Student Rep Handbook 2025

Student Rep Handbook Your guide to representing the students on your programme.

Welcome to the team Congratulations on being elected as a Student Rep. You are now part of the Rep community!

Who are Student Reps?

We are elected by our peers to represent the student voice on our course.

We gather and share feedback to improve the student experience.

We work collaboratively with staff to create positive change.

What’s in it for you?

Rep hoodie - Stand out as the advocate for change on your course.

End of year certificate - Digital and physical proof of your hard work and commitment.

References - The Voice team can provide a reference for job or placement applications.

Coffee mornings - Free coffee, tea and snacks where all Reps are invited to connect, collaborate, and caffeinate.

Rep socials - Whether it’s a quiz night, day excursion or beach celebration, we reward you for your hard work.

Personal growth - Being a Rep builds confidence, communication and leadership skills that benefit you beyond university.

“

Being a Student Rep is one of the most powerful ways to shape life at our university. Your insights help us understand what’s working well and where we can do better – not just in your course, but across the whole student experience.

You also play a key part in helping us share the changes we’re making in response to student feedback. And there are benefits to you and your future career too.

It’s a chance to build your confidence, leadership, and communication skills – and to make a real difference for your peers. I look forward to working with you all!

Dr. Shelley Thompson, Dean Education & Student Experience, Bournemouth University

”

Why is feedback important?

Constructive feedback - By raising issues early, Reps help staff understand and resolve problems that affect students' learning and wellbeing.

Positive feedback - Highlighting successes shows appreciation and helps BU to keep doing what really works for students.

New ideas - Reps sharing creative suggestions and fresh perspectives can lead to new ways of doing things.

Collect • Represent • Share

Types of feedback Feedback can be about any aspect of the student experience.

Adequate campus facilities should support students' overall well-being and learning environment, from study spaces to affordable food options.

Feedback should be specific enough for BU and SUBU to act on.

Lectures should be engaging and include current research and industry insights where relevant.

Your SU should always be looking to improve the student experience through representation, events and opportunities.

Collecting feedback The first and most crucial stage of your Rep role is collecting feedback from your peers.

Getting this stage right ensures the rest of the feedback cycle flows more effectively.

Intros

Let students know who you are, what your role is, and how you share their views with BU. This builds trust and helps them understand how the Rep role helps them.

Lectures

Take a few minutes after class to invite comments while the content is still fresh in everyone’s minds.

Group chat

Online spaces can be great for quick polls or informal feedback, especially from those who might be quieter in person.

Submit on Shout Out

Use SUBU’s online feedback tool Shout Out to submit all feedback. You can view all the feedback you submit there at any time.

Representing feedback Once feedback has been submitted, it needs to be represented to University staff.

How does this process work?

You request a Shout Out report from the Voice team - it shows all feedback in an easy format.

You use the report to prepare talking about the issues and things that work well to a student staff forum.

You attend a Student Staff Forum and discuss the feedback objectively.

You work together with staff to co-create meaningful outcomes.

Student Staff Forums These are relaxed, collaborative meetings where Student Reps and staff come together to discuss the most recent and relevant feedback.

The focus is on open conversation and working in partnership to continue to enhance the student experience.

Be clear - Use words that describe the feedback well. You shouldn’t need to quote directly, but sometimes it helps to have quotes ready.

Be objective - Don’t be too personal or bring your own opinion into it, you are representing collective feedback.

Be open - Be open to the idea that someone might need more information or even challenge the feedback.

Sharing outcomes The final stage of being a Rep is sharing the outcomes of the Student Staff Forum with your peers.

Tips for sharing outcomes Student Voice logs - Direct students to the Student Voice Logs to highlight what has been resolved/what is being worked on.

Social groups - Share in social groups a short bullet point message that highlights what you are doing/have done.

Lectures/ seminars - Ask for time at the end of a lecture/seminar to update students on what you have been working on.

Digital - Use online spaces to securely relay outcomes from feedback discussions.

Do’s and Don’ts for Reps Do

Don't

Keep in touch with SUBU and other Reps

Take on too much

Attend meetings to share feedback

Deal with students’ personal problems

Submit feedback on Shout Out

Include staff names in feedback

Ask the Voice team for support Attend SUBU Summit

Promise the world to students

Signposting to BU’s support services The Hub Your main place for BU student enquiries

Student Success Team For issues that are affecting your studies or student life in general

Disability & Additional Learning Support (ALS) Offering information, advice and guidance for disabilityrelated concerns

Student Assistance A free 24-hour confidential helpline and digital resources to help you with any personal or student-related problems

Immigration & Visas Advice for visa applications and answers to immigrationrelated questions

University Retreat A safe and welcoming space for students who feel they are reaching crisis point and would like support

Careers BU Careers advice and job hunting support

Medical centre A full range of medical services and health advice.

BU Support Services

Student Reps key dates October Rep training in person 22 Faculty of Health, Environment

& Medical Sciences

28 Faculty of Business and Law 30 Faculty of Media, Science and

Technology

30

Talbot

14

21

November

Welcome coffee morning

24 Postgraduate Researchers

24

Lansdowne

The first official Rep meet up of the year is a coffee morning to get to know each other and get familiar with the role before official Rep training.

November Speak Week SUBU is running Speak Week, where we dedicate this whole week to collecting feedback from students on important topics.

Fill in the survey and have your say. Great prizes to be won!

December Winter Movie night

10

This winter movie night will be a cosy evening in on campus. Give us your ideas for a movie!

27

November Summit

The SUBU Summit is made up of elected representatives from across the Union who discuss and debate student ideas.

December

03

This will be our big social event of the term before Christmas.

Talbot

30

January Coffee morning

Enjoy free coffee, tea and snacks here. This is a chance to relax and chat with other Reps about your experiences.

February

4

SUBU Summit Lansdowne

The SUBU Summit is made up of elected representatives from across the Union who discuss and debate student ideas, hold the Full-Time Officers to account, and oversee the work of the Union.

12

05

February Coffee morning

Enjoy free coffee, tea and snacks here. This is a chance to relax and chat with other Reps about your experiences.

February Rep Winter social

Join us this spring for an exciting Rep event to connect, share ideas, and celebrate your impact! Stay tuned for more details soon

March SUBU is running Speak Week, where we dedicate this whole week to collecting feedback from students on important topics.

April May Excursion

8

The SUBU Summit is made up of elected representatives from across the Union who discuss and debate student ideas, hold the Full-Time Officers to account, and oversee the work of the Union.

May Rep reflection

25

We ask Reps to give us your feedback for how the year has been.

16

Speak Week

22

30

Summit The SUBU Summit is made up of elected representatives from across the Union who discuss and debate student ideas.

May Rep Celebration

20

Our final event concludes the year with beach games, food, swimming and getting some sun!

Volunteering Hours 1.Register and log your Rep hours on the SUBU website 2.Achieve tier levels 3.Receive a digital

Platinum

certificate 100 hours of volunteering

Gold 30 hours of volunteering

Silver 20 hours of volunteering

Bronze 10 hours of volunteering

Future roles for you

STUDENT REP FACULTY REP Work across your whole faculty, representing the views of many Student Reps. You’ll develop leadership, coordination, and influencing skills while making a bigger impact at BU.

COMMUNITY WARDEN

The first step in student leadership. You’ll gain experience representing your peers, developing communication and problem-solving skills, and building confidence in meetings with staff.

FACULTY OFFICER

Support students living in the local community. You’ll gain conflict resolution and community engagement skills, while making a real difference to student wellbeing off-campus.

An elected role working alongside SUBU’s Officers to represent your faculty.

You’ll gain skills in advocacy and teamwork, ensuring student voices shape big university decisions.

FULL-TIME OFFICER

START A SOCIETY

Take a paid year out after your studies to lead the Students’ Union full-time.

You’ll gain professional experience in leadership, strategy, and campaigning — perfect for your CV and future career.

Create your own student group around a passion or interest. You’ll gain organisational, budgeting, and event-planning skills while building a community and friendships that last beyond university.

Join the Rep community As you step forward as a Student Rep, remember that you are not just joining a team, but becoming an integral part of a community here to represent BU students and their voices.

Our commitment to creating an open and welcoming space is fundamental, ensuring that as Reps, you all find your place among our shared passions, unique talents, and diverse perspectives.

n the i o J pp atsA h W hat c

Key contacts Email: reps@bournemouth.ac.uk Web: subu.org.uk/Reps