StARs handbook 2013-14

We are very proud that one of our StARs, Michael Anslow, was nominated by the VP Education for a national award and was successful in being named NUS Course Rep of the Year 2013.

Michael is now an Institute Rep for the Institute of Health and Society so will continue to work hard to ensure that students are represented and that they can have a positive influence on their own student experience.

visit: www.worcsu.com/yourvoice/stars/ 12

Roles and Responsibilities Top Tips Institute Reps Communication Process Benefits Contacts

StARs Handbook

...and finally

Welcome from your VP Education; Tom Clarke Hello! The first thing I really want to do is congratulate you on becoming a Student Academic Representative! This is a fantastic opportunity for you to have a real say on what goes on at the University of Worcester, as you‟ll be in a position to help change the things that may not be working within your course. Such responsibility allows you to be the voice of your course, meaning that students are at the heart of decision-making at the University, working closely with me and your Institute Representatives to develop a link between the students and the University itself.

Not only will you be representing your fellow students, you will also be volunteering for the Students‟ Union at the same time and can log your hours in a „V-Record‟ that will help you gain recognition and certification. Volunteering hours look fantastic on your CV and are the sort of things that employers look for as they sift through application forms. The more hours you put in, the more recognition you will receive!

This handbook will also double up as tool for you to refer back to once you have completed your StAR training. So don‟t worry if you‟re not sure what to do as hopefully the answer will be within this booklet. If not, feel free to contact me or come and visit me in the Students‟ Union for any advice or guidance or just for a friendly chat.

Finally I‟d just like to thank you for volunteering to represent the student voice!

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Institute Reps Each Institute has at least two Institute Reps. They can be contacted using the following email addresses:

Institute of Education

IErep@worc.ac.uk

Institute of Health and Society

IHSrep@worc.ac.uk

Institute of Humanities and Creative Arts

IHCArep@worc.ac.uk

Institute of Science and the Environment

ISErep@worc.ac.uk

Institute of Sport and Exercise Science

ISESrep@worc.ac.uk

Worcester Business School

WBSrep@worc.ac.uk

Membership Services Manager – Ruth Christie Ruth‟s role in the SU is to help develop student engagement and representation and to support the elected officers. She‟ll be sending you information and invitations to events and activities throughout the year. r.christie@worc.ac.uk

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Main Contacts Vice President Education - Tom Clarke Tom will email you throughout the year and is your main point of contact for the StAR system. t.clarke@worc.ac.uk StAR Co-ordinators There is a StAR Co-ordinator for each Institute to support you in your role. They will be able to help you prepare for any committees you may have to go to and are a point of contact for you should you have any questions.

Institute of Education Institute of Humanities and Creative Arts Institute of Health & Society Institute of Science & the Environment Institute of Sport & Exercise Science Worcester Business School

Joy Carroll Lesley Spiers Tina Dennis

Tory Milner

j.carroll@worc.ac.uk l.spiers@worc.ac.uk

t.dennis@worc.ac.uk

v.milner@worc.ac.uk

Lerverne Barber

l.barber@worc.ac.uk

Sue Barnes Roger Saunders

s.barnes@worc.ac.uk r.saunders@worc.ac.uk

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Pro-Vice Chancellor Students; John Ryan “We need to be sure that there is effective student representation. The StARs system is very important and through it we hope that the views of students can be heard at all levels within the University.

As Pro Vice Chancellor (Students), I will want to meet and work with StARs to make sure that I understand well the issues of concern to students – to find out what is going well and also what we may need to do better. Student feedback is crucial and StARs make an important contribution to effective feedback through their membership of course management committees and other groups.

There are real opportunities for StARS to influence not only the experience of students in their own year but the experience of future students. We need to work in partnership so that expectations are met – students‟ expectations of the University and the University‟s expectations of students. The Worcester Charter for Students provides a good framework in this regard.

For all of these reasons, being a StAR is an important undertaking.

The experience you gain will be very marketable to potential employers. This is especially so if individual StARs take advantage of the accreditation scheme. Embrace the opportunities the role presents and use this advantage to make a positive contribution to the work of the University and build your CV at the same time. I look forward to meeting and working with you and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for volunteering to undertake the role.”

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Professor David Green; Vice Chancellor “Congratulations on your election as a Student Academic Representative. I was an elected student academic rep in each of my 3 years as an undergraduate student and I more convinced than ever that this is a vital role for your fellow students, you and the University.

The University needs to know what works well, so we can do more of it even better. We also need to know what needs to change. Communication combined with sound judgement and true professionalism is at the heart of each and every successful course at University. Student feedback and thoughtful representation is essential. All the best lecturers think the world of high quality student reps. You make it possible for us to be better teachers and to be a better University.

Your fellow students need a representative who will consult, communicate and give voice to their concerns. Participation is a vital ingredient in making sure that courses are enjoyable, high quality and truly meaningful.

Of course, it is not just your fellow students, lecturers and the University who benefit. You do. Each and every student academic representative learns through doing. Your communication skills, your teamwork, your ability to present a case, your ability to research a problem, your ability to speak and the quality of your professional judgement will all improve through being an engaged, dynamic student representative.

This will really help you when you graduate. It will be a big plus on your CV but, even more important, it will give you skills that you will use for the rest of your life. Congratulations and good luck!”

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Accreditation All StARs are eligible take part in our Accreditation scheme, which recognises the activities undertaken and skills acquired by committed StARs. This will help boost your employability and provide evidence of your achievements as a StAR. StARs who have undertaken initial training can apply for Bronze, Silver or Gold accreditation, according to the number and range of meetings and consultations they‟re involved with.

Accreditation will be awarded to StARs who can provide sufficient evidence of their commitment and impact.

StARs achieving accreditation will be awarded certificates at a ceremony during the SU‟s Celebration Week in May and their success will feature on the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) on graduation.

For more information contact VP Education, Tom Clarke.

V-record StARs can also gain recognition by recording their volunteering hours on a V-record, available from the SU Welcome Desk. Additional volunteering in other roles can be included too and there are certificates for students who achieve 20, 50, 100 or 200 hours.

StARs who complete a V-record can also attend the Volunteering and Societies Awards (VoScAs) a free celebration event where certificates are awarded and special awards given to the best StARs. 9

StAR/Institute Rep Communication Process

Roles and Responsibilities of StARs A StAR‟s day-to-day role is to keep an ear to the ground and talk to their fellow students about any issues that may arise; this could be about anything from lecture timetabling to course content. A StAR can carry out their role using a variety of methods including email or face-to-face chats with colleagues.

For course level matters, it is a good idea to speak to the Course Leader, who may be able to resolve any problems quickly. Remember to feed back the results to the students you represent so they know what the next steps are going to be!

StARs also act as the voice of the SU, providing an effective communication channel between Students and the SU.

Benefits of Being a StAR A StAR‟s CV includes many brilliant skills, desirable to employers looking to recruit a graduate of the University of Worcester including:          

Decision-making Time management Listening skills Self-confidence Public speaking Problem solving Leadership Organisation Teamwork Meeting/Committee skills 8

StARs are also full members of their Course Management Committee (CMC). StARs are expected to attend StARs Forums, where StARs from across the University meet to discuss students‟ issues with the VP Education, Institute Reps and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Students).

CMC

StARs Forum

CMCs give you the opportunity to feed issues raised by the students you represent to key members of academic staff, and also to receive information from them about your course.

StARs Forums are your chance to speak to the VP Education, John Ryan (PVC Students) and Institute Reps directly about the student experience at Worcester.

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Top Tips:

Roles and Responsibilities of Institute Reps

Make sure that students know that you are their representative – make yourself identifiable and available.

Be proactive – seek out students‟ views and ask whether they have issues they want you to raise.

Develop effective means of communicating and consulting with students, such as arranging to speak at the beginning or end of lectures, using online questionnaires, comment cards, social networking, SU website.

Provide a link between students and staff, communicating information from students to staff and back from staff to students.

Communicate with other Student Academic Representatives and Institute Reps, so that common areas of concern or good practice can be identified and shared.

In addition to being StARs, Institute Reps have extra responsibilities. They are recruited and selected to represent the interests of all students in their Institute and form communication channels between StARs to and from the Students‟ Union, Institute-level committees and the University.

Examples of issues you may deal with

Issues you are not expected to deal with

Facilities and resources eg computers, books, library Workload and assessments Feedback Course handbooks Timetabling and rooms Hidden course costs Communications Blackboard, SOLE etc Turnaround of marked work Academic tutor system Quality of teaching and learning on your course

Welfare problems Health and personal issues Finances and funding Accommodation problems Issues concerning visas or immigration Employment problems Disputes between individual students and academic staff, e.g. harassment, discrimination, victimisation Formal procedures against or by a student

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Institute Reps are expected to:  

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Deliver training to StARs in their Institute Arrange and chair at least one meeting per semester of StARs in their Institute, providing a forum for feedback and the discussion of issues which affect the student learning experience Attend appropriate Institute-level committees eg Institute Board, Quality Committee, Learning and Teaching Committee and make a full contribution to these meetings, ensuring students are represented Attend and participate in the StARs Forums Contribute to other feedback events wherever possible Help the SU to promote student engagement

It is essential that StARs communicate regularly with Institute Reps about the big issues and successes on your course so they can take them to Institute-level meetings as appropriate.

Emailing an Institute Rep may only take you 5 minutes but it could really make a difference. Contact details are in this handbook.

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