WELCOME TO STUDENT ACADEMIC REP

TRAINING 2011Tuesday 8th November 2011, The Great Hall, The Students’

Union 6.30-8.30

#AcademicRepsCSU

THE

AGEN

DA6.30: Introduction: What is a Student Rep?: roles and responsibilities(By the Vice Chancellor and Sam Reid)

7.00: Communication Skills Exercise (Sarah Halpin, Jason Dunlop)

7.30: Meeting Skills Presentation (Sam Reid)

7.40: Scenario based exercises in smaller groups

8.20: Summary and a Thank You (Sam Reid)

8.30: To the Kitchen for some Dinner! (EVERYONE WELCOME)

Dr. David GrantCardiff University’s Vice

Chancellor

Who am I?Sam Reid: Academic and University Affairs Officer

Key responsibilities:

• To represent all students on all of the Students’ Union’s work relating to the academic experience

•To represent students on the highest academic committees in the University

•To listen to the Students and campaign for their key issues and concerns.

The Union is run by 8 full-time Elected Officers ...And 8 part-time officers!

• Marcus Coates-WalkerPresident

• Harry NewmanSocieties Officer

• Nick MatthewFinance and Commercial

• Olly SmithHead of Student Media

• Sarah HalpinHealthcare Integration

• Ollie DevonAU President

• Chris DaviesWelfare and Communications

MWE ALSO HAVE 8 PART-TIME ELECTED OFFICERS

Ethical and Environmental Officer

Mature Students’ OfficerWomen’s Officer

Disabilities Officer

International Students’ Officer

Post-Graduate Officer

LGBT+ Officer

Welsh Officer

Alec Care

Claire Travers

Hassan Alfarra

Cath Mackintosh

Nick Holbrook

Kate Boddington

Owain Lewis

Usman Malik

Learning Outcomes•To identify student issues and needs•To able to identify yourself to students as their representative•To attend meetings and communicate views of others as well as your own•To raise student issues and concerns with staff and the Students' Union•To liaise with other reps and the Union on issues effecting their course•To be able to campaign or help others campaign (i.e. the Union) effectively on the relevant issues •To be capable of organising student forums and meetings to ensure that you are always aware of the bigger picture

• Finally, and most importantly, to provide a link between students, staff and the Students' Union and to close that link by feeding back at all times to the relevant parties.

WHAT IS A STUDENTS’ UNION?• We are an organisation that looks to promote the interests of our 29,000 students,we are currently ranked 5th in the UK, and here are some of the services that we offer:

Advice and Representation Student Development Unit

Student Volunteering (1000+ Students)

200 clubs and societies

Award winning student news paper, TV and radio station

Jobshop

Cardiff Student Letting (1st and best in UK)

Safest and cheapest nightclub in town.

New non-alcoholic social work space – The LoungeMobile Union reaching to

students Welfare Support

ARC

Academic Appeals Financial advice

Housing Advice

Disciplinaries

This is different from Student Support Services in the University. It cannot offer advice on academic appeals or disciplinaries. Student Support Services offers advice on:•Disabilities•Counselling•Pastoral support•Financial advice i.e. Gaining financial support: financial contingency funds.

A kind ear to listen to your problems

INDEPENDENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY

How do we use Student Academic Representatives?

• Update you regularly via email about what is happening within the University

•Source of information

• Campaigns• E.g. JSTOR and the Assessment Matters project• NSS

• Events like the Enriching Student Life Awards

• For focus groups about projects and ideas• E.g. The Student Charter (2011-12)

ACADEMIC REPRESENTATION IN THE UNIVERSITY AND THE STUDENTS’ UNION:

WHERE IS IT?

COUNCIL

COURT

Policy & Resources

GovernanceSENATE

Academic Standardsand Quality

University ManagementBoard

OperationsBoard

Policy NetworksEducation & Students, Research, Innovation & Engagement, Staff & Diversity

Headsof

School

The

Str

uctu

re o

f the

Uni

vers

ity

27 Academic Schools

Student Rep Coordinator

Staff Student Panel

COUNCIL

Policy & Resources

GovernanceSENATE

Academic Standardsand Quality

University ManagementBoard

OperationsBoard

Policy NetworksEducation & Students, Research, Innovation & Engagement, Staff & Diversity

Headsof

School

27 Academic Schools

Student Rep Coordinator

Staff Student Panel

CourtStudent Representation

The democratic structure of the Union

STUDENT COUNCIL

AU COUNCIL SOCIETIES COUNCIL ACADEMIC COUNCIL

STUDENT ACADEMIC REPSAU CLUBS SOCIETIES

Academic and University Affairs Officer

The University

Staff Student Panels

GENERAL MEETING

CUSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Referenda

CUSL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ACADEMIC COUNCIL

STUDENT ACADEMIC REPS

Academic and University Affairs Officer

The University

Staff Student Panels + Policy Networks

STUDENT COUNCIL

The Academic Representation Structure.....

Academic Council is Made up of 2 Senior Reps, 1 UG and 1PG elected from each school. It meets 3 times a year and the first one is on Monday 5th December.

What are the roles and responsibilities of a Student Academic Rep within this

system?

•Identify yourself to the students you are representing

•Monitor aims and objectives of your course and ensure that these are being fulfilled by the teaching which you receive, or aid you may require...

•Attend and contribute to Staff Student Panels

•Maintain the route of communication between staff and students

•Liaise with the Students’ Union and other students

•Identify yourself to the students you are representing

•Monitor the aims and objectives of your course and make sure that these are being fulfilled by teaching which you receive.

•Attend and participate in Student Staff Panel meetings and represent the views of your cohort.

•Maintain the route of communication between Students and Staff

•Liaise with the Students’ Union (i.e. The Elected Officers...mainly ME)

•Work in partnership with other representatives on issues of joint concern whether that be in your respective schools or inter-school issues.

•FEEDBACK information to your cohort about outcomes and repercussions of meetings

•Refer major issues of concern to the Students’ Union or the Advice and Representation Centre

•You may sit on various Committees and policy networks within the University

•Course deadlines•Reading Lists•Lack of books•Hidden course costs i.e. handouts etc•Turnaround of Marked work•Assessment: exam scheduling, number of exams etc.•Cancelled lectures•Problems with tutors•Discriminatory practices•Lack of facilities•workload

• N.B. You will get a lot of issues which don't relate to the academic side of the University. These issues can be referred to people elsewhere, to the Union, to Student Services etc.

What kind of problems will you be dealing with?

•To ensure that the Student Voice makes sure that the University is student focussed.•To promote student involvement in the University Structure.•Enhances the quality of the student experience.•Opportunity to be pro-active and make changes that benefit students•To collect student opinion•For the University to react to student concerns and deliver a more effective educational programme•To identify new ideas and new initiatives that would help students in their studies.

• Student Voice is part of the requirements of the QAA review process and there is political support for increased learner involvement.

Why do we have Student Reps?

What do you get out of being a Rep?

Communication skillsCV booster

Time management skills

People management

Learn how to get things done in the University Leadership skills

Make a difference to YOUR education And the education of your classmates!

Student comes to you with a problem

You decide if the problem relevant to the academic side of the UniversityYES

NOTake the issue to your SSP

OR•If the situation is urgent refer the issue to the Academic and University Affairs Officer and they can advise you of what to do and who to speak to.

Refer them on to the relevant contact (if you are unsure please contact the Academic and University Affairs Officer) Eg.

•Welfare issues – The Welfare Officer Students’ Union

Speak to your Student Rep Coordinator

OR

You are the EYES and EARS of the student body who feed information up into higher forums so that they are dealt with effectively in order to improve the student experience.

Communication Exercise(Sarah Halpin, Healthcare Integration Officer and Jason Dunlop, Chief Executive of the Students’ Union)

Summary of Communication Exercise

How can you communicate with other students?

Lecture Shout outsGet people to raise their hands in lectures

Discuss with seminar groups, before or after the class.

Emails

Facebook Twitter

Paper/online surveys

Show people and get them to comment on the Annual Report

Ideas Cafes

Summary of Communication Exercise

Meeting SkillsA few Do’s and Don’ts of How to get the best out of your meetings...

• Find and read past minutes to see what key issues have been raised in the past.

•Make sure you know how to get an item on the agenda

•Meet with other student reps and other students before the meeting

•Prepare notes if you plan on speaking

•When there is a dispute try and be helpful in finding a solution

•Speak Clearly If you can’t make it, send you apologies.

Engage in the meeting....this is your opportunity to get your voice heard

DO

DON’T

•Interrupt others when they are speaking

•Be afraid to given your opinion on an issue or raise any points of interest. (This especially can be an issue when members of staff are in the room)

•Lose your temper

•Try not to be too negative, only be negative where it is important that way you will have more of an impact

• Try no to be too late as this will only interrupt the meeting.

What to do after a meeting?

• Let other students know what went on in the meeting:• Report back orally or email out the major points discussed

•Make sure, once written up, the minutes are circulated

•If you win something in the meeting on behalf of your cohort, let them know• (As well as sending the minutes you could point out major decisions that were made and

identify key action points)•Identify who you need to speak to next in order to set the ball rolling on the action points

• Always report back what happened as a result of the previous meeting in the next meeting, this way you can hold people to account for not fulfilling their tasks or

discuss issues which may have occurred in trying to fulfil them.

D

If you do all of these things and you feel that nothing is happening as a result or you are coming up against problems you can contact your senior rep who can then try and help out, failing this they will then contact me, and as a Union we can see if we can help out. .....

IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE FEEDBACK LOOP BETWEEN STUDENTS, STAFF ANDTHE UNION IS CLOSED.....

p.s. Don’t forget not all issues which arise will lie within your remit so remember to Forward these issues on to the relevant parties.

SCENARIOS

DURING THE SCENARIOS YOU SHOULD HAVE:

• Practiced identifying the types of issue arising

•Asked yourselves: how do I get this information into the system?

•Then asked yourselves how does this information get fed back out of the system?

•Then you should have evaluated the process, what would have worked in your school and if it didn’t why didn’t it and how could you become more effective?

E.g. Scenario 1: FEEDBACK• Identify the issues: First of all we need to identify why we need to talk about feedback

1. Sometimes Staff and Students get it wrong: Staff don’t provide enough or enough of good quality, students expect levels of feedback which is impossible to provide...Staff and students don’t have the same opinion of timely and useful feedback

2. We now have policy in the University concerning feedback and what it should be

3. Therefore: Staff need to provide timely and useful feedback; Students need to make better use of this feedback to help improve their learning;

What you can expect and what you have to do!

Timely – within 4 weeks

Legible and clear

Constructive, useful and meaningful

Use feedback to feedforward

Don’t just look at the mark

A role for student reps.?

•Clearly the feedback received is not adequate by the standards of the new feedback policy.

•Advise the student to raise the issue at the Staff Student Panel and raise the fact that the feedback policy exists for a reason and that it should be implemented accordingly.

•This will then be in the minutes, and your senior rep should take it to Academic Council and inform the Academic and University Affairs Officer.

•If by the next SSP the situation hasn’t improved, raise it again and then consider raising it with your Head of School or the Director of Teaching and Learning.

Summary

What the Students’ Union expects from Student Academic Reps:

•You should go prepared to Staff Student Panels.

•You should regularly feedback to students what happens in the meetings.

•Ask students their opinions before bringing things to panel

•Know where to point students depending on their issue

•Make yourself aware to other students.

• If issues aren’t being resolved know who to contact: i.e. Academic Officer/Arc/Head of School

What Student Academic Reps can expect from the Students’ Union:

• Support:• Support with bringing issues to the attention of the University• Support in the form of guidance throughout the various structures of the Union

and the University.• We will support you in issues which you wish to campaign on

• We will provide you with up to date information of what is going on within the University

•Regular training to update your skills i.e. Training for chairs and secretaries of SSPs, Senior Rep training.

Learning Outcomes•To identify student issues and needs•To identify yourself to students as their representative•To attend meetings and communicate views of others as well as your own•To raise student issues and concerns with staff and the Students' Union•To liaise with other reps and the Union on issues effecting the course•And then to campaign or help others campaign (i.e. the Union) effectively on the relevant issues •Organise student forums and meetings to ensure that you are always aware of the bigger picture

• Finally, and most importantly, to provide a link between students, staff and the Students' Union and to close that link by feeding back at all times to the relevant parties.

THANK YOUDon’t Forget Student Academic Rep Training on the 8th November

2011 6.30pm in the Great Hall (SUON)

AcademicOfficer@cardiff.ac.uk 02920781428