There are lots of ways you can make sure that you and your fellow students are represented at UWS! Read on for all the ways in which students can influence life at UWS, or if you can't wait to get started why not:
- Stand to be a course rep - course reps will be elected in class in September 2023 so please contact your lecturer if you are interested or read on to find out more!
- Submit or comment on policies for Student Council.
- Talk to your student rep and let them know that you're thinking!
- Respond to surveys - we send these out by email and sometimes run pop surveys on our facebook page and instagram page.
If you have any further questions you can contact your representation team on representation@uwsunion.org.uk.
Becoming a Course Rep
Being a Rep at UWS is a fantastic opportunity for students but we know you might need a bit of convincing so here are six benefits of being a rep:
- Help your course mates by collecting their opinions, sharing these in meetings with staff, and working together with staff to improve their courses.
- Become part of a team. Reps get to meet each other throughout the year at training and support sessions and often create a great community. You also have the opportunity to work with the student presidents!
- See how the university works through rep work in partnership with staff and your membership of Student Council.
- Meet senior management at Student Council which all reps are members of. Each meeting begins with Senior Management Question Time where reps can ask questions of UWS Senior Management – even the principal attends at least once a year!
- Get voting rights to decide Student Union policy. As part of rep membership of Student Council, reps vote on student union policy which sets the direction of the Student Union for the next four years!
- Develop your skills. Full training and support are provided for reps and gathering feedback and information presenting it in a meeting, and working together to find solutions are all skills which are applicable to almost any job.
Rep Tasks
The rep role has five main tasks:
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Talking to their course mates and gathering their opinions and ideas.
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Attending meetings with staff to feed back their course mates’ opinions.
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Working together with staff to improve UWS for their course mates and future students.
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Feeding back information from these meetings to their course mates
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Attending student council meetings to vote on policy and meet Senior Management.
Divisional Reps
At UWS each course that you study is part of a division of similar subjects - for example, all Engineering courses are organised into an Engineering Division. This is important to students because Divisional Board Meetings discuss and decide how things are run on courses and determine your experience as students.
More ways you can have your voice heard:
Enhancement and Annual Monitoring
The University’s approach to enhancement and annual monitoring is programme-based and focuses on the quality of the student experience through reflection at both module and programme level. As the name suggest Schools look at the performance of their programmes on an annual basis, usually in November, and use key sets of data and evidence to inform decisions about Schools portfolio of programmes. Our approach ensures that UWS meets the expectation of the UK Quality Code but also that we make evidence based decision our programme and module performance. Annual monitoring should result in clear action planning for moving forward along with the identification of positive and effective practice for further sharing across the institution.
By completion of module and programmatic surveys, students automatically contribute to this process; participants of SSLGs will also contribute. School-Based Annual Monitoring Events take place annually in mid-November where the School reflects on External Examiners reports, Programme Monitoring Reports (a repot completed by each programme leader that reflects on the previous years running of the programme and links to data on progression, national student survey, employability etc.) and data from surveys and student feedback. There are often opportunities for students to participate in these events within their Schools. Furthermore, an Institutional EAM event takes place annually (usually in December) and there has been increased participation and representation among students representative at this seminar in recent years.
If you want more information on annual monitoring or would like to attend the University wide event please email quest@uws.ac.uk.
Module Evaluation Questionnaire
The system for student evaluation of modules, collects feedback from students regarding their experience of each module they are taking. The system allows collection either via paper questionnaire or via an online survey. Participation rates are expected to be high and staff should make every effort to make the survey successful.
Results of the survey are available to module co-ordinators by the end of term (or just after). A comprehensive report will arrive by email. During the term, results are also shown and regularly updated on Dashboard. The survey questionnaire is based on the NSS survey questionnaire. The rationale for using this questionnaire is that not only will it support module evaluation but it will also prepare students on the NSS approach, as they are likely to be included in the NSS target population at some stage during their studies. The questionnaire should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. The target response rate for each module has been set at 80%.
Programme Design and Approval Activities
As part of the University system for the approval of new programmes, students will be consulted to ascertain views on proposed new programmes and their structure. Schools should make arrangements to include a student member on the drafting team to ensure student involvement in the programme planning and design process. Gathering of student views may also involve discussions via focus groups or via the SSLG or on Moodle.
Student input also applies to significant amendments/additions to an existing programme (e.g. addition of an Honours level) where current students will be invited to meet with the approval panel to provide opinion on proposed developments and reflect on their student experience to date. Programme Approval panel love to meet with students and like to take the opportunity to ask you about your experience here at UWS and may ask a range of questions about feedback, assessment methods, personal tutoring, learning environment, resources and graduate attributes (I am UWS; Universal, Work-Ready and Successful).
If you would like more information on programme approval activities or would be interested in attending an event please email quest@uws.ac.uk
Focus Groups
UWS needs student to represent their views and often the easiest way to secure student input is through focus groups , whether it be at programme, subject, School or University level. The University is keen to know where changes can be made to improve the quality of its modules, students’ overall experience or to have the opportunity to engage with student on a specific issue or topic – we have recently run a series of focus groups on Enhancement Led Institutional Review (ELIR) and on student digital capabilities - focus groups are a great way to discover what you honestly think!.
Committees and Working Groups
Student Representation on University Committees
There are a number of University Committees that deal with student issues such as the following:
- Senate
- Education Advisory Committee (EAC)
- Global Engagement Advisory Committee (GEAC)
- Research Advisory Committee
- Student Success Committee (SSC)
- School Education/International / Research & Enterprise Forums
- School Board
- Programme Board
- Student/Staff Liaison Group (SSLG)
Students are represented on these groups normally through sabbatical officers, the Vice President for Education also sits on the Academic Quality Committee which is responsible for ensuring the quality assurance and enhancement requirements of the Scottish Funding Council and Quality Assurance Agency are achieved. Student representative may also be interested in getting involved with short life working groups which are created to address a specific issue within a set timeframe – for example we recently set up a working group to review and make recommendation on the updated Student Partnership Agreement.
Staff-Student Liaison Groups
Staff-student Liaison Groups are the regular meetings where student reps talk directly to lecturers about student experience on their course! SSLGs are held regularly, so if you're a rep make sure that you know when SSLGs are held, and otherwise talk to your reps and make sure that they know what you're thinking!