course rep handbook

Course Representative Handbook 1

Course Representative HANDBOOK

www.uwsu.com

2 Course Representative Handbook

Welcome and congratulations.

Firstly we want to say a huge congratulations for being selected as your Course Rep. Being a Course Rep can be a big responsibility, but we want to equip you with the tools and support you need to ensure you get off to a flying start representing your course peers.

Throughout this document there is information about the Students’ Union, information on how to get off to a flying start as a Course Rep, a breakdown of all the jargon you might hear in any committee meetings as well as any other bits of information we think will help you in your role over the next six months.

Good luck with your year, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need any support, all our contacts are a few pages in.

The Research, Representation and Welfare team. (RRW)

Name:Course:Year:Student Number:Email address: Course Leader’s Name:

Contents.

Welcome and congratulations. 2

Course Rep role description. 3

Course Rep action checklist. 3

Course Rep handbook. 4

Why is the Students’ Union involved? 4-5

About the Students’ Union. 5-8

Being a Course Rep. 9-10

Collecting student feedback. 11

Course Reps in the university structure. 12-14

What to do at committee meetings. 15-17

Listening skills. 17-20

Negotiating and influencing. 21-23

Communication with my constituents. 23

Quality. 23-25

Rewards for Course Reps. 25

Meeting and training log. 26

Meeting planner and action plan. 27

Additional information. 28

Appendix. 28

1 Scenarios. 28-31 2 Things to be aware of. 31-32 3 Jargon buster. 33-36 4 Terminology. 36-37 5 Students’ Union staff structure. 38-39 6 University committee structure. 40-43


Course Rep role description:

As an elected representative of your fellow students, your key mission is to ensure your course reaches the highest standard of education and experience. You can do this by:

1. Keeping informed and abreast of student issues on your course by collecting feedback, information and opinion from students.2. Liaising regularly with your module or course leader, or other relevant staff members, to discuss any issues arising for students on your course.3. Working closely with the Research, Representation and Welfare (RRW) team to discuss issues that impact on the quality of the education and experience on your course.4. Clearly communicating your peers’ opinions and interests at university committee meetings and feeding back information to the RRW team.5. Being proactive in suggesting improvements to the student experience on your course.6. Maintaining a good knowledge of campaigns, services and events run by the UWSU, and taking a proactive role in regularly communicating these to the students on your course.7. Facilitating the establishment of course-based societies.8. Participating in research on student satisfaction with their course, university and union.9. Encouraging all students to participate in the election process.10. Attending all training sessions that are organised for Course Representatives.

Course Rep action checklist.

To assist you in your role as a Course Rep, the Research, Representation and Welfare team have below provided a eight-point checklist that you can reference to ensure you are meeting the requirements of your role. Throughout this Course Rep handbook we will provide you with the support and ideas to complete these tasks throughout this Course Rep guide.

The check points are:

1. Have you met your course leader/lecturer this month?2. Have you pro-actively gathered feedback from your student group?3. Have you pro-actively informed your student group of UWSU campaigns or events that are happening?4. Have you used a variety of channels (e.g. Blackboard, social media, lecture short-outs) to maximize impact of your message?5. Have your recorded feedback and student opinion, taken forward issues and reported back to your RRW or Sabbatical Officer? Please outline how you have done this and any issues that you have had.6. Have you attended a committee meeting? If so, what points did you take and how did you report back to your student group?7. Have you attended a Course Rep forum?8. What student issues have you helped to resolve?


Course Rep handbook.

The university’s quality department and the University of Westminster Students’ Union (UWSU) collaboratively oversee the Course Representation scheme. Day to day support is provided to Course Reps by UWSU Research, Representation and Welfare team (RRW). There are four RRWs, one located at each campus (contact & location details can be found on page seven of this guide.)

Part of the RRW team’s role is to provide opportunities and Course Representation support to students who wish to take leadership positions. The RRW team organises training sessions, two per campus, which you must attend as part of your responsibilities as a Course Representative. Please look out for information for the semester two training sessions.

* Please, note Course Reps are welcome to attend training sessions at any campus and not just the campus where their course is based.

Why is the Students’ Union involved?The UWSU is a representative organisation for all students. We undertake many activities, but at the core of our activities are understanding students, and providing them with services to make their university experience better.

The committees you will be on are university committees, which are organised and controlled by the university and are a part of the university structure. You are selected through the university either by the lecturers or your course mates.

The union, through its RRW team, is here to support you in your role. It acts independently of the university, but in the area of student representation it works in partnership with the university to support you and your role, and to help deliver change and impact.

In order to do that, the union:

• Is involved in all training and on-going support for Course Representatives.

• Produces this handbook and collects other resources for Course Representatives.

• Collects feedback from Course Representatives and analyses the issues that arise so it can use the information to support reps and to run campaigns that help make changes for the future.


What does that mean to your role?As you will learn over the year, the union has officers on most committees in the university and frequently meets with individual managers. We are involved in order to ensure your voice is heard and to act as a critical friend to the university when it is needed.

However, we can’t do that without you keeping in touch with us and using the tools, support and information we provide. To be eligible for a certificate, you must attend at least three Course Rep related events during the academic year. These could include: the induction training session, Mind your Mates training session, the Introduction to the National Student Survey, Course Rep Forum, your Committee Meetings and the Union’s Annual Student Conference.

About the Students’ Union.

Our work The University of Westminster Students’ Union is here to represent you - the University of Westminster students. When you enrol, you’re automatically a member of UWSU; an organisation run to help and represent students. There are over 23,000 members and all of them have different needs, aims and ambitions. We are independent of the university, and the UWSU Research, Representation and Welfare (RRW) team is here to represent your needs, protect your rights and ensure that the student voice is heard when important decisions are made.

As well as that, the UWSU organises a variety of extra-curricular events and activities throughout the year including social nights out, trips and campaigns. The union is home to the UWSU Dragons (the university’s official sports teams), societies (90+ of them), plus Smoke Media and the QH.

Representing your viewsThe Students’ Union core aim is to represent you - the student!

Our missionThe Students’ Union is devoted to the educational aims, welfare and overall experience of students at the University of Westminster. We aim to do this by being relevant to our students and being considered as a strategic partner by the university.

Our structure and staff

Sabbatical OfficersUWSU has five Sabbatical Officers (Sabbs) who have been elected by you, the students, to represent your views. Sabb elections take place every March and successful candidates get the opportunity to campaign on issues they feel strongly about and initiate change and improvements for students. Perhaps you might see yourself in one of these positions next year?


Each campus has its own elected Sabbatical Officer, also known as ‘Vice-President’ (VP). The VPs focus on issues and campaigns related to their own campus, while also acting as trustees of the university. They attend high-level committee meetings and have a say on important discussions relating to students.

There is also one UWSU President who leads the VP team and works on ensuring UWSU is doing good things for students across all campuses. The president represents students on the trustee board, to make sure that students have a voice and a say when decisions are being made.

Student representatives:

PresidentKaled [email protected]

VP at Regent & Little Titchfield Street campusMuaz [email protected]

VP at Cavendish campusUsman [email protected]

VP at Marylebone campusJayesh [email protected]

VP at Harrow campusRianne [email protected]


We have a team of staff who are here full time to support the Sabbatical Officers in their goals and manifesto points, as well as maintain the day to day running of the Students’ Union. You can see our full staff structure in appendix (Page 38 - 39).

Research, Representation and Welfare teamThe Advice Service is integral to the work of the UWSU, and is run by the Research, Representation and Welfare coordinators (RRWs). There is an RRW at each campus that provides free, confidential and impartial advice to students on any personal or academic matter. Call in to your UWSU office to find out more, or visit: http://www.uwsu.com/advice

Your first point of contact is your campus Research, Representative and Welfare coordinator (RRW). Please make use of your RRW; they are there to help you. Even if they cannot give you an answer immediately, they will be able to find out, or point you into the right direction.

Their contact details are as follows:

HarrowAde Banjoko - Research, Representation & Welfare Manager, Harrow. [email protected]

MaryleboneAngelo Weekes - Research, Representation & Welfare Coordinator, Marylebone. [email protected]

Regent StreetÉabhall Ní Cheallacháin - Research, Representation & Welfare Coordinator, Regent [email protected]

CavendishSharon McBean - Research, Representation & Welfare Coordinator, [email protected]


What does Students’ Union offer?

The UWSU is responsible for training and supporting you in your work.

As well as RRW support, UWSU offers:

• The new UWSU website www.uwsu.com: This contains lots of information about the SU and its’ campaigns and activities. You will also be able to download slides from the Course Rep training sessions and this Course Rep handbook.

• Course Rep Forums: For the first time this year, UWSU will be holding Course Rep forums. The forum will give Course Reps the opportunity to tell the Sabbatical Officers about issues and successes and how UWSU can work with the university to enhance their experiences. Course Rep forums will be held each semester at all four campuses and will take place during the last week of November and the first week of December. Details to follow.

• Open door policy: Come and see your RRW without an appointment or leave a message with the reception staff. If you cannot get in to see us, or if we are not there, you can drop us an e-mail on the contact details above. If we are out of the office for more than two days, our out-of-office message will give you an alternative point of contact.

• Certificates: At the end of the academic year, the union will present you with a certificate for the work you have completed during the academic year. The certificates will be presented to Course Reps at the Annual Students’ Union Awards - Course Reps will be eligible for a discount on tickets to this event. To be eligible for a certificate, you must attend at least three Course Rep related events during the academic year. These could include: the induction training session, Mind your Mates training session, the Introduction to the National Student Survey, Course Rep Forum, your Committee meetings and the Union’s Annual Student Conference. There is a log at the back of this booklet where you can record the events you have attended. Please note that a union staff member or course leader must sign these entries to show that you have attended your meetings.

• Academic Society: The UWSU Activities team aim to support Course Reps who want to set up academic societies. An academic or course-based society is set up to represent and facilitate events for a community of students, while being supported by the UWSU Society Coordinator.

• Advice Service: The UWSU advice service provides free, confidential advice for students on any academic or personal issue. Contact your RRW or your campus SU office to make an appointment.


Being a Course Rep.

First TasksNow that you are selected and have attended your induction training session, the next important step is to build a rapport with your course leader. Your course leader may arrange an introductory meeting with other Course Reps. If they do, then please make sure you attend. When you talk to your course leaders and/or others, try to establish regular meetings with them to ‘catch up’. Also, see if you can put something together in the diary every two weeks - this could be just for 20 minutes. If there isn’t an introductory meeting, try to set up a meeting yourself by contacting your course leader.

Promoting your RoleTo be a successful and active rep, it is essential that the students you represent know who you are and what you can do for them. There are a variety of ways you can promote yourself and your role. The ideas below are just suggestions. If you can think of any others, or ways to make them more effective, then please share them with us and your fellow reps!

• Post your contact details on your course’s noticeboard. Some reps find that it helps to have a regular time each week when they are available to discuss Course Rep issues. If you do this, put details of your availability on the notice board too.

• Ask your lecturer for five minutes at the beginning of your first lecture or the end of a lecture to introduce yourself and your role, or ask students what issues they want you to raise on their behalf.

• Set up an email address specifically for rep issues and publicise this to your fellow students.

• Do you have a course Facebook page? Could you set one up?

Equality and DiversityThe University of Westminster is committed to supporting diversity and equal opportunities in its dealings with applicants, students, staff and the public.

The university is fully committed to creating a stimulating and supportive learning and working environment both on mutual respect and trust to assist staff and students. This is to reach their full potential - regardless of race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, marital status, disability, gender, religion or belief, sexual orientation or any other similar irrelevant factor.

All students at Westminster are entitled to the same opportunities when undertaking their courses: they should have access to facilities and support wherever they are in the university. Remember discrimination can include the University or its constituent parts being organised in such a way that not all students have parity of opportunity. The university also has a Dignity at Work and Study policy.


Part of your role is to help your university in ensuring that all students in your course have an equal opportunity to succeed. There are a number of ways you can contribute to this:

• Whenever a new development is proposed, think carefully about the impact it could have on the students on your course: ask yourself if the proposal is inclusive or likely to cause problems;

• If you become aware of problems in existing provisions that exclude groups or individuals, tell your course leader or the Students’ Union;

• If you have any doubts contact your RRW for guidance.

Diversity forumAs part of the union’s commitment to equality and diversity, we hold a diversity forum at least once a year. The diversity forum is a safe, open space where individuals can come together to discuss any concerns about the representation of particular groups, and to advise the union on necessary steps, campaigns and what the union can do to improve the diverse students’ experience. Look out for the upcoming diversity forum - details of which will be announced via our website www.uwsu.com, Twitter and Facebook.

Course Reps and accountability:In carrying out your role as an elected representative, it is important to understand the constituency you are accountable to and why. The constituencies you are accountable to include:

Students - First and foremost you are accountable to the students on your course because you were elected by your peers to represent their views, concerns and to initiate change.

Students’ Union - You are accountable to the Students’ Union because it is the union who provides training and on-going support, and it is expected that Course Reps will carry out the duties and responsibilities imparted.

University - You are accountable to the university because you are part of the quality enhancement process. This process ensures that the university continues to offer high quality courses and, with that, a high quality of education. The involvement of Course Reps is vital in achieving this goal. Course Reps can provide staff with information about how courses can be effectively improved, thereby supporting staff in their bid to introduce new teaching and learning projects.


Collecting student feedback:

As a Course Rep, communicating with your course-mates is a must. You will have to communicate before meetings and after meetings, to find out what students think of their course and to feed-back information. Therefore, as an ongoing part of being a Course Rep, you need to be communicating with students on your course to gain an understanding of their problems, complaints and what is working well.

To communicate with your students you can use:

• Email: Collect email addresses from students on your course, to allow you to send them an update of work you have completed to-date and enable you to ask if they are having any problems or to collect thoughts on what is going well.

• Flyers / posters: Flyers are a good method of communication to use if there has been a development and you would like the students on your course to know. They are also a good way to advertise your contact details. If you would like to print flyers or posters, contact your campus RRW who should be able to assist you.

• Drop-in session: Organised well in advance and well-publicised, drop-in sessions are a good way to meet your course mates face-to-face to discuss issues or collect feedback.

• Short speeches at the start and end of lectures: To reach as many students as possible, you could ask your lecturer for five minutes before or after a core lecture to give students information or ask for input or feedback.

• Informally asking students how they are getting along: This is a tried and tested method! Simply ask students or your course how they are finding things and whether they’ve had any issues. Make sure to ask lots of students, not just those you know.

Confidentiality:In your capacity as a Course Representative, you are responsible for upholding the confidentiality of students who approach you, and it is expected that you understand the importance of this.

Confidentiality can be defined in many ways: UWSU understands confidentiality to mean that no information given to a Course Rep should be given directly or indirectly to any third party without the student’s consent to do so. This consent can be verbal but must be completely clear. In some cases written consent is preferred. Occasionally a student’s situation may be so serious that confidentiality may be broken for their safety, if this is the case, you can ask for advice from the RRW team.

If you are still unsure with what confidentiality means, your RRW can help.


COURSECOMMITTEE

Course Reps in the university structure.

As you know by now, Course Reps have an important role to play in the quality of the education at the University of Westminster. As a Course Rep you can attend course committee meetings, Course Rep forums and the union’s annual student conference and, if nominated, can sit on two faculty-level committees - faculty learning, teaching and assessment committee and the faculty student forum.

Course committeesCourse committees deal with matters related to your course and are designed to allow feedback to your course leader on matters related to learning and teaching. There is a course committee for every course, which meets once a semester. Normally there will be two or more representatives for each level of study in attendance as well the course leader (chair), teaching teams, and representatives from the library and IT services. A formal agenda sent to you by your course leader or their nominee will be followed and minutes of discussion will be taken. There are scenarios located at the back of the guide to provide you with an understanding of the topics, which may come up, and answers to help you resolve them.

Course committees are part of the university’s quality enhancement, which includes annual monitoring and periodic course review (at least every six years). The defi nition of these items can be found in the glossary.

As shown by the image, concerns, suggestions and positive feedback will be escalated through the committee framework.

Course Rep forumFor the fi rst time this year, UWSU will be holding Course Rep forums. The forums will give Course Reps opportunity to tell Sabbatical Offi cers about issues or successes and how UWSU can work with the university to enhance these experiences. This year Course Rep forums will be held at all four campuses and will take place once a semester.

FACULTYBOARDBOARD

QUALITYQUALITYREVIEW

LEARNING & LEARNING & TEACHING

ACADEMICCOUNCIL


Annual student conference (ASC)The ASC gives all students the opportunity to review what the UWSU has being doing to support students in various areas. The next ASC takes places on January 20th 2015; Location - TBC.

Faculty learning, teaching and assessment committeeMeets three times a year to discuss matters relating to strategic and operational management. The committee reports directly to the university’s Learning and Teaching Committee and to the Faculty Board and Faculty Executive Group.

Faculty student forumMeets three times a year and seeks to develop and renew faculty policies and strategies to improve students’ experience including student employability. The committee reports to the faculty executive group.

To find out more about having a seat on the faulty learning, teaching and assessment committee, or faculty student forum please speak to your course leader who will then put you in contact with appropriate member of staff.

The Students’ Union has Sabbatical Officer representatives on high-level committees. If you believe that comments need to be heard high up, the Sabbatical team will be able to advise you. The university committees usually decides the policies and strategies to be adopted by the university. The university committees where the Sabbatical team has representation are:

Learning and teaching committeeThe learning & teaching committee is a sub-committee of academic council and meets four times a year. This committee, amongst other things, monitors the University of Westminster’s performance in the National Student Survey (NSS) and directs actions for improvement.

The committee is also concerned with identifying and sharing examples of good practice relating to the student experience

Two student representatives (1 UG, 1 PGT) are nominated by the University of Westminster Students’ Union to sit on this committee.

The Learning & teaching committee meets four times a year. Additional meetings may be called by the chair as deemed necessary to execute the business of the committee.


Quality review committee The quality review committee meets at least three times a year. It is also a sub-committee of the academic council. Its main work is to provide advice to the academic council on matters relating to the quality assurance and academic standards of taught programmes (both undergraduate and postgraduate). In addition, this committee is tasked with identifying and sharing good practice in quality enhancement.

Two student representatives (1 UG, 1 PGT) are nominated by the University of Westminster Students’ Union to sit on this committee. These reps, once appointed, serve for a period of three years.

University student forumIt is a sub-committee of the Senior Executive Group (SEG). Its primary focus is to provide a forum where student representatives can bring forward, for discussion, issues relating to the academic and wider university experience for consideration by a cross-section of senior university staff. It meets three times a year and all five of UWSU’s Sabbatical Officers attend.

Academic councilThe president of the Students’ Union and two student representatives sit on this committee. Amongst other things, the council is responsible for the policies and procedures for the assessment and examination of students’ academic performance as well as academic standards and valuation.

Curriculum planning and review committee This committee is a subcommittee of the academic council. It is responsible for providing advice to ensure the attractiveness, as well as the long term financial viability, of the university’s academic courses; so part of its remit is to “commission market research to inform curriculum development”. UWSU representation on this committee is provided by the president of the Students’ Union.

Safety health and well-being committee The University of Westminster has various duties to ensure health and safety at work and study. Part of its role is to advise on matters relating to health and safety and monitor the site-safety committees. One Sabbatical Officer is entitled to sit on this committee. You can see the full university committee structure in appendix (Page 40-43).


What to do at committee meetings.

Before meetings:Get to know the rules• Find out about how the committee works• Get to know terms of reference • How often does the committee meet?• What are its decisions - making powers and where does it sit in terms of the

institutional decision-making process?• How can you get an item on the agenda?Learn from the past• How do students perceive the committee? • Locate past papers and minutes.• Talk to former Course Reps and other reps Be prepared• Check committee and agenda deadlines• Confirm time, date and location• Check with other reps about ambiguous or controversial items• Try to meet other reps beforehand• Prepare notes if you want to speak on an item• Talk to students to get their views on agenda items• Post the agenda on notice board / blackboard for students to see• Think about what you want to achieve from the meeting• Getting advice from the SU if you feel unsure about certain items.

During meetings: Things to do:• Be prompt; even early• Take all your papers with you• Sit where the chair can see you• Sit with your peers if it makes you feel more comfortable• Be positive and constructive• Be assertive• Ask questions• Make notes• Consider ideas• Listen to others• Be helpful in finding a solution• Speak clearly and slowly• Decide what you are going to make a stand on• Keep good eye contact with everyone• Ask questions through the chair and wait for your turn to speak• Keep your contributions factual - use the evidence base to make your argument• If you do agree with something - say so


Things not to do:• Be late• Forget to take information with you• Be negative• Interrupt people• Read from prepared notes• Be aggressive• Speak on every issue unless it is necessary• Lose your temper• Get into discussions with just peers • Waffle• Shout

After meetings:• Report back to students• Decide how you are going to achieve any items assigned to you• If you have successes, publicise these through emails, UWSU website etc.• Check minutes to ensure accuracy• Identify any actions that need to be taken• Identify who else you need to speak to• Review objectives• Inform the SU of any developments • Follow up with your course leader in between meetings• Overleaf there are tips on how to negotiate and influence key shareholders at meetings

How do I feed back to students?• You can use a variety of methods to feed back - you need to decide what the best way

is for you and your group. In an ideal world you would discuss outcomes face-to-face, and at the same time hear students’ opinions. However, this may not work with a large group of people.

Other ways include:Facebook: You can set up a Facebook group and post your feedback there.

Blackboard: Create a group on Blackboard or ask your course leader to post a report from you.

Hand-outs: Create a flyer detailing the main points and circulate it (you can use the photocopier in the SU offices to do this).

Email: Ask your programme administrator to email your feedback notes to students.

At a lecture: Ask one of your lecturers to let you have five or ten minutes at the beginning or end of a lecture.


Do:• Type the feedback so everybody can read it• Check your feedback notes with Research, Representation and Welfare coordinator • Be honest• Be objective• Be diplomatic - you don’t know who might read it• Avoid using personal names; it’s better to use role titles e.g. Use ‘a student raised an

issue with…’ rather than ‘Sarah Boston raised an issue with…’• Remember if it doesn’t affect the whole course or majority then everyone does not

need to know.

Don’t:• Write about personal issues or grievances, whether yours or someone else’s• Use emotional language or swear words

* Scenarios can be found on pages 28-31.

Listening skills.

When in contact with students you will need to employ your listening skills and thus become the listener.

An effective listener allows the person speaking to:Explore any problems they might have and the issues surrounding them.Arrive at their own solution to their problems if they want to.Talk in a safe, confidential and comfortable environment.

Therefore, the listener should not:

• Give advice, which is not to be confused with information. Advice is an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action - only qualified members of staff such as RRW should give advice. On the other hand, information is knowledge derived from study, experience or instruction. If a student asks you for information you don’t have, you can try to find out or you can refer them to your RRW for Advice.

• Try to find a solution to a problem if the other person does not want to find a solution.• Attempt to focus discussion on issues that they think are significant, but that the other

person finds irrelevant.• Impress their own beliefs or opinions upon anyone who comes to talk to them.• Talk about the details of any conversation with anyone other than the person unless

given the expressed permission of that person or in extreme circumstances (for example, when you feel they are a threat to their own or someone else’s safety).

* Scenarios can be found on pages 28-31.


Listening techniques:

Reflecting and paraphrasing.

• Reflecting: Repeating the sense of what the speaker is saying, but with new words, and including other types of meaning you are getting, such as body language, to show how it is coming across to you.

• Paraphrasing: Repeating what you have heard using slightly different words and phrases to help the speaker really hear what they are saying.

Asking about feelings:

• Don’t be scared to ask about how people are feeling about the situation, especially if you’ve explored the facts extensively already.

• It is often appropriate to ask about someone’s feelings and not just about the practicalities of their situation. You can ask ‘stock’ questions like ‘how do you feel about that’, but do try to ask questions relevant to the student’s situation. Examples might include ‘How that has been affecting your studies/learning/relationship?’ ‘Has this been causing issues for you other than what we have talked about’?

• Follow clues dropped by the other person as to what is being bothering them and how they are feeling (not everyone will be forthcoming with their problems).

• Let the speaker lead to the conversation. This means recognising that someone may just come to you to talk; they may not even have a problem or may not even be ready to think about finding a solution.

• If someone returns to a topic repeatedly, ask about it. You may well find there is a solution for this problem and the other person wants to talk about this subject.

Active listening:

• The most effective way to listen to the issue is to do as little talking as you can, and ask open questions, as these will hopefully give the speaker the freedom to structure the conversation in which they choose.

• You as a listener do not have to be passive or unresponsive. There are lots of ways to make sure you engage with someone and show that you’re listening without asking lots of questions. Some of these include:

* Non-verbal responses: Reassure the person you are listening by nodding, saying ‘ahha’ or ‘mmhm’. This shows that you are actively listening and engaging with what the person is saying.

* Eye contact: Making eye contact (without intimidating the person) will suggest to them that you are really paying attention to them and that you are taking their problem seriously (even if they are avoiding eye contact with you).

* Also think about the tone of your voice and body language. It is important to let the person know that you are being non-judgemental.


Types of questions:(The difference between open and closed questions)

• A ‘closed’ question is one that invites a short or one-worded answer e.g. ‘Are you feeling well?’ ‘Did you get work done?’ Such questions often begin with phrases like ‘Did’ or ‘do you’. This could be called an ‘information’ question. Closed questions can often be perceived to have assumptions and judgement embedded in them (e.g. did you finish your coursework yet?) and do not encourage people to elaborate.

• ‘Open’ questions give the speaker room to explain their response rather than being guided by your question. This could also be called a ‘feeling’ question.

Open and closed questions result in different kinds of responses. It is important to recognise the right time to use each.

Examples of open and closed questions:(Closed question): Are you struggling with your work?(Open question): How are you finding your work?(Closed question): Is your revision going well?(Open question): How is your revision going?

Open questions include:

• How do you feel about that?• How do you think that will affect you / others?• What makes you say that/feel that way?• What would you like to happen in the future/what outcomes would you like to see?• Do you have any other sources of support?• Do you have any past experiences that you think might help you in this sort

of situation?• What do you feel your options are?

Questioning:

• As a rep, you may have to delve further into an issue when approached by a student and to do this you could use both information and feeling questions.

• Information questions concern the ‘facts’ that surround an issue and feeling questions concern the emotions/feelings surrounding an issue.

• It is important to strike a balance between the types of questions asked, ask too little about the facts and you won’t understand the other person’s situation. Ask too much and you will not have time to explore the emotions that may have prompted the other person to speak to you.


Thinking an issue through:Once you become aware of an issue, or a student has alerted you to an issue, you need to gain as much detail as possible so that your feedback is effective:

How do you know it’s an issue?• Has a complaint been made?• Have you been approached by a student/s?

Why is this an issue?• Does it affect teaching quality?• Does it impact student’s ability to learn?

Where is this an issue?• Does this issue effect on module / one programme / the year group / the faculty /

department / university?

Whom does the issue affect?• Does the issue affect undergraduates; taught/research postgraduates; males or females,

international students; mature students; campus-based students; long-distance learners?

When is it an issue?• Does the issue only become a problem during lectures/tutorials at exam time; when it

relates to a particular tutor/a particular area of work?

Handling complaint and personal issues:

• If the feedback you have collected highlights a particular problem, it should be reported to the course leader, without identifying the individual source of the comments.

• The course leader may be in a position to resolve the matter or may need to refer to the Dean of faculty or manger of the relevant service. Complaints about individual members of staff should never be raised at committee meetings; there is a student complaint procedure for this purpose, at www.westminster.ac.uk/studentcomplaints. If a student is experiencing personal problems, always refer them to UWSU or the counselling service, as there are experts trained to deal with these issues. Never attempt to handle the matter yourself, but offer to help the student arrange an appointment with an RRW or UWSU or a counsellor at the counselling service.


Negotiating and Influencing.

Build rapport:Invest time in building rapport with the course leader; time spent doing this will dramatically increase results and reduce time spent making changes in the long term.

• Arrange regular meetings and do make sure that you turn up; if you are constantly late or simply do not turn up - you will find very quickly that the course leader will prioritise other activities.

• Show your personality. Tell your story of how you came to Westminster ; let them understand you on a personal level. If they share their personal experiences, respect that and keep their confidence on a personal level.

• Openly discuss the aims for the course, offer to help where appropriate.• Don’t start off with a list of gripes at the first meeting. You may have lots to discuss but

hold it back until you get to know the course leader.

Know what you want:• Think through exactly what results you are trying to achieve. Ensure you have specific

points and you have valid reasons for why they are fair and correct. Knowing what you want, and why, will help you to be clearer and more confident.

Know what the other side wants:• Before you start negotiating, it’s important to have an idea of what the opposing

points are, such as what the course leader would like the outcome to be. Why is your outcome the best one for everyone? Do your research so you can show that your idea is a good one.

In advance:• If what you are asking for is fair and just, then others are more likely to agree with

your points.• Believe in your idea - if you believe that you deserve your desired outcome, it is

easier for others to believe in you too.

Listen carefully:When people are talking to you during negotiations, don’t use the time to plan your next line of attack. It’s more important that you listen to them and see their point of view. They’ll take you more seriously if you do this, even if you disagree.

Keep it friendly:Negotiating isn’t about confrontation: it is about two parties searching for an amicable, mutually beneficial outcome. Keep that in mind when you are talking and even if you do not get what you want this time, then compromise and prepare for future negotiations.


Have an alternative:When you are discussing specifically what you want, as well as what others want, work out what you’d be prepared to work with if you’re not successful. Is there an acceptable alternative, which will keep both parties happy in the short term? Throw this into negotiation if appropriate - everyone can compromise.

Negotiation styles

Every negotiation situation requires a different approach. The approach that you use will depend on your personal communication style, the needs of the situation and the personality and communication style of the other party. Likewise you may find other people using some of these techniques with you. Practice with a friend how you would deal with these -this will help you when you come across different negotiators as part of your role. Below are some of the strategies that people may use:

“There is only one way”Your solution is the only solution, everything else is illogical. Constantly restating the problem and your own solution as the only viable one; not considering other options.

“Can we break this down?”Some things are too big to give straight away and need to be broken down in smaller decisions. Agreeing on smaller decisions may get the ball rolling and can be very effective.

“Do you know who I am?”It is about relying on status rather than skill; rather dominant, forceful and difficult to challenge. However, by constantly referring to outcomes and results you can break this down.

“Err... I have to check with other people first.”Reverse of the above. Can’t make a decision then and there; have to go back to the university to get the go-ahead. Get the person to make a personal commitment to giving a response within a certain time-frame, and make sure they understand your issue as they will be your champion when taking it elsewhere; offer to present your argument to the ‘other people’ if necessary

Good cop/bad copThis is about team performance where one person is very critical and aggressive and the other is sweet and easy-going. Break this down by asking for both parties to agree to small steps that help you move forward.

ExtremesClassic method which is more effective the more powerful you are. You prepare something extreme in order to get what you actually want. For example, a gas company may try to cut a customer off so that they call to arrange a payment plan, which is actually what the company wanted in the first place!


Ultimatum“This is our last and final offer.” You need power and confidence to successfully pull this off. It is highly unlikely that you will get a “last and final offer” as part of your work.

Clock watching Using time pressures to create real types of urgency and force and agreement. For example, employers negotiating a pay award with a trade union will often hold out until Christmas because the time limits on negotiating are very tight and people want to go holiday knowing about the pay award.

RepackagingTaking something you originally tried to negotiate for and presenting it in a different way.

BarterFor example when buying or trading - you start at a very low price and the seller starts at a high price at a very high price and you end somewhere in the middle. This only works if it is based on the premise that there will definitely be a deal.“We both like fruit… but you like apples and I like bananas” Working from a principle of what you agree on. E.g. we both like fruit but you like bananas and I like apples - using the common principle to work out an agreement.

Communication with my constituents.

Not everything discussed at meetings needs to be fed back to your cohort. You will find that identifying what needs to be reported gets easier with experience. It is always better to give too much feedback then too little. When deciding whether something is relevant, ask yourself will this affect the students on my course and, if so, how? You may find it necessary to give a short explanation of an issue before describing what the meeting decided. Do not assume that everyone is as aware of the issue as you are.

Quality.

Quality assessment and enhancement Throughout your life you will be asked to fill in surveys and questionnaires from various different organisations so that they can ensure they are offering you the best service possible. Universities are no different and part of your role as a Course Representative is to let your university know what you like about the university and what can be improved on.

Why talk about quality?Educational establishments such as schools and universities have always tried to uphold quality but now students themselves have started to look at the quality of their courses and are starting to become vocal about what they expect from their institutions.There is much speculation as to why this happened, but the primary view is that when the government applied the student fee, this sparked a perceived consumer market whereby


students feel that they are paying for a service, and not just the pursuit of knowledge. Because of this, there has been an increase in students making complaints about their courses to Students’ Unions, institutions themselves and the University Ombudsman - the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA).

How does the higher education sector monitor quality assurance and enhancement?National Student Survey (NSS)Independent survey conducted once a year. Open to all final year undergraduate students. There are 23 questions covering the quality of teaching, organisation and management, support, research, assessment & feedback. Results can be found on www.unistars.com.

International Student BarometerThe International Student Barometer is a survey run by 1graduate conducted at entry and exit point. Open to all international students. Questions include orientation, friendliness, support and finance. (http://www.i-graduate.org).

Postgraduate student surveyConducted by the national postgraduate committee, each year the survey alternates between taught and research postgraduate students (www.npc.org.uk/).

OrganisationsQuality Assurance Agency (QAA) - funded by Universities UK and the Higher Education Faculty for England. Their role is to safeguard academic standards & quality throughout the higher education sector and to conduct institutional audits of every institution on a six-year cycle. As a part of this process Students’ Union are asked to produce a student written submission which details the students’ opinion of studying at each university. The QAA’s findings are published and can be viewed at www.qaa.org.uk. The QAA also produce guidelines on ensuring quality and standards in the sector. The QAA visited the University of Westminster in 2010, and will visit again in 2016.

Higher Education Academy (HGA) It is primarily funded by affiliation from universities. Their mission is to enhance the quality of teaching and to work with the HE Sector by researching and developing best practices and informing and influencing policy. There are 24 study centres which look at learning and teaching in specific subject fields. (www.heacadamy.ac.uk).

How does the University of Westminster monitor quality assurance enhancement?Quality and Standards officeThe Quality and Standards office is responsible for the development of the university’s academic regulations and the quality assurance processes, including the approval of new awards and the ongoing monitoring of courses, and supporting faculties in the implementation of these processes. The office oversees all issues relating to quality assurance and academic standards, for example proposed changes to modules with professional and statutory bodies and external examiner reports. These processes and committees will highlight if there is an issue with quality, especially processes including students


(course committees).There is also the quality assurance and enhancement committee; two of the Sabbaticals are members of this committee. In addition, each faculty has its own quality assurance committee that reports up to university committees.

The following activities take place at the university to ensure its processes meet national requirements: annual monitoring, external examination, validation and periodic review.

As a centralised department, the Quality and Standards office encourages consistency across all the processes.

Rewards for Course Reps.

Whilst it might be a reward in itself to be able not only to make your experience at university better but also that of your peers, being a Course Rep will give you so much more.

Being a Course Rep you will be given the opportunity to develop the following transferable skills:

The job market is becoming increasingly competitive and employees want people with the above-mentioned skills, not just a degree. By being a Course Rep, you will be able to demonstrate that you are not an average undergraduate but a student who has been practising these skills.

UWSU Awards BallTo help you show off your role as a Course Rep and the skills that you might have developed, every year the Students’ Union organises the Awards Ball to say thank you for all your hard work and give you the chance to collect your certificate.

EligibilityTo be eligible for a Course Rep certificate, you need to attend at least three Course Rep events throughout the year. The events that qualify are: Course Rep training sessions, course committee meetings, Course Rep forum, annual student conference and Mind your Mates session. You must have the organisers of each of these events to sign off on your attendance on the following page. Don’t worry if you do not have your handbook to hand when these events take place. At every event a register is taken, therefore just visit your campus’ RRW who will check your name against the register and sign your handbook accordingly. You must also write a rep report at the end of the year reflecting on your achievements of the year, the skills you acquired and what you would like the next year’s rep to work on. An email with guidance on how to write a report will be sent to you in March.

• Public speaking• Teamwork• Communication• Negotiation

• Meeting / Committee skills• Peering• Decision making• Problem solving

• Time management• Organisational skills• Leadership• Self management


Meetings and training log.

Eligible events:Course Rep training sessions, Course Rep forum, course committee meetings, UWSU annual student conference and the Mind your Mates training session.

Training course / Course committee Date

Signature of course coordinator or chair

of meeting


Meeting planner and action plan.

Issues to raiseComments

made by others at meeting

Action agreed To be completed Date


Additional Information.

Questions If you have any questions about the SU or how it works, call in to see us in one of our offices, visit our website or reach out to us on Twitter! You can also e-mail us on:

Cavendish: [email protected] Marylebone: [email protected] Harrow: [email protected] Regent Street: [email protected]

Other sources of helpAs well as the SU, there are lots of places you can go for help. If you are having any issues around module registration or timetabling, your registry is often a good place to start. There are also lots of student services available through the university, such as career development, academic learning skills, and counselling etc. Check out what’s available here: http://www.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/contact-us

Appendix.

1. Scenarios

1.1. Scenario 1Your course leader informs you that a number of modifications are going to be proposed, which will affect the balance of core and option modules on your programme of study. He/she intends to put this as an agenda item for the next course committee meeting.What would be your course of action prior to the meeting? How do you address any resulting issues at the course committee meeting?

1.2. Scenario 2A student on your course approaches you to complain about a member of staff who is constantly giving low marks. The student would like this matter discussed by the course committee.You are an elected student representative for your course. How do you ensure that this complaint is discussed in the appropriate forum?

1.3.Scenario 3You are an elected student representative for your course. A student from your course approaches you about difficulties they are experiencing with their studies. They have problems at home and this is impacting on their ability to get coursework done on time, and they don’t know where to turn. They ask you for advice.What do you feel your role is in this situation? What would you advise?


1.4.Scenario 4A student on your course has been accused of an assessment offence by one of the module leaders. It is alleged that they have plagiarised their assignment from a published source. The student has been invited to a meeting with members of the learning, teaching and quality group to investigate the matter further. The student would like you to accompany them to this meeting. What is your reaction to this request?

1.5.Scenario 5A student on your course is having problems catching up on their reading for one of their modules. It is now seriously affecting the quality of their dissertation. They had hoped to use the guided independent study week to do this work but there were a lot of tests and other pieces of work to hand in. You talk to other students about this and it is widely felt that the balance of the workload has not been considered with lots of peaks and troughs in workload across the year, as if module leaders are not talking to each other.What can you do for the student?What can you do about the general workload?

1.6.Scenario 6In previous course meetings you attended, it was agreed that all lecture notes and links to support information would be on Blackboard for your course. However this is not happening and at the meeting you just attended, this has been brushed aside because the matter has already been dealt with.How do you address this issue as the committee seems to no longer want to discuss the problem?

1.7.Scenario Answers

Scenario 1Answers:• Find out in detail what the changes are.• When is it proposed that they will come into effect?• Consider whether all students will be affected, or whether it will only be the new

cohort next year.• Find ways to contact your fellow students to publicise the changes and seek their views,

e.g. Course notice board, website, Blackboard, texting, email distribution list, and stay behind after a core module lecture.

• Collate their feedback and present it to the committee in a structured way: highlighting positive aspects and negative points.

• Ask what happens next, so you can feed this back to students.


Scenario 2Answers:• Find out how many students are affected by the problem.• If it’s only one, then advise them of the formal route to lodge a complaint/appeal - e.g.

through the Course leader / Head of department / Dean of school, or the formal appeals process - although difficult to appeal against academic judgement unless there is evidence of a material irregularity.

• If it’s a wider group of students affected, collate their views and take them to Course leader / Head of department / Dean of school, requesting a formal response.

• You cannot ‘name and shame’ at a formal committee meeting - you can raise it as an issue, without mentioning names, if the other avenues did not get a satisfactory response.

Scenario 3Answers:• Student reps are not trained to deal with personal problems, and as such should not

get involved.• However, you can provide advice on where they can seek help, e.g. UWSU advice

service, personal tutor, counselling services, or the procedure for claiming mitigating circumstances.

Scenario 4Answers:• The assessment regulations permit students in such circumstances to be accompanied

by a ‘friend’ - defined as a registered student of the university. A member of the RRW team a Sabbatical Officer of the UWSU or a member of university staff.

• It’s up to you if you go - if you are willing to go along that’s fine. You may want to stick up for them, you may just want to sit and listen and just be present to support them.

• You may not want to get involved at all, so advise them to contact an RRW, or a member of staff who provides representation, advice and information in these types of circumstances.

Scenario 5Answers: • Advise the student to see their personal tutor.• Get the student to speak to the SU advice service and/or counselling, even if it is just to

get their case officially logged somewhere.• Try and get some more in-depth figures and examples about the varying workload.• Speak with the course leader to talk about your concerns, see if there can be any

changes and identify key barriers to changing the timetable.• Look at previous meeting notes - has this been brought up before?• Identify if academics are experiencing the same issues - lots of exams and coursework

all at the same time may mean they will support changing the timetable.


• Work on overcoming the key barriers with the course leader - sometimes persistence pays off.

• Talk to the Union about support they could provide.

Scenario 6Answers:• Speak to the committee chair outside of the meeting, find out why the issue cannot

become a “standing item” until complete.• Identify courses where the notes are not on Blackboard so that you have a clear picture

of who needs to upload the notes.• Discuss with the committee chair if there is a way of progressing this out of the

committee - if chair could approach lecturers to remind them of the decision that was made.

• Bring it up at every meeting!

2. Things to be aware of.

2.1. National Student Survey (NSS)The NSS is a survey which asks all final year undergraduate students 23 questions on their academic experience at their university. The NSS is divided into seven areas: teaching quality on your course, assessment and feedback, academic support, learning resources, personal development, the organisation and management and overall satisfaction.

How a Course Rep can use the NSSThe results provide evidence which can back up arguments in a committee meeting.The NSS can point a Course Rep to an issue about their course they did not know about.A Course Rep can get feedback on whether issues are still on-going or have changed or developed since the last NSS.

NSS should be taken seriouslyThe most important point of the NSS survey is that it provides feedback for current and prospective students, and impacts on the league tables of universities. This can affect how attractive the university looks to prospective students. The NSS is very important to a university, so encourage students to take part. Next year’s NSS will open on the 2nd February 2015 and close on the 30th April 2015.

At the beginning of the next calendar year, the RRW team will be holding the training sessions to inform reps how to use NSS results for their course to improve the experience for them and their peers.


2.2. The Student Experience Survey (SES)The Student Experience Survey is for all non-final year undergraduates and taught postgraduate students at Westminster. The survey questions are taken from the National Student Survey (©HEFCE). The SES for this academic year will open on 2nd February 2015 and close on the 20th March 2015. The survey will be available at: http://www.westminster.ac.uk/srsweb

2.3. Learning futureLearning futures is the Westminster University collaboration project on the teaching and learning experience, for its 2020 vision and beyond. Course Reps are required to help in the assessment of curricula, how activities are designed and supported, course development and regulations. Get involved! Dates are 28th January 2015 at Marylebone Campus (room CG43 at 16.15) and Tuesday 4th February 2015 (15.45 room TBC).

2.4. Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA)DSA is a grant for home disabled students with a health or learning condition who are either undergraduate or postgraduate. A student who is financed by Student Finance England can apply for assistance and support with study aids, course support or things like a computer. The DSA grant does not need to be repaid.A student will need to attend a needs assessment centre known as CLASS provided by the university at 101 New Cavendish Street and at Harrow www.westminster.ac.uk/class. To apply for DSA students, must complete the DSA1 form available from Disability Learning Support (DLS) and Student Finance England. For further information or questions check out https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas or email [email protected].

2.5. Diversity ForumThe Diversity Forum (DF) aim is to provide a safe environment and open space for individuals to discuss their concerns about the representative groups they are involved with. The DF can campaign on issues, support development of local and wider student communities, and work to be more aware and representative of on student issues. Look out for more information on www.uwsu.com.

2.6. NUS Course Rep conferenceThe Course Rep conference is an opportunity for Course Reps from all over the country to come together, network, share experiences and learn new skills. The conference can induct you into the student movement and provide development and support about activities in the future. The Course Representative is fundamental to democratic process of a Students’ Union and can influence the academic structure of a university. Further information regarding this conference will be sent to Course Reps in the new year.


3. Jargon Buster.

Annual monitoring:This is an annual exercise where staff review with colleagues, in cognate groups, how well courses have run over the past year. A cognate group considers a group of courses within a school and looks at the range of evidence, includes reports from module leaders and external examiners, course committee minutes and student progress statistics. The faculty produces an action plan, highlights good practice and identifies follow up action to address any areas of concern. These action plans are reported to the university’s quality assurance and enhancement committee and an overall, university-wide report is made annually to academic council.

Anonymous marking:This is a system of assessment by which the identity of the student is not known to the marker. The aim is to eliminate subconscious discrimination.

APL:This is the generic term for the Accreditation of Prior Certified Learning (APCL) and the Accreditation of Prior Exponential Learning (APEL).

Cohort:This is the ‘year group’ or group of students who started their course simultaneously and who are expected to complete their studies during the same time-span.

CPD:Continuing Professional Development (including short courses recognised by professional bodies).

Course handbook:The reference document currently approved through a review for the operation of any taught course. Course handbooks are normally held in the faculty registry office.

Course Leader:Reports to the head of department and has responsibility for organising the teaching and assessment of the approved of syllabus. They convene the course committee, but may not necessary chair the meetings.

Dean of school:The Dean holds overall responsibility for the academic quality and learning for all courses in the faculty.

Ex-officio:This is a member of a committee or a working group of people who sits in on account of the post they hold, i.e. not because they have been elected or nominated.


External body - Professional and Statutory Body (PSB)Professional or education organisation independent of the university, which may accredit all or part of a University of Westminster course, thereby giving exemption from professional body exams, or which may set requirements on HE level and /or renew HE provision nationally.

External examiners:External examiners are academics from other institutions and professional practitioners who verify our standards to ensure parity across the sector.

Head of department:Reports to the Dean and holds responsibility for academic leadership and management of the subject specialist department.

HE and HEI:Higher Education and Higher Education Institution.

HEFCE:Higher Education Funding Council for England, aka, the Funding Council; resourced by the Treasury, reports also to the Government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, when policy relating to universities.

ISLS:This term means Information Systems and Library Services, which are responsible for company or library services at the university.

Institutional Audit:The University of Westminster is audited by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for every five - six years. The university was subject to an audit last in March 2010 and the next one will be in 2016 - the report of the audit is available on the QAA website.

Liaison tutor:Normally this is the lecturer responsible for overseeing the admissions, assessment and academic monitoring arrangements for a University of Westminster-approved course that is delivered at another institution in the UK or abroad.

Module leader He/she is responsible for the overall running of one or more modules, the circulation of module syllabi, reading lists and coursework deadlines. They cover also the marking for the specific modules.


Personal tutor:The tutor assigned to an individual student and sometimes to a student group, who is available to offer advice and support on academic and personal matters. However, note that most module-related advice will be provided within the teaching for each module. Personal tutors normally publish the times they are available on their office door and students arrange an appointment with them. Some tutors arrange group tutorials as well.

Progress statistics:The data that records the pattern of student admission, performance and exit from a course in a single year ; for use in School planning processes, annual monitoring and reports to HEFCE and the QAA.

Quality and Standards office:The Quality and Standards office is responsible for the development of the university’s academic reps and the quality assurance processes, including an initial approval of new awards and the ongoing monitoring and review of courses, and supporting faculties in the implementation of these processes. The office oversees all issues relating to the quality assurance and academic standards, for example proposed modules, liaison with professional and statutory bodies, and an external examiner report.

Review:Review is the process whereby the quality of an academic programme is appraised by a group including external and internal peers in order to confirm that an academic programme is academically valid and that any courses associated with that programme continue to meet the requirements.

QAA:QAA is the Quality Assurance Agency which combines responsibility for institutional quality, audit and quality assessment. Its main objective is to ensure that the quality of provision and standards of awards in HE are being safe-guarded and enhanced.

Student Regulation Team:The Student Regulations Team deals with all allegations of student misconduct and alleged breaches of assessment regulations.

UEB:The University Executive Board coordinates strategic planning at corporate university level and advises the Vice-Chancellor and Rector in his/her capacity as Chair of Academic Council.


UVP/URP:University Validations or Review Panel: three reviewers appointed by the university who are independent of the courses/modules under review, with external subject specialists. Normally courses are renewed internally by the university every six years. Universities UK (UUK):The organisation that represents all universities, whose Executive Heads (Rector or Vice-Chancellor) are members.

UWSU:University of Westminster Students’ Union.

Validation:The process by which programmes/courses are confirmed to meet both the requirements set by the institution for its awards, and external benchmarks about content.

Year tutor:Normally, this is a lecturer with responsibility for overseeing the module/s at particular level and coordinating the contribution of part-time lecturers. They ensure that information is circulated to students and staff and may coordinate the marking. Year tutors are more common on small, single subject course.

Further reading:

Handbook of Academic Regulations:(The Red Book)The handbook of Academic Regulations includes all academic regulations for staff, students and research degrees of the university. The handbook is published on the university’s website here: http://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/current-students/resources/academic-regulations

Quality assurance and enhancement handbook(The Yellow Book)The quality assurance and enhancement handbook provides full details of the complete terms of student/staff consultative committees. The handbook is published on the university’s website here: : http://www.westminster.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/81842/QAE-handbook.pdf

4. Terminology.

It is important to understand the terminology that will be used at course and faculty-level committees. Below are the most commonly used terms and their definitions:

Matters arisingThis allows the chair of the meeting to check that any action agreed at the last meeting has been carried out or followed up.


Agendas and papersThe agenda is the framework for the meeting. It is a list of what will be discussed and it should be sent to you about a week before. Papers to support the items on the agendas will accompany it. All agendas have basic layout.

ApologiesApologies are received from people who are unable to attend the meeting. If you cannot attend your course committee meeting or faculty - level committee then you should inform your course leader you are unable to attend. If possible, make sure another rep from your level and course will be attending. Remember Course Reps bring the views of students - if Course Reps do not go, the voice of student will not be heard.

Minutes of the last meetingWhat is discussed and agreed at a meeting is recorded in the minutes. After a meeting, the minutes are written up and circulated to all those who attended. The university recommends that minutes are circulated as soon as possible after the meeting, however it may take a few weeks. If you don’t receive minutes of the meeting you have attended, please contact your course leader. Read the minutes as soon as you get them and check that everything you said is recorded accurately. If there are any inaccuracies, these must be corrected so please tell the chair (your course leader) if you spot anything that is not correct.At the next meeting, the minutes are agreed as a correct record. You should read the minutes of the last meeting even if you did not attend it. It will give you an idea of the sorts of issues that were discussed.

Other agenda items The other agenda items will vary according to the types of meeting. These can vary from standing items that are discussed at every meeting, to other items that need detailed discussion and may lead to agreed actions.

Any other business (AOB)This will always be the last item on the agenda, and provides an opportunity to discuss anything that hasn’t been covered elsewhere on the agenda. The chair of the meeting may ask to be notified of any other business (AOB) before the meeting. This may be stated on the letter accompanying the meeting paperwork. Alternatively some chairs prefer that matters for AOB are decided at the start of the meeting, while others are happy for them to be there without prior notice. If you have anything you want to raise under AOB, it is good practice to briefly discuss it with the chair before the meeting starts.

Terms of ReferenceDescribe the purpose and structure of a project, committee, meeting, negotiation, or any similar collection of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal. If your course leader does not provide you with one, please ask them a copy.


5. Students’ Union staff structure.

Chief ExecutiveOfficer

Research Representation

WelfareManager

Student Engagement &

ActivitiesManager


Welfare Coordinator (NCS)

Great StartProject Manager


WelfareCoordinator (MAR)


WelfareCoordinator (REG)

Societies & CPACoordinator

SportsCoordinator

StudentReception Team

CampaignAssistant


CampaignAssistant


CampaignAssistant


CampaignAssistant

Student support and engagement

Senior Management Team

Student Staff


Sabbatical OfficersPresident

VP CavendishVP Harrow

VP Marylebone VP Regent & Little Titchfield Street

Other trustees2 x University Trustees3 x External Trustees

1 x Ordinary Student Trustee

FinanceManager

Commercial &Fundraising

Manager

HR & AdminManager

RetailManager

Venue Manager

FinanceAssistant (0.4)

Shop Supervisor (CAV)

EventAssistant

Shop Supervisor (HAR)

Fundraising &Sponsorship

Team

Web & Social Media Assistant

ShopAssistant

UWSU Events

VideoContent Intern

ShopAssistant

Bar Assistant

Central Trading and income

Smoke TVProducer

Design & PrintCoordinator

Communications Manager

TRUSTEE BOARD Chair of trustees


6. University committee structure.

University of Westminster committee structure 2014/2015.Court of Governors, Academic Council and UEB committees

Court ofGovernors

RemunerationCommittee

Finance & PropertyCommittee

AuditCommittee

Academic Council

Graduate SchoolBoard

ResearchCommittee

Quality ReviewCommittee

Learning & TeachingCommittee

University ResearchEthnics Committee

CollaborationsCommittee

Faculty ResearchEthics Committee

Faculty ResearchCommittee

Faculty QualityAssuranceCommittee

Faculty LearningTeaching & AssessmentCommittee


NominationsCommittee

Human ResourcesCommittee

Professors & Readers

Committee

Curriculum Planning & Review

Committee

University Executive

Board

Corporate Social Responsibility

Group

Senior ExecutiveGroup

Faculty BoardSafety, Health &

Well-beingCommittee

UW-WIUTPartnership

Board

University Student Forum

WestminsterGroup

InternationalGroup

FacultyInternationalCommittee

Faculty Executive Committee


University of Westminster committee structure 2014/2015.Faculty and graduate school board committees

Graduate SchoolBoard

Faculty ResearchEthics Committee

Faculty AnnualMonitoringCommittee

CourseCommittee

Faculty Board

Faculty ResearchCommittee

Faculty QualityAssuranceCommittee

Faculty Learning,Teaching & AssessmentCommittee

Faculty EnterpriseCommittee

Faculty InternationalCommittee

Research DegreeProgression Committee

Corporate Social Responsibility

Group

Graduate SchoolAssembly

External AdvisoryGroup


Faculty ExecutiveGroup

DepartmentalCommittee

Faculty Infrastructure &

ResearchCommittee

FacultyStudent Forum


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Documents

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