EXETER
Course Rep HANDBOOK
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CONTENTS
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WELCOME
WELCOME FROM YOUR PRESIDENT
WHAT IS THE STUDENTS’ UNION
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WHAT DOES REPRESENTATION LOOK LIKE
ROLE DESCRIPTOR
GATHERING FEEDBACK
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INTRODUCING ROS
DECISION TREE
WHAT FEEDBACK SHOULD LOOK LIKE
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WHAT YOU DO NEXT
KEY CONTACTS
CODE OF CONDUCT
WELCOME @TheSUFalExe
the su.org.uk
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Firstly, we want to say HUGE congratulations on being elected as a Course Rep! Student Representation is managed by the Student Voice Team and we are here to help guide you to ensure your fellow peers are well represented through the year, and that your voice can achieve positive action on behalf of the students you represent. We hope you find this handbook helpful, with key information to support you in your year ahead. Your time volunteering as a Rep is invaluable to us and we thank you for stepping up to represent your peers over the year. Student Voice Team
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WELCOME FROM YOUR PRESIDENT Hello! I’m Joe and I am your President Exeter. I have been elected into this role by the University of Exeter Cornwall campuses students and it is my responsibility to act as your representative regarding all things academic, which includes the Exeter Course Rep structure. In my role, I go to a lot of meetings with the senior management of the University and present feedback from the students. One of my key manifesto points this year is:
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“Closing the feedback loop - Working with university lecturers, senior staff and The Students’ Union to communicate to all students where their feedback goes and what is being done to improve their course and allround student experience.”
Last year we brought in an online reporting tool called ROS; Rep Online System (more on page 17) and introduced Big Rep Meetings (more on page 30), where all Course Reps can get together to focus on the big themes arising from student feedback alongside the Presidents and key senior staff from the University. We found them to be really useful to inform us about the whole student experience, so please engage with them. This year we’re adding Speak Week, a whole week filled with opportunities for everyone to discuss the big topics affecting students. If you have any questions, need support, or have any ideas, then please don’t hesitate to contact me or the Student Voice Team.
Joe Rigby President Exeter
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WHAT IS THE STUDENTS’ UNION? Your Students’ Union (SU) is a membership-led charity; run by students, for students, and we are the only union in the country to represent students from two different universities. We focus on the academic, social and support needs of all students and we do that through three teams: Student Voice (representation and democracy), Student Opportunities (Sports, Societies, Volunteering, Fundraising) and Advice (free impartial and confidential service on housing, finance, academic appeals, etc). Course Reps are a key part of Academic Representation, which is managed and supported within the Student Voice Team.
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The SU represents students studying at both Falmouth University and the University of Exeter’s Cornwall campuses. Our students are spread across three campuses; Truro, Falmouth and Penryn, and we also have students studying by distance learning and at Falmouth University’s partner institutions. On both Falmouth Campus and Penryn Campus, both universities invest in and own a separate company, FX Plus, which manages all of the non-academic services and facilities, such as accommodation, food outlets, and Student Services. The Representation & Democracy Managers will be your first point of call to contact in the SU with any queries about your role. You will meet them at training and they will be in contact with you through the year. Please check out this link on the website to meet the Student Voice Team and for their direct contact details. Help is only ever a phone call or email away. Please get in touch with any problems or queries: www.thesu.org.uk/studentvoice/team/ Both our Penryn and Falmouth SU offices are open from 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday. In the event of an emergency outside of these hours, please contact the Porter’s Lodge, which is available 24/7. 6
WHAT DOES REPRESENTATION LOOK LIKE? STUDENT PRESIDENTS
EDUCATION OFFICERS
SUBJECT CHAIRS
COURSE REPS
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Student President The SU has four Presidents, each heading up a specific area of representation and activity. Exeter (education and employability), Falmouth (education and employability), Student Experience, and Welfare & Inclusivity Education Officers (UG, PGT and PGR) are part of the SU Student Council; an elected team of students who manage change in the interests of the student communities across the Cornwall campuses. Education Officers work with the SU Presidents to identify opportunities to develop the academic experience of Exeter students. Subject Chairs are students who are ‘team leaders’ for the Reps in their subject. They chair Student Staff Liaison Committees, attend Subject Chair Working Group meetings, and meet regularly with their Director of Education.
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ROLE DESCRIPTOR The Students’ Union (SU) Course Representatives are the foundation of student representation, promoting a partnership between students, academic staff and The SU. Assuming the role of market researcher within their cohorts, they ensure the student experience of their peers is authentically represented throughout the course of their studies. Term of Office • One academic year Objectives
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• Provide students with opportunities to give feedback on all aspects of their experience, such as: –– Learning and Teaching –– Assessment & Feedback –– Learning Community –– Employability –– Campus Facilities –– Wellbeing & Support • Log all feedback with ROS (Rep Online System) • In the first instance, seek to informally resolve issues with the appropriate staff (see key contacts)
• Present a study block report highlighting academic feedback (positive and negative) at the Student Staff Liaison Committees (SSLC) • Endeavour to make sure that feedback is: Accurate, Balanced, Constructive, Depersonalised & Evidenced. • Working in partnership with your department staff, ensure your cohort is kept up to date about how feedback is being progressed. • Actively promote the representative work of The SU to your peers Attends • • • •
SU Course Rep Training Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) 2 x Term SU Big Rep Meeting 1 x Study Block Informal meetings with academic staff, Subject Chairs and/or The SU Key Contacts
• • • •
SU Subject Chair SU President Exeter SU Representation & Democracy Manager (Exeter) Director of Education
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Boundaries - Not Your Job! Student disciplinaries: It is not a Rep’s role to represent students on disciplinary matters. The SU Advice service can help with this. Claims of harassment / bullying: Students who allege they have experienced harassment and / or bullying should contact Student Services and / or the SU Advice service.
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Complaints: students who wish to make a formal complaint should be directed to the University’s complaints policy and may wish to contact the SU Advice service for confidential help. Personal problems: Please refer students experiencing personal problems to Student Services who are qualified to give the specialist advice required in this area.
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GATHERING FEEDBACK The first step is to think about is how you are going to get feedback from the students you represent. You’ll likely need to experiment and try a few different methods to make sure you’re giving all your students good opportunities to express their opinions.
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You could try: • Surveys (allow for anonymous responses) or online polls • Physical or e-drop boxes (padlet is a good option) • Post-it notes – (hand them out at the start of a lecture, ask people to stick them on the wall as they leave) • Set up a messaging group • Face-to-face – at the end of a seminar or group session, this could be a good opportunity to get some context on feedback, or check with a wider demographic if feedback you’ve received so far is truly representative.
Just asking if anyone has any feedback won’t usually give you much useful information. You can try asking questions about specific topics, which should help students reflect on their experience. You must not ask leading questions which are deliberately designed to make them think in a certain way. For example: “Do you agree the seminar today wasn’t helpful in improving your understanding?”
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Open v Closed Questions Open questions mean students will generally have to reflect on their experience and give a full answer, using their own knowledge or feelings, rather than just a yes/no or single word answer. Closed questions can be answered in a short or singleword answer, and can often be leading. They are used to obtain facts and specific pieces of information. When used correctly, both formats can be helpful when getting feedback. Closed questions can give you a sense of what the majority of students think about something.
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CLOSED: “Did the seminar today help develop your understanding of the module topic?” And following up with the open, will allow for context and better understanding of that opinion. OPEN: “How did the seminar today develop your understanding of the module topic?” IDEA: If there is an Academic Society linked with your course or subject area, try reaching out to them as a potential source of feedback. IDEA: STOP
START
KEEP
This is another approach you can take to encourage your peers to give you helpful feedback. Ask them to list one thing they would stop, one thing they would keep, and one thing they would start.
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ROS (Rep Online System) is a tool to help you gather and manage your students’ feedback about the whole university experience. ROS has three questions: Is there anything working well? Is there anything working less well? Do you have any new ideas? This means you should be able to input all the balanced feedback you’ve received about any topic. When you input feedback as a Rep, you will get an email with a summary of that feedback so you know what things you need to take action on quickly or to remind you of what feedback you’ve gathered before a meeting. Additionally, when you input against a particular service, for example the Library or Accommodation, that service will also be emailed with the details, so they can take action. You should use ROS to record all the online and / or face to face conversations you have with students; by doing that all your feedback will be in one place and you can get a report from SU in advance of any meetings. That report will help you evidence what might need further discussion or investigation. ROS does not collect the name of individual students, only the Reps, so students can be reassured any feedback given to ROS is anonymous. 18
ROS is really useful in building a picture of the overall student experience and helps The SU and presidents lobby on your behalf on the big issues with evidence. The more Reps use it, the more informed and accurate that picture becomes. We then use that data to inform more strategic decision making about where we need to focus our efforts, and can inform the Universities likewise. For example, we can see if meeting the quality of feedback received by students is really good in just 1st year English, or across that whole department, or the whole of 1st year, or the whole University. We’ll use ROS to pick the topics for our Big Rep Meetings, which happen once a term and allow Reps to have face-to-face conversations with senior managers of areas ROS has highlighted as receiving a lot of student feedback.
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0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
110
417
61
162
323
22
380
601
87
434 395 94
Teaching on Assessment Academic The running Course my course and support on of my specific feedback my course course resources
141
667
1301
54 33
Library resources
100
117 Campus facilities (inc. transport and I.T.)
363
545
No. of students who agree with what works well/what doesn’t work well/new ideas - by topic
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67 41 My accommodation
58 14 82 Student Services (inc. welfare)
What works well
16 50 Your Sports and Students; Fitness Union (Course Reps, Clubs, Societies, Advice)
37 51 56
What works well
Employ- Supervision ability
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New ideas
DECISION TREE (Put it in ROS!)
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Email or speak with your course or module leader
Yes
Raise it at your next SSLC Use ROS to log it and have it sent direct to that service. Once a term we will discuss this feedback at Big Rep Meeting and your Presidents will use it to inform their work.
No
Is it urgent?
Yes
No
Does it relate to your course? Yes
Offer to support the student to raise the feedback directly themselves or if needed signpost them to additional support No
Does it affect more than one student? Feedback
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WHAT FEEDBACK SHOULD LOOK LIKE BEFORE IT’S GIVEN Once you’ve got lots of feedback from your students, it’s time to ensure you can deliver it in such a way that it is effective in creating change. The easiest way to check, is to apply to ABCDE of feedback. Is it: Accurate & Appropriate Is there enough detail in the feedback to clearly explain what the issue / good practice is, and what the impact on students is? Use the decision tree to make sure you’re raising it in the right forum and in a timely manner. Balanced Is it inclusive of everyone’s view. Have you made sure to check with minority groups of students*? 23
Constructive Is it worded in a way that clearly highlights any problem but in a moderate and practical way? Try offering solutions where possible using phrases such as “wouldn’t it be better if…”, or “could we consider… “. De-personalised Names are massive NO-NO! If there is an issue with a member of staff, SSLC meetings are NOT the forum to raise it. A confidential meeting with your Director of Education in the first place is the right way to start. If you want to praise a member of staff, we recommend nominating them for a You’re Brilliant Award, look out for the boxes around campus. Evidenced You should always evidence the feedback you have received whether by using comments, data, statistics, reports, University policy or practice from elsewhere. A good tip is to think of the feedback you get on your academic work. What kind of feedback is useful for you to improve your work and keep you motivated? Is that the kind of feedback you’re giving your staff? See “Being Inclusive” on page 31 24
WHAT YOU DO NEXT
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Now you’ve got your feedback, and it’s been through the ABCDE test, it’s time to REPRESENT it. Sometimes that will be quick and easy, like an email to a module leader about missing resources on the ELE. Other times there might be bigger issues that need discussion before action is taken. Maybe students are suggesting there needs to be a different balance of assessment methods in a module. With issues like this, you’ll need to raise them at your SSLC. An SSLC is a Student Staff Liaison Committee. There is an SSLC for each subject area, and it meets to talk through the feedback gathered by Course Reps, and confirm a set of action points to be delivered that address that feedback. It is chaired by the Subject Chair(s), and is attended by all Course Reps within the discipline/subject area, as well as the Director of Education, other key academics, and staff representatives from the library, employability, administration, and a rep from The SU. The SSLC should also hear about the progress on previously agreed actions points and decide upon a plan to report back to students about what’s happened because of
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their feedback. You’ll be asked to submit items for the agenda in advance of the meeting, outlining the key feedback you’ve collected. You can request your ROS report to help you with this but you should NOT just submit your ROS report! The SSLC meetings are a vital part of the University Quality Assurance system and help close the feedback loop for students. You should always do your best to attend your SSLC, but if you can’t, then make sure you send apologies to the Subject Chair(s) and send them any feedback that you feel needs noting or discussing. DON’T FORGET You are there to represent the views of your peers. These may not necessarily reflect your own, but you are asked to present the majority opinion or a balanced range of feedback.
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KEY TERMS:
Agenda this sets out what will be discussed at the meeting, if there is something specific you want to talk about at the meeting, you need to ask for it to be added in advance of the meeting. It will be sent to members before the meeting so everyone can prepare. Apologies Record of who has let the Chair know they cannot attend the meeting. Matters Arising Discussion of actions taken or required regarding issues raised at the last meeting. Minutes: Approved written record of the previous meeting. Minutes from the previous meeting will usually be circulated with the agenda. Any Other Business: An opportunity to raise something urgent that hasn’t appeared on the agenda. Usually it will only have come to your attention after the agenda has been set. 28
BIG REP MEETING
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The Big Rep Meetings take place once a term and, as you might have guessed, brings together all the Reps to talk about the big themes coming out of ROS. The meetings will be chaired by the SU Presidents, and senior staff from relevant areas will be invited to join in with the discussions and hear directly from you about the student experience. The meetings will also be a chance for the Presidents to report back to Reps about the work they’ve been doing because of student feedback and give you the chance to ask them questions. There might be other meetings you’re invited to from time to time, like focus groups or approval panels. Let us know if you need any support with them.
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Being inclusive and knowing your peers. A fundamental element of being a representative is ensuring you are representing the interests of all students on your course. Make sure that you are not only voicing your own opinion, but the true opinion of the range of students you may represent, including mature students, international students, disabled students, or those with extra responsibilities. These students are often in a minority within their cohort and therefore it is doubly important their voice is heard, as sometimes their experience may be different to the majority and not considered. We operate on a MAJORITY RULES, MINORITY RIGHTS approach, which is an “important principle in democracy according to which public policy is determined by a majority of citizens, but the majority may not rightfully use its power to deprive minority groups of their rights*.� It’s a good idea to make sure you know how many students you are representing, how you will share your duties if there are other course reps in your cohort, and that the students you represent know who you are and how to give you feedback. *Reference: www.reference.com/world-view/meantmajority-rules-minority-rights-f00485c910a86e0d 31
And finally… Closing the feedback loop is often the hardest part of the job but just as important as getting the feedback in the first place. Your University and academic staff will be working hard to let students know what has happened because of the feedback they’ve been given through your work as a Rep, as well as things like module evaluation and the National Student Survey. Please help them deliver these updates where you can. Your effectiveness as a Rep will be largely measured by your peers as to whether it was worth giving you feedback, so it’s in your interests to share any success you’ve had. Encourage staff to give brief updates at the beginning of a lecture or group meeting following on from an SSLC. THANK YOU for giving your time to help better the experience of all your peers whilst at university. We think this makes you a pretty awesome human. If you ever need reminding of this, or a cup of tea, someone to chat to, or to celebrate creating positive change, then come to your Students’ Union and we’ll be happy to oblige!
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KEY CONTACTS
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It’s worth spending time getting to know who the key staff are in your discipline area. That way, when an issue arises, you’ll be able to take action more quickly. You could write in here who your key contacts are: Subject Chair:
Director of Education:
Programme Director:
SU Representation & Democracy Manager:
You’ll also find lots of information on the ELE pages for each module, including the lead tutor.
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STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE CODE OF CONDUCT
By being elected or appointed into a representative role you are agreeing to abide by our Code of Conduct for Student Representatives.1
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Expectation of Representatives TRAINING Attendance at the relevant Rep Training is compulsory for all Reps. Completing training allows Reps to carry out their roles effectively and build networks across departments. The only exception to mandatory attendance is for those who have been appointed and trained in a similar role in previous years with the agreement of the SU Rep & Dem Manager. Reps have the opportunity to engage with additional training opportunities over the course of the academic year. MEETING ATTENDANCE All reps will be expected to attend the meetings outlined in their relevant role descriptor. Where attendance is not possible, Reps should communicate their apologies to the Chair and / or secretary of the meeting. It is expected that Reps who are unable to attend a meeting will send a report/comments, detailing any issues to be discussed, to the meeting secretary or another Representative. Failure to attend (without providing apologies) two meetings as outlined above, may result in the process to remove you as a Representative.2
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FEEDBACK COLLECTION The collection of feedback from the students you represent is the cornerstone of successful representation. All reps are expected to communicate consistently and effectively with their students, with the objective of gathering a representative view of opinions and concerns on all matters relating to the student experience. To ensure that this is the case, any presented feedback should adhere to the ABCDE rule, and be Accurate, Balanced, Constructive, Depersonalised and Evidenced. Reps should log all feedback collected in the Rep Online System (ROS). Reps should ensure they pass information / raise issues in a timely manner. BEHAVIOUR AND ATTITUDE Reps must act respectfully and with professionalism at all times, including at any meetings they attend, throughout the undertaking of their roles. This includes verbal and written communication. Bullying and harassment of any kind are unacceptable. If you have concerns about the conduct of another Rep then please contact the Students’ Union.
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SENSITIVE INFORMATION Collected information which is of a sensitive nature, whether pertaining to a student or member of staff, should be treated as confidential, and anonymity should be retained for all parties concerned when appropriate. DATA Personal data is shared with reps with a view to providing information necessary for effective undertaking of core responsibilities. This information should be used exclusively for reps to carry out these responsibilities, and must not be used for any other purpose, or shared externally. Any breach of Data Protection laws could result in substantial fines, and additional consequences for the Students’ Union and University. As part of a legitimate interest to facilitate representation and communication, the names and contact details of reps are shared with the students they represent. ‘Student Representatives’, as a term, covers: Course Reps, Subject Chairs and Department Chairs. 2 It is important that you must prioritise your academic studies above all else. If you are struggling with balancing your role as a Rep, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Student’s Union or your Course Leader. 1
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Procedure for the Removal of Representatives Occasionally there may be issues where the conduct of a Representative may be called into question, and the suggestion for a Representative to be removed from their role. This will tend to rise from a Representative breaching anything in this code of conduct, such as not turning up to meetings and not providing apologies, or conducting themselves in an unacceptable way. We want to ensure that this is a rarity, and that Representatives know what the process will be for their removal. The following is the procedure for dealing with the removal:
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Stage 1 The Representative will receive an email inviting them to a meeting with an SU President and / or Representation & Democracy Coordinator to discuss the concern informally. Stage 2 If a resolution has not been sought, or the incident is more serious, the Representative will be brought to a formal meeting with the Students’ Union and Course Leader / Director of Education. The result may be for the Representative to either address the discussed issue with action, or the University and Students’ Union may decide that the Representative should be removed from their position. Stage 3 The Representative will have a right to appeal, which if they choose to, a panel will be formed, comprising of members of their School, the University and the Students’ Union and they will be invited to discuss why they are appealing the decision. The Representative will be notified as to the decision of their appeal. A Representative can only be dismissed from their role from a joint decision by the Course Leader / Director of Education and Students’ Union, and after Stage 1 and Stage 2 have taken place. At all stages, we encourage Representatives to stay in communication with the Students’ Union and University throughout the year. 40
REMEMBER THESE IF NOTHING ELSE • ABCDE your feedback • Make sure you raise issues in a timely manner • Be a representive Rep • This is a partnership; work with your academics, your fellow Reps and The SU • Don't be afraid to ask for help!
the su.org.uk