How To?

…communicate effectively

Being a good communicator is key to being a skilled representative because you will be required to communicate effectively in all forums: one to one, during meetings and when ‘feeding back’ to students. If you are able to do
this then your job is already half done. Here are some hints to get you
started:

• be a point of contact – if you are a Department/Subject Rep, make sure students know who you are so they can bring any comments or problems to you. If you are a School Rep, make sure you are a point
  of contact for the Department/Subject Reps in your School. Be proactive in seeking their input as this will show that you really are there to help them and will help you seem more approachable in future;
• bring up issues as soon as possible – raise them at formal meetings, with lecturers, or other relevant contacts as soon as possible; the longer you leave it the worse the problem will get;
• update students or other Reps on progress with specific concerns or queries so they know where they stand. Why not update them on what else you’ve done for them by printing off updates as flyers and handing them out before lectures/seminars or including them in a termly newsletter sent via email;
• feedback positive examples of learning and teaching from the student point of view to your department or School, to encourage them to do the same and let them know what students think about any changes that have been made; and
• if an issue is taking a long time to be dealt with, or it’s an issue you feel you can’t resolve alone or which you feel is part of a bigger picture, let the Students' Union know about it! They can advise you on what you can do, offer a friendly ear and/or tackle issues at University level or with a campaign.

…speak one to one with a student

• explain confidentiality – i.e. assure students that any comments
  they make will be raised generically in relation to the course/department/school, not specifically tied to them as an individual. If an issue raised by a student may easily identify them e.g. because there are not many students on their course, seek advice from USSU;
• make sure you take students’ contact details so you can get back to them;
• be non-judgemental;
• let students have their say, don't interrupt;
• agree what actions you are going to take on a student’s behalf and give a timescale in which you will get back to them. If you can’t keep to the timescale, always let them know.

…resolve problems

Try to deal with issues in the most appropriate forum. Sometimes this will mean speaking to a lecturer informally, other times you may want to discuss a problem at an open meeting and on other occasions you may need to involve the Students’ Union. Generally the issues that need resolving fall into the following categories:

Issues involving lecturer or tutor styles

Don’t wait for a department meeting to bring up an issue that is affecting a group of students. Generally it’s not appropriate to bring up sensitive issues about one member of staff in an open meeting. If it’s something that can be dealt with by approaching the individual lecturer/tutor always do it this way first.

By keeping the following points in mind, you should find it easier to raise difficult/sensitive issues e.g. problems with a certain teaching style, without conflict.

• focus on the behaviour, not the person;
• always be specific;
• don't exaggerate, or make assumptions;
• describe the consequences;
• offer or request alternatives; and
• use the positive sandwich (i.e. put a positive comment before and after a negative).

If you need help with how to approach a member of staff, seek advice. If the lecturer/tutor says they can’t help you, you may want to get involvement from the USSU Education Officer and/or seek advice from the Head of Department.

General concerns about an element of a course programme

General concerns may be able to be dealt with quickly and efficiently by Programme Coordinators or the Course Convenor. If you’re not sure who to speak to, go to your School Office and ask for advice. If the concerns can wait, you may want to raise them at a formal meeting. If your concerns fall on deaf ears, it’s a good idea to get help from the USSU Education Officer.

Concerns affecting students across the whole University

It’s advisable to raise these types of issues, e.g. a reduction in Library opening times etc at at the School Student Experience Group. Also, it is vitally important that Department/Subject Reps raise these kinds of issues with their School Reps, so that they can be actioned at the right meetings.
It’s also a good idea to get involvement from your Students’ Union Council rep and the Students’ Union Education Officer as they can raise the issue at the appropriate high-level University committee.

If you’re not sure how to deal with a specific issue, seek advice from the Students’ Union, we’re here to help you!