Cymraeg
Associations are the Student Union’s way of keeping in touch with and assuring that a wider range of people have a voice in our policy making and campaigning! All Associations are free for students to join and are run by our current officers - both Campaign and Sabbatical. If you’re looking to build a community and get acquainted with other students - this is a great way to do it!
Types of Associations
Student Type
The Postgraduate Student Association and the International Student Association are the two current groups in this category. They are defined by your status as either being a postgraduate or by being an international student. Compared to the other groups, these are much more focused on specifically catering towards students who hold one of these two statuses on campus and postgraduates will find they are automatically admitted into the association with their normal course enrollment.
Community
The majority of our Associations could be called ‘Special Interest’, but really they’re about community building around experience and specific issues. This includes; Black and Minority Ethnics, Carers and Parents, Estranged Students, Ethical and Environmental, LGBTQ+, Mature Students, Mental Health, Students with Disabilities, and Women’s.
How Are Associations Structured?
Of our 11 current Associations, 10 are run by Campaign Officers and 2 are run by Sabbatical Officers.
The Postgraduate Association, run by their respective VP, is structured slightly differently. It doesn’t have an Association Committees, as it is run by a Sabbatical Officer who, instead, answers to their respective Executive Committees.
The other 10 Associations are led (as President) by their respective Campaign Officers. Those officers are then supported by a committee of 5. This usually entails a Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Wellbeing Officer. The fifth member is tailored towards the Association itself (for example, SWD Association has a ‘Community Engagement’ Officer), though many choose simply to have a second Secretary.
The individual Executive Committees and Association Committees have replaced the Scrutiny Committee in the role of keeping officers accountable to their manifestos and goals. Rather than scrutinizing officers, as was done in the past, now we are focusing on holding them accountable and reinforcing the creation of community and engagement, rather than following a more corporate structure.
You may see UMCC, run by our VP Cymraeg, sometimes on the list of or alongside the Associations - but it's its own thing. Sort of a union within a union and is not managed as an Association.
How to Join
Who Can Join?
Other than the Postgraduate Association - none of our associations have strict rules or policies that stop anyone from joining any of the associations.
We get asked a lot of questions like “I’m not diagnosed but-” or “I’m not disabled but-”, that’s fine! Associations aren’t here to police your identity, if you’re questioning your sexuality or you’re not out yet and still want to find community at Cardiff - that’s okay, and it's open to and up to you whether or not in that case you’d want to join the LGBTQ+ Association! All we ask is that people be aware of their surroundings. If you’re joining an Association as an accomplice or an ally (and trust us, we need those to run successful campaigns!), just remember that the space is for you to listen and to learn.
Associations are some of the only ways that our Campaign Officers can interact with the student body en masse, outside of social media, and so we understand that sometimes people may join to keep up with our events and campaigns and so they can get involved with our political activities! And that is totally acceptable! In many ways, it’s encouraged! Associations are fundamentally about creating networks and communities and participation is not required. So if you’re joining just to stay in touch and be aware? Don’t worry, that’s totally fine!
Where Do I Join?
Start off by going to cardiffstudents.com! Then you’ll want to find the ‘Activities and Groups’ tab; if you’re on a computer or tablet this will be across the top of your browser page, on a phone this will be from a drop down on the top right corner.
From there you’ll want to find the ‘Associations’ option and click through to a page that will display the available associations for you to join with their logos.
If you click on the desired association you’ll see a pink ‘Add to Basket’ button and the bottom right hand of the association page - go ahead and add to basket!
Once you’ve added an association to your ‘basket’ - you can go ahead and add others! There is no need to ‘checkout’ individually. Once you’ve selected all of the Associations you may wish to join, head to the top of the page where the ‘basket’ shaped icon is and proceed to check out!
All Associations run by the SU are completely free to join and hold no official responsibilities other than membership.
Beth Yw Cymdeithasau Ymgyrchu?
Cymdeithasau yw’r ffordd y mae Undeb y Myfyrwyr yn cysylltu â myfyrwyr ac yn sicrhau bod gan ystod eang o bobl lleisiau wrth i ni lunio polisïau ac ymgyrchu! Mae'r holl Gymdeithasau Ymgyrchu yn rhad ac am ddim i fyfyrwyr ymuno â nhw ac maent wedi’u rhedeg gan ein swyddogion presennol – Ymgyrchu a Sabothol. Os ydych eisiau adeiladu cymuned a chwrdd â myfyrwyr eraill mae hyn yn ffordd wych o wneud hynny!
Mathau o Gymdeithasau
Math o Fyfyrwyr
Y Gymdeithas Ôl-raddedigion a’r Gymdeithas Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol yw’r ddau grŵp presennol yn y categori yma. Maent wedi’u diffinio gan statws aelodau fel myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig neu ryngwladol. O gymharu â’r grwpiau eraill, mae’r rhain yn ffocysu llawer mwy ar weithio ar ran grŵp o fyfyrwyr penodol, ac mae myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig yn derbyn aelodaeth awtomatig i’r gymdeithas yna wedi iddynt gofrestru ar eu cwrs.
Cymuned
Gallai'r rhan fwyaf o'n Cymdeithasau gael eu galw'n 'Ddiddordeb Arbennig', ond mewn gwirionedd maent am adeiladu cymuned o amgylch profiadau a materion penodol. Mae’r categori yma’n cynnwys y cymdeithasau Gwrth-hiliaeth, Gofalwyr a Rhieni, Myfyrwyr wedi’u Hymddieithrio, Moesegol ac Amgylchedd, LHDTC+, Myfyrwyr Hŷn, Iechyd Meddwl, Myfyrwyr ag Anableddau, a Menywod.
Sut mae Cymdeithasau Ymgyrchu wedi’u Strwythuro?
O’n 11 cymdeithas ymgyrchu bresennol mae 10 wedi’u rhedeg gan Swyddogion Ymgyrchu a 2 gan Swyddogion Sabothol.
Mae’r Gymdeithas Ôl-raddedigion, sydd wedi’i rhedeg gan yr IL perthnasol, wedi’i strwythuro ychydig yn wahanol. Nid oes ganddi Bwyllgor Cymdeithas, gan ei fod wedi’i rhedeg gan Swyddog Sabothol sy’n atebol i’w Pwyllgor Gweithredol perthnasol yn lle.
Mae 10 Cymdeithas arall wedi’u rhedeg gan eu Swyddogion Ymgyrchu perthnasol (fel Llywydd). Mae’r swyddogion yma wedyn wedi’u cefnogi gan bwyllgor o 5 person. Mae hyn fel arfer yn cynnwys Is-lywydd, Trysorydd, Ysgrifennydd a Swyddog Lles. Mae’r pumed aelod wedi’u teilwra ar gyfer anghenion y gymdeithas (er enghraifft mae gan y Gymdeithas Myfyrwyr ag Anableddau Swyddog Ymgysylltu Cymunedol) er bod llawer yn dewis cael ail ysgrifennydd.
Mae’r Pwyllgorau Gweithredol a’r Pwyllgorau Cymdeithasol wedi cymryd lle pwyllgorau craffu wrth gadw swyddogion yn atebol i gwblhau eu maniffestos ac amcanion. Yn hytrach na chraffu ar swyddogion, fel yn y gorffennol, rydym nawr yn ffocysu ar sicrhau eu bod yn atebol, a chreu cymuned ac ymgysylltu, yn lle dilyn strwythur mwy corfforaethol.
Efallai gwelwch UMCC, sydd wedi’u rhedeg gan IL Iaith, Cymuned a Diwylliant Cymru, ar restrau o Gymdeithasau Ymgyrchu, ond mae hyn yn beth ar wahân. Mae’n fath o undeb o fewn undeb, ac nid yw’n cael ei rhedeg fel Cymdeithas.
Sut i Ymuno
Sut Allaf Ymuno?
Ar wahân i’r Gymdeithas Ôl-raddedig, nid oes gan un o’r cymdeithasau eraill rheolau llym na pholisïau sy’n atal unrhyw un rhag ymuno.
Mae pobl yn aml yn dweud pethau fel “Dwi heb dderbyn diagnosis ond-“, neu “Dwi ddim ag anabledd ond-“, ac mae hynny’n iawn! Nid yw cymdeithasau yma i blismona’ch hunaniaeth - os ydych yn cwestiynu eich rhywioldeb neu rydych heb ddod allan eto, ond hoffech ddod o hyd i gymuned yng Nghaerdydd, mae hynny’n iawn, a gallwch ddewis os hoffech ymuno â’r Gymdeithas LHDTC+ neu beidio! Yr oll rydym yn ei ofyn yw bod pobl yn ymwybodol o eraill. Os ydych chi’n ymuno â Chymdeithas fel ffrind neu gefnogwr (mae’r fath bobl yn hanfodol wrth i ni redeg ymgyrchoedd!) cofiwch fod y gymdeithas yn gyfle i chi wrando a dysgu.
Cymdeithasau yw un o’r unig ffyrdd y gall Swyddogion Ymgyrchu cysylltu â’r gymuned myfyrwyr ehangach, tu allan i gyfryngau cymdeithasol, felly rydym yn deall bod rhai yn ymuno er mwyn clywed am ein digwyddiadau ac ymgyrchoedd diweddaraf, ynghyd ag i gymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau gwleidyddol! Mae hyn yn hollol dderbyniol! Ac rydym yn ei annog! Mae Cymdeithasau am greu rhwydweithiau a chymunedau, ond nid oes rhaid cymryd rhan. Felly os ydych ond yn ymuno er mwyn bod yn ymwybodol o’r newyddion diweddaraf, peidiwch boeni, mae hynny’n iawn!
Ble Allaf Ymuno?
Dechreuwch trwy fynd i cardiffstudents.com! Wedyn ewch i’r tab ‘Gweithgareddau a Grwpiau; os ydych ar gyfrifiadur neu dabled fydd hyn ar draws brig y dudalen, ar ffôn bydd hyn mewn dewislen ar dop ochr dde’r dudalen.
Wedyn ewch i ‘Cymdeithasau’ a gwelwch dudalen yn dangos yr holl gymdeithasau sydd ar gael gyda’u logos.
Os cliciwch ar gymdeithas benodol, gwelwch fotwm pinc ‘Ychwanegu i’r Fasged’.
Cofiwch gallwch ychwanegu mwy nag un Gymdeithas! Wedi i chi ddewis yr holl Gymdeithasau hoffech ymuno â, ewch i’r fasged ar frig y dudalen i gadarnhau’r archeb!
Mae’r holl Gymdeithasau Ymgyrchu yn rhad ac am ddim i ymuno ag, ac nid oes unrhyw ddisgwyliadau ar aelodau i ymrwymo i unrhyw weithgareddau.