1

2

3

IntroductionHey, congratulations! You have successfully completed training and now enter the exciting, and at times, challenging world of being a course rep.

I look forward to spending the academic year working alongside you. Please use me as a point of call if you get confused or just want guidance with dealing with any issues. Don’t forget, I am also available for your own academic issues so drop me an email or pop in the office rather than panic on your own. If your finding it hard to organise your time, let me know and we could work around both your studies and being a course rep.

Other than that, I am here to read your feedback forms, and use these to argue for a better quality of learning and teaching. We will work together on closing the loop between students and staff, running campaigns and talking to students more than ever before.

I look forward to our year ahead!

Libby Farrier-WilliamsVP Education & RepresentationVPEducation@su.ntu.ac.uk

What it means to be a Course Rep:

The role of the Course Reps is to voice the opinions & feedback of their respective cohort. They will also be able to communicate to each other via an online forum, which will be monitored for any issues that arise. Course committee meetings are their chance to voice their feedback, and therefore, essential to their role. There are 1-3 Course Reps, per year, per course, depending on the size of the cohorts. They are in role from December to December, with a handover period with the previous course representatives.

4

Contents

4 Introduction

6 Key Contacts

7 Where do Course Reps fit in?

8 Your role

9 The Feedback Loop and benefits to you

10 What you do as a Course Rep

11 New this year

12 Not new this year

13 FAQs

14 Top 10 tips

15 Key dates 2013-2014

5

Key ContactsYour Dean:

Your Academic Course Leader:

Student Advice:

SAC@su.ntu.ac.uk

Libby Farrier-Williams VP Education & Representation:

VPEducation@su.ntu.ac.uk0115 848 2915

Fiona McFarlane Course Rep Co-ordinator:

coursereps@su.ntu.ac.uk0115 838 83379

Your School Reps:

6

7

NTSU NTU

SchoolRep

CourseRep

Regular Meetings

School Fora

Feedback to VPEducation &Representation

Course Committeemeetings, Course Leader

Course Rep Forums and Monthly Feedback Forms

Feedback to School Reps

Students

ProvideFeedback

Where do Course Reps fit in with NTU & NTSU?

8

Your role with students:

• Gatherfeedback.

• Discussissuesandtrytofindoutacausallinktotheoverall issue. e.g. a student finds their lectures boring, if so how would they like to be taught.

• Alwaysactintheirbestinterest,notbeingbiasofyourownwishes.

• Closethefeedbackloop.Tellthemwhatdifferencesyourmaking.

Your role with academic staff:

• Providethemfeedback.TheyWANTtohearfromyou.

• Askquestions,youwon’tlookstupid.

• Raisequeries.

• Beprepared.

• Considerwhatyourpeerswouldthinkofthesedecisions.

Your role with NTSU (VP Education):

• Providemefeedbackonwhatstudentswantandhowyour meetings are going.

• Justpopintheofficeordropmeanemailifyouwantachat.

• Letmeknowifyouhaveaheavyworkloadandneedextra support.

• Askforsupportifyouwanttoputanargumenttogether appropriately.

Your role

Benefitstoyou:• ImproveyourCVbydevelopingskills,suchasadvocacy, representation and leadership

• GettheNationallyrecognisedLeadershipaward.Goto trentstudents.org/leadership

• Networkandmeetnewpeople

• Makearealdifferencetoyourstudentexperience

How you rolefits in with thefeedback loop

9

10

What you do as aCourse Rep• Attendcoursecommittees,every4-6weeksandraiseissues.

• AttendcourseforumswithVPEducationanddiscussissues with other course reps.

• Meetupwithyourschoolrepstoensurewhatyouwantis being fed through all the systems.

• Beanactiverepinfeedbackweek.Campaigntostudentsfor their feedback.

• TALK,TALK&TALKtostudentsonyourcourse.

• 3courserepswillbeaskedeachtimetowriteapieceforthe academic newsletter.

• Providemonthlyonlinefeedbackforms (these can be found at trentstudents.org/coursereps)

TipsonG.O.A.Ting(GoingOutAndTalkingtostudents)

• Introduceyourselfinlectures/seminars/coursetutorials.

• UseaFacebookgroupormakeone.

• Makepollsandquicksurveysforpeopletodoandadvertise them on social media or through your tutors.

• Makesurepeopleknowhowtocontactyou.

• Produceformsyoucangiveoutinlecturesandcollectthem at the end.

• Tryandbecreativeandthinkwhatworksbestforyourcourse.

New this year...The Academic Newsletter

• Thereare5intheyear.

• Forfree,theytellstudentswhatyouaredoingandwhat changes are being made.

• Whenyourschoolisfeatured,youcanwriteashort200- 300 word summary of the changes your making or what excites you the most.

Feedback Week

• Adayineachschoollearningzone.

• Achancetogooutandapproachstudentsandfindouttheir views.

• Anopportunitytogatherasurveyforanychangesyouwant to see.

Monthly Online Forms

• Monthlyfeedbackformsontrentstudents.org/coursereps

• Thedeadlineisthe6thofeverymonth.

11

Not new this year...Meetings

• Every4-6weeksyouhaveacommitteemeetingthatyouare invited to attend.

• Shareyourfeedbackfromstudentsandgiveyouropinionto ideas they suggest.

• Bepreparedandreadtheagendaandanynoteswithit.(You don’t want to look lazy).

• Beloud,beconstructivewithyouropinionandmakesureitis heard. They invite you to attend because they want to listen to you. I promise, you won’t look stupid.

• Tryandgowithevidence!Youdon’twanttowait6weeksto discuss it again.

• Trynottobebiased,yourrepresentingyourcohort.

• RemembertheUnderrepresentedgroups.

12

FAQs

Q: Can we not have lectures on a Thursday?

A: Not all 27,000 students are at Ocean. This will NEVER happen.

Q: When will my exam timetable appear?

A: Report the number of people that say this so we have evidence to give.

Q: Can my timetable not be so spread out?

A: NTU try every year, you can try and put it forward but it’s pretty impossible.

Q: Can we have more feedback from tutors?

A: Find out what they would like to see in their feedback and report it.

Q: Can our tutors get to know us more?

A: Write down what they want from tutors. Eg. More contact hours?

Remember: delve deeper into issues.

13

Top 10 tips

1. Time management It will all get done, but not all at once.

2. BeRepresentative Your there for everyone on your course, don’t forget!

3. BeConfidentinyourOpinion You’re probably right but you need to be sure of it if they are to be.

4. Bewillingtolisten Other people may have other opinions and it should be respected.

5. Enhance you CV Take this unique opportunity to make yourself stand out from the crowd when you graduate.

6. Eat Healthy and Exercise three times a week A healthy lifestyle is a healthy brain! Your find you will get loads more done.

7. Network Use this opportunity to meet as many people as possible, both students and staff.

8. Ask for help! Staff at NTU and I, are happy to help but we can’t without you asking,

9. GetinvolvedinallNTSU/NTUoffer Volunteering, sport, ents, or a society; make you Uni experience all it can be.

10. Don’t forget your degree It’s why you’re at Uni, so please make it a priority!

14

15

Key dates 2013-2014

Date(Week Commencing)

Notes(Day and time slot)

25th November

3rd February

28th April

Dates Notes (Which date is your school)

25th November3rd February10th March14th April19th May

Dates Location Notes

27th November15th March

City Students

23rdJanuary22nd April

Clifton Students

14th February BrackStudents

26th May All Students

Feedback week

Newsletter

Course Rep Forum

Add your course committee meetings here:

16