Student Course Rep Handbook by UCASU

Congratulations on Becoming A Course Rep!

Congratulations on becoming a representative for your course! This handbook will guide you through the role, explain how the system works, and provide you with the tools you need to flourish as the best representative possible. At the end of the handbook, you will find an area to write all key dates as well as pages to record student feedback and meeting notes.

As a Course Rep, you play a crucial role in communicating how you and fellow students feel about things such as teaching, resources, and assessments.

From this, you are able to work with course staff and the university to positively impact changes to your overall learning experience.

There are many benefits to being a Course Rep, on top of being the influential driving force for improvements to the student experience;

• Gain professional skills such as networking, developing stronger relationships with academic staff, and meeting etiquette.

• Develop your feedback and communication skills by gathering the opinions of students, relaying this information to university staff, and reporting any comments and responses back to the student body.

What is The Students’ Union

Your Students’ Union (also known as UCASU) is a student-run registered charity that is independent from the University. Our aim is to improve your experience while studying.

• Representation & Influence

• Skills & Employability

• Wellbeing & Belonging Our strategic themes are:

UCASU offers all students the opportunity to become involved in a range of activities, events, and support. For more information, visit ucasu.com - it will be valuable to familiarise yourself with our website should you need to sign-post students there for guidance.

Your Role as a Course Representative

As a Course Rep, you have put yourself forward to represent the views and opinions of everyone within your course at UCA. There is no limit to how many students can be course reps, but we do try to encourage at least 2 from every course. The more representation, the louder the student voice! You are the link between students and staff, and the key responsibilities primarily involve gathering feedback from peers, presenting this information to staff in Programme Committees, working with staff on resolutions, and communicating outcomes back to students.

As a Course Rep, you will be added to the Course Rep finder on the UCASU website which enables fellow students to contact you with points to bring forward at Programme Commitees. Remember to gather multiple opinions on a topic and to represent the whole course year! You will be added to a ‘Teams’ group with all other Course Reps, this is managed by Union staff and is used as the main channel for communication between you and your Union. This also provides you with a platform to connect with other Course Reps across the UCA campuses!

Gathering Student Opinions and Feeding Back

Anything and everything relevant to your course is open for discussion at Programme Committees. Start conversations with peers about equipment, space, timetabling, curriculum, teaching, placement/industry opportunities, material costs - anything related to your course learning experience.

UCASU Top Tips for Gathering Feedback

1. Let everyone know who you are and your role!

a. Do a lecture ‘shout-out’

b. Ask your tutor and Programme Director to help promote who you are

c. Be visible - put up posters and wear your Course Rep badge

d. Connect with other Course Reps from your year and course

2. Listen to what students think!

a. Hold discussions during lectures (you can ask your tutor to step outside)

b. Create Whatsapp/social media groups

c. Promote how students can contact you (this information can also be found on our Course Rep webpage ucasu.com/coursereps)

3. Focus on the information!

a. Ask specific questions e.g. what do you think about the feedback we get from assignments?

b. If a problem is brought to you, ask others if they have had similar experiences

c. Keep anonymity and focus on the information, not an individual

d. Don’t get lost in gossip

e. Ask a variety of peers, not just those you know well

f. Ask for positives and negatives!

Suggestions of Questions to Ask

· Are the lectures relevant to everyone?

· Do your tutors treat everyone fairly?

· Are you getting relevant feedback and on time?

· How is the work paced?

· Are there enough library books for your area of study?

· Are there enough practical sessions?

· Have there been enough workshops?

· Is your timetable correct?

· Is your curriculum diverse and international enough?

· Do you have to buy additional materials and how has this impacted your learning experience?

· Do you have access to all the technical facilities you need?

· Are additional facilities open at suitable times? I.e. library, studios etc.

· And anything else that may affect your course!

of Representation

As a Course Rep, it is important to be:

Accurate

Make sure you have as much detailed information as possible about an issue that you plan to bring to a Course Board or staff member.

Balanced

Think about what you have been told, does this issue affect the whole group? Are there two sides to the story? Is it an individual problem that may be settled via another method?

Constructive

Come up with some suggestions for resolution. Share ideas and problems with other Course Reps (even ones on other courses), there may be some suggestions for improvement. Student Engagement Manager can help arrange meetings with reps on other campuses.

De-personalised

Don’t name names or point fingers, and don’t criticise individual staff members as this can cause a poor relationship between both students and staff. If an issue only affects one student, it may be an individual issue and that student should seek help from the UCASU Advice, Support & Knowledge service.

Course Board Meetings

A Course Board is a meeting where all things course related are discussed. It’s attended by Programme Directors, some tutors, the Head of School, and you! Reps from all years will attend the meetings which provides a great opportunity to compare feedback and work together.

It can feel daunting providing feedback to staff. Remember, your role is vital in ensuring your course is the best it can be! If you do have any concerns or any issues arise, please contact your Student Engagement Coordinator.

How to make a Course Board work for you

· Let students know there is a meeting coming up and continue to gather feedback

· Represent the collective opinion

· Remain professional and focussed

· Be loud and make your voice heard

· If any issue takes a long time to resolve, report this to your Student Engagement Coordinator who offers more support and guidance

· Present positives and negatives

Suggestions for topics to discuss

· Course facilities

· Access to resources

· Contact hours with your tutors

· Links to employers and your chosen industry

· Timetabling

· The National Student Survey (NSS) results

· Assessment feedback

Before the meeting

· Be prepared

· Gather and record student views (there is space at the end of this handbook for this)

· Go through the ABCD of representation

· Read the agenda and note any points of interest that you want to investigate before the meeting

During meetings

· Arrive ready and on time

· Be polite and clear when communicating

· Represent the views of your peers

· Listen and note what has been discussed (there is space for this at the end of the handbook)

· Be considerate of others

· Be confident

After meetings

· Share feedback on your points raised with your peers (feedback is crucial so that everyone knows what is going on), how you choose to do this is up to you

· Follow up on agreed actions

Share your wins and recommendations with other Course Reps!

Do’s and Don’ts

· Be the student voice for your course.

· Ask students on your course what changes they’d like to see.

· Ask students what’s great about the course.

· Work with staff to make improvements which work for everyone.

· Think of solutions and present them at meeting.

· Be the link between staff and students.

· Only present your own ideas.

· Always agree with staff - your perspectives will differ.

· Bring forward problems in a rude or personal manner.

· Feel pressured to take on more than you canyour wellbeing and studies comes first!

· Help students with personal problems - refer them to the Union’s Advice, Support & Knowledge Team.

Course Rep Forums

Forums are there to help foster a community amongst reps, so that you can share in best practice and support one another with guidance from your Union Council and Union staff.

They are your chance to discuss academic and student experience issues directly with your Union and fellow reps. Providing an opportunity to:

· Celebrate Course Rep Wins.

· Discover the best ways to gather student feedback and what other reps have found useful.

· Receive advice on how best to address certain issues at Programme Committees or who may otherwise provide better support.

· Work with other reps to problem-solve or raise wider concerns together.

· Contribute to further dialogue around persistent topics from Programme Committee minutes.

You can then continue, in confidence, to represent your peers at Committees and your feedback can be filtered back to Union Council for discussion, influencing campaign direction and representation across other aspects of the university.

Terminology & Meeting Jargon

AAM - Annual Academic Monitoring

A yearly review of how the course is doing. It looks at a range of factors including surveys, student feedback, dropout rates and results.

Agenda

A list of topics to be discussed at the meeting. This is given out before the meeting which you can add to.

AOB - Any Other Business

An opportunity at the end of the meeting to talk about things that are relevant but not on the agenda.

BoE - Board of Examiners

Board of examiners award grades and final degree classifications to students.

BoG - Board of Governors

A group of internal and externally appointed individuals that guide the overall strategy of the University and approve or reject high impact financial decisions.

CCF - Common Credit Framework

The framework that sets out how ‘credit’ is accumulated, marks, and grades are awarded, and outlines most of the academic rules for the undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Chair

The person in charge of running the meeting.

FE - Further Education

Pre-degree level education (A-Levels, Foundation, etc).

HE - Higher Education

Degree level education, including Masters and PhDs.

ISS - Internal Student Survey

An annual survey of all students at UCA to track student satisfaction.

KIS - Key Information

Sets

These are a set of information about individual courses for students to make informed decisions about where they go to university, see unistats.com.

LSS - Library and Student Services

The new joint department of library and student development services. This includes advice, counseling, disability support, English for academic purposes, careers and more.

Minute taker / Clerk

The person who writes down what is said, and actions to be taken. Minutes Notes taken during the meeting.

NSS - National Student Survey

An annual survey of final year degree students, designed to assess student opinions on the quality of their degree programme.

OfS - Office for Students

The independent regulator of higher education in England.

OFSTED

- Office for Standards in Education

A non-ministerial government department for inspecting standards in schools and further education.

PTS - Postgraduate Taught Survey

An annual survey of postgraduate taught student opinions on the quality of their degree programme run by the Office for Students (OfS).

QAA - Quality Assurance Agency

Independent agency to ensure HE qualifications are at an acceptable standard.

QAE - Quality, Assurance and Enhancement

A UCA department working to ensure qualifications are of an acceptable standard, run validation events and that assessments are run fairly. ‘Validation’ is the process whereby a course is reviewed and agreed and recommendations or conditions are placed for the development of a course.

Quoracy

The number of people needed at the meeting to make discussions.

VC - Vice-Chancellor

The leader of a University.

UCA Leadership Team

The Executive team who lead the University headed by the Vice Chancellor.

Non-Academic Issues & Concerns

Students may come to you for advice as they know and trust you. Sometimes the best thing to do is to offer them a little bit of your time and listen. Remember that you must only listen and signpost to the relevant services and never provide personal advice. If you feel at any time the discussion is becoming serious or uncomfortable you should direct students to contact your Students’ Union Advice Service (UCASU.COM/ASK) and/or Campus Life team.

It is important to understand that sometimes students are not comfortable talking to someone from the university and don’t realise that the Union is autonomous. It may be useful to explain that the Union Advice service is not run by the university and offers confidential, non-judgemental, independent advice.

If a student is clearly in distress, (crying uncontrollably, having a panic attack, or unable to speak, reassure them and try to give them some space and time to breathe), it would be appropriate to contact a Mental Health officer by informing a staff member on your campus and if a student is visibly in danger to themselves or others (including self-harming or threatening suicide), contact 999 and treat it as an emergency. If a student can speak and engage but is still very upset (and you are comfortable doing so), possibly explore if there is anyone the students trusts enough that they can talk to such as a family member or friend. You can refer students to your campus Life Hub and the Union Advice Service as well as the Samaritans and Big White Wall.

Think about yourself, your safety is a priority. If you find yourself talking to a student privately, confirm with a member of staff where you are going and seat the student so that they are furthest from the door. Make sure you have clear access should you need to remove yourself from the room.

In the case of a distressed student, it might be worthwhile to ring the Campus Life Hub on your campus beforehand rather than bring a student along in person, as the student might find this embarrassing or disconcerting. The Campus Life team can advise you if there are any members of staff free to talk to the student at that time. If not, they may be able to provide a private space where the student can contact an emotional support service, You can advise a student about the Counselling Service at UCA, which is free to any student. More information about counselling can be obtained from the Campus Life Team or by visiting online at UCA.AC.UK/STUDENT-SERVICES/COUNSELLING

What if a student tells you that they have a mental health condition?

If a student shares that they have a mental health condition, don’t panic! Approximately 1 in 4 people at any given time have a mental health condition. Having a mental health issue does not mean students are unable to engage. It is important not to treat them differently, and not to assume they require counselling. If students with a mental health condition express concerns they are struggling with their studies, they can be signposted to Campus Life Hub on their campus (or the Students’ Union Advice service if they want independent guidance) to arrange an appointment with a Learning Support Manager.

What if a student tells me they are a victim of discrimination, bullying, victimisation or harassment? If the student would like to talk to someone about their experience and discuss their options, you should signpost the student to your Students’’s Union for Advice, a Specialist Advisor via the Campus Life Team, or contact one of the Bullying & Harassment Advisers. The University have a system called ‘report and support’ where students can report any behaviours including abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination and assault - this can be accessed at reportandsupport.uca.ac.uk. You do not have to give personal details when reporting any incidents or concerns and may remain anonymous! to contact your Students’ Union Advice Service (UCASU.COM/ASK) and/or Campus Life team.

What if a student is a victim of crime?

Advise the student to report the crime to the police and make sure that they have the contact details for the local Police Service. They can either ring 101 (or 999 in an emergency) or go online:

If the student does not want to do this, suggest that they talk to the Specialist Advisor at the Campus Life hub or your Students’ Union Advice service.

UCASU

Union Presidents: presidents.su@uca.ac.uk

Union Advice Service: UCASU.COM/ASK

Student Engagement Manager: Taylor Kane - studentvoice.su@uca.ac.uk

Student Engagement Coordinator (Canterbury): Cat Bond – cat.bond.su@uca.ac.uk

Student Engagement Coordinator (Epsom): Jade Cioffi – jade.cioffi.su@uca.ac.uk

Student Engagement Coordinator (Farnham): Vanessa Silva – vsilva.su@uca.ac.uk

For support in your role as course rep - studentvoice.su@uca.ac.uk For advice and wellbeing support – UCASU.COM/ASK

To be completed by Course Rep:

Course Leader:

Programme Director:

Your key contacts for Course Board meetings will be your Programme Director. For support and guidance outside of this remit, please contact the Students Engagement Manager.