Tyler James Rutter

How did you first get involved with the Newcastle College Students' Union?

I first got involved in the Students’ Union in 2024. I wanted to do more for the wider student body, so joining the Students’ Union Executive Team made sense for me. Originally, I’d become a part of the 360 Council, which is a University Centre-only equivalent to the Students’ Union for degree students, but then I joined the Students’ Union as their Welfare Officer because it was an area that was personally important to me.

What role do you play in the Students’ Union, and what are your duties?

I am the President of the Newcastle College Students’ Union. My job is to coordinate the Students’ Union in our goals, while acting as the student voice between staff and external stakeholders like employer partners or groups for university students across Newcastle in meetings. I also help communicate between the different curriculum areas of the College and the University Centre.

How have your interactions with staff and students at Newcastle College changed through your work with the Students’ Union?

The staff at the College have always treated me with respect, but the real change has been with my standing among students. A lot of my peers now see me as an authority figure due to my position, so they’ll come to me with their qualms and I do my best to solve their problems, or to point them towards the person in the College (or sometimes outside of it) who is best placed to help resolve their issue.

What kinds of projects have you worked on as part of the Students’ Union?

As part of the Students’ Union, I’ve played a role in coordinating College-wide student events throughout the year, such as Freshers’ Week, Drag Night, National Dungeons and Dragons Day and events for Autism Acceptance Week.

What Students’ Union achievement has made you proudest during your time working for them?

Due to being a massive and unabashed nerd, I felt really proud collaborating with our Clubs and Societies Officer to make the Dungeons and Dragons Club the most popular club in Newcastle College – so much so that it now has its own sub-group for Beginners Dungeons and Dragons to help new adventurers to join the game!

Throughout my time serving on the Students’ Union, I’ve come to realise that anyone can put their passion into practise, which is a really industry-ready quality. To me, that’s the kind of amazing extracurricular achievement that only the Students’ Union can provide.

In your opinion, what would you change or improve about the Students’ Union if you could?

I’d like my own presidential desk. A little flag would be nice too…!

Jokes aside, the Students’ Union has a lot of ideas that would greatly benefit from our own dedicated space (our current office is in the main Library, so we have to be mindful of our volume during meetings). Having the freedom to express ourselves without encumbrance could make it easier for us to plan and carry out a lot of our ideas, especially since we could maybe host some of our events within a dedicated Students’ Union space!

What advice would you give to any current or future students considering getting involved with the Students’ Union?

Go for it! Joining the Students’ Union looks great on a CV and can be really entertaining, especially if you can fit in your hobbies or interests. Trust me, you’ll make some surprising connections that could help you secure some fantastic opportunities in your future!