COURSE REP TRAINING
WHAT IS A COURSE REP?
• AN ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE • RELAY THE VOICE OF YOUR PEERS
• RAISE ISSUES WITH SENIOR MANAGEMENT • FEEDBACK ON: …
WHAT IS A COURSE REP?
IMPORTANCE OF REPS
Discuss issues arisen
Issues identified
Union
Feedback to course leaders / faculty
Improvements made by course leaders / faculty
University
You
Collate responses from cohort
Inform cohort of changes
WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES? • ATTENDANCE MEETINGS - PUNCTUALITY – TRAINING – MINUTES - APOLOGIES
• COMMUNICATION - RAISING ISSUES – FEEDING BACK - EMAILS
• EQUAL REPRESENTATION - ALL STUDENTS – INDIVIDUALS AND GROUP
NOTE - IMPUNITY • ANONYMITY COMPLAINTS OR CONCERNS CAN BE RAISED WITHOUT IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS
• YOUR ROLE YOUR POSITION AS A COURSE REPRESENTATIVE WILL NOT BE RELATED TO YOUR ACADEMIC PROGRESS – YOU SHOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE RAISING CONCERNS WITH IMPUNITY
• WORRIES? IF YOU FEEL UNABLE TO RAISE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR COURSE CONTACTS, PLEASE CONTACT THE STUDENTS’ UNION (DETAILS AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION)
WHAT MEETINGS ARE YOU EXPECTED TO ATTEND? SSLCs
Dean’s Lunch
Rep Assemblies & Training
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • UNION • ARRANGE A MEANS OF DISCUSSION BEFORE EACH MEETING
• OFFER ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO ENABLE YOU TO REPRESENT YOUR STUDENTS EFFECTIVELY
• PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING AND A CHANCE TO REQUEST SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR YOUR ROLE
• UNIVERSITY • PROVIDE CONTINUOUS SUPPORT VIA REP CONTACTS AND COURSE LEADERS
• DISTRIBUTE MATERIALS PROMPTLY • LISTEN TO AND ACT ON YOUR FEEDBACK AFTER ALLOWING A CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION OF ISSUES ARISING
ELECTIVE TRAINING SESSIONS
Mental Health Awareness
Further Engaging Your Cohort
What to Do with Wednesdays
Details of these to follow, by email and on the Union website.
PASTORAL SUPPORT SERVICES Students Advice centre • The one stop shop for student help and advice. Incorporating the teams that deal with international students, money and finance, accommodation payments , landlord disputes and Student life mentoring.
Guildowns Medical centre • NHS GP surgery hear to support students in managing their health.
Centre for wellbeing • The Centre for Wellbeing has a dedicated team of nurses, supporting, advising and advocating for student's health and wellbeing.
Chaplaincy
ACHIEVEMENTS
COURSE REP OF THE YEAR
HIGHER EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT RECORD Tom Boulton: Electronic Engineering.
(HEAR) Elected by a majority Attend initial training session + one elective Attend all SSLCs with active participation
Effective communication with cohort Ensure a new rep is (or you are re-) elected
Provide feedback to USSU on your experiences.
Tom was awarded course rep of the year 2013-14 on the following basis: “Tom is a confident, vocal and enthusiastic course rep who ensures the student voice is heard at every level. He ensures that the channel of communication between himself and his course mates remains active at all times, constantly closing the loop on decisions made and feedback back to his colleagues. Tom’s input has secured improvements in the course and has restored his fellow classmates’ faith in the system – helping them to see that informed opinions result in positive changes for all.” Could you be next?
DETAILS OF SESSIONS Engagement • LTL
Feedback • LTM
Quality • LTE
KEY CONTACTS
Matt Sadlers – VP Education Ussu.Education@surrey.ac.uk
Kath Phillips – Student Voice Manager Katherine.Phillips@surrey.ac.uk Jenny Hall – Student Representation Coordinator J.Hall@surrey.ac.uk Slides by Charlie Eastaugh 2014