Course Rep Handbook

university of plymouth students’ union

HANDBOOK

The University of Plymouth Students’ Union mission statement 1. Representation: Providing responsible and professional representation in all areas of life affecting students as students. This is both internal and external to the University, and is achieved by the officers, volunteers and the staff of the Union.

2. Advice: Providing a professional independent advice and support service.

This includes providing accurate and up to date researched advice on social policy issues affecting students.

3. Activities: Providing an opportunity for involvement in self organised activities.

4. Delivering best value for students: Seeking to deliver value for money for students as consumers. This includes providing value for money commercial services ourselves, but also brokering and negotiating deals for all students with external companies and supplies as appropriate.

5. Providing space for social development and inclusion: Responding to the needs of our ever diversifying membership in providing space for them to socialise, relax and integrate with each other.

6. Training and Development: Providing training and personal development to support all of the above and to ensure that recognition is achieved for all extracurricular work.

7. Community involvement: Reflecting the increasing involvement of the University within its locality, developing activities appropriate to and reflective of the needs of the local community. This involves many activities, both voluntary and commercial, which will enable students, local citizens, businesses and other voluntary organisations to work closer together.

Useful Contacts and Places Emma Wilson VP Education & Welfare Sabbs Office, The Hive Ground floor UPSU building coursereps@upsu.com Heather Stenning Advice Centre 1st Floor UPSU building 01752 588373 coursereps@upsu.com Advice Centre 1st Floor UPSU building 01752 588373 advice@su.plymouth.ac.uk

The Course Rep system is the responsibility of the VP Education & Welfare.

A permanent member of Students’ Union staff, available to help with any Course Rep enquiry.

Free, Independent and confidential advice on a wide range of issues including academic regulations.

Programme Administrator

If you have a query relating to an academic meeting then please contact your programme administrator who is usually based in your School Office.

Course Rep website

www.upsu.com/coursereps This includes a list of all of the Course Reps for the University.

Course Rep notice board

Situated on the ground floor of the Students’ Union building, next to the lift.

Course Rep newsletter

Fortnightly emails including dates for training, network meetings and other opportunities.

An introduction from Emma Wilson VP for Education and Welfare

Faculty of Science and Technology Hello and congratulations for volunteering to make a difference in the world of Student Academic Representation!

As Vice President Education and Welfare I am the lead officer for ensuring that all students, within the University have a voice via the course rep system. It will be my job to help train, support and guide you throughout the year, to help develop engagement within the University and to ensure that the Course Rep system is working to its full potential.

Standing up for students to ensure that they get the best experience from their course and institution is an extremely exciting experience, it equips you with many skills that you can apply both to your academic work and also on your CV! Being a Course Representative will also give you the opportunity to play a pivitol role in feeding back to both staff and students. You will feedback to students about what you have helped change or improve, and feedback to staff about things you would like to see done differently, or in terms of rewards for excellent teaching.

Being a Course Rep can definitely give you a great buzz and a really good feeling of making a genuine difference. University staff want to hear constructive feedback and most of all the University wants to hear what students need and want.

The Students’ Union cannot fulfil it’s role in ensuring you guys get what you want and need, without input from Course Reps!

I hope that you enjoy your year as a Course Rep, in a time that is sure to see many changes and developments in Higher Education, both at the university and nationally.

An introduction from the Sabbs Each year 5 sabbatical officers are elected by the student body, they are then employed by the Students’ Union for one year. Each officer has a different area of responsibility; however they do have one common aim, which is to ensure students at the University of Plymouth are represented.

That is why each of them has adopted a Plymouth

campus based Faculty, you will meet them at the Students’ Union run events, and some of you will also see them at academic meetings.

They can be found in their office which is just inside the Hive. All of the officers believe that Course Reps are important and have taken this opportunity to tell you why:

Faculty of Education

Matthew Chan Deputy President

Course reps are there to reflect your views and opinions, and to monitor how well your degree program is enhancing your student experience. Be

involved, be elected and be part of the mechanism that can influence the quality of your University degree!

Faculty of Health

Tom Davidson VP Sports

Course reps are an essential part of the Students’ Union’s ability to hear the voice of the student body, and ensure that our members academic needs are met. Without them, our ability

Abi Pettit

to properly represent our students is diminished. So thank you for choosing to become a course rep and enjoy your year!

VP Activities and Communications

The power of Course Reps is often underestimated. You are there to represent your fellow course mates to ensure that their issues are

Seena Shah President

Course Reps are the bridge between students and academic

Plymouth Business School

heard. You can also play an important role in developing and improving your course, making sure your lecturers are aware of what matters to their students.

Faculty of Arts staff- without them how will the students’ voice be heard?

The role of a Course Rep Being a Course Rep is broadly about representing the views of the students on your course to the University. You ensure that

any issues you have raised are being dealt with in the appropriate manner and then feedback to your student cohort.

Identify student issues on your course.

Attend and participate in all appropriate course rep meetings held by the University and UPSU. Engage with the University to develop innovative ideas for both programme and policy development.

Find effective ways to feedback the outcomes from the meetings you have attended to the students on your course.

To liaise with the elected Faculty Officer from UPSU on issues affecting your school.

Work within a confidential environment and refer students with individual problems to appropriate sources of help e.g. UPSU sabbatical Officer and or upsu:advice.

Keep the Students’ Union updated on issues arising.

Attend training sessions regardless of whether this is your first year as a Course Rep.

Boundaries Course Reps take forward issues where that issue affects more than one student. If an individual student has a problem then you should always refer them to upsu:advice. The student will then be given information and advice specific to their situation. upsu:advice gives advice on all academic queries as well as personal issues.

Course Reps are not there to provide a counselling service.

The University has a team of professionals to provide this service and upsu:advice can signpost individuals as required.

What is representation?

Don’t just say what you think. It is important to remember that you are not just representing your own views but the views of all the students on your programme. If you don’t know what their views are on an issue then ask them.

What University meetings will you attend?

Programme Committee Meetings: These meetings happen for every programme and are usually held once a term. One of the agenda items will be student issues and this is where programme specific issues can be raised. These issues could vary from the way a module has been delivered to the way feedback is received from a piece of work.

Student Staff Liaison Committees: These meetings have a variety of names, such as Student Rep meetings, Course Rep meetings etc. They are run in most schools, and are often chaired by students with a couple of academics attending. The meetings tend to be less formal but more regular than the programme committee meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss primarily site issues, such as placements and library issues.

Faculty Board: This is a formal meeting that normally only a few students attend. Students are often elected to attend the Faculty Board and may be called a School Rep or Faculty rep instead.

Other meetings: Course Reps are asked occasionally to sit on other meetings to ensure the student voice is heard. These could be Health and Safety meetings or other meetings that take place throughout the year.

If you are ever unsure about what is expected of you then contact upsu:advice or your programme administrator.

What Students’ Union events are there for Course Reps?

Training:

The Students’ Union will be running a one hour training session several times in October; it will be repeated on two dates in November and a further date in February.

Skills Workshops:

The Students’ Union will be running skills workshops throughout the first term; they will cover topics such as meeting skills and effective communication. For more information visit: www.upsu.com/ coursereps.

CV Session:

Everyone agrees that being a Course Rep looks good on your CV. The Students’ Union will be holding a session aimed at 3rd year Course Reps to show them how to make the most of the skills they have acquired when completing application forms.

Parliament:

Student Parliament meets to discuss the issues that students face, both locally and nationally. Parliament debates the policy of the Students’ Union and organises campaigns to improve the lives of students.

The members of Student Parliament are elected by students to act on their behalf.

To ensure that your representative acts in your best interest make sure that you vote in the UPSU Part-time elections, vote online at www.upsu.com. Parliament is an open meeting if you would like to raise an issue, look out for the dates in the Course Rep newsletter.

Network Meetings: The network meetings will be held on the following dates: Tuesday 2nd November, 6pm in the Hive, SU. Thursday 17th February, 6pm the Hive, SU. Monday 21st March, 6pm in the Hive, SU. These meetings have a variety of functions. Firstly it is an opportunity for you to meet other Course Reps across the University.

Secondly, you will be able to hold the sabbatical team to account for any action they have taken since the previous meeting on issues that you have raised; you will also be able to seek support from your nominated sabbatical officer at this meeting.

Thirdly, it is an opportunity for School or Faculty Reps to gather issues from students to take to Faculty Board.

It is hoped that academic campaigns will come from the issues you raise here.

Signposting If a student approaches you with an individual problem then there are a number of support services within the University that may be able to help them. It is important that if someone has a personal problem that you do

not try to solve it for them. Many organisations will not advise a 3rd party, so the most helpful thing you can do is, pass on the contact details and let the student ask for support.

Support Services: upsu:advice:

A free, confidential, independent, impartial advice and information service, to all students and prospective students of the University of Plymouth.

The service provides assistance on all aspects of student life, as well as providing general information about other issues that may concern you.

You can find us on the first floor of the Students’ Union building, we are open between 9.30am – 4.30pm Monday – Friday or at:

www.upsu.com/advice Anytime Advice line:

T4/7 is a free confidential service for University of Plymouth students, accessible via the T4/7 button on the student portal or

FREEPHONE: 0800 042 0134

EMAIL:

assistance@workplaceoptions.com

OUTSIDE THE UK:

+44 (0) 20 8987 5964

MINICOM:

020 8987 6574

Student Funding Unit:

Deal with enquiries about statutory student financial support (student grants and loans); they give advice on other funding sources including the Access to Learning Fund and Additional (part time) Fee Support Scheme; they can sometimes help with financial emergencies; they are also responsible for student support activation (scanning). Further information can be found at www.plymouth.ac.uk/studentfunding

International Student Advisory Service (ISAS): Provide specialist support and guidance for University of Plymouth international students, enabling you to fulfil your academic potential and to get the most out of your time in the UK. Further information can be found at www.plymouth.ac.uk/isas

Incentives By becoming a Course Rep you will have the ability to make positive changes to your course and to the University. If you complete your logbook you will receive a certificate stating the

skills you will have gained. In this time of increasing competition for employment having something else to put on your CV will always be useful.

Lanyards: The The Students’ Union produces Plymouth Award: an identity card and lanyard for The Plymouth Course Reps. These cards are Award will appear expected to last for the entire as a separate time that you are a Course Rep, item on the so if you are the Course Rep for Higher Education two years, you will only get one Achievement card and lanyard. These can be Report (HEAR) collected from the Students’ Union from 2011/12 Advice Centre. and will be presented at your graduation.

The University Course Rep Award: has designed the Award to At the end of the academic year encourage students to take a the Students’ Union will ask for positive approach to life whilst at nominations for these awards. the University. They believe very There will be one award for strongly in “life-wide” experiential each Faculty; the award will be learning, and the Award reflects presented at a Students’ Union this philosophy. Students who award ceremony. register for the Award will need to demonstrate 80 hours of activity in total. A list of endorsed activities and details of how to register and the cost involved can be found at www.plymouth.ac.uk/ plymouthaward

Certificates and the Log book This year you will only receive a certificate for being a Course Rep if you can show that you have attended both academic meetings and either a Students’ Union training event or a network meeting. We have provided a logbook for you to record the meetings you attend. You will need to ask the chair of the meeting to sign your log book.

If you have a genuine reason Bronze A Course Rep must have attended at least two academic meetings and one of the Students’ Union Course Rep events.

why you are unable to attend a meeting then it is good practice and polite to email the chair with your apologies.

There will be three different levels of certificate, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The criteria are as follows:

Silver A Course Rep must have attended three or more academic meetings and a Students’ Union Course Rep event.

All log books should be given to Heather Stenning in the Students’ Union Advice Centre by Friday 1st April 2011, certificates will then be ready for collection from

Gold Course Reps must fulfil the criteria for a silver certificate, and have shown that they have gone beyond the normal remit for a Course Rep. These certificates will be awarded as part of the nomination process for the Course Rep Award.

Tuesday 26th April. We will not be posting any certificates this year, so please ensure you have collected it before you leave for the summer.

Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed:

Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed: Meeting attended: Date of Meeting: Chair’s signature: Chair’s name printed:

* Academic advice * Benefits * Debt * Housing * Pregancy tests * Consumer advice * Legal advice * Personal advice * Student funding ... in fact just about anything Call: 01752 588373 Email: advice@su.plymouth.ac.uk Web: upsu.com/advice

university of plymouth students’ union

HANDBOOK

University of Plymouth Students’ Union Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA t: 01752 588373 e: coursereps@upsu.com w: www.upsu.com/coursereps

If you require this book in a different format please contact coursereps@upsu.com