Course Rep Training Pack 2024/25

Course Rep Training Pack 2024/25

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Contents Welcome About Wrexham Students’ Union What is a Course Rep? Course Reps of the Month 24/25 What is a Faculty Rep? Unitu, your student feedback platform Responsibilities of a Course Rep Course Rep Elections Online Course Rep Training Schedule Student Voice Forums (SVFs) What is the National Student Survey (NSS)?

What is an External Examiner Report?

Student Evaluation Module Survey and Course Reps How staff can support Course Reps Sustainability In Education Course Rep Training Assessment Checklist Hints and tips Useful contacts and information

Welcome

Katie Taffinder, Student Voice Coordinator Welcome to the 2024/25 training pack for Course Reps, here you will find all the information on how to become an effective Course Rep. This is a perfect opportunity for students to make a difference here at university, as a Course Rep your voice goes a long way. In fact, you are at the core of what the Students’ Union does, with our primary role is to represent the interests of the students.

For us here at the Students’ Union the students voice is key to making change, this means we want to hear what you and your peers have to say. It is important that you say what you think and give clear and honest feedback, as it is the main driver for change on your course. Make no mistake, one person can make a significant difference.

Looking forward to supporting you throughout the year.

Katie Taffinder

Katie Tafffinder Student Voice Coordinator

Welcome

Maisie Head, Students’ Union President Welcome to the Course Rep training pack! Congratulations on becoming the chosen course rep for your cohort! This is a fantastic opportunity for you to gain skills which you will use for the rest of your life. As President, I am one of two lead student representatives for students here at Wrexham University, but my work would not be possible without you! Your role as a Course Rep is to advocate for your peers, and bring their opinions, ideas, and feedback to us here in the Students’ Union so we can take it further and hopefully make a change! In the words of Barbara Mikulski – “Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make change.” Please feel free to contact me if you need advice, guidance or want to know more about how you can be involved in changing the future of Wrexham University.

I wish you the best for this year.

Maisie Head

Maisie Head President

About Wrexham Students’ Union What is the Students’ Union?

The Students’ Union is a representative body for students, run by students. The Students’ Union aims to promote the welfare and equality of the students at Wrexham University and its academic partners and is there to offer support to anyone who has any concerns whilst they are studying at the University.

As an enrolled Wrexham University student, whether you are studying at the Wrexham University campus, or at one of the local, national or international Partner Institutions, you are automatically a member of the Students’ Union. If you wish to opt out of membership, please contact us directly by emailing union@wrexham.ac.uk The Students’ Union is an Independent, autonomous, self-governing body. The President and Vice-President are the two full-time sabbatical officers elected into office annually by the student body, with a maximum term in office of two years.

Student Council is one of the most senior committees in the Students' Union. Its role is to set Union policy and to hold your elected representatives to account.

If you would like to run for a position on Student Council or would like to join meetings as a student observer please let us know by contacting carrie.bennett@wrexham.ac.uk As a Course Representative, you will have the opportunity to engage in the promotion and development of the Students’ Union as well participating in policy change within the Union, the Institution and nationally through the NUS (National Union of Students) (National Union of Students) (National Union of Students) (National Union of Students) (National Union of Students).

The point of contact as a Course Rep is Katie Taffinder, Student Voice Coordinator katie.taffinder@wrexham.ac.uk

What is a Course Rep? We rely on course reps to be active campaigning members of the Students’ Union who will work towards the goal of improving the student experience. They are our ears to the ground, working to resolve local departmental issues such as feedback standards or the facilities available to students and much more.

Course reps are responsible for engaging and monitoring Unitu, a safe online space for feedback and discussion. Unitu is where student reps and staff can collectively raise, discuss and resolve both academic and more general experience issues, give praise, ask questions or post constructive feedback anonymously. It allows the University to respond to and act on feedback in real time to ensure you have the best possible student experience with us here at Wrexham University.

Usually, course reps (and peers if they wish) will be invited to attend a Student Voice Forum (this may be called something different at your institution). On occasion, a course rep may be required to represent a view that they do not necessarily agree with, but if it is the view of the students, then it is their responsibility to articulate this to the best of their abilities.

What should I know?

You will not have the answers to every question, but this training pack or online training will equip you with many of the resolutions to the scenarios that you may come across.

Not sure of an answer? Signpost to the relevant department or staff member.

Not sure who speak to? Speak to any staff member of the University or the Students’ Union and they will guide you in the most appropriate direction.

Course Reps of the Month 24/25 The team from Student Voice wanted to show Course Reps the recognition they truly deserve. From October to April there will be 2 Course Reps chosen as Course Reps of the Month. This could simply be a rep who has engaged with Unitu and answered feedback posts, attended training or a workshop, attended Student Voice Forums, or worked collaboratively with their peers, cohorts, or programme team.

To nominate yourself or a rep who has shown these attributes, please contact katie.taffinder@wrexham.ac.uk

What is a Faculty Rep? Each Academic Faculty has an overarching Faculty Rep elected by the student body and supported by the University & Students’ Union. The Faculty Rep may attend the Students’ Union Council by request and is the link between the Faculty and the Students’ Union.

The Faculty Rep can liaise with Wrexham University campus Course Reps through Unitu and gather feedback via Course Rep data available to them from the Students’ Union.

Feedback given will be discussed at Faculty Boards and other Senior Management Team Meetings. Faculty reps have a key role in gathering the views of the wider student population, including considering views received from students located at partner sites.

Faculty Boards deal specifically with academic quality and standards matters, with a reporting line to Academic Board via the Learning and Teaching Quality Committee and Academic Partnerships Committee. Faculty Boards have student representatives in their membership and meet three times per year (as a minimum). All efforts should be made to avoid scheduling Faculty Boards during the assessment board period.

The Faculty Board will typically discuss issues such as Student Voice Forums (SVF) conducted across all sites of delivery including closing down any actions and ensuring students are informed of actions taken as a result of Unitu feedback; SVF meeting(s); curriculum developments and programme developments including any collaborative delivery. It is important that students are invited to participate in Faculty Boards and Faculty Deans ensure student representation is upheld. It is recommended that a mix of undergraduate, postgraduate taught, full-time, and part-time students are represented where practicable, with no more than 3 or 4 students attending each meeting. Students attending Faculty Boards are entitled to claim a nominal attendance/expense allowance for each meeting.

How to write a formal expression of interest for the role of Faculty Representative: Introduce yourself professionally State your programme and year of study Highlight any relevant experience or background that you may have Conclude with a positive close including your full name Please send this to grace.he@wrexham.ac.uk or katie.taffinder@wrexham.ac.uk who will instruct you on your next steps.

Unitu What is Unitu and how does it work?

Unitu is an online platform where students can share feedback on their experiences either Academic or Operational by making a post on their Unitu board. This feedback and discussion can be a Praise/Issue/Question/Idea. The content of the post is not visible to staff at this stage.

Course reps review the feedback posts and respond where appropriate. Reps can choose to share the feedback with staff in the department, by moving it to the next level ‘Opened.’ Here, staff can see the content of the feedback and can provide a response, such as explaining how a change will be made in response to the feedback.

Staff can then move the feedback to the next level ‘In Progress’ or the final level ‘Closed’ depending on their response.

Notable changes and improvements in the department/programme are then recorded in the ‘Together We Changed’ section of the Unitu Board.

You can find a comprehensive introduction to how Unitu works on the Course Rep Training section https://unitu.co.uk/course/student-rep-training-public/ What is a feedback board?

A feedback board is a central space where students, reps and staff interact with feedback that is raised by students.

The feedback board is split into two sections, private and public.

Private is where students, reps, and student union officers (if they have access) within a specific feedback board can raise, discuss, resolve, or escalate feedback to the public area. Staff do not have access to the private area of the feedback board; however, they can see how many feedback posts have been created, what programme it relates to and the year of study of the author of the post. Once a post has received enough votes and cannot be dealt with by reps and students, the elected representatives can escalate the feedback to the public area.

The public area is where staff members can open feedback, review, comment, and update students through commenting in the discussion thread or by moving into one of two columns; “In progress” or “Closed.”

For more information about Unitu, watch this short video: https://youtu.be/_lsmMdVt6aQ?si=vDuQGwI8sNGyKrAP

Responsibilities State your interest in becoming a Course Rep during election period (23/09/2024 - 04/10/2024) Attend your online Course Rep training session Tues 2pm till 4pm -21/10/2024 Wed 10 am till 12pm -22/10/2024 Thurs 2pm till 4pm -23/10/2024 Fri 10 am till 12pm -24/10/2024 Note: Course Reps only to attend 1 of the sessions or confirm the completion of this training pack via the assessment at the end of this pack. Once received you will receive a Course Rep training certificate for 24/25 Review and respond to email invite from university admin. Send formal apologies if you cannot attend Note the SVF (Student Voice Forum) date 2 weeks before SVF: Gather opinions and feedback from your peers either written, verbally or via the online feedback tool Unitu https://glyndwr.unitu.co.uk/account/login Listen to what students tell you and present their views in a constructive, straightforward way - even if you do not agree!

Attend Student Voice Forum (SVF) meetings to talk to staff about what is working well, what might need changing and any innovative ideas they might have relating to their course.

Communicate with staff, course reps and faculty reps to notice recurring themes.

Promote and support the academic staff with any formal feedback surveys Make sure you work with academic staff to inform students of the outcomes of any issues raised at Student Voice Forums. Close the feedback loop!

Update your cohort and peers on any changes that are made. This can be done via Unitu to ensure all students are aware of Additional things you can be involved with: Taking part in validations Becoming a Faculty Rep Running in the Elections For further information, visit: https://www.wrexhamglyndwrsu.org.uk/

Responsibilities Continued

The Students’ Union will be expected to: To support programme teams Course Rep Elections by request Provide face-to-face training to help be an effective Course Rep, alongside additional training opportunities throughout the year.

Organise networking events for reps to meet fellow Course Reps and Faculty Reps.

Hold events or meetings with Reps throughout the year to ensure lines of communication are maintained between Officers and the University.

Be on hand to help reps with anything related to their experience as a Course Rep Maintain a list of reps on the SU (Students Unions) database.

The University will be expected to: Hold Course Rep elections through academic staff.

Provide information about meetings, dates/ times and venues to Student Voice Forums and committees well in advance via student administration.

Provide documentation of agenda and minutes for their meetings Recommend appropriate members of staff to refer student issues to.

Consider all feedback presented by Reps.

Act on feedback where appropriate.

Work with course reps to feedback to students and close the feedback loop.

Important: From time-to-time students may approach you with sensitive and personal issues. Please do not try to resolve these issues and refer a student to a Student Advisor at the Students’ Union. suadvice@wrexham.ac.uk

Course Rep Elections How it works: Course Reps are elected by their cohort not by staff. (This ensures our democratic processes are met). Please note that course reps who were elected in previous years are not automatically reps for this academic year unless the cohort agrees. Brand new elections should take place each year.

We ask that a minimum of TWO representatives are elected per course per year.

Academic staff should ask those who wish to run for course rep to put their names forward and an election should take place facilitated by programme leaders. Our recommendation is that students put forward their reasons to become a course rep and these are shared to students by the programme team, the election process would then take place by students emailing their preferred candidate to the programme leader. This is just one idea, but the process must be democratic and fair. Once elected, staff should email Katie Taffinder Katie.Taffinder@wrexham.ac.uk by the deadline provided.

Lastly, elected reps will receive an email to their student account from the Students’ Union informing them of the next steps to take in terms of training and support.

Election closing date: 4th October 2024 For more information on the www.wrexhamglyndwrsu.org.uk

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Online Course Rep Training Schedule Course Rep training is taking place online via Teams between 21/10/2024 - 25/10/2024.

Join the meeting time and date you wish to attend.

Tues 2pm till 4pm -21/10/2024 Wed 10 am till 12pm -22/10/2024 ⁠Thurs 2pm till 4pm -23/10/2024 ⁠Fri 10 am till 12pm -24/10/2024 Please note: Course Reps are only required to attend 1 of the online sessions OR Confirm the completion of the training and assessment at the end of this pack. Once confirmed, you will receive a Course Rep training certificate for 24/25.

For more information, email: katie.taffinder@wrexham.ac.uk

Student Voice Forums (SVFs) SVF meetings are held twice a year and give course reps the opportunity to discuss the quality of their learning experience. It’s also an important phase that either escalates or closes the student feedback received by students.

Dates and locations of the meetings are usually shared at the beginning of the academic year and can take place in many ways such as online virtual meetings or face-to-face.

More than any other duty as a course rep, attending an SVF is the most important.

Unitu is the ideal platform to gather feedback for SVFs but we encourage course reps to gather feedback in any way they see fit.

This can be a WhatsApp group chat, emails or minutes from meetings.

Who can attend?

All enrolled students within the department Elected representatives Course and module leaders A member of the Students’ Union The meeting should be chaired by someone outside of the department but can be within the school for impartiality.

Although there is a set agenda, there should be a student focus which includes: Confirmation that course reps have consulted with students prior to the meeting and what mechanisms were used Feedback and updates on actions completed since the last meeting and any other issues have arisen during that time What happens after an SVF? Feedback on actions from SVFs should be provided to students via your VLE within two weeks of the SVF meeting. The course leader or relevant staff members will follow up any issues and will notify course representatives of any outcome or changes. It is then expected that the course reps and programme leader will feed these outcomes back to students through various methods.

What is the National Student Survey (NSS)?

The NSS is a high-profile annual census of half a million students across the UK. Conducted annually since 2005, it is an established survey and produces useful data to help institutions and students' unions identify areas of success and areas for enhancement. The NSS is completed by final year students and gives a chance for students to give feedback on their student experience through a scoring method on areas such as module delivery, assessments, and assessment feedback etc. The results of this survey go public and are used to determine where the University will sit in the University league tables. During SVF meetings, students will have the chance to see the previous year’s NSS scores from their course and suggest ways for it to improve. As a Course Rep, it is expected that you will support the Students’ Union and the University to encourage final year students to fill out this important survey!

To find out more about Wrexham Universities 2024 NSS scores click here https://wrexham.ac.uk/news/articles/wrexham-top-university-in-wales-for-teaching-in2023-national-student-survey/ Further Information on NSS https://www.thestudentsurvey.com/

What is an External Examiner Report?

The examiners' reports are an essential study resource. Use them alongside the relevant sample exams to get insight into the marking process, including common student mistakes and how to avoid them. The latest reports contain question walk-throughs and performance feedback on questions sat by students.

The external examiner report will: Ensure that the performance of students is assessed fairly Advise the University on whether the academic standards of all its awards are consistent with the standards of similar awards elsewhere; Provide an external evaluation of the effectiveness of academic regulations and an external monitoring of the consistent and fair application of those regulations and associated procedures

Student Evaluation Module Survey and Course Reps SEMs are your additional tool for getting honest and constructive feedback from students about their perception of the effectiveness of the teaching and learning experience of our programmes. As a module leader, it is your responsibility to set up the completion dates on the surveys and to communicate the use of the SEMs to your students. You will then act upon the feedback given, offer resolutions or explanations for all points raised and upload a written or recorded summary of this to the Moodle Student Voice space for the module. The Course Reps will report to the Student Voice Forum (SVF) that all matters from the SEM activity are dealt with and closed.

Please ensure Course Reps action their SEMs, as this is valuable feedback enables prompt resolutions!

How staff can support Course Reps Promote the use Unitu the online feedback platform for all students and Course Reps Support the Course Reps to promote themselves to the students by giving them a regular opportunity to speak in sessions or make use of a discussion board on a Moodle page.

Encourage Course Reps to attend training sessions, access support where needed and engage with relevant opportunities as much as they can.

Provide an inclusive and supportive environment for Course Reps to share honest views and opinions about the course.

Provide chances for Course Reps to meet regularly with the course team, working with them wherever possible to tackle feedback at the earliest opportunity.

Pro-actively tackle breakdowns in communication or perceived performance by seeking support from the Students’ Union when recognised.

Sustainability in Higher Education Sustainability is a high priority for Wrexham Students' Union, and we are proud to have received a good accreditation from NUS's Green Impact initiative. This year we have decided not to print any hard copies of the course handbook and shift all our course rep resources to electronic copies. As a course rep we encourage you to think green when undertaking your duties.

We encourage course reps to raise the issue of sustainability at Student Voice Forums. Do academic staff print out hard copies or is everything electronic? Do you have to submit assignments as a hard copy? Could you be encouraging your Programme leader to go completely paperless? For more support on this and for more information about sustainability within the curriculum please email the Students' Union Sustainability Lead; katie.taffinder@wrexham.ac.uk

Course Rep Training Assessment To keep track of your progress through this training pack, please take 5 minutes to scan the QR code below and complete the assessment. In return, you will receive certification as a Course Rep.

Hints and tips Post an idea on Unitu Set up an e-mail distribution list Note and calendar all SVFs and relevant dates for the year Make space on the departmental noticeboard for pictures, current issues, contact details and feedback Set-up monthly drop-in sessions Get student feedback updates through dept. societies etc.

Get involved with the Students’ Union The Students’ Union may contact you to support them with campaigns or events.

Getting involved with the Union gives you the chance to meet other students whilst supporting your Union to fight for a better student experience. There are many societies you may be interested in, and if you contact us, we can help find the right society for you.

Checklist Responsibilities State your interest in becoming a Course Rep during election period – 23/09/2024 - 04/10/2024

Attend one online Course Rep training session

Review and respond to email invite from university admin. Send formal apologies if you cannot attend Note the SVF date

Gather opinions and feedback from your peers either written, verbally or via the online feedback tool Unitu.

Listen to what students tell you and present their views in a constructive, straightforward way - even if you do not agree!

Attend Student Voice Forum (SVF) meetings to talk to staff about what is working well, what might need changing and any innovative ideas you may have relating to your course.

Communicate with staff, course reps and faculty reps to identify recurring themes.

Promote and support the academic staff with any formal feedback surveys.

Make sure you work with academic staff to inform students of the outcomes of any issues raised at Student Voice Forums. Close the feedback loop!

Update your cohort and peers on any changes that are made. This can be done via Unitu to ensure all students are notified.

Considered any of the below: Taking part in validations Becoming a Faculty Rep Running in SU Elections in 2025

Useful Students’ Union contacts Student Voice Coordinator - Katie Taffinder katie.taffinder@wrexham.ac.uk WU President - Maisie Head supresident@wrexham.ac.uk WU Vice President - Freya Groom suvp@wrexham.ac.uk Head of Membership Services - Carrie Bennett carrie.bennett@wrexham.ac.uk Student Advisor - Cath Clark cath.clark@wrexham.ac.uk Student Opportunities - Ariana Bradshaw ariana.bradshaw@wrexham.ac.uk General Enquiries - Reception union@wrexham.ac.uk

Additional contacts and resources SU Advice Your Students’ Union offers a free, independent and confidential advice service to help you through a number of issues you may face during your time at university. We offer both online and face-to-face appointments for the following: Academic appeals Complaints Extenuating circumstances To book an appointment, email: suadvice@wrexham.ac.uk Find out more about SU Advice Help Yourshelf campaign We know the difficulties students may be facing during the cost-of-living crisis. Help Yourshelf is an SU-led campaign which aims to tackle this issue by providing weekly food donations and essential items such as self-care products.

Help Yourshelf is located in the main corridor of the Student’s Union Building based on the Plas Coch campus in Wrexham.

Donations include non-perishable food items, self-care products and stationery.

If you find yourself in need of any of these items, you can send an email to katie.taffinder@wreham.ac.uk or carrie.bennett@wrexham.ac.uk Help Yourshelf! No referrals needed.

If you have items you wish to donate, you can do so at the following drop off points: University Reception Students’ Union Reception Library Building, Plas Coch Campus To stay up to date on what is available, follow @wrexhamsu on social media.

Additional contacts and resources Wrexham University's Self-Referral Tool Office of the Independent Adjudicator for students in Higher Education NUS UK council for International Student Affairs Quality Act 2010 and implications for Students' Unions Health and Wellbeing Support