1. Supporting Representation
Dries Neirynck
Project Officer, National Postgraduate Committee
University of Bristol Postgraduate Union

2. You can look forward to an interesting session
Who are postgraduates?
What are common problems?
Why don’t postgraduates take part in representation?
How can you provide postgraduate representation?
How can we solve your problem?

3. There is no typical postgraduate
Wide variety of courses
Research, taught programmes
Wide variety of students
Variety of delivery mechanisms
Part-time, distant, modular, …
Wide variety of courses:
Research degrees
PhD,
EngD (co-operation with industry)
NewRoutePhD (transferable & professional skills)
MRes
Taught degrees
MA, MSc
Vocational courses: PGCE
Conversion courses
Wide variety of delivery mechanisms
Full-time
Part-time
Distance students
Modular courses
Wide variety of students
Mature
First degree
Often with previous work experience
More international students (fees issues)
Familiarity with institution
More critical: older, experience from somewhere else, professional experience, paying more

4. To give you an idea of academic issues PGs have:
Problems with supervisor
Problems with course quality
The supervisor from a mature research student is moving to an institution abroad
A group of Master students didn’t get feedback from the first essay before the second was due
Problems with UK academic culture
Problems with facilities and provisions
Look up the example issues from previous training sessions
Research students:
the relationship with the supervisor
viva problems
Semi-staff nature
Taught students
Course quality: contact hours, library
UK Academic culture
Taking responsibility for your own progress
Value own initiative
Plagiarism
But also: new to representation structures!
Facilities and provisions
Access to desk and lab space for research students
Accommodation
Security when working late
Provision outside term time
Social provisions for postgraduates, mature students

5. To give you an idea of welfare issues PGs might have
Issues with funding and finances
New environment and increased work pressure leading to isolation
Language and cultural barriers for international students
Particular needs of part-time, mature, distant students
Funding and Finances
Research postgraduates being asked to teach
New environment:
Need for information!
Increased work pressure
PG courses: personal responsibility, academically more demanding
taught students: knowledge to acquire in short time period,
research: uncertainty+time pressure
Isolation
Research students: small group or on their own in library, arriving any time during the academic year
Language and cultural barriers
Part-time students
Access to facilities
Mature students
Distant students
Access to information

6. Institution and students’ union need to take a lead
Lack of participation should not be confused with lack of interest in representation
My waffle about the paradox:
Clear need for representation
Wide variety of students on a wide variety of courses with a variety of delivery mechanisms: wide variety of problems!
In bad position to take part:
new to institution, perhaps new to Union system, huge academic workload, financial investment that has to pay off
Unions and institution don’t see pgs taking part and assume they are happy
Taking a lead:
Provide a platform for PG input
Survey and feedback mechanisms
Increase awareness of PG issues amongst staff and officers
Continuity of the system
Institution and students’ union need to take a lead

7. Representatives may not be the best way of representing
“Widening representation”
Reps are not the best way of representing
Variety of students and problems: often on an (almost) individual level
Input from people that can’t attend the meeting
(related unrelated problems of efficiency of meetings)
Widening representation
beyond young, full-time, funded research students
Enabling everyone to take part

8. The NPC is here to help With issues in your local institution
By giving you a voice when problems surpass your local institution
Local issues:
Network for sharing of ideas and good practice
Resource folder
National issues:
Issues that surpass the local level:
Funding and finances,
Input in national and international policy: Guidelines, codes of practice and policy responses (QAA)

9. Pointers to practical help:
Resource folder:
Guidelines, codes of practice, policy responses, etc.
Advice and support from the General Secretary:
Mailing lists:

10. What problems do you have?
schorem aantrekken
schorem ondersteunen
klappenatie
deelname in bestaande
geestige dingen
iedereen betrekken

11. Ensuring PG input Find an open platform where everyone can contribute
Allow people that can’t attend meetings to have a say
Ensure UG reps have an awareness of PG issues
back

12. Increasing PG involvement in your students’ union
Organise a PG specific induction programme
Make officers and committee members aware of postgraduates needs
Provide activities outside undergraduate term time
Expand Union activities to PG territory
back

13. Hints on recruitment of representatives
Work via socials and welfare
Involve people socially with committee members beforehand
Consider elections at the beginning of the academic year
back

14. Give your reps the necessary support
provide training
do the practical work
allow and encourage job-sharing
keep it relevant and efficient
make small contributions easy
back

15. Tips on communicating with postgraduates
dedicated web-site
mailing list
newsletter
forums (on-line, real life)
use existing structures: grad schools, departmental staff, accommodation, course reps
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16. The Successful Postgraduate Social Scene David Bean,
2 p.m.
The Successful Postgraduate Social Scene
David Bean,
NPC Project Officer
Director of Student Development and Activities, University of St Andrews Students Association
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