Representation FAQ's

What does the union mean by ‘representation’?

Like other unions, one of our main functions is to represent the views and promote the interests of students at UWS. Student representatives are elected by their peers to represent them in meetings with staff and to campaign on their behalf. The union runs the elections and supports student reps in their role through training and other support.

What is a student representative?

A student representative is a student who has been elected by their peers to represent them and their views to the university. There are different types of reps that represent groups of their peers:

Course reps represent other students in the same year and course.
Divisional reps represent all the students studying in their division.
School officers represent all the students in their school.
Sabbatical officers represent all UWS students.

What do student representatives do?

Course, divisional, and school reps have these main responsibilities:

Attend regular meetings with UWS staff to pass on feedback from peers and report the outcomes of these meetings back to students.
Pass issues onto representatives at the next level. That is, if a course rep gets feedback from their peers on an issue that can’t be solved at course level, they will pass this onto their divisional rep.
Divisional reps pass issues onto school officers, and school officers onto sabbatical officers.
Attend meetings of the student council to hold the sabbatical officers to account, ask questions of senior UWS managers, and debate and vote on proposed union policies.

How do I find out who my student reps are?

You can find out who your reps are here: Find Your Rep

You can find more information on your sabbatical officers here: Sabbatical Officers

What can my student rep help me with?

Your student reps can help get your views on your academic experience heard by UWS staff and keep you updated on how student issues are being solved in the university. You’re encouraged to take general academic problems to your rep, but they cannot help with one-off or emergency problems.

You can tell your reps about issues like:
Problems with your exam timetable
How assignments are assessed on a module
The quality and diversity of course texts

They cannot help you with things like:
Plagiarism and disciplinary panels
Extenuating circumstances
Financial hardship

For issues like that, get in touch with our advice team. If you need help with difficult essays, assignments, or studying for exams, reach out to UWS’ Academic Skills Advisers.

Can I be a student rep?

Yes! Any UWS student can nominate themselves and potentially win election to be a rep.

I’m new to student representation and student unions – which role should I stand for first?

We recommend that you start by nominating yourself as a course rep. Course reps represent the smallest number of students and work closely with their peers and lecturers, allowing them to get experience advocating for students in staff-student liaison group (SSLG) meetings before moving on to more formal meetings with higher-level university staff.

How can I stand as a student rep?

You can nominate yourself right here on this page!