Manifesto Review – One (b): Reps // Faculty Reps

Ellie, Kim, Anna, Tash & Nichola are our team of five super-reps, who represent and co-ordinate Student Reps within their respective faculties at the University of Lincoln. They are in the perfect position to do all sorts in their faculties to improve representation and the student voice, but we (the faculty reps and SU) are struggling to win in a quite a hard battle.

The role of Faculty Rep was something that I included in my reform paper that was written and submitted last academic year – they were going to be five superstars who provided a link between the Students’ Union, its officers and the Course / School reps in each faculty – but we always knew that was going to be tough, and we were right.

I can’t help but feel I’m not paying as much attention to each of them as I should be, but my time is stretched and it’s also difficult for them to fit Faculty Rep work around their studies, which is why next semester I want to look at the staff support provided to Student Reps (Course, School & Faculty levels).

It’s time for the Reps system to push forward and find its feet, and for that to happen – we need some dedicated support to help implement strategy and do the day-to-day stuff.

Regardless of this; I’m chuffed to bits with the progress that we (inc. each Faculty Rep) have made – and am very glad we introduced the roles!

Manifesto Review – One: Reps

The development of a reformed Course Rep system that WORKS FOR THE STUDENTS

Done:

1. Nearly 500 Course Reps registered
2. Around 200 Course Reps trained
3. 15/16 School Liaison Reps elected
4. 5/5 Faculty Reps elected
5. More resource invested by ULSU into Students Reps
6. Extra income from the University just for Reps
7. Training guides produced for reps
8. Regular e-Communication will all reps
9. Information guides for academics
10. Good working relationships with all Faculty Offices
11. Postgraduate Reps in place
12. In touch with FE Student Reps at Riseholme
13. Course Rep Exec has met
14. 150 Hoodies on Reps’ backs out on campus!

To Do:

1. Promote Student Reps to the Student Body
2. Educate academics more on the role and benefits of Student Reps
3. Support Faculty & School Reps in engaging Course Reps
4. Make Course Rep Exec effective and regular
5. Provide refresher training for all Reps
6. Award and reward good Student Reps

Ambitions:

1. Better Post Graduate Representation
2. More staff support for Student Reps in ULSU
3. Collect feedback from Subject Committees across the University

Generally; pretty super so far, but still miles to go before I’m satisfied!

Proposals, University Committees and Progress

I’ve not posted anything in a while, but I do want to change that now that my course has finished and I have a little more time on my hands.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve finished of all my assignments and then focused on Course Reps, which seem to be dominating my life…

We have a final proposal document which details all that we want from a new Student Reps system as well as plans of how we see it being structured, this document now has to be approved by the University and it’s multitude of committees (most of which seem to have rather similar memberships) – it’s gone through the Deans, last week me and Laura took it to Student Experience – they loved it and just wanted a few minor changes to terminology and more University involvement in the management of the system (gutted that they don’t realise it’s the University’s poor management that got us into this awful situation), ah well – if I succeed in getting the right Uni managers involved, we might be able to make it a positive thing.

Lincoln Student Reps - The Final Proposal

Tomorrow, I’m going solo and taking it the ‘Academic Affairs’ committee as Kayleigh is having a break from work, in Egypt (very lucky young lady!)… So this evening will involve lots of note making and prep, but I seem to know this thing inside out (as I did write it) so it shouldn’t be challenging… The only challenge is the Q&A session, but I kicked ass in Student Experience, so hopefully I’ll just get similar questions.

Ideally, the University will just let us get on with the actual work at some point soon, because we have a bloody huge amount to plough through. Last week, I made a list of all the different things we’ve got to plan / write / design / fund / distribute etc and it was quite daunting, but it’ll be worth it.

Finally, I feel like we are making progress; we’ve finished our proposal and the Uni are taking notice of us and although the processes may be frustrating and drawn out; they are happening which is all good.