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Booklet on becoming a student rep.
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Shaping your education
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Contents
P3 Foreward from the Academic Officer
P4 Glossary
P5 What is a student representative?
P6 What meetings will I attend?
P7 How can I make a positive contribution at meetings?
P9 How can I effectively communicate with my coursemates?
P10 What support is available?
P13 Will my work be recognised?
P14 Key contacts
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Foreward from the
Academic Officer
Student representatives have the opportunity to achieve great change within their education and this booklet and the accompanying training will give you the tools to make the most of that opportunity.
Make no mistake - this University is fantastic at so many things. Each year final year undergraduates give UEA a massive vote of confidence in the National Student Survey. But there are always small improvements that can be made and in becoming a student rep you will ensure that your course mates’ opinions are heard, their experiences considered.
You will be able to put right some of the wrongs that you have encountered, praise your School when it gets it right and get stuck in to some of those bread-and-butter issues like contact hours, class sizes, hidden course costs, the size of seminar rooms, quality of information and quality of feedback. I spent three years as a representative on an SSLC and the sense of achievement in being able to nudge things in the right direction was immense.
You will also be able to become active in high profile campaigns, joining with students from other Schools to campaign for the changes that you would like to see across UEA. Remember that the Union has 15,000 student members and that our combined voices are pretty hard to ignore. Unified and active there is almost no end to what we can achieve.
In the next year, we hope you’ll join us as we campaign for affordable university education for students of the future and we ask the University to improve the feedback we receive in the here and now. Perhaps you’ll be the student rep that takes representation a stage further and become a ‘super-rep’ or faculty convenor sitting on University-level committees, perhaps you will start a campaign just like the MED student who began the push for longer library opening hours, or perhaps you’ll stand in the election that will choose my successor for 2010-2011. Whichever path you choose, remember your Union is here for you every step of the way.
Have a great year and make some change,
David SheppardAcademic Officer, Union of UEA Students 2008-10
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Some of the UEA acronyms and structures can seem a bit strange at first; so here is a quick guide to the ones you will come across in your representation work.
School: department through which learning and teaching is delivered, organised around a single or group of recognised disciplines. Faculties: grouping of Schools that share similar approaches and interests. There are four faculties at UEA: Arts and Humanities (HUM), Science (SCI), Social Science (SSF), and Health (FOH).
School Board: primary decision-making body within a School, dealing with all proposals for changes, new courses and strategic direction of the School .Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC): forum for student representatives to raise issues or problems concerning their education within their School.
Head of School: lead member of academic staff in a SchoolSenior adviser: coordinates the work of advisers and pastoral support in a particular School.Teaching director: responsible for the coordination and implementation of teaching strategies throughout a School.
Student representative: a student recruited to represent their fellow students within their School.
Undergraduate (UG): a student studying for their first degree.Post-graduate (PG): a student who has completed their first degree and is either undertaking research (PGR) toward another degree or is undertaking a taught masters degree course (PGT)
Union of UEA Students (Union): the representative organisation of UEA students.
Union Academic Officer: responsible for representing the interests of students across the University on education matters.Union Sabbatical Officers: the four full time, salaried Officers of the Union, elected annually in a vote open to all students. Union Representation Support Worker: Union staff member responsible for administrative support of Union democracy and for supporting and training all School and Union representatives.
Faculty Convenor: student responsible for representing students at faculty level.
Glossary
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As a student representative at UEA you will be working towards improvements in the education of the students you represent. As a student representative, you will get the chance to work with academic and support staff to shape the teaching and learning offered by your School.
You will be aiming to:
- Discover and voice the opinions and concerns of your students. - Represent your coursemates to the School - Be the student voice when decisions are made in your School. - Communicate. Be a key source of info for students. Liaise with staff and the students Union about issues that come up. - Initiate positive change in your education.
What is a student
representative?
Case Study: Positive Change
In the School of Nursing and Midwifery (NAM), undergraduate students were told that they would no longer have access to a computer room because it would be needed for use by post-graduate research students.
This was a big issue for NAM undergraduate students, so their representatives organised a petition and brought the matter up in NAM’s Student Council. By successfully organising a petition, the student representatives underlined to their School how big a problem the closure of the room would be for undergraduate students.
The School, realising the extent of the problem, looked for a solution that would benefit both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Their response was to provide laptops and wireless internet access in other parts of the building.
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What meetings will I attend?
Like any big organisation, committees play a key part in the way UEA makes decisions. As a student representative, a substantial part of your work will be representing your course mates in committee meetings as decisions are taken. The two main types of committee that you may attend are: the School Board and the Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC). You may also be invited to sit on the Teaching Committee (or equivalent) of your School.
What is a School Board?
The School Board is the main decision making body of the School. The student representative’s role is to observe and have some input when key decisions are made. A typical meeting of a School board would look at admissions, finance and receive reports on research, teaching and learning. The Teaching Committee will look at teaching and learning matters in a bit more depth.
What is a Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC)?
The SSLC is where you and your fellow reps bring issues to the attention of staff and where staff will communicate concerns and developments to you. SSLCs give student representatives an opportunity to address problems informally. You can discuss ideas with your fellow student representatives as you work toward solving students’ problems. At SSLCs it is fine to raise any issue that affects you and your coursemates’ student experience.
Who attends these meetings?
The make up of School boards and teaching committees are often very different from SSLCs: staff form the vast majority on School boards whilst on SSLCs students are in the majority. SSLC chairs can be students or staff members and should be elected at the first meeting of the year. The Union provides training on how to chair meetings [see www.ueastudent.com/training]
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There are only a few School board and SSLC meetings a year; so it is important that you make the most of these opportunities to represent your coursemates. Here are ten tips on how to be effective.
If there is to be a published agenda, then read it well in advance and take time to chat about it with other relevant members of the committee and other interested parties. If you feel a proposal is particularly controversial you will almost certainly want to canvas your coursemates’ opinions.
If you want to get an item on the agenda ensure that you make the deadline (ask your School office when it is). If you are making a proposal back it up with a written brief. Outline issues clearly and concisely and the concrete changes you want to happen. Make sure that the committee is the right place to make the proposal; ask a staff member for guidance if you are unsure.
Don’t raise issues concerning individual members of staff or particular cases involving individual students. Discussing problems between individuals will rarely be helped by open discussion. Try to solve these problems informally outside of the meeting.
Take time to chat to a member of academic staff beforehand if you have concerns. This will ensure that you don’t always appear as an opponent of new proposals and will help you get involved in the formulation of new policy and ideas rather than merely reacting to it.
Try to ration when you speak and for how long. Imagine every word costs you a pound. Make sure your arguments are snappy and don’t repeat what has already been said. You might want to focus on one or two key issues in each meeting. If there are specific items you’d like to speak on, it is always worth sketching out what you are going to say beforehand.
Bring along your own experiences but don’t labour the point. Members of the committee will not be particularly interested in your own experiences/opinions but rather those of the wider student population.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand what’s going on.
How can I make a positive
contribution at meetings?
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9Try to build towards positive solutions or actions, don’t dwell too much on problems of the past that are being resolved.
Be polite and use sensitive language to build a rational argument. Don’t get too emotional or stray into criticisms of individual members of the staff. Try and use phrases that are non-threatening such as “wouldn’t it be better if…? or “Could we consider….?”
After the meeting, make sure you know exactly what decisions have been made and tell your coursemates about what CHANGE you have achieved for them. If you think what has happened in the meeting will be interesting to other students across UEA then the Union’s Academic Officer know: [email protected].
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How could I communicate with
my coursemates?
Along with your committee work, the other essential part of your role as a student representative is the two way communications between yourself and your coursemates. You will be letting your coursemates know what has been happening in committee meetings and what you are doing as their representative; whilst they will be letting you know their concerns and views on events.
Should I try setting up a Facebook group?
One of easiest way to set up your own communications channel is use to is a Facebook or similar social networking site for your representation work where you can message people and they can post opinions and comments on news from your School. You can put links to documents so that if students are interested they can get background info on issues. Remember though: not everyone will be on Facebook or will want to communicate this way.
What about e-mail and blackboard?
For e-mailing your coursemates, ask your SSLC secretary or School administrator about forwarding or for a mail list, if available.
Most Schools also use blackboard to post SSLC info and most include a forum where students can post their concerns. You can post as a student representative and make yourself known on the forum.
What about older media?
Make use of traditional media, you can use the School ’s pigeonholes and notice boards for flyers or posters, ask tony, the representation support worker, if you need any help with the printing.
Talk to your coursemates about developments in the School . Some reps schedule a regular time and place when they will be available to answer questions from students; think about whether this would be an option.
Think about hosting a party or get together where students on your course can get to know each other and be introduced to you as their rep.
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Will I get any support from my School?
First and foremost members of academic staff will be available to answer questions and the support staff may provide administrative support. Most Schools will also have a member of Academic staff who is responsible for the SSLC who will be able to help you out if you get stuck at any point.
Who else might I be working with?
The four full-time elected Union Officers will be your main contact with the Union. In your role as student representative, the sabbatical who you will work closely with is David Sheppard, the Academic Officer ([email protected] ). David handles all educational issues. He is supported in rep training and the development of representation by a Union staff member, Tony Moore ([email protected],uk).
Tom Sutton, the Welfare Officer ([email protected] ), is responsible for all welfare issues. Tom will be able to advise you when students in your School have general welfare problems, for example, over car parking.
If any of your coursemates come to you for individual welfare advice, the Union has help available through the expert professional staff of the Union advice centre. Individual students can call into the centre by the main entrance to Union house or go to http://www.ueastudent.com/advice .
You might also want to set the Union policy and priorities by becoming a member of the Union’s parliament, Union Council (for details, contact Natasha Barnes, the Union’s Communications Officer at [email protected] )
What are Faculty Convenors?
They are the “super rep” for each Faculty. Part of their job is to coordinate the work of student representatives across each Faculty. They also represent students on Faculty committees. Faculty Convenors are elected in a ballot of all the students in each Faculty. The Faculty Convenor will be able to help you with problems that extend beyond your individual School: for example, problems that a student might have if they are taking a joint degree involving two Schools.
What support is available?
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Can I get any training?
The Union offers training to help you develop the skills and knowledge to be an effective rep. We have training sessions for reps from particular faculties or from individual Schools; so pick the one that is most convenient for you. For details check out training on the website [www.ueastudent.com/training]
Sessions are scheduled for the autumn term. If you miss them, don’t worry, we will have some extra ones in the spring term.
Is there any chance of networking with student representatives from other universities?
The National Union of Students (NUS) has an online forum for all course representatives where you can network with other student representatives from across the country, share concerns and debate issues. Go to http://www.nus.org.uk and go to the forum.
Will I meet student representatives from other Schools?
Twice a semester, the Union runs the Education Forum in Union House. The forum is where you can meet other student representatives from across the University and identify, with them and with Union Officers, common problems that need to be worked on. There are meetings for both undergraduates and postgraduates, so that we can look at the special issues important to each group. You will also receive info through the education newsletter, e-mailled regularly during term time.
Where can I find evidence to help with my representation work?
Increasingly, national surveys of students have been used by both the University and the Union as a key tool to examine the quality of the student experience at UEA. Surveys have helped the Union identify areas of concern for students and informed the ongoing campaigns for change that the Union runs. Surveys also help the Union in its work with the University, as they can provide evidence to support proposals that the Union puts to the University.
The three surveys that you will come across are: for undergraduates, the National Student Survey (NSS) and for postgraduates, the Postgraduate Taught experience survey (PTES) and the Postgraduate Research experience survey (PRES).
Your School’s NSS figures will be probably appear on the agenda of the SSLC. If you would like to discuss the results beforehand please contact the Academic Officer ([email protected]).
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What is the student written submission?
In 2009 UEA was audited by the Quality Assurance Agency which monitors standards across UK Universities. The QAA report (audit) thoroughly examined every aspect of the student learning experience at UEA. As part of the process, the Union produced a contribution to the audit on behalf of all UEA students, the Student Written Submission (SWS). The SWS provides reps with a snapshot of the student experience at UEA and it gives the Union the opportunity to present its recommendations on how to improve that experience. To view the Student Written Submission, go to www.ueastudent.com/sws
The Union will also be publishing a further student experience report in 2009 to present to the University. The report will be published in October and will be available on the Union website. To view this, check out www.ueastudent.com/expreport.
What do student reps say about their experiences?
“Being a student representative and working on the Union’s campaigns has been fun. I have been able to take ownership of my education whist getting to know some great people not only in the Union but also in the academic and support staff over at the University.” Melanie Smith, School of History
"I enjoyed being a student representative because it allowed me to win changes that benefitted the students of ENV. I made sure every student was heard, and being the link between the School and over 150 students meant that I enjoyed every moment." Myles Smith, School of Environmental Sciences
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will my work be recognised?
Student representatives’ work is recognised at the Union’s prestigious Change Awards; which last year were presented in the council chamber at Norwich City Hall by a local MP. There are two awards in the student representatives section: student rep of the year and student rep win of the year, celebrating individual commitment and achievement. Last year there were some great contenders from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Midwifery, Economics and History.
This year, for the first time, the Union, in partnership with Voluntary Norfolk, is able to offer all student representatives a nationally recognised accreditation in voluntary work. The certification is valued by prospective employers and will include letters of reference that can be added to your CVs. The scheme is called the Recognition of Service and Success Awards (ROSSAs). To take part, all you have to do is fill in the details of your rep work (that is everything from reading agenda, meeting with coursemates, attending committees) in the log book that you will be issued. As you fill in the
details, you will be asked to reflect on any positive outcomes for your coursemates and for yourself, in terms of experience gained.
If you are interested in the scheme, contact: Tony Moore, the Union’s representation support worker: [email protected]
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Key Contacts
Academic Officer: David Sheppard, [email protected] 01603 595289
Communications Officer: Natasha Barnes [email protected] 01603 59204.
Welfare Officer: Tom Sutton, [email protected] 01603 593461
Finance Officer: Martin Jopp, [email protected] 01603 593268
Representation Support Worker: Tony Moore [email protected] 01603 592575
Union Advice Centre: [email protected]
Faculty Convenor (Health): Kayte Mccann (MED), [email protected]
Faculty Convenor (Humanities): Nicolas Church (HIS) [email protected]
Faculty Convenor (Science): Roshan Walkerley (ENV) [email protected]
NB: at the time of printing there is still a vacancy for Faculty Convenor for Social Sciences.
If you need this report in a different format, for example in large print or an audio version, please email
Rachel at [email protected]
The Union of UEA Students is committed to equality of opportunity for all.
