Falmouth Rep Handbook by Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union

Falmouth Rep Handbook

Who are we?

The Feedback Loop

Collect Feedback

Collate Feedback

Sharing Feedback

Feeding Back

Signposting

The Octopus Feedback Tool

Roles of Responsibility

Key Contacts

Terms/Acronyms

Hello. Hi, I’m Ben, your Falmouth President. I was elected to represent Falmouth students and I need your help to do that! As a Rep you will collect feedback from students on your course which will then not only lead to improvements on your course, but also make its way to me so I can take key themes to meetings that can make a difference! So, I want to say a big thank you for being a Rep, as without you I can’t do what I need to do. See you soon (and remember, first round of coffee is on Lewis)! Ben Statham-Wilkins he/him President Falmouth

Headshot by Julia Wrzesinska Photography

Who are we?

Your Students’ Union is here to support you with all your academic, social and support needs.

We have three teams: Student Voice- for Representation and

Let’s better the future of Falmouth University through your student voice.

Democracy. Student Opportunities- for Sports, Societies, Voluntering and Fundraising. Student Advice- for free impartial and confidential advice on housing, finance, academic appeals etc.

We (The SU) are a membershipled charity; run by students, for students and your role as a Rep is a key part of our Student Voice Team in collaboration with Falmouth University. So, thank you for nominating yourself, Lewis (Student Voice Manager) and I (President Falmouth) look forward to working with you!

THE FEEDBACK LOOP COLLECT FEEDBACK

THE OCTOPUS FEEDBACK TOOL

COLLATE FEEDBACK

SHARE FEEDBACK

SIGNPOSTING

FEEDING BACK

Collect Feedback Once again, congratulations on

The most successful reps are the ones

becoming a rep. By the time you read

that work closely not only with the

this you’ll have now received the first

cohort but also with the staff, ensuring

Rep training and will soon have some

there is a good feedback link between

department specific training, allowing

the two, with everyone feeling that

you to meet other Reps within your

their voice is heard.

department.

It would also be a great idea to

First things first – Introduce yourself!

introduce yourself to your Department

Use any opportunity to introduce

Rep. These are more senior Reps who

yourself to your cohort and the

should meet with you regularly, and

academic staff as the Rep(s) for this

then take that feedback to the SU

year. The more people that are aware

President for Falmouth. Department

that you are the Rep, the easier it will

Reps can support you if an issue needs

be to collect feedback throughout

to be escalated, as they will meet

the year. It is also worth ensuring that

regularly with Department Directors.

staff know you are the Rep as you will be working alongside them regularly to highlight anything that is going well on the course and collaborate in addressing any issues that come up on the course.

This shows how to further student feedback.

Senior Meetings

Falmouth President

Department Reps

Course Rep

Once you have introduced yourself

It is important to think about how

to everyone then you will want a

you are going to get feedback from

way, or multiple ways, that you can

the students you represent. You’ll

contact people on your cohort and

likely need to experiment and try

gather feedback quickly. This may be

a few different methods to make

a WhatsApp group or adding them

sure you’re giving all your students

on social media, but it is useful for

good opportunities to express their

you to be in contact with everyone to

opinions. Our tips are:

gather feedback at differing points

+ Just asking if anyone has any

of the year. You may just want to

feedback won’t usually give you

use 5 minutes at the start or end of

much useful information. You can

an academic session every week or

try asking questions about specific

every other week to ask for feedback,

topics, which should help students

although be aware that not everyone

reflect on their experience.

will want to speak out in front of the

+ People aren’t good at predicting the

whole cohort and therefore having

future- that’s what you’re asking

multiple ways of contacting you is

them to do. Rather, assess how it’s

much better as it allows people to

working.

share if they don’t want to speak in

+ Be specific- how would you develop

front of others or want to remain

a strong sense of community on the

anonymous.

course?

The way that you ask questions is important as well. See the table below for some ideas: Avoid Do you have any feedback?

Instead Ask about a specific topic to support your peers and ensure they reflect on

Direct yes/no questions.

their experience. How well do you think the course is

‘Do you think the course is poorly

organised currently? What’s working

organised?’ - putting your bias/agenda, well? How could organisation be will give you bias results. improved? Leading questions: Would you prefer an Do you feel you hve all the information alternative assessment?

that you need to feel confident in the

assessment? Asking hypothetical questions. If we ran Is a course community a priority for a course social- would you go? People

you? How would you develop our

aren’t good at predicting the future,

course community?

that’s what you’re asking them to do.

Across the academic year there

The final point about collecting

will be one period per study block

feedback is about being inclusive.

where you will be required to collect

Course Rep is what it says it is,

feedback and submit it to SSLG’s

representative. It is crucial to be

(Student Staff Liaison Group), and

fully representative of everyone on

we at the SU may also ask to collect

your course. If you have a number of

feedback for Big Rep Meetings.

international students, you need to

However, we recommend that rather

ensure that they are represented in any

than waiting until that time, you are

potential feedback. Whilst it may be

instead regularly checking in with your

tempting to include your own feedback

cohort to get regular feedback and an

when preparing for SSLG’s there will

understanding of the current topics

be students out there who will need

that are both positive and negative on

your representation, and for you to

the course.

fulfil your role as laid out in the Rep role descriptor and adhering to the Rep code of conduct.

Collate Feedback Once you have started gathering

leaders can start actioning some of the

feedback then the next stage will be

feedback.

inputting this into the SSLG Platform as agenda items, ensuring you are

This is when regularly asking others

following the ABCDE guidance on the

for feedback will make it easier to

next page.

fill in the agenda items on the SSLG platform, as last minute messaging

After a week or two in the Rep role,

may not leave you with useful

you’ll be contacted by someone from

feedback that can be shared with

the course team who will inform

course leaders. Use the ABCDEs as

you of the date for your SSLG, and

a guide to help you authentically

provide you with the link to the SSLG

capture the views and opinions of the

homepage. It is a good chance to

students you represent. If you need

familiarise yourself with these pages

any help filling out your SSLG form

as you will be using these to enter

don’t hesitate to ask! Try and submit

feedback for the SSLG throughout

your form at least two weeks before

the year. We recommend that as, and

so that course leaders can action your

when, you receive feedback from your

feedback as soon as possible!

cohort, you submit this straight onto the platform form as the sooner it is submitted then the sooner Course

The ABCDE’s Explained!

De-personalised – Avoid naming individual students or staff. If an issue

Accurate – Provide enough detail

has been raised, you should set up a

to clearly explain the feedback

meeting with your Course Leader in

you’re giving. Don’t leave room for

the first instance.

interpretation. Prioritise your feedback to ensure there’s enough time to

Evidence-based – At the Students’

discuss the most important issues

Union we pride ourselves in being

affecting the students you represent.

evidence based, meaning that all conclusions and issues we raise

Balanced – Is the feedback is

are backed up by solid evidence.

inclusive of everyone’s view? Seek

Evidence the feedback you have

to understand the experiences of

received through statistics or student

students from different backgrounds

comments.

and try different approaches to enable all students to feel comfortable in sharing their views about the course.

Constructive – Seek to understand what’s working well alongside what could be improved. Clearly highlight any issues raised in a moderate and practical way by offering solutions where possible. Consider using phrases such as “wouldn’t it be better if…”, or “could we consider… “.

Let’s better the future of Falmouth University through your student voice.

Sharing Feedback Once you have your feedback and you have collated it into an effective narrative, then there are multiple avenues that you can share this feedback in. The priority area for sharing your feedback is in your SSLG (Student Staff Liaison Group). This will be the meeting where you will discuss all the feedback from your peers. There are many other areas in which you can also share your feedback and let people know what students in your cohort think. See the page opposite for ways you can share feedback.

Octopus Feedback Tool

This is the SU feedback tool for any student to leave feedback in. It is for both academic and student experience feedback. Encourage students on your cohort to use this tool as well!

Big Rep Meeting

This is the Big Rep Meeting – A twice a year opportunity to come together and discuss current themes with senior University staff. These are great meetings where you attend and have really productive conversations that can influence staff who make change at the university. There is nearly always Pizza at the end which is a bonus!

Department Reps

If you don’t feel your voice is being heard at your course level then it is always worth escalating to your Department Reps who can liaise directly with the Director of your Department and also with the SU Presidents.

Department Forums

These are great opportunities to meet with the other reps from your department and see if you have similar positives and issues to discuss. It’s a way of building the Rep community within your department and also sharing some free food and drinks.

Feeding Back This is the hardest but most important step of the Rep system and one that should not be overlooked by either your cohort, or your lecturers. All that hard work you have done to make positive change needs to be shared and recognised so ensure that the lecturers give you the opportunity to share the positive changes. This is so students will come to you in future and the cycle and effectiveness of the Rep system continues.

Signposting We cannot stress enough how

The Telephone Number is

your role is solely to represent the

01326 370460 and their email address

academic side of things, and even

is studentservices@fxplus.ac.uk

though students will come to you with a multitude of concerns which

Chaplaincy and ‘Time To Talk’

will include mental health, wellbeing,

The Chaplaincy Team provide pastoral

extenuating circumstances etc then it

and spiritual care for students and

is important for your own wellbeing

staff of all faiths and none. The

to signpost students to the correct

Chaplaincy Team are not trained

services. Below is a list of the different

counsellors and the pastoral care they

services you can signpost students to,

offer is not professional counselling.

and what these services offer. Compass The Compass is the first port of call for student enquiries. It is a student information service that offers help and advice on any aspect of university life whether you have a quick query or require specialist support. The Compass has an online portal where you can log enquiries which you can access here.

The Octopus Feedback Tool We have very recently launched our

The feedback tool is for all students to

new feedback tool, The Octopus. Why

use and as a Rep it would be great for

the Octopus I hear you ask yourself?

you to not only use it yourself but also

Well, apart from the fact that they look

promote it to others to use, in order

amazing, and are incredibly intelligent

to share their positive and negative

creatures (like Reps) they also have all

experiences with topics such as:

these tentacles that are independent

+ Accommodation

of each other but work in harmony.

+ Assessment and Feedback

This is a bit like our feedback tool

+ Welfare and Wellbeing

in the sense that there will be lots

+ Course Organisation

of strands that you can feed back

Plus, many more. It is a great

on but then the Student Voice Team

opportunity throughout the year to

and the SU Presidents will work to

share your positives and negatives,

highlight that feedback and ensure it

and it is quick and easy to use! Give it

gets resolved. That may sound like a

a try here!

tenuous link, but it works for us.

OCT OPUS

Roles & Responsibilities Training

or secretary of the meeting. It is

Attendance at the relevant Rep

expected that Reps who are unable to

Training is compulsory for all Reps.

attend a meeting will send a report/

Completing training allows Reps to

comments, detailing any issues to be

carry out their roles effectively and

discussed, to the meeting secretary

build networks across departments.

or another Representative. Failure to

The only exception to mandatory

attend (without providing apologies)

attendance is for those who have been

two meetings, as outlined above, may

appointed and trained in a similar role

result in the process to remove you as

in previous years with the agreement

a Representative.

of the SU Student Voice Manager. Reps have the opportunity to engage with

The Removal of Representatives

additional training opportunities over

Occasionally there may be issues

the course of the academic year.

where the conduct of a Representative may be called into question, and the

Meeting Attendance

suggestion for a Representative to be

All Reps will be expected to attend the

removed from their role.

meetings outlined in their relevant role descriptor. Where attendance is not possible, Reps should communicate their apologies to the Chair and /

This will tend to rise from a

the discussed issue with action, or the

Representative breaching anything

University and Students’ Union may

in this code of conduct, such as

decide that the Representative should

not turning up to meetings and not

be removed from their position.

providing apologies or conducting themselves in an unacceptable way.

Stage 3: The Representative will have

We want to ensure that this is a rarity,

a right to appeal, which if they choose

and that Representatives know what

to, a panel will be formed, comprising

the process will be for their removal.

of members of their School, the

The following is the procedure for

University and the Students’ Union

dealing with the removal:

and they will be invited to discuss why they are appealing the decision.

Stage 1: The Representative will

The Representative will be notified

receive an email inviting them to a

as to the decision of their appeal. A

meeting with an SU President and / or

Representative can only be dismissed

Student Voice Manager to discuss the

from their role from a joint decision

concern informally and offer further

by the Course Leader / Director and

training or support.

Students’ Union, and after Stage 1 and Stage 2 have taken place. At all stages,

Stage 2: If a resolution has not been

we encourage Representatives to stay

sought, or the incident is more serious,

in communication with the Students’

the Representative will be brought to

Union and University throughout the

a formal meeting with the Students’

year.

Union and Course Leader / Director of Education. The result may be for the Representative to either address

Key Contacts 01

Lewis Nurton

Student Voice Manager

Your Department Rep

Representation and

Your Department Rep

Democracy Co-ordinator

is here to work with

(Falmouth)

you to promote student

Email:

representation and identify

lewis.nurton@thesu.org.uk

feedback trends across courses in the department.

Remember Your Course Leader is your main contact point for your course. Your department admin team will provide ongoing support around your Student Rep duties including SSLG. Students’ Union contacts: The SU is an independent charity catering for students and we provide you with ongoing training, support and guidance to help you represent your peers in a fair and impartial way. The SU President Falmouth is Ben Statham-Wilkins, who takes Rep feedback to senior meetings to ensure change is happening within the University.

Terms/Acronyms SSLG – Student Staff Liaison Group – The meeting that you are required to attend in your role as Rep

AOB – Any Other Business – sometimes at the end of meetings