The Handbook
2016/17
Your official guide to student representation at St Mary’s University
Contents Welcome to your Programme Representative Handbook 2015/2016. This handy guide will tell you everything you need to know about how to be a fantastic Programme Rep throughout the year!
In this handbook, you will find:
1
Introduction
page 2
What is a Programme Rep (1)
page 3
What is a Programme Rep (2)
page 4
Why Become a Programme Rep?
page 5
Who will I work with?
page 6
University Committees
page 7
Programme Board Etiquette
page 8
Effective Communication
page 9
Helpful Contacts
page 10
Congratulations on becoming a Programme Rep! It is of huge importance to students that YOUR power is utilised and YOUR opinion is taken into consideration. As a Programme Rep you are able to make use of your influence and help improve not only your own programme, but also the welfare and representation within the university.
The Programme Rep is an important role among students which involves a high level of responsibility and is well recognised by members of staff. Your opinion does matter, and it is very important that YOUR voice will be heard. I encourage everyone to get involved and look forward to working with everyone in the Programme Rep scheme in the coming year.
Zander Lavall SU President 2016/17
Together we can make positive change!
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. -Nelson Mandela 2
What is a Programme Rep? (1) A Programme Rep is an active participant in the university community where partnership is important. Being a Programme Rep means that you have a direct input in influencing positive change within the university. St Mary’s University actively and meaningfully engages with the student body in every level of its decision making processes, including at programme level, so students at St Mary’s really do have their say on their student experience. For this to work effectively, Programme Reps need to be committed to hearing the student voice - whether it’s via Facebook groups, face-to-face conversations, or through discussion at your Programme Board meetings. Programme Reps should make a real effort to praise their department for what it does well, but also not be afraid to request a satisfactory explanation for things which don't work well and need to be changed. Programme Reps are also members of the Students’ Union Council - a forum for student across the University to come together to discuss current university issues, discuss ideas and new initiatives and to create policy for the Students’ Union. Programme Reps can raise any ongoing or difficult programme related issues at SU Council and the Students’ Union Executive Committee may be able to raise the issue at a major University Committee.
The main aim of Programme Reps: To improve the academic experience within St Mary’s University through communicating effectively the positive and negative aspects of programmes to students, programme teams and the Students’ Union. 3
What is a Programme Rep? (2) The role of a Programme Rep is an exciting one that allows you to represent the views of your peers, and help to shape your education!
It is important that representatives highlight both good and bad things about their programmes, so the University knows what is going well as well as what is needed to improve on.
Feedback is invaluable to the University as it helps to improve and offer the best possible academic environment to students.
A Programme Rep should always question the Programme team, departments and the Students’ Union on why things are currently done the way that they are. The only way to make positive change is to firstly understand what the current situation is!
A Programme Rep should not:
Deal with individual students’ issues e.g. a student who is unhappy with their grade.
Deal with students personal welfare issues. These students should be directed to Student Services.
Be an advocate for a grievance against a member of academic staff. You should refer the student to the Students’ Union.
Give advice or guidance about a subject that you are not familiar with.
Take on difficult issues on your own. You can always talk to the SU President who can help work through the problem with you.
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Why Become a Programme Rep? Programme Rep benefits include:
Gain experience in public speaking
Gain experience in problem solving
Be the first to know and influence decisions that are made by representing students’ views on Programme Boards
Be a central part of the Students’ Union and work with Officers, other Reps, and Students’ Union Councillors
Engage students with local and national issues affecting education
Having the unique opportunity to improve your programme and School
The chance to meet other Reps and students from your School
A great way of being involved with and shaping the future of the Students’ Union
Attending a training programme focussing on the development of key skills
Gaining an in depth understanding of how your programme and the university works
SMSU’s Degree+: The SU have introduced a new award and recognition structure for all students who are actively engaged with the Students’ Union to aid personal development and growth within the roles that they hold. All students who are volunteers within the SU (Programme Reps, sport committees, etc) will automatically gain a ‘Degree+’. Those that meet further criteria will move on to ‘Bronze’, ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’ Awards. ‘Gold’ award winners would then be short-listed by the SU President, the School Reps and the SU Chief Executive Officer for the ‘Programme Rep of the Year’ to be awarded by the ViceChancellor at the Societies Awards Dinner. All Degree+ awardees will receive a certificate and transcript signed by the SU Officer Team acknowledging the skills used and developed at the end of the each academic year. 5
Who will I be working with? Students’ Union Council
Students across the University
SU President and School Reps
Students on your programme
Programme Rep
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Quality Assurance Office
Programme Teams and Directors
Pro-Vice Chancellor
Head of School
University and SU Committees As a Programme Rep, most of your work will be representing students at meetings and on committees. The main academic committee you’ll go to is the Programme Board.
Programme Board These meetings should be once a term. Your Programme Board is where you and other Programme Reps raise issues about your education. You will share with staff the views of the students who you represent, giving you a chance to address any problems that students have raised with you and informally with staff. These committees are minuted and used to inform changes on your programme.
Programme Rep Focus Groups These Focus Groups occur once per semester and are coordinated by the SU President. These Focus Groups are an opportunity to explore developments across the University with reps from other programmes and to escalate any issues that have not been resolved by your Programme team. You also receive a free lunch for attending!
SU Council These meetings happen at least four times a year and is an opportunity for students from all different representative backgrounds (including Programme Reps, SU Executive Committee, Sports and Societies Captains) to come together and discuss developments and changes within the University, pass policy for the SU and to raise any ongoing issues from their particular representative area. This is the most important meeting of he Students’ Union. 7
Programme Board Etiquette Before your Programme Board:
Research the views of the students you represent.
Submit any topics you want to bring up in the meeting.
Read the agenda before the meeting.
If you have big concerns about an issue, talk to either your Programme Director or Programme Administrator to build a good working relationship.
If you want to get an item on the agenda of a Programme Board meeting ensure that you make the deadline (ask your Programme Board Administrator when that is). If you want to make a big change, back it up with a written brief. Outline issues clearly and concisely and include the concrete changes you want to see happen. Make sure that the committee is the right place to make the proposal; ask a staff member for guidance if you are unsure.
During your Programme Board:
Don’t raise issues about individual students or members of staff. It would be better you talk to the SU President about these sort of cases.
Try not to be late, and if you cannot make the meeting, send your apologies
Ensure that all your arguments are clear and make a good point. It can be useful to have facts to back up your argument.
Try to talk about the experiences of the students in your department as opposed to personal experiences.
Work towards actively creating positive solutions.
Ask questions during the meeting if there’s something you don’t understand.
Be polite throughout the meeting, allow others to speak, and don’t become too emotional about your point.
After your Programme Board: 8
Make sure you know what decisions were made at the meeting.
Inform your course mates about what happened at the meeting.
beforehand.
Communication with students on your Programme Being a good communicator is vital for the role of Programme Rep. You won’t easily be able to represent your peers if you haven’t actually spoken to them! NOTICE BOARDS
GATHERINGS
Most schools in the University have notice boards, which are highly visible to students. You can ask to use these notice boards to tell students in your department who you are, or to
No communication is more effective than when it’s face-to-face.
post information about important issues.
EMAILS
Almost everyone uses Facebook, so a great place to publicise to everyone what has been discussed in Boards of Studies meetings is in your programme is on Facebook.
Emails are a great way to contact all of the students in your year on your course, to find out key issues.
If you don’t already have one, why not set one up?
They allow even the less confident students to speak out!
FORUMS
SURVEY MONKEY
Moodle is a great way to discuss the views of your programme mates.
Survey monkey is a fantastic way of quickly gathering the opinions of the students on your Programme.
As a Programme Rep, you can be the admin of a discussion to keep it private from your tutors. 9
If you have a large year group, it may be a good idea to organise small focus groups to discuss important issues.
Having quantitative data which you can present in Programme Board meetings will also help you to argue your point.
Helpful Contacts Students may approach you with problems or queries which are not part of your role as a Programme Rep, for example, financial difficulties or wanting to make an academic appeal. Being a Programme Rep does not make you an expert on all student issues, so it is sensible to know where you can refer them to should they need advice or support. Below are a range of helpful contacts to help you:
SU President: t: 020 8240 4315 e: supresident@stmarys.ac.uk
Quality Assurance Office: t: 020 8240 4166
Student Services: t: 020 8240 8238 e: studentservices@stmarys.ac.uk
Counselling Service: t: 020 8240 4187 e: counselling@stmarys.ac.uk
Security: t: 020 8240 4335 e:security@stmarys.ac.uk
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