1. Student conference Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October 2014

2. Student representation project market research Market research conducted with over 600 students between February and April 2014: Focus groups with 108 students at each of the academic partners An online survey with 472 students across the UHI academic partners: –302 higher education students –170 further education students A hard copy survey with 37 short course students Reports from all the market research available at www.uhi.ac.uk/studentvoicewww.uhi.ac.uk/studentvoice

3. Key findings from the focus groups Location is the key reason students choose to study at UHI, followed by course Vast majority of students happy with their course and academic partner Challenges around relatively few organised social activities, lack of accommodation and meeting other students Students are aware of a number of ways to raise any concerns they have Students aware there are class representative but not clear about their role Students’ associations not readily mentioned as a place for students to raise concerns Students believe it is important to be able to voice their opinions – but need to be convinced that things change as a result

4. Key findings from the online survey Areas of the student experience students want to influence most: –The course (75%) –Quality of teaching (75%) –Course delivery (67%) 89% of students agree they have people they can talk to if they have concerns Who students turn to if they are unhappy about their course or institution: –Lecturer (51%) –Tutor (51%) –Personal academic tutor (49%) 59% of students strongly agree that they have a say in how their institution is run but 39% agree or tend to agree that current feedback mechanisms could work better What barriers prevent students from commenting on their course or institution: –Nothing (34%) –Too busy (19%) –Never/rarely at campus (distance learning students) (16%) –Don’t know who to turn to (11%) and don’t know the class representative (8%)

5. Key findings from the online survey How much do students know about student representation: –A great deal (14.40%) –A fair amount (30.90%) –Not very much (37.90%) –Nothing at all (13.80%) What aspects of student representation are most important to students: –Class reps let staff know our feedback on the course (59%) –Class reps let us know what is happening with our feedback (52%) –Students reps make staff aware of problems with facilities (46%) –Student reps influence key decisions and policies (31%) How should class representatives and student officers collect views from other students: –Class meetings (58%) –Student surveys (48%) –Email (39% - but only 25% amongst further education students) –Course meetings (35%)

6. Key findings from the online survey How interested are students in being a student representative? –Very interested (16%) –Fairly interested (18%) –Not very interested (30%) –Not at all interested (30%) What would encourage students to be a student representative? –Knowing I am helping other students (44%) –Being able to influence student life (36%) –Development employment skills (36%) Why do students vote – or not vote – at student elections? –I vote (32%) –Don’t know enough about the students standing for election (30%) What would encourage students to vote at student elections? –Seeing something change from feedback (54%) –Knowing what happens from feedback (44%) –Knowing what the students’ association has achieved (29%)

7. Key findings from the online survey What are the best ways to get information to students? –Student email (70%) –Lecturer/tutor (53%) –Personal email (39%) –Blackboard (32%) What should an ideal students’ association do? –Improve learning and teaching (57%) –Improve learning resources and facilities (53%) –Ensure the student voice influences decisions (52%) –Make the system of student representation work well (50%) –Provide advice, services and campaigns to help student welfare and student wellbeing (49%) –Work with students in other academic partners to improve the student experience (48%) How would students improve the system of representation? –Improve the marketing of class representatives and elections (38%) –Increase the visibility of class representatives (14%) What would encourage students to take more interest in student representation? –More information on student representation (41%) –Communicate what actions have been taken on student issues (31%)

8. Student representation project mapping exercise Students’ associations – the current situation UHISA represents higher education students across the UHI academic partnership Subject Network Student Officers (SNSOs) inform the development of courses across subject networks for higher education Students’ associations represent further and higher education students at six of the thirteen academic partners Variations in salaries and terms and conditions for student officers: –Total salaries across the UHI academic partnership in the region of £73,000 Variations in block grants to students’ associations: –Total block grant across the UHI academic partnership in the region of £94,000 Evidence indicates that salaries to student officers and block grants to students’ associations are below the average for colleges and universities in Scotland

9. Student representation project mapping exercise Student input into how the university and academic partners are run UHISA: –UHISA President a member of Court and the Further Education Regional Board –UHISA President and UHISA officers sit on sub-committees of Court and University committees Further Education Student Representative 2013-14: –Further Education Student Representative was a member of Court and Further Education Regional Board in 2013-14 but role was isolated from UHISA or students’ associations at academic partners UHI Academic Partners: –Students are members of the Board of Management, or equivalent, at nine of the thirteen academic partners Variations in training and support for students sitting on committees Time commitment for students sitting on committees No mechanisms to help students in different academic partners to work together

10. Student representation project mapping exercise Student representation Established systems for class, course or year student representatives but practices vary across the UHI academic partnership Mechanisms in place for students to inform learning and teaching but practices vary across the UHI academic partnership Examples of good practice across the UHI academic partnership: –Students training class representatives and quality of training materials –Supporting the class representatives to canvas the views of their fellow students The challenges going forward: –“Levelling-up” of practices around student representation across the UHI academic partnership –Communicating the importance of the class representative role to students and staff –Communicating that the student voice can make a difference –Communicating what happens as a result of student feedback –Sharing good practice across the UHI academic partnership –Making sure student representation works well and informs both local and regional decisions –Getting more students involved