Course Rep Handbook 2012 - 2013
www.bangorstudents.com/coursereps coursereps@bangorstudents.com 01248 383651
Contents 4
18
Course Rep Checklist
Course Rep Council meetings - Your Students’ Union
6 Why have Course Reps?
8 The Course Rep structure
10 Your responsibilities
12 Dealing with student issues - Support services available - Step-by-step guide
20 Top tips: - Meetings - Engaging with fellow students - Evidence & feedback
24 Training & opportunities
26
16
Celebrating your success - Bangor Employability Award - Course Rep Awards Ceremony - Course Rep of the Year
School meetings: SSLiCs & Board of Studies
28 Contact list
Hi! Congratulations on becoming a Course Rep! Over the coming year, you’ll be given a fantastic chance to represent students, work with like-minded people and create positive changes across the University. You’ll also build on an impressive range of skills and qualities that will help you until long after your time at University. T his handbook will help to answer any queries you have and help you to make the most of your time as a Course Rep. And if this doesn’t help, just get in touch! T hank you for joining our team - I look forward to working with you. Cheers, Shôn, VP Education & Welfare 2012-2013 Student representation is at the heart of the University’s commitment to working with students as partners, both in and outside of the classroom. It is incredibly important to know what is and isn’t working within the institution at course, School, and College level and to be able to improve the student experience by developing new approaches and refining existing systems. Surveys such as the NSS are really useful but direct interaction with course reps helps us to develop good practice and change things quickly where required. By being a course rep, you will help your peers to feed into the decision making processes at Bangor and make an impact in areas across the spectrum: teaching and learning, facilities and administrative processes. It is a crucial role which the University values greatly.
Professor Carol Tully, PVC Students & Professor Oliver Turnbull, PVC Teaching and Learning
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Course Rep Checklist We hope you’ll read this entire handbook as it’s full of useful information, but if you only read one bit of it, this Course Rep Checklist should be it!
1. Attend a Course Rep training session. Visit www. bangorstudents.com/coursereps to book your place on a first time or returning course rep training session. 2. Introduce yourself to the staff and students at your school. See pg.22 for tips on the many ways to do this. 3. Find out when the staff-student meetings in your school are taking place. Your school should hold two a semester and all course reps should be invited well ahead of time. 4. Speak to students! Get their feedback, find out about issues (see pg.23 for collecting evidence about issues) and keep them up to date with your school’s meetings outcomes and progress.
Want more info on any of these points? - Read through the handbook - Visit www.bangorstudent.com/coursereps - Contact Michelle, the Course Rep Coordinator: 01248 383651 michelle.hamlet@bangorstudents.com
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5. Attend staff-student meetings in your school. T hese give you the chance to represent the voice of your fellow students – see pg.20 for tips on attending school meetings. 6. Come to the Course Rep Council meetings. T his is a chance for you to meet other Course Reps and to feed back to your Students’ Union – see pg.18 for information on what a Course Rep Council meeting is like. 7. Take part in additional opportunities and attend specialised training events. See pg.24 for details on training and opportunities especially for Course Reps. 8. Celebrate your success. Claim all the BEA points you’re entitled to, attend the awards night to pick up your certificate and see if you’ve won a Course Rep of the Year award (see pg.26 for more information).
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Why have Course Reps? Course Reps are elected to make sure that the development of the teaching and learning experience at Bangor University is done so democratically, ensuring that the opinions of all students are represented and valued by the University and the Students’ Union. They provide University staff members and the Students’ Union with a consistent and well-informed insight in to the opinions of students, and provide students with a consistent and well-informed insight in to how their school and their Union are tackling issues that have been raised.
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Rafael, Course Rep
“During my time as a rep, I enjoyed the responsibility that I felt and realising that thanks to me the student voice was being heard. I actually made a difference. T he most challenging aspect of my role was gaining the confidence to approach lecturers with the issues raised by the students and other individuals, and I thought the staff-student meetings would have been quite intimidating. However, the training that I received from the SU put me at ease and made it easy for me to express concerns, and the Course Rep Council meetings were very light-hearted and fun. My biggest personal achievement was to work with the school staff to resolve a major issue concerning a module for which around 1000 students had enrolled.”
Alison, Course Rep
“Being a Course Rep is a great way to develop employability skills, meet like-minded students and help to improve Bangor University for future students. You can directly improve your course by influencing changes in your school, and by attending Course Rep Council meetings you’re able to identify issues and make changes at a University level. T he role can be challenging, but you have the support of your school staff and the Students’ Union to help you through. One of my proudest achievements was when my department planned to cancel an educational trip abroad for all future students; by attending staff-student meetings and representing the opinions of my fellow students, myself and the other Course Reps were able to ensure that this trip will now continue to be held in future years.” 7
The Course Rep structure
Students Students
Students
Students Students Students Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
Students Students Students Students Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
Course Reps Staff-Student Committee meetings (SSLiCs)
Senior Management Team
Uni Council & Uni Senate
College level meetings
Course Rep Council Meetings
Students’ Union
Course reps are required to attend two types of meetings: Staff-Student Committee Meetings (SSLiCs) are where students (yourselves) and staff members in your school get together to talk about academic issues that are affecting students specifically in your school.
Student Rep Council Meetings are where all Course Reps get together with the Students’ Union to discuss the main issues that have been affecting their school as well as issues that are affecting students University-wide. This is also where the SU will keep you updated with important information relating to your role. Senior Reps will also be asked to attend College level meetings, and this is where a Senior Course Rep from each School in your College gets together with key staff members to discuss issues affecting students.
Why do Course Reps go to all of these meetings? If you only went to SSLiCs, the point at which student opinion was represented in the decision-making process would end at School or College level. After that, it would be up to the staff in your College to pass on student opinion to the Senior Management Team. By going to Course Rep Council meetings too, you’ll be passing on information about the issues affecting students in your School or College to the Students’ Union. T he SU’s Student Sabbatical Team’s primary purpose is to represent students. T hey meet regularly with the Senior Management Team and go to University Senate meetings, so they can represent the voice of students at the very final level of the decision-making process. 9
Your responsibilities There are some things that all Course Reps should do to ensure that they are contributing to the improvement of the academic experience of the students in their School: Attend Course Rep training
Get student feedback
- 2 1/2 hours long - everything you need to know -useful exercises to prepare you for working with students, staff and your SU.
- introduce yourself to students - get good and bad feedback to inform discussions at SSLiCs and Student Rep Council meetings - see pg.22 for more info
Work with other Course Reps
Attend Staff-Student meetings (SSLiCs)
- in your School, College or across the Uni, things will happen more quickly if you work together!
- a minimum of 2 per semester
Go to Course Rep Council Meetings
Feed back to students
- See pg.16 for more info
- 2 per semester
- Tell students about all discussions, decisions and actions
- See pg.18 for more info
- See pg.23 for more info
Want to do even more? It’s really up to you how much time you spend on being a Course Rep, but the more effort you put in to fulfilling your role well, the more change you’re likely to create for the better.
Really make yourself known! Send out an email, do a lecture shout, start a Facebook group or organise a ‘Course Rep Corner’ in your school. See pg.22 for lots of ideas.
Senior Course Reps:
You’ll be invited to one College level staff-student meeting per semester, too!
Be pro-active in your quest for student feedback and for evidence to back up the issues you want to raise. See pg.23 for lots of ideas to get you started.
Expanding your experience as a Course Rep Ask your school about other meetings and opportunities you can be involved with, such as Board of Studies meetings or student surveys, including the National Student Survey (NSS).
Attend extra Course Rep training sessions (and get BEA points for them too) on topics such as negotiation skills, collecting evidence and public speaking. See pg.24 for more info. 11
Dealing with student issues remember You are responsible for dealing with issues that affect the academic/ learning experience of the students in the module, course or school year that you are representing. You are not responsible for dealing with individual or personal issues, or issues not relating to students’ academic/ learning experience.
Course Rep Issues
Not Course Rep Issues
Teaching - delivery, content and structure of lectures and other teaching methods.
Any academic issues listed to the left that only affect one individual person.
Assessment & Feedback - feedback detail, fairness and usefulness, assessment methods and fairness. Organisation & Management timetabling, contact hours, administration and availability of information. Learning Resources - lectures slides, Blackboard material, books, online reading material and IT equipment. Academic Support - personal tutors, advice on study choices and ability to contact staff.
Official precudures regarding assessment, plagiarism and complaints. Issues relating to a student’s personal life, including money, housing, family and relationships. Issues relating to extra-curricular activities, including athletic clubs and student socieities. Any issues you feel you can’t handle we want you to say when things get too much, and you’ll never be expected to deal with something that you’re not comfortable with.
If a student comes to you with something that is not a Course Rep issue, or is something you feel you can’t handle, there are plenty of support services that you can refer the student to:
Bangor Students’ Union undeb@bangorstudents.com | 01248 388000 www.bangorstudents.com The SU can help students with anything related to University life. If it’s an academic issue that you don’t feel you can handle or that can’t wait until the next Course Rep Council meeting, then contact Shon Prebble (shon.prebble@bangorstudents.com). Otherwise, contact the SU generally or find the Sabb you need on the SU website.
Student Support Services
studentservices@bangor.ac.uk | 01248 382024 www.bangor.ac.uk/studentservices There’s a range of services here that can support students in various different aspects of their lives, including money advice, housing, study support, support for students with a disability and support relating to health and wellbeing, including counselling.
Other Services
Academic Registry - www.bangor.ac.uk/ar/main/ Provides essential services to the University, and can provide details of University agendas and policys. Careers & Employability Service - www.bangor.ac.uk/careers Provides careers guidance and employability skills training for work experience, part-time work, graduate employment and self-employment. Miles Dyslexia Centre - http://www.dyslexia.bangor.ac.uk/ Provides support and guidance for students with dyslexia. Nightline - http://www.bangorstudents.com/nightline | 01248 362121 A confidential listening, emotional support and information service run by students for students. 13
Dealing with student issues: A step-by-step guide Is this an academic issue? See pg.12 for details - “Course Rep Issues”
No, this isn’t an academic issue.
Yes, this is an academic issue.
This is not a Course Rep issue! Refer the student(s) to the appropriate service, using pg.13 as a guide.
Is this a personal issue, affecting only one or two students?
Yes, this affects only one person. This is not a Course Rep issue! Refer the student to their personal tutor, Head of School or appropriate support service, using pg.13 as a guide.
No, this affects several students or a whole class. This is a Course Rep issue ! Follow the guide to work out the best way to deal with this issue.
Will speaking to the staff-member who is at the heart of the issue solve it? Note: speaking to the staff member or team directly involved with the issue can often be the easiest and quickest way to resolve an issue, but if the issue is senstive and might cause Yes offence to the staff member, you may choose to go via somebody else. issue solved
- well done!
No
Will speaking to your Head of School or Senior Tutor about this issue solve it? Note: speaking to your Head of School is the preferable solution to solving issues which may be senstive or cause offence in a public domain. However, if the issue isn’t personal and you’d like all staff to be aware, you may wish to wait until the next meeting.
Yes issue solved - well done!
Yes
issue solved - well done!
No Can this issue be solved at your next Staff-Student meeting? Note: if a senstive issue has escalated and isn’t suitable for a staff-student meeting, or if you raise an issue at a staff-student meeting and it still isn’t resolved, you can contact Shon at the Students’ Union.
Contact Shôn Prebble at the Students’ Union -
shon.prebble@bangorstudents.com 01248 388019
No
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School meetings Staff-Student Liaison Committee Meetings (SSLiCs) can be called different things in different schools (staff-student meetings, school meetings, course rep meetings etc.) but they should always have the following qualities: - there should be two SSLiCs per semester. - all Course Reps should be invited (and attend!). - there should be a minimum of three staff members present at every meeting. - they should focus on the issues and feedback that Course Reps have to give. - a staff member should take minutes and send them out to all Course Reps afterwards.
Board of Studies Meetings happen in every school, and although it’s not a requirement of your role, many schools invite one or more Course Reps to attend. It’s up to you whether you go or not! These meetings are different to SSLiCs in various ways: - they tend to be more formal. - important school decisions are often made here. - there may be a specific time allocated for students to raise issues, rather than a focus on this throughout the meeting. - there may be some agenda items that are reserved for the end of a meeting, where students will be asked to leave before they are discussed.
What happens at a typical meeting? Typically, these meetings will start by the Chair giving apologies from anyone who isn’t there. Then the group will look over the minutes from the previous meeting, to see if there are any matters arising. Next, the Chair will work their way through the agenda items, giving time for discussion and clarifying which staff member or Course Rep will be allocated action points in order to solve any problems. Finally, the Chair will ask for any other business (AOB), and this is where any issues that need to be discussed that weren’t on the main agenda can be raised. The meeting will end by setting or confirming the date of the next meeting.
Meetings - Glossary of Terms AOB - ‘any other business,’ the time where issues can be raised that aren’t on the agenda. Action point - when a person agrees to do something by a certain time, this is recorded in the minutes as an action point. Agenda - the document which describes the order in which points will be discussed. Agenda item - a specific point in the meeting agenda that needs to be discussed. Chair - the person who leads the meeting, making sure that all agenda items are addressed fairly and fully (SSLiCs should be co-chaired by a student and a staff member). Matters arising - further discussion about anything in the minutes from the previous meeting. Minutes - the written records of discussions, outcomes and action points that happen in a meeting (a draft should be sent to all those present for review before a final version is sent to all those who attended and were invited to the meeting). 17
Course Rep Council Course Rep Council meetings are organised by your Students’ Union, and will happen twice every semester. T hey are chaired by the Vice President for Education and Welfare, all Course Reps are invited and the Course Rep Coordinator also attends. Occasionally, representatives from University services and other SU sabbatical officers will attend meetings for short periods of time to give information on specific issues and to get your feedback.
The purpose of Course Rep Council Meetings - Course Reps from across the University can meet with each other to share best practise and discuss issues that are affecting students on their course. - Your Students’ Union can identify issues that are affecting students across the University, and hear your opinion on how they should be dealt with. - Key departments in the University (IT services, Library Services, Support Services etc.) will be able to attend to get your feedback on how their support affects students’ academic experience, and you’ll have an input in to how these services develop.
Course Rep Council meeting dates will be emailed to you as soon as the Students’ Union receives your details. To make sure you get the email, remind your school staff contact to email all the Course Reps’ details to Michelle, Course Rep Coordinator. You will also find the dates of these meetings on the Course Rep Blackboard module, and online: www.bangorstudents.com/coursereps
YOUR STUDENTS’ UNION ...is run by 5 student Sabbatical Officers; students who have been elected by their fellow students to take a year out of their studies to run your Students’ Union.
Ensuring that Bangor University has an effective Course Representative System is just one thing that your Students’ Union does to make sure that students are represented on all aspects of University life. For more information, visit www.bangorstudents.com
or...
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Top tips Meetings...
Staff-student meetings (SSLiCs) are run with students in mind, so they’re likely to be less formal than other committee meetings in the University (Board of Studies meetings, for example). However, there are still some things you should remember when attending these meetings.
before a meeting - speak to your fellow students to get feedback (good and bad) on their academic experience. - make a note of any particular issues that need to be addressed at the meeting, and request for them to be put on to the agenda (by contacting the chair or secretary of the meeting). - speak to other Course Reps in your school to make sure you know which issues they want to raise, and to let them know the issues you’ve uncovered. - working alone or with your fellow Course Reps, make notes on what you’d like to achieve in the meeting.
- collect evidence to support your arguments; emails, surveys, student petitions, social media comments, reports etc. and print summaries of evidence to hand out in meetings, if necessary. - read and print the minutes of the previous meeting, and make notes of any progress you’re aware of or any issues that still need to be addressed. - make a plan of all the things you want to say in the meeting and the evidence you have to support your points.
Take a copy of the previous minutes, any evidence you have and a written note of what you want to say
Turn up 5 minutes early to settle down, find a good seat and have a general chat with others present Try to sit opposite the Chairperson and with other Course Reps - this will give you more chance to speak and will give you confidence
Give positive feedback as well as negative, and make your criticism is constructive by remaining factual and suggestion solutions to problems Stay calm and try to avoid over-emotional responses - this will make you appear more responsible and credible
during a meeting You’re there to represent students, not yourself! Use ‘Students think...’ in place of ‘I think...’
Try not to make comments about individual staff members or students - debate the point, not the person!
Make your own notes throughout the meeting, recording the key points raised, updates, action points and any decisions made.
after a meeting Flesh out your notes soon after the meeting to avoid forgetting any details
Read through the official minutes to make sure they are accurate, and suggest changes if necessary
Complete any action points you agreed to, speak to other Course Reps about the meeting and monitor progress on issues
Feedback to students on what happened at the meeting (provide the minutes) and discuss progress with them as it happens 21
Top tips continued Engaging with fellow students... It’s really important that you speak to your fellow students as much as possible about academic issues: - helps schools to figure out what issues students are facing - helps schools to resolve issues in a way that students are happy with - ensures that students know their opinions are valued - ensures that students are made aware of the efforts their school is making to improve their academic experience - ensures that the Students’ Union is aware of the issues students are facing T here are three main areas you can focus on to engage with students:
Making yourself known Students can’t talk to you unless they know where to find you! There are plenty of ways to make yourself known: Do some lecture shouts - introduce yourself at the start of lectures that your fellow students take. Send a group email - your school will help you to email all of the students that you’re responsible for. Set up a course rep noticeboard - your school should be happy to provide a space for you to display your photo and contact details. Start a Social Media group - but make sure it’s invite-only and that people only let you know about issues via private messages. Arrange a meet & greet - organise a time and place where students can come to say hello, be it in the school, in the park or at the pub!
Collecting student opinion
As well as students seeking you out to let you know about issues, you can also actively seek out student opinion: Send out regular emails before meetings - an email might persuade someone to talk to you about an issue. Send social media messages - continually invite people to talk to you; some students might need encouragement! Set up an anonymous feedback box - some students may be too shy to talk to you but still want to give their feedback. Create surveys and questionnaires - if there’s an issue in your school, you have a much better chance of getting the school to act if you have evidence to support your claim. Analyse NSS results and student opinion statistics - the National Student Survey and other student surveys will give you a good idea of the areas your school needs to focus on, and could give you some topics to collect student opinion on.
Feeding back to students As well as letting your school and SU know what students think, it’s equally as important to let students know what action their SU and University is taking. Feed back after meetings - give students an overview of how your meetings go and send on minutes when they are finalised, asking students what they thought of the meeting. Give updates on progress - when your school, University or Students’ Union acts on an issue, let students know about it so that they can see that their opinion matters. Pass on important information - if you hear about changes that are planned, let students know about it. At Course Rep Council meetings you may also hear updates from key services in the University such as IT, Library Services and Academic Registry; try to pass on as much information to your fellow students as possible. 23
Training & opportunities Basic Training:
When? Several dates throughout October and November, with sessions lasting 2 1/2 hours long (1 1/2 for returners). Who? There’ll be training sessions for all Course Reps, including both first timers and returners. What? The training will cover all the info you need to be a Course Rep as well as giving you practical experience of attending meetings and dealing with student academic issues. The returners will look at ways of being proactive and improving their success as a Course Rep. NOTE: We strongly recommend that you attend this training, and it is compulsory to attend a session if you want to claim BEA points for being a Course Rep (except returners who have already trained).
further Training: There will be several training opportunities provided by your Students’ Union throughout the year, which will help you to further develop the skills you are enhancing through your role as a Course Rep. Typical training topics might include: - Advanced meeting skills - Creating evidence-based campaigns - Negotiation Skills - Promoting yourself to students - Transferring your skills for employment For a full list of current training sessions and dates, log on to the Course Reps Blackboard module, visit www.bangorstudents.com/coursereps or contact Michelle (michelle.hamlet@bangorstudents.com).
School OPPoRTUNITIES:
Course Reps are really important to schools, as they help staff to better understand the needs and opinions of students, and are a vital part of the ongoing process to improve the student experience. So, schools might offer their Course Reps lots of opportunities to get involved with school events such as Board of Studies meetings, Teaching & Learning committees and other activities. If you’re interested, speak to your schools’ Course Rep contact (a full list can be found at www.bangorstudents.com/coursereps). Help the SU to write Case Studies on what it’s like to be a Course Rep, how Course Reps are effective & what being a Course Rep has done for you.
Help to write an ‘alternative prospectus’ for Bangor University written by students for potential students to let them know what Bangor is really like.
Students’ union OPPRTUNITIES: Have the chance to become a Students’ Union activity Senator we need two Course Reps every year to represent all Course Reps at SU Senate.
Take part in focus groups to help the Students’ Union better understand the opinions of students as well as how we can improve the Course Rep System.
CourseRep+ Whilst being a Course Rep you’ll enhance your skills, improve your knowledge of democracy, Universities and Students’ Unions, and have some wonderful experiences. To identify all of the ways you’ve benefited as well as telling us how your experience could have been even better, we’ll provide you with an online self-evaluation tool, CourseRep+, Details of CourseRep+ will be provided towards the end of Semester 2 every year.
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Celebrating your success You can claim experience points (XP) towards your Bangor Employability Award for being a Course Rep and taking part in Course Rep training and activities. What points can you claim? - 5xp for attending Course Rep training (1 per academic year) - 5xp per semester for being a Course Rep (you must go to school meetings and attend at least one Course Rep Council meeting to qualify) - 5xp for each additional Course Rep training course that you attend - 5xp for completing CourseRep+, your online self-evaluation tool
How to claim your BEA points The Course Rep Coordinator will keep a record of who attends school meetings and Course Rep Council and let the BEA team know who should be awarded points. For all Course Rep training, you’ll get further info on the day, and for CourseRep+, you’ll submit your task online to generate your points.
Want more info on the BEA?
www.facebook.com/ BangorEmployabilityAward
Contact the BEA Team: employability@bangor.ac.uk 01248 368732
Course Rep Awards Ceremony All Course Reps will receive a certificate to record their voluntary commitment over each academic year. They’ll also have the chance to attend the Course Rep Awards Ceremony; a celebratory event held in conjunction with Bangor University’s Student Led Teaching Awards towards the end of semester 2 each academic year.
Course Rep of the year Award Every year your Students’ Union will speak to students at Bangor to find out how Course Reps are affecting their academic experience, and to uncover stories of the different ways that Course Reps have gone the extra mile. We’ll also invite students to nominate their Course Rep for the Course Rep of the Year Award, if they think their Course Rep deserves it! The winning Course Reps will be presented their awards at the Course Rep Awards Ceremony, as well as being invited to interview on how it feels to win the award.
How can you get involved?
Firstly, make sure you’re doing a great job! Then, when you receive information about the nomination process in semester 2, pass this information on to your fellow students so they know how to nominate you. The rest is up to your classmates - good luck! 27
Contact list Students’ Union:
Course Rep Team (Academic Representation Unit) coursereps@bangorstudents.com
01248 383651
Michelle Hamlet Course Rep Coordinator michelle.hamlet@bangorstudents.com 01248 383651 Nightline nightline@bangorstudents.com
01248 362121
Shôn Prebble shon.prebble@bangorstudents.com
Vice President Education & Welfare 01248 388019
Bangor university: Bangor Employability Award employability@bangor.ac.uk
01248368732
Careers & Employability Service careers@bangor.ac.uk
01248 382071
Student Support Services studentservices@bangor.ac.uk
01248 382024
ACADEMIC SCHOOLS: Each academic school has allocated a staff member that you can contact to find out about Course Rep activity in your school or resolve any queries you have. To find your school’s contact, visit: www.bangorstudents.com/coursereps
This handbook is available in Welsh: www.myfyrwyrbangor.com/cynrychiolwyrcwrs