HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE STUDENT VOICE ON THE PROGRAMMETHAT YOU TEACH

COURSE REPS: A BEST PRACTICE GUIDE

President – Dave Wright 0191 227 3708 dave.wright@northumbria.ac.ukVice President Academic Affairs – Lisa Burton0191 227 3703 lisa.burton@northumbria.ac.ukVice President Communications and Involvement – Debbie Hunt0191 227 3701 1deborah.hunt@northumbria.ac.ukVice President Activities and Development – Lewis Still0191 227 3711 lewis.still@northumbria.ac.ukVice President Welfare and Equality – Rachael Brannan0191 227 7683 rachael.brannan@unn.ac.uk

Other useful contacts in the Students’ Union

The Advice and Representation Centre is independent and exists to help students with any on-course issue; we offer advice on academic procedures, support student representatives to represent the student ‘voice’ at Northumbria and run schemes such as the Learning and Teaching Awards, which give every student a say in their education.

We have three members of staff: • Richard is the Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator • S ophie is the Education Caseworker • Zoe is our part-time student assistant • The lead officer is Lisa Burton, Vice President - Academic Affairs.

Between us we support the whole range of activities the Centre provides; supporting individual students through crises and developing representation to improve the whole student experience.

The Advice and Representation Centre is based at City Campus but we spend 3 days a week at Coach Lane as well.

• Drop in to see us 10-4 with a quick query or to make an appointment • Call us in the Centre on (0191) 243 7684 or 227 3195 • E-mail: su.advice@northumbria.ac.uk su.coursereps@northumbria.ac.uk su.democracy@northumbria.ac.uk • Call us at Coach Lane on (0191) 215 6872 • Find us on the e-learning portal! Search Education Advice or Course

Representatives

Contents3. Forewords • Lisa Burton, Northumbria Students’ Union

Vice President (Academic Affairs) • Professor Craig Mahoney, University of

Northumbria Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)

6. Who and what are Course Reps? • ‘Course Reps’, ‘student reps’, ‘programme

reps’ – what’s the difference? • What are Course Reps responsible for? • The core Course Rep role • Extra duties: making sure Course Reps

don’t take on too much

9. Recruiting Course RepsWhat’s in it for them?The recruitment process: • Setting the rules • How many vacancies? • What do candidates need to do? • How will the election process work? • How will the results be released? • What are the terms of the role?Beyond recruitment: other issues in the early stages: • How do you intend to keep unsuccessful

candidates involved? • What should you do if nobody comes

forward?15. Getting your Course Reps

establishedHelping Course Reps get what they’re entitled to: • Where to register Course Reps • Trained Course Reps are effective Course

Reps • What if they can’t attend training? • What if you feel the training just isn’t for

them?Setting the Course Reps up to succeed: • Making sure students know who the Course

Reps are • Building a working relationship

24. Maintaining the momentum throughout the year

Helping Course Reps prepare for meetings: • The Representation Cycle: a model for

Course Reps • Gathering ideas: giving structure to feedback

channels • Forming arguments: translating ideas into

useful feedback • Feeding in: identifying the right forum • Feeding back: closing the loopBeyond meetings: other issues to think about across the year: • Are the Course Reps getting along? • Are they all equally engaged? Are they all

taking an equal share of the workload? • What can Course Reps do if they want to

get even more involved?

32. How Course Reps fit into the Students’ Union

• How Course Reps feed into Students’ Union academic policy

• Where and by whom are students represented on academic affairs?

• How to make the most of Students’ Union representation structures

36. The Students’ Union’s support package for Course Reps

Our suggested… • List of the benefits of being a Course Rep • Course Rep Opportunity Profile • Course Rep Person Specification • Checklist for the year ahead

ForewordThe role of the Course Rep is indispensable – and our research proves it. Over 95% of Programme Leaders agree that the Course Rep system, to some degree, has a positive impact on quality assurance in the University. Our major finding from research, indeed, was not that there is a limit to what lecturers are willing to do to support Course Reps, but instead a desire to know more about which services provided by the Students’ Union they can signpost Course Reps towards, what other lecturers are doing to engage Course Reps and, ultimately, what works best.

That’s where this Guide comes in. For the first time, the Students’ Union has pooled the shared expertise of academic staff, Students’ Union officers and Course Reps to create a toolkit for lecturers, tutors, Programme Leaders and any other member of University staff who works with Course Reps.

The structure of this Guide allows for easy reference – you can flick straight to the section where some hints and tips might come in handy and take it from there. Of course, not all of the ideas that feature in this Guide will be suitable for or easily adapted to your programme. Nor, for that matter, is the Students’ Union under any illusion about the time constraints that lecturers are also under. All the same, I have no doubt that there are ideas in here that are relevant to every programme – whether full - or part-

time, Undergraduate or Postgraduate, campus-based or with significant placement content. Developing the Students’ Union’s interaction with and support for University staff is the next step towards cementing our position as national leaders in student representation. It’s not just me that thinks we’re ‘national leaders’, as it happens – two of our School Reps, from the School of Design, were crowned as ‘Course Representatives of the Year’ at the NUS Awards earlier this year; our flagship Course Rep Conference in St. James Park is the envy of Students’ Unions across the country; and our unique structure of Post Graduate Research student representation is gaining recognition as one of the most simple and effective models around. Thanks to the growing tradition of co-operation between the Students’ Union and the University, we are national leaders.

Thank you for collecting a copy of this Guide. We hope that you find it useful, and genuinely value your feedback – and any other examples of Best Practice that you can think of!

Lisa BurtonVice President – Academic AffairsNorthumbria Students’ Union

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ForewordI am delighted to be able to write a foreword to Course Reps: A Best Practice Guide. The University of Northumbria prides itself on offering an outstanding learning and teaching experience for students and this can only be sustained by regular contact and feedback from our student body. The merits of working closely with Course Reps are clearly outlined in this Guide and I hope that the Guide assists you in making the case to students that it is worth making this commitment. While the reasons cited are often based on extrinsic values, the intrinsic value of knowing they are supporting the experience of their fellow students, building life skills, enhancing their employability as a consequence of their role and merely feeling good about themselves, are equally valuable. The Students’ Union at Northumbria has worked extremely hard to build a close working relationship with staff and committees across the University. In a large University like Northumbria, this is crucial as we seek to have a positive impact on the student experience. Each year we look to establish new ways in which that relationship can be further developed and promoting the Course Rep role is incredibly valuable in sustaining and advancing the work we have achieved to date. I do hope you will consider carefully what your Course Reps might offer and that you find the experience of

working with Course Reps worthwhile and valuable. The Students’ Union has put together a comprehensive support package for Reps and you will be able to avail of that support in the development of your Course Reps’ skills in the role. I look forward to working with you and your Course Reps in 2008-09.

Craig MahoneyDeputy Vice-Chancellor – Learning and TeachingUniversity of Northumbria

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Who And What Are Course Reps?

‘Course Reps’, ‘Student Reps’, ‘Programme Reps’ – What’s The Difference?‘Course Reps’ go by a confusing variety of names across the University, the most common alternatives being ‘student reps’ and ‘programme reps’. In the Students’ Union we stick to the term ‘Course Rep’ because:

• The term ‘student rep’ is used in a number of Schools to refer to students employed to help out on open days and on campus tours – which we feel is too distant from the kind of representation that we’re referring to in this guide.

• ‘Student representation’ covers a wide range of activities – aside from Course Reps, our teams of School Reps, PGR School Reps, Student Councillors and Sabbatical Officers would also fall under this broad term.

• It aids consistency – the difference between a ‘Course’ and a ‘Programme’ basically comes down to semantics, and the National Union of Students prefers ‘Course Reps’!

In this Guide, we use the term ‘Course Reps’ for any student with a mandate to represent their peers in their year group on academic issues relating to their programme of study; and the term ‘student representatives’ (without capitals) to refer to any student involved in some way with student representation.

What are Course Reps responsible for?No two Course Reps do exactly the same thing. On some degree programmes – especially, though not exclusively, related to design and the arts – Course Reps are involved with fundraising for public showings of their work; on numerous others, they take the lead in organising balls and social events; while for the greater part their whole involvement extends to attending Staff-Student Liaison Committee meetings. Below is what we believe to be the areas that definitely make up the Course Rep role, alongside those which could fit into it:

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Definitely the responsibility of Course Reps

Possibly a part of the Course Rep role

To represent the views of their fellow students at Staff Student Liaison Committee / Course Committee meetings

To organise social (and where relevant fundraising) activities on behalf of their peers

To provide an alternative channel for complaints so that they can be resolved quickly

To represent the Course as the ‘student face’, e.g. at open days

To bridge the gap between academic staff and students in order to facilitate genuine dialogue and partnership

To support lecturers and tutors in making sure that changes to the course are understood by students

To meet the requirements of the Quality Assurance strategy

To disseminate the views of the Students’ Union to academics

The Core Course Rep Role

Ultimately, Course Reps are responsible for attending core meetings – normally Staff Student Liaison Committee and Programme Management Committee (or equivalent) – and taking proactive steps in order to ensure that they have well-structured channels for gathering feedback from the students that they represent.

Taking a systematic approach to soliciting feedback from peers is an indispensable part of ensuring that Course Reps are successfully ‘bridging the gap’ between students and staff. You’ll find more about how the Students’ Union encourages Course Reps to do this in the following chapter.

Extra duties: making sure Course Reps don’t take on too muchThe kind of students who become Course Reps tend to have outgoing, opportunity-seizing personalities, and it’s therefore no surprise that many choose to organise social events and balls for their year groups, take the lead on fundraising for final degree performances or shows or be ‘the face of the programme’ at open days. These activities are brilliant as personal development opportunities, and many Course Reps welcome the additional transferrable skills that they gain as a result. At the same time, it’s important to recognise that:

• Students must have confidence in their Course Reps’ ability to enjoy good but critical relations with staff – it must, therefore, be the Course Reps’ choice to take part in open days or other events that promote the course.

• Social events can be costly and time-consuming to organise, and their core duties (and studies) might suffer as a result of being over-burdened.

• Especially for Course Reps raising funds for degree shows, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the burden of expectation.

• There’s no guarantee that a Course Rep with strong advocacy skills would have any interest in raising money or booking restaurants!

On the one hand, it’s right to encourage Course Reps to make the most of these opportunities to get involved and build their confidence and skills; on the other, it’s important that Course Reps do not end up taking on more than they can realistically be expected to deal with, in terms both of time and pressure. You could:

• Open up invitations to take part in open days to all students on the programme.

• Hold elections for a Social Secretary or Social Committee for your group alongside Course Rep elections, opening up the opportunity to get involved to other students.

• Encourage students on your programme to form a society through the Students’ Union Student Activities Centre (if they haven’t done so yet) – with a minimum of 10 members, their society will qualify for funding, support and the right to book venue space for members, taking the pressure off those organising social events. You can find contact details for the Student Activities Centre at the front of this Guide.

• If it does fall to the Course Rep to take on responsibility for fundraising for final shows, remind their classmates of their collective duty to support the Course Rep and do their fair share.

Giving Course Reps the opportunity to take on these extra responsibilities to a degree that they’re comfortable with, while opening up opportunities to get involved to the whole cohort, is a great way to empower the students that you teach and show that you’re serious about sharing ownership of the programme as a whole. You can find out more about what to do if you’re worried about Course Reps not meeting their core duties in the final chapter of this Guide.

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Recruiting Course Reps

How easy it is to recruit good Course Reps varies from programme to programme, School to School. On some courses, the relevance of gaining advocacy and representation experience and CV-enhancing transferable skills are immediately obvious to students. On others, it might seem as if the Course Rep is whoever was unlucky enough to be cajoled by their teacher at the end of a lecture, and the student is effectively hand-picked for the role. Even where it’s a struggle to get volunteers to come forward, it’s worth the time and effort to have the right Course Rep in the role and to secure their legitimacy as the voice of the student cohort. To this end, whatever the case, best practice is always to recruit Course Reps in a way that is public, transparent and democratic.

What’s in it for them?

Whether students realise it or not, Course Reps can play a hugely important role in promoting their interests and improving the quality of their experience – the Quality Assurance Agency wouldn’t insist on them being in position if that wasn’t the case. Intrinsic motivational factors aside, they also stand to gain a lot from the role personally, and the Students’ Union is always on hand to offer them full support and encouragement.

For many students, however, the prospect of attending meetings where they’ll be expected to go head-to-head with the lecturers that teach them is a daunting one, especially for first year students – and even more so if they’re unaware of the support and benefits that are out there for them. The key, therefore, is to make students aware of:

What they can achieve – For example, when introducing the role to students, you can point to areas of the programme that have improved as a direct result of feedback from Course Reps. The Students’ Union website also features examples of Course Reps’ recent achievements across the University.

What they can get out of it – As well as privileged access to their lecturers and tutors and first-hand knowledge of what’s happening in the University, being a Course Rep comes with numerous perks – a sample list of which you can view at the end of this Guide.

What support is on hand – The Students’ Union believes strongly in investing in Course Reps, who feature as amongst the most important volunteers at Northumbria. You can view the detailed support package at the end of this Guide and download a Powerpoint presentation to show to your cohort on the benefits of becoming a Course Rep from our website.

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The Recruitment ProcessDemonstrating just how worthwhile the role can be is the first step to engaging and inspiring potential Course Reps. Nevertheless, even then, there isn’t always the guarantee that students will come forward in sufficient numbers for a contested election. All the same, Course Reps have to be accountable to their peers – and it’s therefore crucial for their legitimacy and integrity as representatives that students have the final say on appointments. This is true even where Course Rep vacancies are uncontested.

Setting The RulesAll students should have the right to put themselves forward, and it’s therefore paramount that they’re made aware of the nomination process. This is as true for students on the second, third, fourth or fifth year of their programme as much as for first years. Before recruitment begins, it’s important to have the rules set so that prospective Course Reps know what the process will be.

How Many Vacancies?• On average, this is roughly one for every 30 students on the programme,

though this will depend on what works for you and the students.• You might also consider having an additional place for, for example, an International Students’ Rep or a Mature Students’ Rep in recognition of their particular pedagogical and welfare

needs. Some courses also elect by ‘natural constituency’ – for instance, each tutor or seminar group elects a Course Rep,

rather than electing a larger number in a single election at a lecture attended by hundreds of students.• Best practice is to reopen positions after a full academic year – there’s no reason why outgoing Course Reps should stand down, but other students should equally have the opportunity to put themselves forward.

Best Practice Tip: How do you promote the Course Rep role?You can slot a mention of Course Reps into a wide range of scenarios within the first four weeks of Semester 1. Common ones include:Induction (and re-induction for returning students – remember, they also have the right to put themselves forward!)Initial meetings with Guidance Tutors – a trusted point of contactMaking an explanation of the role available in a variety of locations, including the eLP, by e-mail, on posters and offering links to the Students’ Union website resources

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What Do Candidates Need To Do? • This could include e-mailing you by a given date with a short manifesto,

which you then distribute to all students, perhaps by e-mail, via the e-Learning Portal or on notice boards

• An alternative is simply announcing their candidacy at the election itself and giving a thirty-second ‘hustings’ speech explaining why they’re the right person for the role.

• Either way, it is paramount that students don’t miss out on the opportunity to be a Course Rep because they’re unaware of how (or when) to put themselves forward – especially after the first year of a programme, where it’s easy to neglect to hold an open election, a prospective Course Rep might become frustrated if they perceive that the incumbent Course Reps have been ‘rolled over’ in a non-transparent manner.

How Will The Election Process Work?Show of hands – This is the easiest, and quickest, way of holding an election, once you’ve given all of the candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves.

E-mail ballot – Depending on the size of the group, you might be happy for

Best Practice Tip: Identify ‘constituencies’ for Course RepsStudents on the BSc Social Work programme elect a Course Rep from within their guidance groups - providing a clear point of reference for each small group of students on a programme with a large overall cohort. On some programmes in the Newcastle Business School, International Students have also approached their Programme Leaders to request a place on Staff-Student Liaison Committees, since their particular needs and circumstances are different from those of the bulk of Home Students - especially since many undergraduate International Students in NBS are also direct-entry final year students.

Best Practice Tip: Let students make an informed choiceThe School of Arts and Social Sciences is piloting a pro-forma for prospective Course Reps to produce a statement on why they think they’re the right candidate for the role – giving students something concrete to work from, and, crucially, something that the Course Rep can be held to if students feel that they’re not living up to their promises.

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students to e-mail you their choice by a given date and for you to add up the total votes.

Secret ballot – This can be a time-consuming process, but useful if the election is contested by several students. The Students’ Union Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator will be happy to provide logistical support in this.

Consensus decision – Some lecturers also choose to remove themselves from the process by leaving the lecture for five to ten minutes to allow students to decide amongst themselves – the lecturer then returns to be informed of the students’ choices.

How Will The Results Be Announced?The most common way of helping newly-appointed Course Reps establish themselves in role is simply by announcing their appointment at a lecture, and sometimes by offering them a minute or so to announce how they can be contacted and when they’re available.You could extend this to forwarding their contact details to all students by e-mail and making them available on the e-Learning Portal, and even inviting them

to send an e-mail to the whole cohort introducing themselves and what they intend to achieve in

the role.A number of Divisions and Schools make

available on notice boards the contact details, and occasionally photographs, of Course Reps.In order for them to benefit from the full range of support on offer to them, the Students’ Union will need to have them on their database – as detailed in the next

chapter.

Best Practice Tip: Can a candidate who stands unopposed truly be democratically elected?An effective way of ensuring democratic legitimacy for candidates who stand unopposed for positions, or to reconfirm the Course Reps from a previous year if no new volunteers come forward, is to ask all students to give an indicative show of hands to confirm that they’re happy with the candidate. It also refocuses attention on the role, reaffirms its importance, reminds everyone who the Course Rep is and, above all, means that nobody can accuse you of appointing behind closed doors!

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What Are The Terms Of The Role?For the vast majority of Course Reps, the role will consist of representing the views of their peers at Staff-Student Liaison Committee and Programme Management Committee meetings (or equivalent). If possible, give them an indication of how much time they can realistically spend in the role, andperhaps an opportunity profile, an example of which you can find at the end of this Guide or download from www.mynsu.co.uk/staffsupport. Make sure you make it clear to prospective Course Reps whether you intend for them to take on extra responsibilities, as in the previous chapter – such as fundraising for performances or shows, or organising social events – or whether you will be electing or appointing these positions separately; make sure also that they’re aware of what support is available for them in these additional roles.Offer Course Reps the reassurance that ‘signing up’ as a Course Rep now is not a three or four year commitment – all Course Rep vacancies should be reopened each year.

Beyond recruitment – other issues in the early stages

How Do You Intend To Keep Unsuccessful Candidates Involved?On a number of programmes, whoever volunteers to be a Course Rep gets to be one – there’s no need to be too rigid on the requirements, as long as every candidate has had their mandate confirmed by their peers in a democratic manner. If, however, you have a finite number of positions available to students on Staff-Student Liaison Committees, it’s worth thinking of ways of keeping the candidates engaged – there’s no need to squander the energies of enthusiastic students! Examples could include: • Keeping a database of ‘volunteers’ to call on for other roles – such as

helping out with open days or events organised by the programme or the School.

• Encouraging them to take the lead on fundraising or social events – this could help take some of the pressure off the elected Course Reps, who will often welcome the additional support.

• The Students’ Union hosts a whole range of other volunteering opportunities, as well as ways of ‘having your say’ – all students are welcome to attend Student Council as observers, or to have their say directly at Student Community Forums. For students in HCES or living in Coach Lane Campus accommodation, there’s also the Coach Lane Forum through which students have launched strong campaigns to improve the student experience on campus.

• Having a strategy in place to keep students engaged with their learning environment is the first step towards building a real sense of active community on the programme.

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What Should You Do If Nobody Comes Forward?It’s extremely rare for a programme to fail to elect the basic minimum of one Course Rep per programme per year of study – but it does occasionally happen. Moreover, it’s not so unusual for academic staff to have to approach students directly – in which case, there is the risk of feeling that the student has been recruited in an undemocratic manner.

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t approach and encourage potentially strong candidates to come forward, even if you expect the position to be contested. If you’re concerned that you’ve ‘hand-picked’ them, their legitimacy can still be affirmed democratically by your students by conducting a ‘show-of-hands’ election at a lecture – in any case, it is strongly inadvisable to make this kind of appointment behind closed doors.

If you do follow this route, however, it’s worth bearing in mind why you’ve chosen to pick them over others – because you know they’ll be fairly compliant, or because you believe them to have the right set of skills? The Person Specification at the end of this Guide suggests some skills that you could measure students who you have in mind against.

Best Practice Tip: Graduation Ball Committee offers new opportunities for personal developmentWhen final year Course Reps on the BA Marketing Management programme found themselves struggling to fit it all in, they approached their Programme Leader proposing that a Graduation Ball Committee should be set up. Six previously unengaged students jumped at the chance, taking the burden off the Course Reps and gaining experience relevant to their course and career aspirations.

Best Practice Tip: When it’s not as simple as holding an election…Students on the highly flexible Continuing Inter-Professional Development programmes in the School of Health, Community and Education Studies each follow a unique course of study, making it difficult for any of them to feel confident in representing their peers effectively. In these circumstances, the Programme Leader uses a twofold approach to recruiting Course Reps: making use of existing contacts and established networks; and approaching volunteers at the module level, where students feel better placed to represent each other.

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Getting Your Course Reps Established

Many Course Reps arrive in the role enthusiastic to take on the challenge of representing their peers. Many others will have little understanding of what the role really entails, let alone have thought about their ‘accountability’ to the students that they represent. All will need some support from their lecturers and Programme Leaders in establishing themselves amongst their peers, setting up communication channels and accessing the support that’s available to them. Thankfully, it only takes a few simple steps to boost the confidence, role awareness and effectiveness of newly-appointed Course Reps.

Helping Course Reps Get What They’re Entitled To

Where To Register Course Reps

In the recruitment phase, you will have introduced Course Reps to the support, training and development opportunities available to them from the Students’ Union, and any further additional support from yourself or other members of staff in the School. The next step is to ensure that the Course Reps on your programme are not missing out by registering them with the School and the Students’ Union.

The Students’ Union operates its support for Course Reps through the Advice and Representation Centre, and works from its Course Rep Database which is compiled with the support of School Offices, School Reps and academic staff.

There are three ways in which you can make sure that the Course Reps on your programme are registered with the Advice and Representation Centre:

• Your School Office will have a named contact for Course Reps who will contact you at the start of the academic year; you can find out who this is in academic year 2008/09 in the box below. The Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre liaises regularly with the named contact to ensure that Course Rep details are up to date.

• You can complete the form for registering Course Reps yourself on the Students’ Union website at www.mynsu.co.uk/staffsupport.

• School Reps also support the Students’ Union in chasing up Course Reps’ details on individual programmes.

In order to ensure that the Students’ Union has time to get the Course Rep trained and briefed in time for the first round of Staff-Student Liaison Committee meetings and Course Rep Forums, we work to get as high a proportion of

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Course Reps registered with the Students’ Union within 4-6 weeks of the start of Semester 1.

Trained Course Reps Are Effective Course RepsThe single biggest favour you can do Course Reps on your programme of study is to insist that they attend training. Trained Course Reps will have:

Named School Office contacts for Course Rep details for 2008/09

School Name emailApplied Sciences Susan Benedict susan.benedict@unn.ac.ukArts and Social Sciences

Kathleen Donald kathleen.donald@unn.ac.uk

Built Environment Duncan Attwell duncan.attwell@unn.ac.ukCEIS Karen Vacher karen.vacher@unn.ac.ukDesign Lauraine Pye lauraine.pye@unn.ac.ukHCES Liz Davison liz.davison@unn.ac.ukLaw Lorraine White lorraine.white@unn.ac.ukNBS Katherine Dee (UG)

Eileen Hagan (PG)katherine.dee@unn.ac.ukeileen.hagan@unn.ac.uk

Psychology and Sports Studies

Mark Moss (P)Emma Stevenson (S)

mark.moss@unn.ac.uke.stevenson@unn.ac.uk

What details does the Students’ Union need on Course Reps?

The following details are essential for enabling the Students’ Union to perform its full range of functions for Course Reps:

Name, Student ID, E-mail, Gender School, Course (full title), Year of study, Full time or part time, Entry point

(September / January / March) Whether the programme is Distance Learning, Year Abroad, Placement-

Based or none of these If possible, the following data will also be useful: Mobile phone number If Course Reps have any questions about how any of this data is used,

please refer them to the Advice and Representation Centre for guidance.

• reflected on the concept of representation, including the importance of consulting with their peers and feeding back on outcomes

• formed action plans for establishing themselves amongst their peers and structuring effective and sustainable feedback structures

• had an opportunity to develop meeting, communication and diplomacy skills

• been introduced to the wider opportunities for personal development, CV-building and accreditation that the Students’ Union can offer

• received a copy of the Course Rep Handbook

Dates, times and locations of upcoming training sessions will be forwarded to your School contact, and Course Reps who are registered with the Students’ Union will start receiving invitations on receipt of their details. Dates are also published on the Students’ Union website under www.mynsu.co.uk/coursereps.

You might feel that it makes no difference whether you recommend Course Reps to attend or not – in practice, the Students’ Union can point to huge differences between programmes and Schools in terms of the proportion of Reps trained and much of it can be explained by how proactive the School or the Programme Leader is in referring Course Reps. We can also evidence an improved performance on the part of Course Reps where they are trained. The Advice and Representation Centre will be happy to confirm in writing whether your Course Reps have attended training on request, and after the first round of training we contact our key contacts in Schools with a list of programmes where Course Reps are untrained.

What If They Can’t Attend Training?The Students’ Union can only offer a finite number of formal training sessions which are open to all Course Reps – these are organised on a School-by-School basis, and as far as possible we liaise with our key contacts in Schools to ensure that timetabling doesn’t pose too much of an issue. At the same time, Schools offer a diverse range of programmes and no timetabled session will be perfect for everyone.

Best Practice Tip: Be firm on the requirement to attend trainingCourse Reps in the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London are not even allowed to attend Staff-Student Liason Committees without being trained!

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If the Course Reps on your programme genuinely can’t attend the mainstream training sessions on offer:

• We will send them a copy of the Course Rep Handbook – we will need your confirmation that they have received it.

• You can refer them to the training session slides, which will appear on the Students’ Union website and on the Course Representatives Community on the e-Learning Portal.

• If there’s a time when you’d be happy to make your Course Reps available for a shorter amount of time for a briefing from the Students’ Union Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator, we can arrange a bespoke session at a mutually convenient time.

What If You Feel The Training Just Isn’t For Them?There are certain groups of students for whom attendance at Course Rep Training is perennially difficult – for instance, students on Distance Learning programmes, on placement or on a year abroad; the kind of issues that they will be dealing with will differ in crucial ways from ‘traditional’ students. Some taught, campus-based courses also involve a significant proportion of time off-campus or on placement – this is especially common in the School of Health, Community and Education Studies. Lecturers on a number of Post Graduate Taught courses also often feel that the support and recognition package on offer from the Students’ Union is not entirely relevant to their students.

If this is the case on your programme:

• We are developing materials for Distance Learning, Placement-Based and Year Abroad Course Reps, liaising with Programme Leaders on the relevant courses – the relevant Course Reps will be contacted directly with information on these.

• We will also be happy to help develop training and briefings for students on other programmes with your support, if you feel that this would be beneficial, and to deliver bespoke sessions at a time to suit you.

• We do, however, feel that the standard training package has much to offer students on all programmes, as the principles of effective representation are the same whatever the programme of study; and that all Course Reps stand to gain from being trained.

Since there is no formal requirement for Course Reps to implement every idea that is discussed in training, how Course Reps choose to be effective in the role is at their discretion. Nevertheless, the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre is always willing to offer Course Reps support, whatever their circumstances, so if you feel that Course Reps on your programme would

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benefit from further or different support from the Students’ Union, please encourage them to get in touch.

Setting The Course Reps Up To SucceedAt their training session, Course Reps will have formed a skeletal action plan for getting themselves established amongst their peers in the role. Although, ultimately, the onus is on the Course Reps to be proactive in making sure that they’re accountable to their peers, there are a number of individual steps that you can take to help make sure that they’re ready for the role.

For Course Reps to be effective, it’s essential that:

• Course Reps know that they’re accountable to their peers, and have a system in place to gather feedback in advance of meetings.

• The cohort as a whole knows who the Course Reps are and what their role is.

• You and the Course Reps have some ‘ground rules’ established on which to build a strong working relationship.

Best Practice Tip: Request a tailored Course Rep Training sessionStudents on the PGCE Secondary Physical Education programme are enrolled for one academic year only, during which time they are divided between campus and placement. The course is also more clearly tied in with a particular career path and set of personal development objectives than the average.

Recognising this, the Programme Leader contacted the Students’ Union to request an individually-tailored, 30 minute briefing on what the Students’ Union can do for them, including a brief introduction to the Advice and Representation Centre and Northumbria Student Learning Values, and a chance to ask questions about the role. In the meantime, the Programme Leader ensured that the Course Reps were happy with the terms of reference in the role and took the lead in ensuring that they knew what was expected of them in the particular circumstances of their programme.

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Making Sure Students Know Who The Course Reps AreThe previous chapter of this Guide proposed a number of suggestions for disseminating the results of Course Rep elections:

• announcing their appointment at a lecture

• e-mailing the whole cohort with their names and contact details

• making their contact details available on the e-Learning Portal

• placing their contact details (and photos, if you have them) on a School or Division notice board

Building A Working RelationshipThere is little doubt that where Course Reps feel valued, and where they have a personal relationship with their lecturers, they will be more inclined to take the role seriously and, by extension, more likely to attend core meetings and offer constructive, useful feedback. The chance to build up a relationship can also present an opportunity to stress the importance of the role and how to carry it out effectively, as well as a chance for you to gain informal feedback.

Simple steps for getting to know Course Reps could include:

• Holding an informal meeting with them, perhaps over a cup of coffee, shortly after the appointment. At this meeting, you could stress why it’s important for them to attend training and take advantage of the opportunity to gain a Northumbria Plus+ Award.

• Once they’ve attended training, inviting them in to discuss how they intend to implement their ideas in the role – are there any ‘quick fix’ solutions to their initial ideas? Talking things through with them at this stage could prevent a burst of resentment at Staff Student Liaison Committee!

Best Practice Tip: Let the Course Reps introduce themselvesSome Course Reps in the School of Psychology and Sports Studies send out their own self-introduction to their peers – they forward the message first to a lecturer or member of School Office staff so that it can be reviewed, and the member of staff then sends it on. This gives the Course Rep ownership of the role, while keeping staff in the loop throughout – and reinforces the notion that, ultimately, they are accountable to their peers.

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• You could also invite them in to discuss whether there’s any support you could offer them in setting up their structures for consultation and feedback – for instance, let them know that if they’re planning on e-mailing the whole cohort that you’d be happy to forward an e-mail on if they send it to you first; or help them find somewhere to place a suggestions box.

Many lecturers, and Course Reps, are concerned that other students will see them as “teacher’s pets”. This doesn’t have to be a reason not to get to know them. In fact, by making it easier for them to access channels through which to disseminate the issues that they’ve raised with you on behalf of their peers and the outcomes of your discussions, you can add transparency to their role and enhance their standing amongst their peers.

Best Practice Tip: Make the most of informal catch-ups with RepsFollowing a year away on placement, you’d expect them to be a bit rusty – so final year Course Reps on BA Fashion Marketing are invited to catch up informally on the format for Programme Management Committees and Annual Programme Review and to have a ‘dry run’ of the issues they want to raise. Students on the LLB Bar Course, meanwhile, find themselves invited to course social meals with their teachers at Christmas and in June!

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ALSO AVAILABLE FOR STAFF

The Student Activities Centre, on the first floor of the Students’ Union building is the place to be to find out about all the activities available for students to get involved with and make their time here at Northumbria more enjoyable. We have staff available to help them find the perfect activity to suit their needs; from cocktail making to horse-riding to drama to anything they want! Whether students want to set up a society, raise money for charities, learn new skills or volunteer to help the community, they should pay us a visit, or get in touch using the details below.

The centre is open from Monday - Friday, 10am - 4pm

(0191) 243 7735su.activities@northumbria.ac.uk

Maintaining The Momentum Throughout The Year

Going through the initial election process and being inspired by training from the Students’ Union can be highly motivating for Course Reps, whether new in the role or continuing from a previous year. Yet much of the initial buzz surrounding Course Reps is concentrated in the first two months of the academic year, after which the less glamorous side of the role can kick in: meetings to attend, responsibility for consulting actively with their peers and bearing the burden of the cohort’s woes – all at the same time that final assessment deadlines start to pile up. The key to helping Course Reps maintain that momentum is to help them structure their activities – while making sure they don’t forget the importance of honouring their original commitment.

Helping Course Reps Prepare For Meetings

The Representation Cycle: A Model For Course RepsWhen Course Reps attend training in the Students’ Union, they are introduced to the concept of the ‘Representation Cycle’. The premise is that being an effective representative is a cyclical process:

By recognising this methodical approach to tackling on-course issues and taking a few steps towards supporting Course Reps in it, you can dramatically enhance the effectiveness of Course Reps and their standing amongst their peers.

Gathering Ideas: Giving Structure To Feedback ChannelsEstablishing Course Reps in the role at an early stage is key to ensuring that their peers recognise them as the student point of contact for feedback on the programme. In the run-up to Staff Student Liaison Committee meetings, it pays dividends to take a proactive stance towards making sure that Course Reps’ communication channels are fully functioning. You can help them out by approaching them to ask whether they have opportunities to gather feedback from the cohort:

GATHERING IDEAS

FEEDING BACK FEEDING IN

FORMINGARGUMENTS

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• One-to-one – will they be holding a drop-in or office-hours time for their peers to approach them, perhaps immediately after a lecture in a café or refectory? If so, show your support by publicising the times at which they’ll be making themselves available.

• By e-mail – ask them whether they intend to send out an e-mail to the group as a whole to request feedback – you can always ask them to send it through you so that they don’t get in trouble for ‘spamming’ or send any overly controversial material.

• Anonymously – is there a ‘suggestion box’ for students to submit their thoughts and comments for the Course Reps anonymously? If there is, make sure that students are aware of it and agree with the Course Reps the terms on which they can access it – for instance, will they have sole access to the key to it, or is it to be shared with staff?

• As a group – offer them an opportunity to speak to the group as a whole – size of the group permitting! Here, you can encourage Course Reps to be creative in how they go about soliciting feedback – for instance, through a Facebook group for the programme, or you could help them set up a discussion forum on the e-Learning Portal.

Above all – make sure that the cohort is aware that Course Reps are responsible for soliciting positive feedback as well as negative!

Forming Arguments: Translating Ideas Into Useful FeedbackThere’s no formal requirement for you and the Course Rep to meet up before meetings, but there’s no reason why not – it is, after all, in everyone’s interests to open up a dialogue before issues become problems, and it is best for Course Reps not to get into the habit of assuming that everything has to be dealt with at meetings. Indeed, regular catch-ups between you and Course Reps when meetings are not scheduled can help keep you on top of the cohort’s issues all

Best Practice Tip: Build ‘Course Rep time’ into your classesAt the University of Sheffield, it is standard practice for all classes to offer ten minutes for Course Reps twice a semester – normally for the last ten minutes of a core timetabled lecture, once just before Staff Student Liaison Committee meetings and once just after. During this time, the lecturer leaves the room and the Course Rep compiles their evidence from feedback directly from the cohort, or feeds back on any progress on outstanding issues from the previous meeting.

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year round. You might be conscious of putting words into the Course Rep’s mouth – in practice, the Course Rep will most likely appreciate the support and the opportunity to solve issues at an early stage, as long as their independence is respected.

The ideas that Course Reps gather from their peers might be:

Consensual – a common agreement amongst their peers that a particular aspect of their experience is excellent or in need of change, or conflicting – a recognition that a particular aspect of their experience benefits some students, but disadvantages others.

Coherent – relating to a specific instance of teaching practice or a specific issue relating to facilities, or incoherent – perhaps a personal disagreement, or an issue that seems irrelevant to the delivery of the programme.

Ideally, feedback from peers will be both consensus-based and coherent – in which case, you can start looking at moving the issue forward, confident that this is what the cohort as a whole would like to see change or built upon. If not, however, it’s best to encourage the Course Rep not to dismiss the issue outright – there are still a number of strategies that you can employ:

If The Ideas Are Conflicting:

• There could be valid reasons as to why it is necessary to, for instance, assess the students in a particular way (perhaps due to professional body requirements) or use a particular teaching method (perhaps for the purpose of inclusivity). Here, you and the Course Rep can support each other in communicating this to the cohort; it could well be that they have never thought of things this way before.

• Alternatively, there are times when some students respond better to a particular teaching method than others, in which case it might be worth revisiting the process of gathering feedback – could those who are dissatisfied make some constructive suggestions to the Course Rep on what they’d like to see change?

If The Ideas Are Coherent:

• Students are rarely experts on the vocabulary of academic practice – often it’s difficult for them to articulate exactly what the issue is. This is where you can support the Course Rep in sifting through the raw data and getting to the bottom of the issue.

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• Vague responses, such as ‘feeling unsupported’ or ‘wanting more feedback’, could offer the Course Rep the challenge of identifying some specific practices that those students would like to see – or the chance to help you communicate what you already do offer.

• Personal difficulties between students and staff are never easy to deal with, and Course Reps are always encouraged to focus on the specific practice, not the personality. Even so, students, including Course Reps, may be unwilling to discuss these issues in detail with academic staff or to put their names to anything. Remind them that the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre is available to listen to them in confidence and help prepare an official complaint, if a student wishes to do so.

Finally – it helps to encourage your Course Reps to organise their feedback into some clear, coherent areas of focus, such as:

• Library Resources – access to core and supplementary texts • IT Resources – access to any specialist software or hardware • Accommodation – lecture halls and any laboratories or studios • Teaching Methodology – format and style of taught sessions • Assessment And Feedback – formative and summative • Course Structure – range of modules and skills development • Opportunities For Personal Support – any one-to-one time

Best Practice Tip: Give Course Reps some context to work withIt’s not always easy for a Course Rep to know what to look out for on their course or what feedback from their peers is relevant. For this reason, Course Reps on the BSc Sports Development with Coaching programme are invited to talk about areas that previous years’ cohorts had raised before Staff Student Liaison Committee meetings - as well as giving some reassurance to the new Course Reps that they’re on the right track, it also allows for continuity between years.

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Feeding In: Identifying The Right ForumIf you’re the main staff contact for Course Reps for on-course issues, you might find yourself being presented with an impossibly long list of issues. Some of these will be easily resoluble; others will be well beyond your control, though nevertheless worth taking forward. There are numerous channels through which you could guide Course Reps:

• Staff Student Liaison Committee meetings or Programme Management Committee meetings – these are the places where Course Reps’ issues will be minuted and action points drawn up, and are where most ongoing issues will be dealt with.

• Course Rep Forums, which are facilitated by School Reps – as described in the next chapter, these can be useful for drawing School-level issues to the attention of the Students’ Union and School management.

• Support services – depending on the issue, it might be more expedient for Course Reps to approach Library and Learning Services, Student Services, IT Services, Estates or other University departments directly. In such cases, however, they will definitely benefit from your back-up, to help them negotiate the maze of accountabilities in the University!

• With you or the relevant lecturer directly – this is the route that we encourage: it is far better to respond to feedback and introduce, say, a minor modification to teaching style than to wait to be instructed to do so at Programme Management Committee!

• The Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre – which is always open to support Course Reps in forming plans to tackle issues, including going through agendas and demystifying the vocabulary of the University!

Best Practice Tip: Clear the path for Course Reps to take it higherCourse Reps in the School of Built Environment are invited to attend Student Affairs Committee meeting at the School level, where they can raise their issues on matters that go beyond their individual programmes – such as facilities – with senior staff directly. This has helped in, for instance, ensuring that computer rooms with specialist software for students on certain programmes are not denied the level of access that they need by students from other programmes using them.

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Feeding Back: Closing The LoopFeeding back on how issues raised have been moved forward is absolutely crucial in terms of maintaining the confidence of the student cohort – for both Course Reps and academic staff. It’s also the part of the process that is most often overlooked, but one that can easily be built in.

A number of techniques associated with ensuring that feeding back is built into Course Reps’ duties are the same as those necessary for gathering feedback, but in reverse. You could offer Course Reps the chance to feed back to the group:

• Through a lecture shout – perhaps, as per the Best Practice Tip in the previous section, offering the Course Rep ten minutes to discuss outcomes without staff present to identify any outstanding issues.

• Through an e-mail to the cohort – allowing the Course Rep to introduce the minutes from the meeting with a foreword, summarising how student issues have been addressed.

• Through an open statement – posted on the notice board alongside their contact details.

The emphasis in these communications should be on specific outcomes – including where individual concerns have not been addressed: it is crucial that, if students’ feedback is not being acted upon, they know why. It is also important that students have the right to respond to the agreed outcomes – if they don’t agree with the outcomes suggested, it is important that they have the right to say so.

Best Practice Tip: Keep the whole cohort in the loopAcademic staff on the European and International Politics programme take the lead in ensuring that all students have the opportunity to have their say at Programme Committee and Staff Student Liaison Committee meetings. In advance of the former, Course Reps receive a timely reminder to have their feedback ready, and are given a specific spot in the meeting to relay issues; for the latter, the issues on the table are advertised to all students and minutes distributed to everyone in attendance.

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Beyond meetings – other issues to think about across the yearAre the Course Reps getting along? Course Reps from the same year group on the same programme won’t necessarily agree on everything. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing – if the two Course Reps are representing two distinctive ‘constituencies’, it’s quite logical that they might be equally representative of the cohort. At the same time, it is stressed in their training that, if they do disagree, they should meet in advance of any meetings with staff to stop anything preventing their points from being communicated effectively; this contributes towards developing teamwork skills. Where personal differences exist between Course Reps, however, even this basic level of teamwork can become considerably harder. How you can help mitigate this will depend on the dynamics within the group, and how much time you have to dedicate to it; for obvious reasons, you won’t want to get too involved in their personal issues.

Are they all equally engaged? Are they all taking an equal share of the workload?You won’t want to spend hours chasing one Course Rep when you have another highly enthusiastic one who is willing to work with you without prompting, either. As a member of staff, it might be worth keeping in touch with all Course Reps on equal terms as far as possible – inviting them all to catch up with you, not just the one. From time to time, nevertheless, it often ends up with one of the Course Reps taking the lead and, with it, the full burden of being a Course Rep.

If you do end up with one Course Rep taking on the whole responsibility for a large cohort, or if your Course Reps look like they are losing momentum:

• Be proactive in offering them support by, for instance, offering them time for a lecture shout without them having to ask – the fewer barriers there are to being active, the more likely they are to stay engaged.

• Identify whether part of the role can be ‘outsourced’ to other interested students, if you haven’t already done so – for instance, setting up Ball and Fundraising Committees or recruiting other students for Open Days.

• Keep the disengaged Course Reps in the loop on what you’re up to – it could be that they’re going through a difficult patch with their studies or personal life, or have other commitments.

• The Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre is happy to support Course Reps in negotiating their workloads and identifying ways of making their feedback structures more efficient; the Student Activities Centre also runs Skills Sessions on Time Management.

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What Can Course Reps Do If They Want To Get Even More Involved?From the Students’ Union’s perspective, Semester 1 is all about establishing Course Reps on their programmes; Semester 2 is when the real opportunities for personal development and furthering your skills come in. Course Reps can:

Become A School Rep – Being a School Rep – chairing Course Rep Forums and representing students across the School at School Learning and Teaching and Student Affairs Committee meetings, and receiving a £300 honorarium into the bargain – is the logical progression for strong Course Reps. Vacancies will be advertised from time to time on the Students’ Union website, though all are reopened in the summer term for the following academic year.

Access Advanced Course Rep Training – Available to all Course Reps who complete the initial training, this is offered in two areas:

• The Wider Picture: The Issues That Students Face – on student welfare-related topics from equal opportunities to housing and mental health, and covering skills including campaigning and inclusivity.

• Beyond Your Course: How You Can Shape Your University – on issues in the Higher Education sector, including how student representation fits into Quality Assurance and debates in the sector.

Gain the Northumbria Plus+ Award – Awarded to Course Reps who complete at least 30 hours of volunteering in the role – including time spent at training and in skills development and in the processes involved with consulting students and feeding back – the Northumbria Plus+ Award is signed by the University Vice-Chancellor and presented at the Students’ Union Annual Awards Evening, the highlight of the Students’ Union’s calendar! The Students’ Union also runs Northumbria Plus+ workshops for Course Reps aiming for the award, to help them complete the Reflective Diary and identify skills gained through volunteering.

Attend Skills Sessions – Run by the Students’ Union Student Activities Centre, these cover a variety of areas from Meeting and Communication Skills to Teamwork and Interview Skills – all relevant to the long-term employability of students, including Course Reps.

Best Practice Tip: Get the Course Reps to aim high!We don’t just believe that the quality of student representation at Northumbria is up there with the best in the UK - we know it is. The winners of the NUS Awards 2008 in the Course Representative of the Year category were none other than Northumbria’s very own Design School Reps, Tom Gyr and TJ Pinar!

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How Course Reps fit into the Students’ Union

Course Reps play a crucial role in keeping the Students’ Union up to date on the issues that students face on the grassroots. Ensuring that students’ experiences inform our policy and practice as the body that represents them is our top priority. It is for this reason that, on a day-to-day level, we work hard to ensure that Course Reps’ feedback reaches us in a structured way.

How Course Reps feed into Students’ Union academic policy

The Students’ Union’s structure for academic representation is one of the simplest and most accessible in the country - at every level, every student has somebody who they can lobby or ask to raise concerns and issues on their behalf.

Each of the University’s 32,000 students has access to at least one of the 950 Course Reps – at least one per programme per year of study.

At times, it becomes clear that a particular issue is beyond the power of the student’s Programme Leader or their teachers – perhaps something to do with lecture accommodation – or is in fact a cross-School issue, such as assessment feedback. Where this happens, Course Reps may contact their 20 School Reps – two or three for each of the University’s 9 Schools, who are appointed by the Students’ Union following the collection of 20 signatures from students in the School and an interview to assess their skills as a representative.

Post Graduate Research students, similarly, can get in touch with their 9 PGR School Reps – one per School, appointed under similar terms, but requiring 5 signatures from fellow PGR students.

Vice PresidentAcademic Affairs

20 School Reps9 PGR School Reps

950 Course Reps

32,000 Northumbria Students

35 Student Councillors(inc. 9 School Reps and 1 PGR School Rep)

Advice and Representation Centre(input from Students’ Union staff)

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Normally once a term, School Reps also facilitate Course Rep Forums, which offer a ‘safe space’ for Course Reps to discuss issues amongst themselves which relate to the School as a whole. Often, the School Reps will invite along a senior member of staff from the University – for instance, the Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching or Student Affairs – to answer students’ concerns directly. The Students’ Union Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator is often in attendance at Course Rep Forums to take the minutes and to provide any input from the Students’ Union’s perspective.

On the Students’ Union side, School Reps and PGR School Reps feed directly in at the highest levels, and use the structures to relay Course Reps’ feedback:

• One of the School Reps in each School, and one of the 9 PGR School Reps, form part of the team of 35 Student Councillors, the Students’ Union’s formal policy-making body – this means that they can propose motions on academic issues which resolve the Union to taking a particular stance or course of action. Since their job is to ‘represent’ their constituencies, Student Councillors who are also School Reps or PGR School Reps will canvass opinion amongst Course Reps as part of their evidence base for motions that they put forward. Student Council meets once a month.

• The Vice President Academic Affairs facilitates School Rep Forums and PGR School Rep Forums, on a monthly basis and a six weekly basis respectively. These Forums provide the ‘steering’ for the Students’ Union on academic affairs, and offer an opportunity for School Reps and PGR School Reps to share ideas, experience and best practice. Often, School Reps will present the minutes of their Course Rep Forums and other feedback from Course Reps at these Forums.

Course Reps (and other students) can get in touch with the Vice President Academic Affairs – or any other Student Councillor – directly. The Vice President Academic Affairs is the lead officer responsible for promoting and implementing the Students’ Union’s policies on educational matters.

Finally, the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre is involved in ‘processing’ academic policy:

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• The Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator keeps the minutes of Course, School and PGR School Rep Forums and policy passed at Student Council, ‘tracks’ progress on issues raised where possible, and supports and advises Reps at all levels on tackling issues.

• The Education Caseworker keeps detailed statistics of individual students’ cases, including complaints, appeals and academic misconduct. From time to time, trends in cases handled will indicate an issue worth pursuing, and Advice and Representation Centre staff will work with the Vice President Academic Affairs to develop and structure a policy response.

Where and by whom are students represented on academic affairs?

Position University Meetings Union MeetingsCourse Reps Staff-Student Liaison

Committee, Programme Management Committee

Course Rep Forum

School Reps School Learning and Teaching Committee, School Student Affairs / Wellbeing Committee,University Learning and Teaching Enhancement Groups, Student Consultative Group

Course Rep Forum (as facilitators),School Rep Forum,Student Council (one in each School)

PGR School Reps School Research Committee, PGR Staff-Student Liaison Committee, Graduate School Committee and its sub-groups

PGR School Rep Forum, Student Council (one of the nine)

VP Academic Affairs University Learning and Teaching Committee, Academic Board, University Research Committee, University Board of Governors, Numerous other meetings as appropriate

School Rep Forum (as facilitator), PGR School Rep Forum (as facilitator), Student Council, Students’ Union Trustee Board

How to make the most of Students’ Union representation structures

We believe that issues should be resolved locally by Course Reps, where possible – after all, there is no point in the University’s Board of Governors being asked to handle a broken photocopier! At the same time, it is in everyone’s

interests to ensure that issues are not ignored because they cannot be dealt with immediately.

Having a good understanding of ‘who sits where’ is the first step to supporting Course Reps in tackling issues. For example, School Reps are well-connected amongst senior School staff, so where Course Reps are experiencing frustrations that relate to areas such as facilities, lecture halls or workshop accommodation, School Reps might well be the best placed people to take these concerns forward. Many such issues will, after all, affect you as a member of academic staff as much as they affect your students.

You can show your support for, and benefit from, the Students’ Union representation structure by:

• Advising Course Reps to support their School Reps in issues that require a School-level response – such as on the kind of issues relating to facilities described above.

• Making Course Reps aware that School Reps hold Course Rep Forums and encouraging them to participate – there are some joint-honours courses where Course Reps would not have the chance to get together without School Rep-led Course Rep Forums.

• Suggesting to Course Reps that issues that don’t relate to the programme of study but that do relate to wider issues in Higher Education – such as tuition fees or the bursary system – are taken to the Student Councillor for their School or the VP Academic Affairs, who might propose them as motions at a meeting of Student Council.

• If you’re both a member of academic staff and a registered Post Graduate Research student – keeping your PGR School Rep informed about your experiences of working with taught students.

• Encouraging talented Course Reps to become School Reps or PGR School Reps – a fantastic personal development and CV-enhancing opportunity which comes with a £100-per-term honorarium.

Best Practice Tip: Unite students and lecturers behind the cause!The installation of cashpoint facilities in City Campus East came about as a direct result of the School Reps lobbying School management – the School Reps themselves were acting on feedback from Course Rep Forums and their own lecturers!

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The Students’ Union’s support package for Course RepsWe’re proud of the wide-reaching support package that we offer Course Reps, and are convinced that Course Reps who take advantage of what we have to offer through the Advice and Representation Centre are the most successful and confident in the role. Do you believe there’s anything else that we should be offering? If so, we’d be thrilled to hear from you – you can find our contact details in the front of the Guide.

www = available on the Students’ Union websiteeLP = available via the e-Learning Portal

• Basic Training – offered to all new Course Reps and covering the basics of how the role fits into the University, meeting and negotiation skills and action-planning to help get Course Reps established amongst their peers. www eLP

• Advanced Training – providing a more detailed briefing for enthusiastic Course Reps on issues in Higher Education and student welfare, along with skills for effective campaigning. www eLP

• Northumbria Plus+ Workshops and Drop-In Sessions – dedicated to helping Course Reps prepare their Reflective Diaries and identifying 30 hours of volunteering in the role in order to qualify for the prestigious certificate.

• Course Rep Handbook – distributed to all Course Reps at training, the handbook is also sent to Course Reps who can’t attend any scheduled sessions and contains everything that they need to know. www eLP

• eLP Course Representatives Community – a regularly updated information site, complete with minutes from relevant Students’ Union meetings, slides from training and other useful resources and news. eLP

• Representation News – a fortnightly e-newsletter from the Vice President Academic Affairs and the Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator, keeping Course Reps up to date with what the Students’ Union is doing to support learning and teaching at Northumbria. www eLP

• Specialist materials for Distance Learning, Year Abroad and Placement-Based Course Reps – these are currently being developed to reflect the particular experiences of Course Reps on such courses. eLP

• School Reps – 2-3 School Reps for each of the 9 Schools help keep the Students’ Union informed of Course Rep issues and represent the views of their fellow students at School-level meetings; they also provide peer support to struggling Course Reps and facilitate Course Rep Forums.

You can find out more about School Reps under ‘How Course Reps fit into the Students’ Union’.

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• The Advice and Representation Centre – home to the Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator and Education Caseworker, a one-stop-shop for Course Reps from across the University to help tackle any general queries relating to educational and on-course issues – see ‘About the Advice and Representation Centre’ for a full description. www eLP

Our suggested list of the benefits of being a Course Rep • An invitation to the Course Rep Conference in St. James Park – a chance

to get trained and inspired in the most prestigious venue in Newcastle.

• The Northumbria Plus+ Award, signed by the Vice-Chancellor and presented to them at the Students’ Union Annual Awards Evening, in recognition of at least 30 hours of volunteering in the role.

• The opportunity to enter themselves for the Course Representative of the Year Award, both at the Students’ Union Annual Awards Evening and at the National Union of Students’ Awards – the 2008 winners of the NUS Awards in this category were Northumbria students!

• A whole host of other opportunities to win prizes relating to Learning and Teaching, including the Learning and Teaching Awards and the Applauding and Promoting Teaching Awards Student Prize, run by the Students’ Union in conjunction with Academic Registry.

• A variety of transferrable skills which will enhance their employability, including meeting, communication, teamwork, diplomacy and advocacy skills – as well as the opportunity to make new friends and gain new experiences.

Our suggested Course Rep Opportunity ProfileOpportunity: Course Rep, representing the views of students on your programme

Introduction to the role: The official voice of the students on your programme, you will be invited to Staff-Student Liaison Committee and Programme Management Committee meetings with your teachers to feed back how students feel about their learning; and to Course Rep Forums, led by your School Reps, where you will discuss issues that affect students across the School. You will be a respected, trusted and valued participant in these meetings, and will be in a position to ensure that students’ ideas for improving the programme are taken on board.

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You will be responsible for relaying students’ issues and comments – positive and negative – on areas ranging from:

• Teaching styles in lectures and seminars • Resources, such as core library texts and IT facilities • Assessment issues, such as feedback, workload and exams • Support, such as tutorial and supervision time

Commitments:Following your appointment as a Course Rep, you will be expected to attend: • An initial Students’ Union training session to prepare you for the role • Staff-Student Liaison Committee meetings in your School or Division • Programme Management Committee meetings with your teachers and

Programme Leader • Course Rep Forums with your School Reps

The above meetings are each held on average once a term and will normally be no longer than two hours in duration.You will also be expected proactively to seek feedback from your peers, perhaps through the following means:

• E-mails to your classmates • Anonymous message box • Lecture shouts • Holding ‘office hours’

BenefitsAs a Course Rep, you will be entitled to a wide variety of benefits, including:

• An invitation to the Course Rep Conference in St. James Park

• Northumbria Plus+ Award in recognition of 30 hours of volunteering (including training and skills development time)

• The opportunity to enter for a variety of awards, including Course Representative of the Year in the Students’ Union Annual Awards and the NUS Awards

• The opportunity to enter for the Learning and Teaching Awards and the Applauding and Promoting Teaching Awards

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W E L L R E A DB O O K S H O P

Northumbria UniversityStudents’ Union

www.wellreadbookshop.co.uk

Our Suggested Course Rep Person Specification

Essential Desirable

ExperiencePreviously been a Course Rep, Peer Mentor or other volunteer within the programme or School community

x

Previously been involved in other volunteering, perhaps in an advocacy or representative capacity

x

Skills and KnowledgeGood time management, especially under pressure x

Ability to cope with a lot of work and prioritise different tasks x

Ability to work on own initiative x

Good verbal and written communication skills x

Able to use and check email regularly x

Good negotiation skills, confident and assertive x

Approachable x

Well connected amongst peers on the programme x

Reliable and flexible x

Ability to work as part of a team x

Awareness of issues which may arise on the programme x

An understanding of the concept of ‘representation’ and the importance of consulting with students on issues that would be raised at meetings

x

An understanding of how student issues are communicated within the programme and school

x

OtherA commitment to treat people fairly and equally x

Motivated and entusiastic x

A degree of sensitivity towards students from different academic backgrounds eg. Home/International Students; Mature/Traditional Entry Students

x

Desire to make positive changes on the programme x

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Our Suggested Checklist for the Year Ahead

Tick off every item on this checklist and you’ll be well on the way to enjoying positive and productive relations with your Course Reps:Weeks 1-2: a Build an introduction to what the Course Rep role consists of into a lecture or

seminar, perhaps by showing the Powerpoint presentation on the Students’ Union website

a Publicise how you are going to hold the election – by show of hands, secret ballot or e-mail – and whether you require candidates to submit manifestos or deliver a ‘hustings’ speech

a Ensure that students are aware of the benefits of being a Course Rep – training and support from the Students’ Union, guidance from School Reps, the Northumbria Plus+ Award and the Course Rep Conference

a Inform students of any other positions that you might be electing for, such as Fundraising and Social Committees

a Let the lead contact for Course Reps in the School Office know when you intend to hold the election

a Contact the Students’ Union if you need any ballot papers or other materials to promote the Course Rep role

Weeks 2-5: a Hold the election or nomination in a public, transparent and democratic manner

– even if you’re just confirming that the previous year’s Course Reps will continue in the role

a Forward full details of the appointees to the lead contact in the School Office or directly to the Students’ Union via the website.

a Make sure that students on your programme are fully aware of the successful appointees and have access to their contact details

a Promote them – put their contact details on the eLP and place their photographs on notice boards

a Check that their names are on the right distribution lists for Staff-Student Liaison Committee and Programme Management Committee meetings and let them know dates of upcoming meetings in advance

a Ask them to check that they’re receiving Representation News by e-mail from the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre

a Refer them to the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre for Course Rep Training

Week 5 to end of Semester 1: a Remind them about Course Rep Training and that, if they can’t make any of the

dates, the Students’ Union will be happy to send them a Course Rep Handbook –

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or book a bespoke session with the Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator a Offer them space for a ‘suggestions box’ somewhere convenient for students on

the programme to solicit anonymous feedback a Hold a small social event to get to break down barriers before the first meetings

– invite them for a cup of coffee or a casual chat, or a general School - or Division-wide ‘Meet the Reps’ event

a Check that they know who their School Reps are and whether there’s a Course Rep Forum coming up

Semester 2: a Draw their attention to Advanced Course Rep Training sessions in the Students’

Union to enable them to boost their skills a Remind them that they are eligible for a Northumbria Plus+ Award if they complete

more than 30 hours in the role and that the Students’ Union will be holding Northumbria Plus+ workshops to help them put their logbooks together

a Ask them whether they are happy in the role and whether there is any more support they need

a If they’ve been a talented and reliable Course Rep – encourage them to stand for School Rep!

In advance of each meeting: a Allow them to send an e-mail to the whole cohort asking for feedback a Offer them ten minutes in a lecture or seminar to consult their peers on their views

without a member of academic staff present a Ask them whether they need any further assistance in soliciting the views of their

peers and offer them further suggestions e.g. to set up a Facebook Group for the programme

a Offer to go through the agenda with them, and let them know that they may contact the Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator in the Students’ Union if they’d like to do so with someone impartial

a If there’s more than one Course Rep – remind them to be in regular contact with each other in advance of meetings and ensure that they’re each contributing their fair share

Following each meeting:

a Make sure that they receive minutes and action points arising from the meeting

a Encourage them to feed back to their peers on the outcome of the meeting – offer them some time at a lecture or seminar, or allow them to e-mail the whole cohort

a Ask them if there were any points that they were unclear of and whether they’d like any further guidance on issues raised.

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Northumbria Students’ Union2 Sandyford Rd

Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8SBE: su.enquiries@northumbria.ac.ukT: 0191 2274757 • F: 0191 2273760