What To Do Next

Meetings

Now you’ve got your feedback and it’s been through the ABCDE test, it’s time to REPRESENT it. Sometimes that will be quick and easy like an email to a module leader about missing resources on the Learning Space. Other times there might be bigger issues that need discussion before action is taken. Maybe students are suggesting there needs to be a different balance of assessment methods in a module. With issues like this, you’ll need to raise them at your SSLC.

An SSLC is a Student Staff Liaison Committee. There is an SSLC for each subject area, and it meets to talk through the feedback gathered by Course Reps, and confirm a set of action points to be delivered that address that feedback. It is chaired by the Subject Chairs, and is attended by all Course Reps within the discipline / subject area, Director of Education, Programme Leads, and some Professional Service staff like the Academic Librarians. The SSLC should also hear about the progress on previously agreed actions points and decide upon a plan to report back to students about what’s happened because of their feedback. You’ll be asked if there’s any feedback you want to add to the Agenda for discussion at the meeting. This is your chance to feedback what your peers have been telling you, and raise any issues you haven’t been able to solve yourself. The SSLC meetings are a vital part of the University Quality Assurance system, and help close the feedback loop for students. You should always do your best to attend your SSLC but if you can’t then make sure you send apologies to the Subject Chair, and submit a short report with any feedback you feel needs noting or discussing.

What To Do Next

DON’T FORGET - You are there to represent the views of your peers, these may not necessarily reflect your own, but you are asked to present the majority opinion or a balanced range of feedback.

Key Terms

Agenda: this sets out what will be discussed at the meeting, if there is something specific you want to talk about at the meeting you need to ask for it to be added in advance of the meeting. It will be sent to members before the meeting so everyone can prepare.

Apologies: Record of who has let the Chair know they cannot attend the meeting.

Matters Arising: Discussion of actions taken or required regarding issues raised at the last meeting.

Minutes: Approved written record of the previous meeting. Minutes from the previous meeting will usually be circulated with the agenda.

Any Other Business: An opportunity to raise something urgent that hasn’t appeared on the agenda. Usually it will only have come to your attention after the agenda has been set.

Subject Chair Working Group

Twice a term, usually after all the SSLCs have taken place, all the Subject Chairs will meet with the Education Officer and the President Exeter to discuss themes of feedback, or raise issues that have not been resolved in SSLCs and require escalation. Chairs can also discuss ideas for how to run their SSLCs more effectively or ideas for improving representation structures within their Subject areas. Course Reps do not attend this meeting but it’s good to know what is happening with the feedback you give beyond SSLCs.

The Big Rep Meetings

The Big Rep Meetings take place once a term and, as you might have guessed, brings together all the Reps to talk about the big themes coming out of ROS. The meetings will be chaired by the SU Presidents, and senior staff from relevant areas will be invited to join in with the discussions and hear directly from you about the student experience. The meetings will also be a chance for the Presidents to report back to Reps about the work they’ve been doing because of student feedback and give you the chance to ask them questions.

There might be other meetings you’re invited to from time to time like focus groups or approval panels. Let us know if you need any support with them.

Being Inclusive & Knowing Your Peers

A fundamental element of being a representative is ensuring you are representing the interests of all students on your course.

Make sure that you are not only voicing your own opinion, but the true opinion of the range of students you may represent –including mature students, international students, disabled students, or those with extra responsibilities. These students are often in a minority within their cohort and therefore it is doubly important their voice is heard as sometimes their experience may be different to the majority and not considered. We operate on a MAJORITY RULES, MINORITY RIGHTS approach, which is an “important principle in democracy according to which public policy is determined by a majority of citizens, but the majority may not rightfully use its power to deprive minority groups of their rights*.”

It’s a good idea to make sure you know how many students you are representing, how you will share your duties if there are other Course Reps in your cohort, and that the students you represent know who you are and how to give you feedback.

*Reference: https://www.reference.com/world-view/meantmajority-rules-minority-rights-f00485c910a86e0d

There will be an EDI (Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity) Rep on each SSLC this year. This doesn’t mean EDI issues are not your responsibility, they still are but the EDI Reps will work with Reps to highlight any particular issues, ideas, or good practice connected to EDI, especially in the academic sphere, and be a student champion for the EDI agenda within their subject area. The EDI Reps will receive additional training and support to help them do this and meet outside of the SSLCs with the SU Presidents to ensure collective issues connected to EDI are being shared and escalated.