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Welcome from Hertfordshire Students’ Union Thank you so much for your support for the Student Representation system at the University of Hertfordshire! Student Reps are an essential mechanism in the representation system of any University – I’m proud of the accomplishments that our students are able to enjoy as a result of the successful partnership between the University and the Students’ Union, and our commitment as an institution to improving the student experience at Hertfordshire. The role of Student Rep is a rewarding opportunity for students. It allows them to shape their experience at University and has the potential to equip them with an impressive skillset that stands out in the increasingly competitive graduate job market, and reflects the university Graduate Attributes. Student Representatives are an important dynamic in both the University and the Students’ Union’s structures, and enables both parties to hear the un-moderated, honest views of students from a cross-section of the University’s student population. Student Reps are the few students who are not only recipients of education at University – but also have the power to continuously improve it, alongside key academic staff. As a Rep, students are also encouraged to attend the Students’ Union’s Student Ideas Forum – a council structure in which students can bring forward ideas that will improve their student life, as well as hold the 5 full-time elected officers (myself included!) to account, making sure that we’re working on what really matters to them. Being a Rep is a rewarding experience, but it can be even more so if they take advantage of the services that the Students’ Union has to offer. From training on how to chair meetings & present to groups of people, to providing a meeting space and one-on-one mentoring – it’s well worth them coming along to the SU reception in the Hutton Hub on College Lane, and in the Atrium on de Havilland, and checking out what’s on offer. All of this is free, and forms part of our commitment to helping Reps to achieve as much as possible. The Students’ Union is an independent body from the University of Hertfordshire, and we’re proud that our staff are student-focused in everything they do – so please get in touch whenever you need us, and help us to help your students! I’d like to once again thank you for your commitment to the Student Reps system, without the continuing support from staff across the university, the work our enthusiastic Student Representatives do would not be possible. Here’s to yet another successful year! Jack Amos President

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Welcome from the University At the University of Hertfordshire, students and the student experience are central to what we do and who we are. An important way to engage with our students is through the Student Rep System. Student Reps provide us with an invaluable account of what life is like on their course and they are also a vital way of communicating with students about what’s happening and the outcomes of any issues they’ve raised. I would be grateful if you could ensure your Student Reps continue to feel welcome and valued at Programme Committee meetings and carry on working with them, in a spirit of partnership, to discuss and resolve any issues they raise. Thank you for your continued commitment to improving the student and staff experience here at the University of Hertfordshire. Professor Ian Campbell Deputy Vice Chancellor

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Introduction Hello and welcome to the Student Representative system at the University of Hertfordshire. This handbook aims to provide ideas and guidelines to recruit, inform and support Student Reps, in order to develop a strong and effective two-way relationship between the University and its Reps.

The Student Representative system at the University of Hertfordshire (UH) has a key part to play, both in terms of the quality assurance process at the University and also through maximising the student experience. It creates a forum for students to express their opinions on the issues which impact on their group and individual learning experiences. Working in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire, we aim to coordinate an effective system to ensure quality representation and the exchange and dissemination of information amongst relevant departments within the University and Students’ Union. We feel that it is important to raise awareness of the Student Rep system from the start of the academic year, encouraging students to take an active role in the quality assurance process of their degree course. The Research and Representation Team at the Students’ Union works in partnership with the University to ensure that we have a fully effective and active Student Rep system in place.

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Student Representation at UH Every year, at least one Student Representative must be elected per programme per year. The number of Student Reps elected can vary according to the size of the course. Larger courses can nominate and elect more than one student if needed. The Student Representation and Engagement Group encourage the following ratios: Less than 100 students = two Student Reps; More than 100 students = three Student Reps. School Student Representative Organisers (SSROs) are appointed to coordinate Student Reps and their activities throughout their time at the University of Hertfordshire. They are paid an honorarium for the work they carry out. The SSRO role is not a representative role – student representation is carried out by the Reps. Student Reps are advised to raise all concerns at Programme Committee or Staff/Student Liaison Committee meetings and any persistent concerns can be raised with the Students’ Union.

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What is a Student Rep? Student Reps represent the views, questions and experiences of fellow students on their course to the University and Students’ Union. They provide a link between staff and students.

Student Reps should ideally be pro-active students. Student Reps will be faced with a wide range of issues concerning the day-to-day running of their programme. They will feed into the running and development of their programme. Student Reps are in position to defend and help improve the academic experience for students at UH.

Student Reps should:

• Promote their role to students on their programme; • Be approachable and contactable within their programme; • Seek student views and issues and identify areas of concern; • Attend Programme Committees and other relevant meetings; • Work with University and Student Union staff to make change; • Feed back to students on their work and outcomes and issues discussed at meetings.

What can we learn from Student Reps? The positive partnership between staff and students offers a means for the improvement of the student experience at the University. It begins by creating an ethos of enthusiasm and progress with regards to the Student Rep system, as well as acknowledging the crucial role staff play in fostering effective student representation in their respective school.

Student Reps need the forum of the Programme Committee or Student/Staff Liaison Committee to let members of the programme team know how they feel about the way in which the programme is being run or about university life in general. They can also help gather student opinion and pass on messages to students.

Finally, it is important to recognise how beneficial the system is for every student who studies at UH and especially the value of the personal development of those representing their peers.

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Student Rep elections

Elections for Level 5 and 6 Reps should take place before the end of the previous academic year and the details provided to the Students’ Union.

Elections for Level 4 Reps should take place as close to the first week of the academic year as possible but should not take place in induction week to avoid information overload.

It is important that the students in each level/cohort elect their Student Representatives so they can choose the most appropriate candidate who will have the support of his/her fellow students. It would be best if a consistent and fair election process be used throughout the school, a show of hands or ballot is the norm. However it is appreciated that this does not always happen as there may only be one person who puts themselves forward or volunteers to do it because no-one else is willing.

Ways of persuading the students to get involved include talking about the benefits of being a Student Rep to the individual and how it will add to their CV giving them opportunities to develop. Here are some simple ways to get students interested in becoming a Student Rep:

• Using notice boards and other prominent places to display materials promoting the role (the Students’ Union can provide you with these);

• Using lectures to introduce and promote the system to all students. It is particularly useful if this can be done during the students’ first lecture;

• Encouraging all staff within the school to emphasise the importance the role that the Student Rep system can make to the student experience at the University. In particular the opportunity it creates for students to get their voices heard, to raise issues relevant to the student experience as well as the skills and benefits that it offers to those who take on the role of Student Rep.

Please note: a representative from the Students’ Union, either an Elected Officer or a member of permanent staff, would be willing to attend lectures at the beginning of the year to explain the role.

Guidance sheets, including how to conduct elections, are available on the SU website – hertfordshire.su/reps

If you have any other ideas on how we could improve the recruitment of Representatives or would like to share information about the practice in your school, we would really like to hear from you!

Following election, please ensure that the details for all Student Reps are submitted to the Students’ Union, either online through the Students’ Union’s website or physically using the Student Rep details sheet within your accompanying recruitment pack.

Please also ensure that Student Reps are elected to your School Academic Committee (SAC). SSROs are not representatives and so it is not appropriate for them to attend these meetings. SSROs should organise an election from the current pool of Student Reps to attend this meeting.

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Supporting Student Representatives Supporting Student Reps is not only vital, but highly beneficial to you. Due to their proximity to their peers on the programme, Reps are able to gather feedback that is hugely vital; addressing any concerns or issues that students raise with their Reps can massively increase student satisfaction within your programme. Over the next two pages you will see advice on how to support your Student Reps.

Resources

• Please ensure that Student Reps have adequate physical resources such as access to a noticeboard and printing and copying services.

• You may want to provide Student Reps with the most recent NSS scores for your school as well as any action plans and other documents that you think will provide Reps with some background information coming into their role.

• Student Reps will likely benefit from being introduced to your School Administrator, in order to send emails or newsletters to students on their programme.

• It may be beneficial to have a key contact within your school or department who is responsible for liaising with Student Reps; ensure that Reps are introduced to and know the contact details for their contact.

Meetings Please remember that some Student Reps may never have been in a formal meeting situation. Because of this, attempts should be made to ensure that the Rep feels comfortable, informed and involved in the meeting.

• Before the meeting, inform them of the date, time and location. Provide them with the minutes of the previous meeting so that they are aware of any ongoing issues and ensure that they are sent a copy of the agenda for that meeting. Meet with Reps to go through the papers and what is going to happen at the meeting.

• During the meeting, ensure that introductions take place so that Student Reps know

who staff are and vice versa. Please exercise patience and explain meeting structures to Reps as you work through the agenda. Avoid using, or at least explain, any University ‘buzzwords’ or acronyms.

• After the meeting, keep Student Reps updated by ensuring that they receive a copy

of the minutes. It may be worth sending a follow-up email reporting on the progress of action points discussed at meetings. Keep Reps updated of meeting dates throughout the year.

Please note, School Academic Committees should be attended by Student Reps, elected by their colleagues within the school – SSROs are not representatives, therefore it is not appropriate for them to attend these meetings in place of representatives.

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Students’ Union Although we attempt to engage with all Student Reps, we understand that some Student Reps feel more engaged within their school than the Students’ Union. With this in mind, we would appreciate it if you could make your Student Reps aware of the resources, training and development opportunities available from the Students’ Union.

• Ensure that Student Reps have been made aware of the library of resources, such as the Student Rep handbook and information sheets, available to them on the Students’ Union’s website at http://hertfordshire.su/representation/ (follow the links for ‘Student Reps’).

• Make them aware that they can contact the Students’ Union at any time for support. Contact details for the Students’ Union’s Research and Representation Team can be found on page 10 of this handbook.

• In your recruitment pack you should have received information on “Repstival” – the Student Rep Conference. This kick-starts the year for Student Reps, leading training for both new and returning Reps, and the Rep Development Scheme. Please ensure that Student Reps are aware of these training and development sessions and keep an eye on their emails for dates and times of sessions.

For any further information or guidance on the support offered by the Students’ Union for Reps, please don’t hesitate to contact us using the contact details in this handbook. Non-academic issues

Persistent non-academic issues or problems that remain unresolved after attempts to deal with them should be reported to the Students’ Union who will then take on these problems with the relevant department. These measures have been suggested in order to alleviate the problem of issues becoming ‘stagnated’ and remaining unresolved year-after-year. Student Reps are advised by the Students’ Union to avoid dealing with any personal issues faced by students, and to direct them to the Students’ Union’s Advice and Support Centre. Please support in this us by contacting the Research and Representation Team at the Students’ Union if your Student Reps begin to spend time on students’ personal issues.

Dealing with Student Reps Please remember that Student Reps are volunteers and are dedicating their spare time to helping other people in their group. Any recognition for that would be appreciated such as a get-together at the end of term or special thanks at the end of the year.

If students are unhappy with the Rep’s performance, it is only the students in the programme who can call the Rep to account. They can do this by proposing a vote of no confidence (VNC). If you or a student within the group has concerns about the Student Rep or their work, please contact the Research and Representation Team at the Students’ Union.

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What is an SSRO? A School Student Rep Organiser (SSRO) provides support and guidance to the Student Reps who are representing fellow students at programme level within their school. They are an important link between the school and the Students’ Union. SSROs promote student engagement by encouraging fellow students to complete student feedback questionnaires and by relaying the outcomes of such surveys to the student body.

What do SSROs do? The main role of SSROs is to coordinate the elected Student Reps and their activities for their respective schools and programmes. They are the link between:

i. University of Hertfordshire Staff and the Student Reps; ii. Hertfordshire Students’ Union and the Student Reps.

They are also there to encourage the Student Reps to pursue their duties and to help them be effective in voicing the views of the students. The key objectives of SSROs can be summed up:

• Promote the Student Rep system and student engagement in the system. • Support Student Reps in their role and coordinate the work of Reps in their school. • Attend meetings, providing the link between Reps, the Students’ Union and the

school/university. SSROs are expected to spend seven hours per week carrying out their duties. SSROs receive £1000 for their work over the year, paid in two £500 instalments subject to a positive appraisal.

How are SSROs appointed? The appointment process for SSROs involves both the schools of study and the Students’ Union. Applications are made through a form on the Students’ Union website (a paper form is also available). Once all applications have been received, a panel consisting of representatives from the school and a representative from the Students’ Union will shortlist and interview applicants, before appointing an SSRO. The role of School Student Rep Organisers is not representative and these students should be not be used for this function.

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Hertfordshire Students’ Union Hertfordshire Students’ Union is the independent voice of students studying at the University of Hertfordshire. The aim of the Students’ Union is to make student life incredible for those at UH. We do this by representing and providing services to students. As well as representing students within their programme and the University, we also campaign on both a local and national scale. Elected Officers

Students’ Union Research and Representation Team General enquiries reps@hertfordshire.su Lee Dudding Research and Representation Coordinator

l.dudding@herts.ac.uk 01707 286151

Scott Grace Research and Representation Manager

s.grace2@herts.ac.uk 01707 286485

Paired Schools

Jack Amos President e: president@hertfordshire.su t: 01707 285004 Twitter: @HertsSUJack

Education Law

Grainne O’Monghain Vice President Democracy & Services e: vp.services@hertfordshire.su t: 01707 285007 Twitter: @HertsSUGrainne

Hertfordshire Business Humanities Joint Honours students

Rana Omer Farooq Vice President Education & Welfare e: vp.welfare@hertfordshire.su t: 01707 285003 Twitter: @HertsSURana

Creative Arts Physics, Astronomy & Mathematics

Brad Johnson Vice President Communications & Media e: vp.comms@hertfordshire.su t: 01707 285005 Twitter: @HertsSUBrad

Engineering & Technology Life & Medical Sciences

Annabel Mabin Vice President Student Activities e: vp.activities@hertfordshire.su t: 01707 285006 Twitter: @HertsSUAnnabel

Computer Science Health & Social Work