How to represent students

How to represent students

Representing students on your course is the main part of your role. You’ll need to follow a 3 step process – gather feedback, represent opinions to the university, and close the feedback loop.  

 

As a Course Rep, a huge part of your role is gathering feedback from students to understand their experience.  

Gathering a broad range of feedback from your peers will help you to better represent the student experience to the University. 

We think the best way to gather feedback is just by going out and talking to students.?This way, the students on your course will recognise you and know that someone is listening to them.  

Alongside going out and chatting to your course mates, here are some other ideas of how you could gather feedback:? 

  • Social Media:?You could gather feedback in a Facebook group or post a poll online for students to vote in 

  • Shout-Outs:?Ask for feedback at the start of a lecture or seminar. You could also ask your lecturer if you could gather feedback in your Graduate Advantage or Tutor Group session 

  • Suggestion Box:?Put a suggestion box in a common space so students can give feedback anonymously 

  • Survey:?Create a survey and get your classmates to fill it in online or in person 

  • Noticeboard:?Ask your Year Management if you can have access to a noticeboard to post questions and information on 

  • Event:?Host an event where you ask students about their experience 

  • Canvas:?Ask a member of staff to put out a notification on your course Canvas page asking for feedback 

  • Meeting:?Host a meeting with students on your course so that they can ask you questions or submit ideas 

Once you have gathered feedback from students, you will need to represent the student opinion to UCB and the Guild.  

You never have to wait for a formal meeting to feedback student views to the University, though of course, these are a great place to do so. You can also: 

  • Meet with your Year Manager or Tutor.? This could be an informal meeting where you talk through your ideas and the feedback you've received.? 

  • Present the feedback you've received. You could present your findings to University staff in your department.? 

  • Create an action plan. Spend some time with other reps on your course to create an action plan of how you're going to change the areas students have provided you with feedback on.? 

  • Spend time recognising patterns of feedback from students across the University and raise this. You may do this at Education Forum or informally with other course reps you've met. 

  • Check in with the Guild by e-mailing one of your Guild Officers or guildinfo@ucb.ac.uk. 

 

You should try and get the feedback actioned – e.g. if you’ve said assessment feedback isn’t good, you might ask for the head of year to set up a group to understand what good feedback looks like, and then pass on guidance to staff on how to provide excellent feedback. 

 

When you’ve done this, you should close the feedback loop  

 

You'll have probably heard people talking about "closing the feedback loop" but might not know exactly what it means. In short, closing the feedback loop is when you let a student know the progress and actions taken as a result of their feedback. This will usually be done when you have acted on the feedback or passed it on to the relevant person.? 

Closing the feedback loop is important because it keeps students engaged. We all know how frustrating it is to provide feedback but not hear anything back about the outcomes. Often, if a student has been kept up to date with the progress of their feedback, they're more likely to provide feedback again in the future.? 

Example: 

1. You’ve gathered feedback 

After your lecture?some students on your course?let?you know that their?feedback from the most recent assessment was not detailed or helpful.? 

2. You’ve passed on the feedback (representing student opinion)? 

You identify that the best place to raise this is with your head of year and let them know via e-mail.? 

The feedbacks been actioned, and the head of year agrees to organise a focus group to understand what would be most helpful from assessment feedback. They have the intention to create a guidance document for staff on providing excellent assessment feedback.? 

3. Closing the Feedback loop? 

You let the students on your course know that this is being actioned. They are grateful for your support and look forward to seeing the changes in place as a result of their feedback.? 

Without the 3rd step, students may not have even known that changes had been made or actions were put in place and may feel like nobody listens to them or takes their feedback seriously. They may choose not to give you feedback again in the future.? 

 

 

If you have any questions about this or need advice, you can email our Education & Representation coordinator, Joe at joseph@ucbguild.co.uk