Course rep handbook 2015 2

#COURSEREPHANDBOOK

2015

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UCS UNION STUDENT VOICE

ContentsBASICS OF THE ROLE 3BASIC STRUCTURE 5“BETTER UNION” 7UNION COUNCIL 7GO OUT AND LISTEN (GOALING) 9YOUR IDEAS 11YOUR UNION 12HEAR LOG 13KEY CONTACTS 15 Present the

views of your year group.

Safeguard the interests of your students.

COURSE REP HANDBOOK

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BASICSOF THE ROLEFirst: Congratulations! to anyone who has won the role for the first time and welcome back to anyone who is returning to the role!

As a course rep you are invaluable to the Union. We rely on you to make sure the Union is felt and heard on your course, in your year group, and to make sure we are listening to your students’ voice. The key aspects of your role can be broken down into:

If you meet all the criteria for accreditation then your participation will be reflected on your transcript as part of the HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report). Your HEAR log is at the end of this handbook.

Why be accredited?HEAR Accreditation signals your vital experience to employers and shows that you have developed vital transferable skills. You can find our more by talking to a member of our team or at at www.hear.ac.uk

Listening to Students: Sounds simple but in order to do this it well it requires some commitment. This is probably one of - if not the most - important aspect of your role. In order to know what students are saying, you need to listen to them.

We suggest using email, surveys (we’ve found these are best when handed out in class and then collected soon after), surgery sessions where you allocate a specific location and date/time to sit down and allow students to drop in with their ideas or worries and facebook groups where students can drop a note with their feedback or concerns.

Talking to us: Once you’ve listened to the students on your course we need to hear about it. Drop us an email or call us with any feedback you have gathered whether it’s good or bad!

Elizabeth is our Representation and Campus Facilitator: this means that her role is to facilitate course reps (you!) to help turn your ideas into reality. It’s best to email her directly (see key contacts on the last page of this book) or call her.

Meetings you will attend:Union CouncilMeets: 5 time a year in WAD1Attended by: All Student Officers & Course RepsSupported by: Chair & Deputy Chair of Union Council, Student Voice Co-Ordinator (Secretary)

Course CommitteeMeets: Once in 1st semester. Once/twice in 2nd semester depending on Course.Attended by: Course Leader, Lecturers, Head of Division, Course Reps, Course Administrator and other stakeholders.Supported by: Course Administrators

Course SARE - Self-Assessment, Review & EvaluationMeets: At the end of the Academic Year, can be done remotely.Attended by: Course Leader, Lecturers, Head of Division, Course Reps, Course Administrator and other Stakeholders.Supported by: Course Leader

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BASIC STRUCTUREThis diagram is designed to show you the structure of the Union.

The most important part of the Union is the students and that’s why you can see our 200+ Student Reps are at the very top of our democratic structure.

200+ Course Reps

BURYST. EDMUNDS

GREATYARMOUTH

LOWESTOFT

CHILDREN,YOUNGPEOPLE &EDUCATION

ARTS & HUMANITIES

BUSINESSSCHOOL

PSYCHOLOGY,SOCIOLOGY,& SOCIALWORK

HEALTHSTUDIES

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NURSING &MIDWIFERY

DepartmentOfficers

CampusOfficers

PRESIDENT(EDUCATION

& ENGAGEMENT)

VICE PRESIDENT(WELFARE &ACTIVITIES)

Sabbatical Officers(full-time)

and the Executive:

Union Council:

The feedback and ideas that students provide through their Course Reps filter down to the Department Officers (who mostly live, study and work in Ipswich), and to you: our wonderful Campus Officers! Students are at the heart of everything we do and that’s why we place their ideas and opinions at the top of our structure.

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Trustee BoardThe Board of Trustees (not pictured) has oversight of the Union as an organisation. The Trustee Board has oversight of the Union’s budget, cash flow, risk assessment and long term strategy as well as ensuring that we remain democratic. They ensure that we meet our legal and charitable requirements at all times.

The Board also oversees the Union’s commercial performance at Theta and the Campus Shop. The President and the Vice President sit on the board with 2 appointed students and a number of non-students who are appointed for their specialist knowledge.

Union CouncilUnion Council is the Governing Body of UCS Union, making decisions on what UCS Union should be campaigning on and on how it should be governed. The outcomes of the meetings are tasks that are delivered by the Executive Committee members. Union Council is also the body of UCS that holds the members of the Executive Committee to account . The Exec Committee must produce a report of their actions for Union Council to receive.

See “Better Union” Union Council

Executive CommitteeThe Executive Committee meet regularly throughout the year to discuss the on-going UCS Union campaigns and the representation of UCS students. The Exec are informed by Union Council what UCS Union should be campaigning on and decide on how that should be delivered. They also discuss ideas, suggestions and campaigns brought to them directly by other students and decide how best to handle it.

The Exec Committee is made up of all the Department Officers, the Campus Officers, and the Sabbatical Officers.

Do you have a campaign idea? You can run campaigns or mandate Executive Members to run campaigns for the Union.

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What it is:Better Union or Union Council is a meeting of every student representative at UCS. Every Sabbatical officer, course rep, Campus Officer and Department Officer is automatically a member of Council. Its aims are to make a ‘better union’ - hence the name!

They are held in Ipswich on a Wednesday from 1-3pm, in WAD1 in the Waterfront Building. There are 5 of these meetings a year.

Council is chaired by a student which is elected as Chair of Council at the first meeting of the year. Council also elects a deputy chair for when the Chair is not available. What Union Council does: It’s through this forum that feedback and changes from all around the university (including campuses) is received and voted on. It’s a really important meeting for all of those reasons.

Essentially this is where the really important stuff gets decided. In an ideal world we would want all officers & course reps to attend, but we do understand many of you have placement to attend or other academic or professional committments. When you cannot attend you must always send your apologies to [email protected] to let us know.

Another fantastic aspect of Union Council is the guest speakers that feature at each council ranging from the Provost of the University, Richard Lister, to the motivational lecture of the year!

“BETTER UNION”UNION COUNCIL

KEY DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: Held in WAD1 at the Waterfront Building, from 1-3pm. These dates are all Wednesday afternoons.

November 11th 2015: 1st Council (Ipswich)December 2nd 2015: 2nd Council (Ipswich)February 17th 2016: 3rd Council (Ipswich)March 9th 2016: 4th Council (Ipswich) April 13th 2016: Final Council (Ipswich)

REMEMBERto scan your student card at the beginning of any meeting that you attend so that your attendance is logged!

Attendance at meetings counts towards your accreditation!

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TOP TIPS FOR MEETINGS

Read the agenda well in advanceThis will give you plenty of time to chat to staff about any questions you might have and get your course-mates’ views.

Note when the agenda closesMake sure you know the time and date you need to submit agenda items by so you can make sure the things you want to talk about are on the agenda.

Talk to lecturers and tutors if you have any issues with their reports or proposalsBy doing this you’ll come across more constructive and not always appearing to oppose their ideas. It also means you’re more likely to be involved in the formulation of any new proposals rather than just reacting to it.

Build a strong argumentTry to use some evidence if you can and don’t rely too much on your own experience. Be polite and don’t get too emotional. Try to use positive language if you can as it comes off better and is more likely to be listened too.

Think about when you speak and for how long. Make your arguments snappy and don’t repeat what has already been said. You might want to focus on one or two key issues in each meeting. If there are specific things you want to say, you might want to draft what you are going to say before you speak.

Don’t be afraid to ask questionsIf you’ve got lost in the discussion or don’t know what something means just ask to help put you back on the right track.

Make sure you get an Outcome or Change. Make sure there is a response to the issue you’ve raised and someone’s taken on some kind of action to resolve it and then make sure you chase it up at the next meeting.

Use the Union!If you ever need any help with preparing something for a meeting or are having any problems get in touch with the Student Voice Team or the Union’s Officers and we’ll be more than happy to help out! If in doubt: come to see us!

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SABBS:“Sabbs” is short for Sabbatical Officers. This is because full-time officers normally take a year off (a sabbatical) from their studies to become full-time officers. This is a paid role that can be taken either as a gap year during studies or just after graduation. We have two officers: The President (Education and Engagement) and Vice President (Welfare and Activities).

Sabbs sit on several University committees which are directly responsible for several of the decisions taken, right from before inductions to after graduation. The more informed they are about what needs to be done, the more they can help you and your department.

Jordan (President) & Megan (VP) are both really excited and committed to speaking to as many students as possible this year to really increase our engagement and positive impact on student lives!

GO OUT ANDLISTEN (GOALING)

SABBS ON THE SOFAAs the ultimate student representatives Sabbs are a hugely important aspect of a student’s interaction with the Union. It is through them that we effect change at the University and the Union. It is their voice that carries the views and opinions of the students to the senior management of the University.

We hope that you will join the Sabbs at these sessions to help out. We’ll be aiming to fit them in so that we reach as many students as possible. It’s a great chance for you to get to know your full-time officers. Please use all your powers of advertising and persuasion to in bring students to this event. Our Sabbs are great at driving change and heading up really important campaigns on behalf of students and we want you and your campus involved!

As the Sabbs won’t always there, we have #UCSVOICE events where we ask students what they want to KEEP, STOP, START at their campus regarding what we can do for them. Help us make these events meet the needs and interests of your department’s students.

JORDAN & MEGAN

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GET THE WORD OUTYou are an Ambassador for the Union. We want you to promote your good work, and your role to the UCS community and to your coursemates via social media (and off-line too, of course).

We want to encourage YOU to get involved with the Union on social media. We invite you to like or follow our pages:

UCS Students’ Union on Facebook@UCSunion on Twitter@ucs_union on Instagram

We’re open to new platforms so let us know if there’s an audience we’re not reaching but should.

Social media is a really vital aspect of our communications with students and a consistent and professional social media approach is really key to a successful Students’ Union.

Add the #thisisIpswich and #UCSVoice to your posts!

To create and facilitate that change we need to make sure we are exploring the potential of different social media channels.

Most students have an online presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so these are the accounts we want to use.

Department Facebook PagesTo make sure we at least have the basics covered we ask you join your Department Facebook group which each Department Officer should have set up.

These groups are designed to be student led and focussed completely on what is happening within each department.

Course Facebook PagesYou can also create Facebook page to help you communicate with all your students. It’s important that YOU contribute to your page as much as you can so students get to know you. Just make sure your content is Union friendly!

If you need to gather feedback or advertise a drop in session then these groups are a great place to start!

Check with us if you’re unsure of anything that you might want to publish on there. Remember that you are representative of the Union at all times.

REMEMBERNot all your students will be on Facebook so it’s important to also engage with students off-line!

Come and talk to us about off-line inititatives to engage others.

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YOURIDEASWe want to make sure that students are able to contact and connect with us in every imaginable way.

Another important way to help us connect and listen to students is the Your Ideas section of our website found here (see picture below!):http://www.ucsunion.org/thestudentvoice.

Here students can share ideas and have them voted on. When a certain number of votes is achieved, the idea gets passed onto you and the rest of the Exec for actioning.

We want to encourage students with suggestions or changes about any aspect of the Union or University to post on here and let other students vote on whether they like the idea or not! Again, please encourage and direct students to this section of the website.

you can hold competitionscoffee mornings

hold social eventsor sporting events...

anything that helps you engage students!

And if there’s any way we can help:let us know!

DON’T LIMIT YOUR IMAGINATION:

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YOUR UNIONBecause everything in this booklet might not be enough to satisfy your union appetite we would also encourage you to get involved with other aspects of Union life, such as our Most Active Students scheme, and sports and societies.

SPORTS & SOCIETIESIt’s really easy to set up a society:All you really need is 3 committee members and some general student interest. This is another great way for you and every student to get engaged who might not normally interact with the Union and help you stand out as University students and individuals.

If you’re not entirely sure what types of sports or socieites might interest you, we suggest Course-based societies to help you create a sense of community around your course.

If you’re interested in starting a society email Matt at [email protected] or call 01473 338155 for more information.

MOST ACTIVE STUDENTS MAS aims to engage students in physical exercise or activities at least once a week. There is a fantastic range of activities available at Ipswich and we’re working on expanding this to all our campuses.

Our suggestion would be to put the word out to your students, see if they are interested and we can go from there. For more information email Sarah at [email protected] or call 01473 338155 for more information.

ADVICE CENTREEvery student at every campus is also entitled to access the Advice Centre. They are based within the Union building at Ipswich and they can hold in-person, telephone or Skype appointments with students to help you with anything that might affect your lives during their time at UCS.

Examples of issues that the Advice Centre can help with:

AppealsAcademic or Professional MisconductDisciplinary ProceduresExtenuating Circumstances (i.e. anything that affects your academic performance - however big or small!)Informal and formal complaintsSexual health and relationshipsGeneral wellbeing

For more information contact Maggie or Rachel at [email protected] or call 01473 338155.

For more information on all of this, check out our website:

UCSUNION.ORG

Remember to give us your feedback for how we can make our website

relevant to your students!

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HEAR LOGX Action Date Sign off

Attend Master Class

November Monthly Drop-in

November Monthly Email Survey/Feedback

Better Union 1 11 November 2015

Course-based Society Meeting

Termly Blog Post/Facebook/Email 1

December Monthly Drop-in

December Monthly Email Survey/Feedback

Better Union 2 (Christmas Special) 2 December 2015


January Monthy Drop-in

January Monthly Email Survey/Feedback

February Monthly Drop-in

February Monthly Email Survey/Feedback

Better Union 3 17 Feburary 2016

March Monthly Drop-in

March Monthly Email Survey/Feedback

Better Union 4 9 March 2016


April Montly Drop-in

April Monthly Email Survey/Feedback

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X Action Date Sign offBetter Union 5 13 April 2016

Course Committee Meeting




Supported Campaign_______________________

Supported Campaign_______________________

Assisted Union Elections

Assisted Union Elections

Produced handover for next year’s Course Rep

Student Success Story Form 1



Submit motion to council

Submit motion to council

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YOUR “HEAR”ACCREDITATION

Action Skills Evidence

Attend Course Rep Master ClassTraining on representation, communication, formal meetings and procedures

Have your HEAR Log signed off by a member of the Student Voice Team

Attended at least 4 Better Union meetings

Participation, involvement, reporting student experience and holding executive to account

Minutes / Attendance register

Check in 5 times with the Student Voice Team to discuss your prog-ress

Personal development planning and developing

Logbook signed off by Student Voice Team

Hold monthly workshops/drop-in sessions for students discuss course related issues with you Gathering and organising feedback

from peers; leading groups, leading sessions with groups of your peers, and developing listening skills

Dated and signed feedback forms, returned to the Student Voice Team within one week

Email survey and feedback forms for those who can’t attend the workshops/drop-ins 2 weeks prior to Union Council & Course Committees

Copy [email protected] into these emails and we will attach them to your log

Write a termly blog post, group email, facebook message (or other method of mass communication)

Presenting the outcome of feedback gathered and reporting back to peers on developments

Email evidence to [email protected] and we will attach it to your log

Attend all Course Committee meetings

Experience of attending formal meetings with Course Leaders and Heads of Department to express an understanding of the needs of your peers

Course Committee minutes recorded by UCS

Show evidence of support for at least 2 Union run/ led campaigns

Participating and engaging in campaigns and elections, engaging with a wide range of students face-to-face

Logbook signed off by Student Voice TeamAssist on at least one day with

Student Union Elections

Produce a one page handover document for next year’s course rep

Reflective report writing to show personal learning and support the creation of a knowledge base

Email it to [email protected] and we will attach it to your log

Fill out and submit, at least once a term your student success story form

Feeding back, sharing your success Submit this to the Student Voice Team

Submit (or co-submit) at least one motion to Union Council

Motion writing, communication, engagement, Union involvement


THIS CRITERIA IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE! It is still being approved with the University. Please contact us for more information.

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Action Skills Evidence

Attend Course Rep Master ClassTraining on representation, communication, formal meetings and procedures

Have your HEAR Log signed off by a member of the Student Voice Team

Attended at least 4 Better Union meetings

Participation, involvement, reporting student experience and holding executive to account

Minutes / Attendance register

Check in 5 times with the Student Voice Team to discuss your prog-ress

Personal development planning and developing


Hold monthly workshops/drop-in sessions for students discuss course related issues with you Gathering and organising feedback

from peers; leading groups, leading sessions with groups of your peers, and developing listening skills

Dated and signed feedback forms, returned to the Student Voice Team within one week

Email survey and feedback forms for those who can’t attend the workshops/drop-ins 2 weeks prior to Union Council & Course Committees

Copy [email protected] into these emails and we will attach them to your log

Write a termly blog post, group email, facebook message (or other method of mass communication)

Presenting the outcome of feedback gathered and reporting back to peers on developments

Email evidence to [email protected] and we will attach it to your log

Attend all Course Committee meetings

Experience of attending formal meetings with Course Leaders and Heads of Department to express an understanding of the needs of your peers

Course Committee minutes recorded by UCS

Show evidence of support for at least 2 Union run/ led campaigns

Participating and engaging in campaigns and elections, engaging with a wide range of students face-to-face

Logbook signed off by Student Voice TeamAssist on at least one day with

Student Union Elections

Produce a one page handover document for next year’s course rep

Reflective report writing to show personal learning and support the creation of a knowledge base

Email it to [email protected] and we will attach it to your log

Fill out and submit, at least once a term your student success story form

Feeding back, sharing your success Submit this to the Student Voice Team

Submit (or co-submit) at least one motion to Union Council

Motion writing, communication, engagement, Union involvement


KEY CONTACTSSABBS:PRESIDENT (Education and Engagement): Jordan [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT (Welfare and Activities): Megan King [email protected]

STAFF:REPRESENTATION & CAMPUS FACILITATOR: Elizabeth [email protected]

STUDENT VOICE COORDINATOR: Robyn Van Ryssen [email protected]

DEPARTMENT OFFICERS: Arts and Humanities: Amy Curtis [email protected]

Business School: Jessica [email protected]

Psychology, Sociology & Social Work: Leanne Hague [email protected]

Health Studies: Ravi Desai [email protected] Science and Technology: Amelia [email protected] Nursing and Midwifery: Darran Mc [email protected]

Children, Young People & Education: Chantelle [email protected]

CAMPUS OFFICERS:

GREAT YARMOUTH: Debbie [email protected]

LOWESTOFT: Cazz [email protected]

BURY ST EDMUNDS: (vacant)

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Course rep handbook 2015 2