Course Rep Training

Learning Objectives Define student experience Understand the factors affecting the student experience How to get evidence on about your course Understand your role as a rep How to be an effective course rep Have an insight into the University Structures Understand where reps sit on committees and how to get elected Recognise the importance of good communication Know where to get help

Post It Exercise What single thing would have improved your experience in the first week of this academic year? Knowing where we were supposed to be on the first day !But only something that the University could control

The Student Experience? To understand your role better we think that you need to consider what constitutes: – a poor quality student experience – an excellent quality student experience

How would you define a poor student experience?

How would you define an excellent student experience?

Key factors that affect the Student Experience The QUALITY of: The teaching on the Course The assessment and feedback The academic support The organisation and management The learning resources Personal development The environment in which you live and work The social and leisure opportunities

Small Group Exercise Looking at one of the factors affecting the student experience. Discuss and list what this means in reality?

How does the University know about the Quality of the Student Experience? National Student Survey (NSS) Surveys in the University based on NSS Focus Groups Views from Students Union Views from Course Reps! Views from students generally

National Student Survey Developed by HEFCE 1 and HEFCW 2 DEL 3 the Training Development Agency and Dept of Health Has support from NUS, NUS Wales and NUS-UIS 4 Surveys final year students in Higher Education Institutions in UK Annual survey between January and April Results published in October 1 Higher Education Funding Council for England 2 Higher Education Funding Council for Wales 3 Department for Education and Learning Northern Ireland 4 National Union of Students-Union of Irish Students

What is your role then? Taking this all into account what is your role then as a course rep? One possible answer..... To look after your course and the University making sure that it is delivering a high and even excellent quality student experience

How can you do that? Work with the Academics to make sure that Quality is maintained and improved Use evidence that is available – NSS, KIS, what are students saying? Gather evidence using research – Ask students questions, do your own survey, use social media, use post its Put forward solutions – Based on your research come up with solutions share these with students and academics Argue for improvements – Go to meetings and argue for the solutions you have come up with Campaign for change – If the solutions you have put forward are being ignored or sidelined start a campaign to get them implemented

Work with Academics to maintain and improve Quality Most Academics want their programmes to be excellent! Some however may not. – If this is the case you may want to ask yourself why, what are the causes? You will need to meet with them to discuss how to improve things

Use the evidence that is available Hard evidence exists in one useful place on the Internet called Unistats This includes the data on individual courses including: Key Information Sets (KIS) and National Student Survey (NSS) When you search for Newport click on the W(for Wales) to find University of Wales, Newport

Gather evidence using research Where you have identified an area that needs change or improvement Do your own research with students, use surveys, callouts, PostIts etc. Use that research to develop ideas with students

Case Study Evidence You are a course rep on the a BSc/BA (Hons) **** Course You have been given the NSS results for last two years Look at the NSS Results What questions might you want to ask of students/academics? Present your findings to the group and suggest solutions?

So how is the University of Wales, Newport doing? This is going to be a shocker! What was the overall student satisfaction i.e In % In %

Not all programmes are the same. The programme with highest satisfaction rating was Business and Marketing with 100% (no result in 2011) The programme with the lowest satisfaction rating was Advertising Design with 25% (92% in 2011)

Key Issue These results are important because they come from students it is not what the University itself thinks!! If your programme has poor satisfaction work with academics to improve the quality If a programme has excellent satisfaction work with academics to keep it there It can be done!!!

You can change things by working with the academics! This is what happened last year in: Photography for Fashion and Advertising! – % – % Graphic Design – % – %

How well did the Students Union Do? % overall satisfaction

Back to your role? Using what you have learnt so far and the Guide on Supporting Students Complete the exercise on whose role is it anyway?

Problem Trees Attitude of tutor to students Students get angry and frustrated Some academics do not answer s from students Some academics do not answer s from students They get too many s They get too many s Academics are demoralised Academics have too much to do Academics are not able to manage their time properly Academics are not able to manage their time properly Students think they are being ignored Students do not have answers to their questions Students do not have answers to their questions Students become demoralised Students become demoralised Poor NSS results They dont think it is important Poor communications generally Between staff and students mean many more s Poor communications generally Between staff and students mean many more s

Solution Trees Student s are answered within 48 hours Student s are answered within 48 hours Students feel Like they matter Students feel Like they matter Students feel supported Course reps meet Regularly with academics and remind them how important it is to answer s Course reps meet Regularly with academics and remind them how important it is to answer s Regular student survey on responses Regular student survey on responses Management commit to 48 hour turnaround and monitor it Management commit to 48 hour turnaround and monitor it Work is done to raise staff morale Work is done to raise staff morale Wider research done to Determine causes Wider research done to Determine causes Disciplinary action? NSS Results improve considerably NSS Results improve considerably Fewre queries take place after lectures Fewre queries take place after lectures Employ more staff? Students get answers Promptly so become better motivated Students get answers Promptly so become better motivated Weekly surgeries Where staff can answer questions face to face? Weekly surgeries Where staff can answer questions face to face? Vision Solutions Effects

Example of a Problem Tree Look at a real problem you have Create a problem tree Create a solution tree

University Structures

Meetings/Co mmittees

Rep Elections to Boards Academic Board – 1 rep from each Faculty (2) Faculty Board Education and Social Sciences – 1 rep from each school in faculty (2) Faculty Board Arts & Business – 1 rep from each school in faculty (2) Faculty User Group (Arts & Business Faculty) – 1 full time rep one part time rep (2) Validation Board – 1 rep from each faculty (2) Student Experience Committee – 1 rep from each faculty (2)

This is an Important Year!! Merger talks are under way Likely that University of Wales, Newport will merge in the next year with Glamorgan Raises huge questions about maintaining quality for existing and future students Course Reps the first line of defence!

Communicating with your students How? Make sure all of you students know that you are their rep! Noticeboard Face to face end of lectures Facebook One off events Other ideas

What to do next! Find out dates of programme meetings (if your programme has them) Find out who to contact about your Board of Study Carry out your first piece of research. Ask your students......the same question we asked when you arrived

Post It Exercise What single thing would have improved your experience in the first week of this academic year? Knowing where we were supposed to be on the first day !But only something that the University could control We need the answers back by 25 th Oct 2012

Help and Support The SU is there to support you. Verity Worthington – Education and welfare Officer – Peter Townend – Course Rep co-ordinator –