2 Skate Facebook - click here.