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I N PA R T N E R S H I P
I N PA R T N E R S H I P
Contents
Introduction page 2
Summary of Election Regulations page 3-4
The Regulations page 3
Operational Responsibility page 3
Recruitment Numbers page 3-4
Important Timescales page 4
Data Sharing Procedure page 4
Other Election Procedures page 4
Planning your Student Representative Elections page 5-8
Type of Student Representative Role page 5
Number of Student Representative Roles page 5-6
Student Eligibility page 6
When to hold elections page 6-7
Nominations page 7-8
Ballot/Voting page 8
Four Stages of running an Election page 9-16
Stage One: Notice and Publicity page 10-11
Stage Two: Nominations page 12-13
Stage Three: Ballot/Voting page 14
Stage Four: Results and Announcement page 15-16
Guild of Students Support page 17
Handling Complaints page 18
Best Practice page 19
Frequently Asked Questions page 20
Please note that this document has been hyperlinked throughout for ease of navigation
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Introduction
The Student Representation System (SRS) is founded on the belief that through effective
student engagement in the quality and enhancement of their programmes, students would
have a sense of ownership over their education and research. The system does this by giving
students the opportunity to be represented to the University, and the Guild of Students,
through a fellow student (Student Representative) therefore, engaging in enhancement by
providing feedback to these representatives. This means that engagement with their
representatives is essential for the system to work. It is believed that through an effective recruitment and election process, that involves
students in the decision of who would be their Student Representatives, that engagement will
develop within the system. Through effective representative elections, students would have
already engaged in the system and are more likely to participate by providing feedback to
the student they have elected to represent them. This Election Guidance, like the Operations Manual, is a working document that will provide
advice, information and best practice on how to effectively run the election process of
Student Representatives. It is hoped that this document will be developed over time with the
input of staff from across the University recognising best practice and account for any
regulation changes.
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Summary of Election Regulations
Introduction
The ‘Code of Practice on the Student Representation System’ and the ‘Student
Representation System Election Regulations’ are both regulations that underpin the
recruitment and election process of the various Student Representative roles within the
Student Representation System. This section seeks to inform you of these regulations and highlight some key points but will not
run through each regulation in its entirety. If you have any questions or concern regarding these regulations, please contact Registry or
the Student Voice team at the Guild of Students by emailing studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk.
The Regulations
The ‘Code of Practice on the Student Representation System’ is the key piece of regulation
that sets out the operational relationship between the University and the Guild of Students for
the system. It also outlines operational actions, such as recruitment and elections, deemed
as essential for the system to run effectively. Section 6.3 of the Code of Practice covers the
recruitment and election of Student Representatives. The ‘Student Representation System Election Regulations’ is the document that looks at the
election process of student representatives and is referenced in the Code of Practice. This
document covers elections in more detail than the Code of Practice and outlines
procedures to be used at different stages of the election. Copies of these documents and any election procedures can be found on the student
representation intranet page (click here) or can be requested from the Guild of Students.
Operational Responsibility
The Student Representation System is a tiered system of representation that has five types of
student representative roles. This works like a hierarchy where each role, as you move up the
tiers, represents more students and has additional responsibilities. More details can be found
in the Operations Manual. These documents set out who is responsible for ensuring that the election process for each
role takes place and adheres to the regulations. These responsibilities are as follows;
Staff Liaison Contact (SLC) for Student Representatives and Senior Student
Representatives in their Staff Student Committee (SSC) School Leads for School Student Representatives Guild of Students for College Student Representatives
Guild of Students for Senate Student Representatives This person can delegate the operation of the elections to another staff member but still remain
responsible for ensuring free and fair elections run in accordance with the regulations. The regulations also state that no registered student at the University, eligible to stand in the
election, should be involved in the operation of these elections. This also means applies to
any student group or academic society. The operation of elections should be undertaken by
University or Guild of Students staff members only. This is to avoid any potential conflict of interest and ensure that these elections are run free,
fair and consistently across the University.
Recruitment Numbers The Code of Practice outlines how the number of positions for each role is calculated.
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The number of student representative roles should be calculated by a student to student rep
ratio that is determined in consultation with the Guild of Students. There should also be a
minimum number for Senior, School and College Student Representative roles. These numbers have been set to ensure that the system has representatives in place at all
tiers. These numbers can be changed and increased to cater to the needs of the students in
each college. This, however, should be done in consultation with the Guild of Students with
all numbers approved prior to the beginning of the election process. The Code of Practice also allows for the roles of Senior, School and College Student
Representatives to be shared. This is to ensure that the role does not have a detrimental
effect on the students’ academic progression, but this should be agreed in consultation with
the Guild of Students. The consultation with the Guild of Students over numbers is essential for the planning of
training and any other initiatives, such as the incentive scheme.
Important Timescales
The ‘Student Representation System Election Regulations’ set out some key timescales that
should be adhered to when planning and conducting your election process. These
timescales are as follows;
Notice of an election should be given no later than five working days prior to the
close of nominations Nominations period should be no shorter than three working days Results should be shared with the Guild of Students, through the Data Sharing
Procedure, no later than five working days after determining who has been
successfully elected into a role The election process for Student Representatives is expected to have been
completed by the end of week 4 (autumn term for September starts and spring term
for January starts), depending on Guild Rep training dates These timescales have been set to ensure that students have been given enough time to
determine whether they would like to nominate themselves for the role as well as ensuring
the system is able to effectively operate.
Data Sharing Procedure
When a student is elected into a role their information should be shared with their student
cohort, and the Guild of Students, in accordance with the Data Sharing Procedure
(available on the Student Representation Intranet Page). The procedure involves Student Representatives agreeing to Terms and Conditions implicit of
their roles and allows their information to automatically be shared with the Guild of Students
once successfully recruited into the roles.
Other Election Procedures The Student Representation System Election Regulations’ also refer to;
Complaints Procedure for all Student Representation System election complaints Paper Ballot Procedure for voting held physically and not electronically (e-voting)
These procedures are available through the Student Representation Intranet Page and
should be followed, where applicable, for all student representative elections.
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Planning Student Representative Elections
Introduction
This section seeks to provide you with the information you will need to consider before
starting the election process. It will provide suggestions and ideas to help you plan and
organise your elections. If you have any questions about the planning of your elections please email
studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk.
Type of Student Representative
The first thing you will need to know is the type of Student Representative role you are running
the election process for. This role will determine how you calculate the number of positions,
student eligibility and when you will need to run your election process. The type of role will
also tell you who is responsible for ensuring that the election process occurs in accordance
with all regulations. There are five Student Representative roles in the Student Representation System each with
their own role descriptions. Each role has been described in the Operations Manual with the
role descriptions available on the Student Representation intranet page (click here). We have provided a short summary of each role below;
Student Representative (Student Rep) attends the Staff Student Committee (SSC)
representing the student cohort on their programme and year of study, where
applicable. The Staff Liaison Contact (SLC) for the relevant SSC is responsible for the
election. Senior Student Representative (Senior Rep) attends and co-chairs the Staff Student
Committee (SSC) representing the student cohort on the programme(s) the SSC
covers. The Staff Liaison Contact (SLC) for the SSC the representative co-chairs is
responsible for the election. School Student Representative (School Rep) attends School education committees
that discuss their type of programme. The School Student Representation System
Lead is responsible for the election of the School Reps in their school. College Student Representative (College Rep) attends College committees that
discuss their type of programme. For example undergraduate Representatives would
attend education committees that discuss undergraduate programmes. The Guild of
Students is responsible for the election of the College Reps in each college.
Senate Student Representative (Senate Rep) attends University Senate meetings that
discuss academic provision and quality across the University. The Guild of Students is
responsible for the election of Senate Reps.
Number of Student Representative Roles
Now that you know the type of student representative that you are recruiting you will need
to determine the amount of positions that are available. You will need to know this number
before you start your election process as it will need to be fixed at the point that nominations
open. The Code of Practice sets out how you should calculate the number of positions. This
information has been provided below for each role;
Student Representative should be based on a student to Student Rep ratio. It is
suggested that this is 40:1 for undergraduate, 30:1 for Postgraduate Taught and 20:1
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for Postgraduate Research. You should have at least one Representative for each
year of the programme. Senior Student Representative should be one per Staff Student Committee (SSC). School Student Representative should be a minimum of two per school with one for
taught programmes and one for research programmes. College Student Representative should be one undergraduate, one postgraduate
taught and one postgraduate research student for the College.
Senate Student Representative should be 2 undergraduate, 1 postgraduate taught
and 1 postgraduate research student. You should consult with the Guild of Students when determining the amount of positions you
have available. This is particularly important if you are changing the number of Senior, School
or College Representatives from the minimum advised above. This is so that the Guild of
Students can account for these numbers for training and other initiatives. Please note: that the roles of Senior, School and College Student Representatives can be
shared. If you are looking to have one of these roles as a role share you will need to consult
with the Guild of Students Student Voice team.
Student Eligibility
Now you will need to set out student eligibility for the roles you are recruiting for. This will
determine who is eligible to stand for or vote for the position and will depend on the type of
representative role. However the following eligibility factors must be applied to all roles;
They must be current registered students at the University of Birmingham They can only run for positions in their primary programme, school and college.
In addition to these eligibility factors, there are further eligibility restrictions to positions. These
are usually used if the position is reserved to represent a particular group of students. Below we have described further restrictions you can apply to the different roles.
Student Representatives This role is open to any student within their programme or department, usually in a particular
year of study. You can, however, create a position to represent a particular group of
students, e.g. you can have an international Student Representative. In this case only
international students on that programme would be able to nominate/vote for that position. Senior Student Representative This role should only be open to student representatives that attend the Staff Student
Committee (SSC) that the position is for. School Student Representative This School Student Representative position should only be open to Student Representatives
and should be reserved to represent undergraduate, postgraduate taught and
postgraduate research students at their respective levels. College and Senate Student Representative This role is open to any student within the relevant College for the College Rep role, and to
any student at the University of Birmingham for the Senate Rep role, at their relevant level of
study – undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research. Please note: the Guild of Students can provide further advice and guidance upon request.
When to hold Student Representative Election Now you will need to plan a timeframe for your elections which should ensure that;
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Nominations are open for at least three working days Students are informed of the election five days before nominations close The data sharing protocol is completed five working days after the result
It is expected that you hold elections for the role of Student Representatives by the end of
week four of the student cohort’s first term. This means that if the student cohort started in
September you will need to run elections and communicate the results by the end of week
four of the autumn term. This four week deadline does not apply to the positions of Senior,
School, College and Senate Student Representatives. Once you have elected the Student Representatives you will need to elect students into the
positions of Senior, School, College and Senate Student Representatives. This timeline will
depend on whether you will be electing a role at a time or opening the roles up to any
student representative to stand (see ‘Student Eligibility’). Suggested election timeline It is suggested, where possible, that you;
Elect continuing cohort student representatives (second year+) towards the end of
the previous academic year, ideally around March/April. You elect Senior, School, College and Senate Reps towards the end of the previous
academic year, after you have elected continuing cohort representatives,
particularly for roles where only continuing cohort representatives are eligible to
stand You would be able to apply this to programmes that are longer than a year, either full-time
or part-time. You can work with your Guild of Students Representation Coordinator to plan
this.
Nominations
The nomination period needs to be open for no less than three working days and notification
of the election should take place five working days prior to the close of nominations. This is a self-nomination process and whichever way you decide students should submit their
nomination you must ask them to provide the following information;
Student Name Student ID Number University Email Address
You should also allow them to write a short, 200 word statement that would be provided to
the student cohort if a vote needs to take place. This is not compulsory but students should
be encouraged to explain why they would like to be a Student Representative and how they
would represent their student cohort. Below we have provided some options of how students could submit their nomination. For
each option you will need to ensure that the date and time of receipt of each nomination is
recorded.
Option One: Email
This option means that students would need to email all their nomination information to a
particular email address. If you decide to use this option you will need to ensure that the
information that they would need to provide as part of their nomination is well advertised. You should also ensure that the email account is accessible to the staff member organising
the election process when nominations close. This email address may also receive questions
about the system and the roles available so ensure that it is regularly monitored and the
email owner is able to answer or direct questions to the relevant staff members.
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Option Two: Physical
This option means that students would need to physically complete a nominations form and
hand it in. This form should include all the information that you need and could be emailed
out to students when you are advertising the election. If you choose this option it is advised that you get students to hand the form into a place that
is easily accessible such as a reception or admin office. The staff that work there should also
be made aware that nominations will be handed in and that they will need to be dated
once handed in.
Option Three: Guild of Students website
This option means that students would be able to nominate themselves online via the Guild
website, and the Guild of Students will set up and run your elections. You would need to
provide the Guild with information about the positions you want to elect and any relevant
course details, as well as promote elections locally. Please contact a Representation
Coordinator (studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk) if you’re interested in this option.
Voting
Now you will need to plan how you would hold a ballot/vote in case you receive more
nominations than positions available, making the positions contested. When planning how the vote will be conducted you should also ensure that you have
factored the time this takes into your election timeline. This information should also be
provided to students when you notify them of an election (see ‘Stage One: Notice and
Publicity’). Below we have provided some options of how you can run your ballot/vote.
Option One: Paper Ballot
This option means that students will cast their vote with a physical paper ballot. If you decide
to use this option to conduct your ballot/vote you will need to follow the Paper Ballot
Procedure that can be found on the Student Representation intranet page (click here). This option should be used if electronic voting (e-voting) is unavailable. Running a paper
ballot is useful if you are running an election for small cohorts of students in a short period of
time such as a lecture. If, however, you are running a ballot for longer periods of time, such
as a couple of days, it is advised that you use an electronic means of running your ballot.
Option Two: Guild of Students website This option allows students to vote online through the Guild of Students website. They would
be able to see the positions they are eligible to vote for and can number candidates by
order of preference. The Guild of Students voting system uses the Alternative Vote system
(click here for more information) for roles with one position and Single Transferable Vote (click
here for more information) for roles with multiple position available. The Representation
Coordinators would inform you of the results and outcomes of these elections within five
working days of the close of voting period.
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Running a Student Representative Election
Introduction
Once planned, the operation of your elections can be split into four stages as depicted in
the Student Representative Election Flowchart (Figure 1). This section will take you through
each stage providing information on what you should do as well as advice and suggestions
on what you could do. This may be different to how you currently run your elections. This is ok as long as the way you
run your elections still adheres to all regulations and works for your students. If this is the case
please share this best practice by emailing studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk.
Figure 1: Student Representative Election Flowchart
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Stage One: Notice and Publicity
The first stage involves informing students about the Student Representation System and its
importance to enhancing their academic experience as well as the roles that are available.
This stage has been split into promoting the Student Representation System and informing
students of the election process for their student representatives.
Promoting the Student Representation System to the student cohort Before you start to advertise the student representative roles available you should promote
and inform the student cohort about the Student Representation System. It is suggested that
this promotional information about the system should include;
How the Student Representation System works The importance of feedback to the enhancement of the programme and student
academic experience Examples of issues raised through student feedback and how it was resolved through
the Student Representation System The role of student representatives and the benefits of being a student representative How they can get involved in the system Who their student representatives are, if already elected
Departments have communicated this information to students by;
Providing information on the Student Representation System in student handbooks Sending out information in welcome materials prior to the start of term Promoted the system during open days Holding an induction talk about the system and the importance of student feedback
during welcome week Providing space on their webpages about the system and directing them to
more information on the Guild of Students website Emailing all new students about the system when they start Running a ‘you said we did’ marketing campaign Inviting the Guild of Students to hold information session at your department or school
Once you have promoted and informed students about the Student Representation System
you can begin to run your election process. It is suggested that you continue to promote the
system during your election process. The Guild of Students can provide a variety of assistance and support at this stage (see
‘Guild of Students Support’ for more information).
Providing the student cohort with election information Once you have promoted and informed the student cohort about the Student
Representation System you will begin to start your election process in order to fill the student
representative positions available. To start the election process you will need to notify both students and staff about the
election process, which must be done five working days prior to the close of the nominations
period, and should include the following information;
The type of Student Representative role, including where to access the role
description for that role The number of positions that are available Where they can access further information about the role Who they can contact to answer any questions they have about the role
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How to submit their nomination, including what information they need to include in
their nomination When the nomination period will be closed and that no nominations will be
accepted after that deadline Provisional dates of when a ballot will take place, if required, and how that ballot will
take place
Notifying the Eligible Student Cohort
It is up to you how you would notify the student cohort, but below are some suggestions to
promote and encourage nominations;
Email all eligible students with all the election information they need, as well as where
they can find out more Email and work with student groups/ academic societies to promote the positions
and encourage students to nominate themselves Mention nominations at the end of core lectures Advertise the election information on Canvas, My Portal and notice boards Inform the Guild of Students so they can direct any queries they get Get current/ former student representatives to talk to any student interested Hand out promotional materials to encourage nominations Follow up any student representation information event with the relevant election
information The Guild of Students can assist and support you at this stage (see ‘Guild of Student Support’
for more information).
Notifying other staff members As well as notifying the student cohort of the relevant election information it is also suggested that
you inform relevant staff members in the department. It is suggested that you do this by;
Emailing a brief overview of the Student Representation System and the role
of student representatives Emailing the election information and who they can direct any student queries to Provide an update of the election process during department meetings
It is suggested that you also get staff to encourage students to nominate themselves for the
role highlighting the importance of student feedback for the enhancement of the course.
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Stage Two: Nominations
The second stage of the election process is when you run your nominations period. This is
when students will start to express interest in becoming a student representative.
Opening your nominations
When you open your nominations it is suggested that you email out all students eligible to
stand in the election with details of how they can submit their nominations, what this
nomination should include and when the nomination period will close.
What a nomination should include A nomination should include the following information;
Students Name University Email Address Student Number Short Statement (200 words)
If you are not using an online form for students to submit their nominations this information
should be included in any nomination advertisement to encourage students to provide this
information. The short statement is not compulsory but it is encouraged that students include this as part
of their nomination just in case a ballot needs to take place to successfully elect candidates
into the available positions. If a ballot is taken it would be this statement that will be provided
to voters to help inform their decision.
During the Nominations Period
During the period when nominations are open it is advised that you monitor the amount of
nominations that are being submitted. You should also continue to publicise the Student
Representation System and the benefits of being a Student Representative in order to
encourage as many nominations as possible. It is also suggested that you send out reminders of when nominations will close in order to
encourage anyone who is thinking about nominating themselves to do so. These reminders
should also include who they can contact to ask questions or where they can get more
information about the role.
When you receive a nomination
When you receive a nomination, regardless of the method you choose to collect
nominations, you should check that all information is provided. You should also include the
date and time that you received the nomination. It is suggested that if the student has not included a short statement that you contact the
student and encourage them to provide this statement before the nomination period closes.
It is up to you if you still allow candidates to submit this statement to you once nominations
have closed but before the vote has opened. It is suggested that you do not allow
candidates to submit a statement once the ballot has opened, if a ballot is required.
When you have closed nominations
Once you have closed your nominations, and have collated all the nominations that were
received, one of three possible outcomes would have occurred. This outcome will determine
what you will need to do next in order to proceed down the election process. Below is a description of each outcome and how you will need to proceed in order to
complete the election process.
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Number of nominations is more than the number of positions available If this is the case then some, if not all positions are contested and that a ballot/vote will need
to take place in order to elect candidates into the positions. This means that you will need to
move onto stage three: voting and open the ballot using the method you chose to run the
ballot when you were planning your election.
Number of nominations is equal to the number of positions available If this is the case then all positions available are uncontested and therefore all candidates,
that nominated themselves for the role, have been elected unopposed. This means that you
will not need to run a ballot/vote for these positions and can skip stage three and move
straight to stage four: announcing the results.
Number of nominations is less that the number of positions available If this is the case then one of two possibilities would have occurred. Either no nominations
were received and all positions are still available or some nominations were received
meaning some positions can be filled. If some nominations were received then these candidates would be elected unopposed
into the positions available. This would still mean that you will have vacant positions available
and that these should be treated as if no nominations were received. If no nominations were received then all positions would still be vacant. This means that you
would need to reopen nominations for an extended period of time.
Reopening or extending nominations
If you have to reopen or extend the nominations period it is suggested at this point that you
contact the Guild of Students Student Voice team (see ‘Guild of Students Support’) to see
how they can assist you in encouraging more students to nominate themselves for the role. If the vacant roles have been reserved to represent a particular demographic then it is
suggested that you re-evaluate whether this student representative position is required or
whether it can be opened up so that more students are eligible to stand for the role. Once you have closed your extended/ re-opened nominations period, if you have once
again not received any nominations or some positions are still left vacant please contact the
Guild of Students, via studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk, who will then work with you to
determine the way to proceed.
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Stage Three: Ballot/Voting
The third stage of the election process is to hold a ballot/vote in order for the student cohort
to elect their student representative(s). You will only need to do this stage if the number of
nominations received exceeds the amount of positions available resulting in those positions
being contested.
Before you open the Ballot
During the planning stage you would have already decided how and when you would run
the ballot, if needed, and would have provisionally informed students of this during Stage
One. Now that you know that a ballot/vote needs to take place you will need to do the following;
Update the method you will be using to run the ballot, whether this is paper or online,
with the names of the candidates running in the election. Ensure that you have an accurate list of who is eligible to vote in the ballot. Inform candidates that the positions are contested and that a ballot will be taking
place. It is down to the candidates to promote themselves but the statement given in
their nomination will be provided to those eligible to vote. Candidates should be
encouraged to promote themselves online or face-to-face but all opportunities such
as lecture shout outs should be available to all candidates. Staff members should be emailed information regarding how students can cast their
vote and when voting will close. They should also be encouraged to promote this to
the students they interact with. The student cohort eligible to vote should be informed that a vote will be taken place
and be reminded of how they can cast their vote and when the ballot will close.
During the Ballot
If you are running the ballot online or over a period of a couple of days it is suggested that
you send reminders out to those eligible to vote to encourage them to participate and cast
their vote. It is up to you how you send this reminder but it is suggested that you use a variety
of communication methods such as Canvas, email, lecture shout outs and posters on notice
boards.
When you have closed the ballot/vote Once the ballot has closed you will need to process the votes cast in order to determine
which candidates have successfully been elected into the available positions. The way you
conduct the count will depend on how you ran the ballot. Both the Paper Ballot Procedure
and Survey Monkey step-by-step documents inform you of how to run the count. If you are
unsure please contact studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk. Once you have completed the count you will either have clear winners or the vote would
have resulted in an election tie. If there are clear winners then you can move onto Stage
Four: Announcing the results. If, however, the ballot has resulted in an election tie you will need to notify the Guild of
Students, via studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk, so that they can arrange for the Education
Officer at the Guild of Students to break the tie in accordance with the Election Regulations.
This rarely occurs but if it does the Guild of Students will contact you back to request
information that they need. Once the tie has been broken they will inform you and the
candidates involved of the results. You can then proceed to Stage Four.
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Stage Four: Announcing the Result
The fourth and final stage is announcing the result of the election process meaning that
candidates have successfully been elected into some, if not all, of the positions available.
Announcing to the Candidates
The candidates should be the first people that you announce the result to. How you do this is
up to you but some departments have done this by telephoning, meeting informally or
emailing the candidates the result. However you choose to inform the candidates you will need to provide successful
candidates with the following information;
They will need to complete the Data Sharing Consent Form and return it before it
can be announced to their student cohort and the Guild of Students. Provide them with a copy of their role description and information on the meetings
they will need to attend. Provide them with the contact details of key contacts such as their Staff Liaison
Contact (SLC) and the Guild of Students. Inform them that they will be contacted by the Guild of Students regarding training
and other information relating to their role. It is suggested that all this information is emailed to them if they were not initially informed of
the result via email. If the result was through a ballot then this means that you will also need to inform
unsuccessful candidates that unfortunately this time they were not elected into a role. This
can sometimes be difficult but they should be thanked for participating in the process and
encouraged to engage in the system and run for the position in the future. Data Sharing Procedure Each successful candidate will need to complete the ‘Data Sharing Consent Form’ prior to
their information being shared with the student cohort, Guild of Students and other staff
members. This will need to be completed every year regardless of whether they have
previously been a student representative or not.
Announcing to the Student Cohort
Once you have informed the candidates and successful candidates have completed their
‘Data Sharing Consent Form’ you can begin to inform the student cohort of who their
representatives are so that they can begin to provide feedback and engage in the system. This information should include the Name, Role and Student Email address of each
representative. If known, you should also include the dates of Staff Student Committees
(SSC). Once again it is down to you how you announce to the student cohort but
departments have done this by;
Emailing all relevant students Putting the information on a department notice board and including a photo of the
student representative if the representative consents to the use of a photo. On a slide at the end of a lecture and providing the representatives with an
opportunity to stand and introduce themselves Through canvas
This year they can also use a ‘Find my Rep’ function on the Guild of Students website once
the Guild of Students has been informed of who the Student Representatives are.
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Informing the Guild of Students Once the successful candidates have completed the ‘Data Sharing Consent Form’ you can
inform the Guild of Students and other staff members of who the student representatives are.
This should be completed within five working days of you knowing the results of the election
process in accordance with Election Regulations and the Data Sharing Procedure. How you inform the Guild of Students will depend on the type of student representative role. Student Representatives (Student Reps) Following the election of student representatives, once they have completed the consent
form the staff member responsible for the election, typically the Staff Liaison Contact (SLC),
will need to confirm on BIRMS who the student representatives are. How to do this is shown in
the Data Sharing Procedure. Once you have updated BIRMs you should email the Guild of Students, via
studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk, that this information has been updated on BIRMs. The Guild
of Students can then access this information via BIRMs to start informing students of training
and other information relating to their role. Just like the form this process will need to be completed annually even if the student has
previously been a student representative. Senior, School, College and Senate Student Representatives When electing students into the roles of Senior and School Student Representatives, they
should typically currently be Student Representatives. This means that the Guild of Students
will already have access to their information via BIRMs however they will not be aware that
the student has been successfully elected into one of these roles. As the Guild elect College
and Senate Representatives, there are fewer data sharing issues. Due to BIRMs only have a tick box for Student Representative and not these roles, you will
need to email the Guild of Students directly, via studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk, to inform
them of the name, student number and position that student has been elected into. They will
then update their records so that student can be appropriately trained and included in
communications specific to that role. If, however, this student is not a current student representative then you will need to
complete the data sharing procedure as if they had been elected for a student
representative position before emailing the Guild of Students to inform them that the student
have been elected into one of these positions.
Informing other staff members
Once successful candidates have completed the ‘Data Sharing Consent Form’ you will also
need to inform relevant University staff members of the representatives information. If this is the position of Student Representative, or Senior Student Representative, this would
be the Staff Liaison Contact (SLC) if they did not run the election process and any other staff
members associated with the Staff Student Committee (SSC) that the representative would
attend. If this is the position of School, College or Senate Student Representative you would need to
inform the Chair and Secretary of the relevant committees that they would attend. This
would depend on whether they represent taught or research students. If you are unsure of the committees that these representatives would attend or who you will
need to inform please contact registry or the Guild of Student by emailing
studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk.
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Guild of Student Support
The Guild of Students is responsible for the recruitment and election of College and Senate
Student Representatives. They also provide support, assistance and guidance, as part of the
partnership between the University and the Guild of Students, on the Student Representation
System. This support is available to students and staff members involved in the Student
Representation System and encompasses everything from training and regulations to the
recruitment and election process of student representatives. The type of support the Guild of Students can offer in relation to the election process is listed
below (this list is not exhaustive);
Answer any questions regarding regulations and the election process Meet with staff to run through the planning process of your student representative
elections Consult with schools and departments on their student representative recruitment
numbers Arrange for someone to attend programme induction lectures, meetings or events to
provide information to students on the Student Representation System Hold Student Representation System information sessions within your school or
department Provide information and marketing materials about the system that can be
distributed to the student cohort Provide templates, step-by-steps and useful documents that you can use for your
student representative elections Advertise information on a section of the Guild of Students website where you can
direct students and staff members to find more information about the system Assist in the setting up and running of online nominations and/or elections Assist in communicating to students who their student representatives are Ability to process votes through Open STV, if applicable, to determine successful
candidates This support is broad as the Guild of Students aims to cater support offered to the needs of
individual departments, meaning that a comprehensive list is not available.
Requesting Support
The Student Voice team, at the Guild of Students, has three Representation Coordinators
that support the Student Representation System. Each coordinator has a college that they
work with and provide support for at a local level. These Coordinators and the college
they work with are as follows;
Paul Lewis (p.lewis@guild.bham.ac.uk) works with the College of Social Sciences
(COSS) and the College of Medical and Dental Sciences (MDS) Houmaa Chaudhry (h.chaudhry@guild.bham.ac.uk) works with the College of Arts
and Law (CAL), College of Life and Environmental Sciences (LES) and the University of
Birmingham Dubai SSC Rosie Vass (r.vass@guild.bham.ac.uk) works with the College of College of
Engineering and Physical Science (EPS) and any non college-based programmes You can contact the Coordinator that works with your college directly or can contact the
team by emailing studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk or visiting the student voice office in the
Guild of Students building (O1 on the Edgbaston Campus Map).
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Handling Complaints
The Student Representation System has a complaints procedure for the recruitment and
election process of student representatives. This complaint procedure can be found on the
Student Representation Intranet Page (click here) and only applies to elections for positions
in the Student Representation System. If you have any questions about the election complaint procedure for student
representatives then please contact studentsreps@guild.bham.ac.uk.
About the Complaint Procedure
The complaints procedure takes the handling of election complaints out of the hands of
individual departments and staff that have responsibility for the operation of the recruitment
and election process of student representative and instead handles the complaints centrally. The complaints process is administered by the Student Voice team at the Guild of Students
but the decision on any complaint is made by the Student Representation System Advisory
Board (SRSAB) or a nominee of the board. This procedure also has an appeals process where
the affected party can appeal any decision made. This procedure is conducted in accordance with the Student Representation System Election
Regulations and is reviewed annually with any changes made easily assessable to every
registered student at the University of Birmingham as well as university and Guild of Students
staff members.
What you should do
Any student, this could be on the course or a candidate in the election, can raise a
complaint about the election process of their student representatives. If a student does wish
to raise such as complaint they should be directed to the complaints procedure, which can
be found on the intranet page or by requesting a copy from the Student Voice team. This procedure describes the complaint process but also includes a form which they would
need to complete and send to studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk. Once received the Student
Voice team will then process the form in accordance with the procedure and inform the
student and affected party of the result of any decision taken. If an action is taken the affected party will be informed and also be told about the appeals
process. The affected party will not be told who issued the complaint along with the
individual/group that made the decision. If a student comes to you with a complaint that does not concern the election process of
student representatives but still concerns the Student Representation System itself then
please consult with the Student Voice team within the Guild of Students by emailing
studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk, so that the complaint can be resolved to taken to
appropriate channels. If the student wants to issue a complaint that is not about the Student Representation System
then they should be directed to the appropriate University complaint channels that are
appropriate to the nature of their complaint. Staff are encouraged to avoid getting involved any discussion of the complaint or about
how the complaint was handled.
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Best Practice
The Student Representation System develops through recognised best practice from across
the University. We strongly encourage you to share any best practice you have, regarding
any aspect of the system, with other staff members involved in the system and the Guild of
Students. Through sharing best practice the system can develop in a way that has been
catered by successful engagement with students. This example has been provided by Hazel Burton (Student Engagement Project Officer) and
outlines how the College of Life and Environmental Science (LES) operates its Student
Representative elections for Undergraduate Students in the college.
In the College of Life and Environmental Science (LES) we look after the Student
Representation System for all undergraduate programmes including. This includes
organising the elections of student representative for those programmes.
Over the summer we send out information to all incoming first year students along with
their course information. This tells them about the student representation system, what
it’s about, the benefits of getting involved and when they should expect more
information.
During Welcome Week we run induction talks about the student representation system
that goes into a bit more detail about why the system, and their feedback, is so
important. We also talk more about the role itself regarding the time commitment, skills
they can develop and how it does not get in the way of their studies. During these
inductions talks we also, sometimes, invite previous student reps to talk about why they
got involved in the system and what new students should to. We also use quotes from
previous student reps in a lot of our marketing materials.
Shortly after talks and the excitement of welcome week, an email is sent out asking for
students to nominate themselves to become a rep for their course. We do this through
Survey Monkey, which asks for a short statement about why they would like to be a
rep as well as their personal information like their name and University Email address.
When nominations close, if more students are interested then the amount of positions
available a vote is done through Survey Monkey where students put candidates in
order of preference. When the election occurs we also give candidates the
opportunity to read out a short statement before the class. When the vote closes we
contact the winners and losers first and leave a bit of time before announcing it more
widely.
We then run elections for senior rep immediately after. We also run the election
process for student reps for continuing cohorts towards the end of each year
around Easter time. This is so we can have year 2, 3 or 4 reps in place before the
start of the new academic year.
The approach, taken by the College of Life and Environmental Science, in the organisation of its
Undergraduate programmes Student Representative election, is one that clearly reflects what the
new election regulations and guidance is trying to achieve across the wider system.
If departments are looking at how they run their own student representative elections I would
suggest looking at the College of Life and Environmental Science especially if you are
looking at Undergraduate programmes.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who can I talk to, in the Guild of Students, about the Student Rep System? The Education Officer leads on the Student Representation System, working closely with
Student Reps to support them in their role and can be contacted by emailing
education@guild.bham.ac.uk. The Student Voice team within the Guild of Students supports the Student Representation
System providing training and operational support such as election support. The team
comprises of three Representation Coordinators that each have a college that they work
closely with on the Student Rep System. You can contact them directly or through the
generic studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk email. Their details can be found in the ‘Guild for
Students Support’ section of this document. What support can I receive from the Guild of Students? The Guild of Students can offer a variety of support with the aim to cater any support to the
needs of individual departments to further ensure the system works for both the Students and
the Staff in that department. This support encompasses the recruitment and election of your student representatives as
well as the wider Student Representation System. Details of this support and how to contact
the Guild of Students can be found in the ‘Guild of Students Support’ section of this
document. What if a student group wants to run the student rep election? A Student Group, or Academic Society, cannot organise or administrate the recruitment and
election of Student representatives. This responsibility should remain with either University or
Guild of Students staff members to avoid any conflict of interest and ensure that the election
process is Free, Fair and Consistent. Student Groups can however assist in the promotion of your student rep elections and assist
with getting students engaged with the system as a whole. These groups should be advised
to avoid getting involved in behaviours that may be seen to endorse a particular candidate. What should I do if no one nominates themselves for the role? It is hoped that this does not regularly occur, however when it does we advise that you
contact the Student Voice team as the Guild of Students who can look at assisting in
increasing interest in the roles or providing information sessions to promote the system. When no nominations are received or you still have vacant positions you will need to reopen
nominations to fill the positions that are available. If you have restrictions on these positions it
may be worth relooking at this in order to open the position up to more students. More detail
is provided in the ‘Stage Three: Nominations’ part of this document. What happens if there is an election tie? In the event that your election results in an election tie you should contact the Guild of
Students by emailing studentreps@guild.bham.ac.uk or a member of the Student Voice
team that works with your college. When an election tie occurs the Guild of Students have a process in place where the Education
Officer breaks the tie by drawing lots. When you contact the team they will ask you for
information such as the candidate’s details in order to arrange this tie break. This does not
regularly occur but the team can provide you with the more information upon request.
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