Student Academic Representative (StARs) Scheme Training Please sign the register and take a seat

What today’s session will cover StARs scheme at London Met  Welcome & Ice-breaker  Quality Assurance  Role of a StAR?  Advice and support  Make yourself known  Feedback  Identifying & dealing with issues  Course Committee meetings  Campaigning and taking action  Communication hints and tips  Evaluation Form

Ice-breaker!  Form a circle in alphabetical order of the town or city you were born in  Introduce yourself to the group and state name, course and town/city  State why you decided to become a StAR?

StARs: Getting Started  University expects faculties to have StARs for each year of each course  During weeks 1-3 the Course Leader facilitate the election of a StARs, typically one per course per year.  StARs to attend Course Committee meetings and liaise with Course Leaders and other academics throughout the year  2-5 Faculty StARs per faculty elected to the Student Council

Benefits for YOU  Improve University – make a difference & help others  Chance to improve academic standards and teaching that you experience  Training and skills development  Networking  Potential references from University and Students’ Union  CV enhancement Benefits for the University  Courses closely linked to student input  Chance to improve academic standards  Chances to learn from students  Find out what’s wrong before it all goes wrong  Improve what we do – you said / we did StARs

Quality Assurance Agency  The QAA is a quality ‘Watchdog’ which ensures that courses delivered in UK Universities were of an appropriate standard and that a good quality education was being offered  The Quality Enhancement Unit at London Met is there to keep the Universities Quality Framework and work to make sure the high quality of teaching  The Quality Enhancement Unit are VERY keen to work with StARs from all faculties of London Met. StARs provide some of the most useful feedback  Catherine Connor, Head of Quality Enhancement Unit

StARs: Advice and support  StARs Handbook  Students’ Union website:  NUS Connect Course Rep website: engagement/courserephub/  QAA/NUS Quality Matters website (includes on-line training)  London Met Metranet (for faculty and University information)

StARs: Contacts  Students’ Union faculty attached Sabbatical officers:  CASS & LGIR Syed Rumman  FLSC & LMBS Wasim Javed  FSSH Adnan Pavel  Students’ Union staff:  Eddie Rowley, Liaison & Quality Coordinator  Mark Crowhurst, General Manager  Faculty StAR staff contact points:  LGIR - Alan Wilkinson  LMBS - Peter Wynarczyk  CASS - Cecile Tschirhart  FLSC - Peter Chalk  FSSH - Sheila Lodge

1. What is the role of a StAR? Understand the role of a StAR Session Activity

Role of a StAR To represent students views and opinions on all matters relating to teaching and learning in an effort to continuously improve the student learning experience in partnership with the institution and Students’ Union.  Identify issues on the ground  Raise issues and concerns with Faculty  Notify course mates or developments and opportunities  Provide feedback (positive and negative) to Faculty  Build strong working-relationship with Course Leader etc

Making yourself known How can you make yourself know as a StAR for your course?

Making yourself known  Introduce yourself to your class mates and make regular announcements in class ‘lecture shout-outs’  Collect the names and s of the student on your course and them  Join StARs AT LONDON MET face-book group  Carry out a survey or questionnaire to find out what students think  Ask in your Faculty if you can use a notice board or part of a notice board to publicise yourself  Communicate information your receive from the Students’ Union, University, National Union of Students (NUS) and other external student focused organisations  Install a suggestions box in your Faculty office (ask first)  Make friends and work in partnership with other StARs in your faculty  Communicate with the StARs doing the same course as you but in different years, work together!

Making yourself known How can you make yourself known as a StAR?

Feedback What areas could you feedback on?

Feedback What areas could you feedback on?  Teaching on the course  Assessments (exams and coursework)  Academic feedback from lecturers  Academic support  Learning resources (such as the Library, Weblearn)  Organisation and management of your course / University experience  Personal development  Mitigating circumstances / appeals  General University Services  Student welfare issues

2. Identifying Issues Criteria to identify what is an issue: 1. Is it widely felt? 2. Is it strongly felt? 3. Is it winnable? Here are a few potential issues:  Quality of lectures  Issue with a specific lecturer  Issue with feedback  Issue with Library resources  Issue with rooming Session Activity – handout 2

3. Dealing with issues In each of your groups, spend 5-10 minutes discussing one of the issues you have identified 1. What are your first steps you might you take to tackle this issue? 1. What would you do then? Work together to come up with a simple action plan to dealing with this issue Session Activity

Other ways you can get the Uni to listen  Course Committee Meetings  Module evaluation  Informal discussion with senior academic staff  Ask for a formal meeting  or write a letter  Petition or open letter  Surveys  Students’ Union  NSS and other Uni surveys

Course Committee Structure  Course Committees usually meet x2 a semester  2 or 3 StARs usually attend  Course Leader is the chair  Consider teaching and administrative issues surrounding the course  Should consider student issues and concerns  Library and others external to the dept may be present  Quality coordinator may attend  Minutes are included in Course Logs and should be reviewed by Faculty managers

Before the Course Committee meeting:  Meet Course Leader beforehand so they can let you know what to expect  Read the agenda  Make sure you have identified the issues you wish to raised and have feedback from your class mates to back it up  If you have an complicated issue to raise or and have research/evidence to produce e.g. survey, s from course mates send them to the Course Leader before the committee meeting so they have a chance to digest the issue.  Liaise with other StARs who may attend (ask you Course Leader to put you in touch or look on the SU website)  Speak to your Faculty Sabbatical Officer, ask them to come along with you  Makes sure you know where the meeting is and be on time. Being late will not help your cause!

During the Course Committee meeting:  Listen  Raise you issues clearly and concisely  Present any evidence you have  Don’t be confrontational, work in partnership  Take notes, ask for clarification if you are not sure what is being said  Remembers to note down action points  If you don’t understand a term used, ask!  At the end of the meeting clarify the decisions taken and when they are to be actioned (this prevents drift)  Confirm the date of the next meeting. Request a follow-up meeting to deal with a specific issues if required.  Make sure the Secretary has your

After the Course Committee meeting:  If other StARs present have a debrief straight away  Write up you notes and action points right away  Feedback to your course mates and the Students’ Union ASAP  If you are not happy with the conduct of the meeting then speak to another academic in your faculty and express your concern  Provide any constructive criticism you have of the committee to the Faculty

Campaigning & taking action Sometimes you may have a widely felt, deeply felt and winnable issue which you can’t make any real progress on. In this situation you may decide to launch a campaign and take some action. What steps you take in this situation?

Campaigning & taking action Contact and work with the Students’ Union, who have the resources to run an effective campaign. Running campaigns and taking action is a whole topic in its own right, but here are a few hints:  Use SMART targets!  Gather data. Learn the reasoning for the decision, always remain open- minded.  Ask Student Reps on board of Governors, Academic Board etc to formally raise the issue  Read and critique the rationale for the decision you are campaigning against. Can you successfully challenge the (business) case  Organise meetings  campaign  Use social networking: facebook, twitter etc  Work with allies: Other StARs, academics, NUS, Students, other Students’ Unions, Local MPs, Staff Unions (UNISON, UCU - is there common ground?)  Press and Media  Lobbies and protests

Any questions? Contact details: