Transcript PGR Rep Training - Northumbria University

School Rep Training
Welcome to the session – help yourself
to tea and coffee and make sure you
sit with a Rep from another School!
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Brief intro to the session
Why the role exists and why you matter
Qualities: picturing the ideal School Rep
Qualities: how to develop through your SU
Being an activist: key concepts in
campaigning and representation
• LUNCH!
• Communicating with the students you
represent
• The Representation Cycle
• Support from the SU in ‘closing the loop’
• The way forward: taking ideas on and up
• Meetings: tactics and the art of diplomacy
• The benefits of being a School Rep
• Debrief / any questions?
Objectives for the session
• To identify skills and qualities needed of a
Rep and ways of developing them
• To gain familiarity with core concepts in
student activism
• To explore means of feeding ideas up,
feeding ideas in and feeding ideas back
• To locate the role of the Rep in effecting
positive change on behalf of students
School Reps: why the role
exists – and why you matter
The role exists because:
- The Students’ Union is determined to hold the University to account on its
commitment to improve the quality of the student experience and teaching
and learning – for all students
- School Learning and Teaching and Student Affairs Committees need
student input on School-level provision of resources for taught and research
students and the student experience as a holistic whole
- The University’s numerous Enhancement Groups and Consultative Forums
need student input on key decisions to give them credibility and legitimacy
- Best practice in Quality Assurance in universities requires that student
representation is at the heart of a university’s strategy – and paid School
Reps is regarded as best practice amongst Students’ Unions nationally
- With well-trained, motivated and committed student representatives in
place at all levels in the University, the Students’ Union is able to achieve a
much greater overall impact and stay aware of the core issues affecting
students
School Reps: why the role
exists – and why you matter
You matter because:
- Only current students can truly speak on behalf of, assist in fostering
and understand the dynamics of the student community
- Only current students can truly hold the University to account on its
commitments in the Northumbria Student Learning Values and
improve the student experience
- Only trained, motivated and committed representatives can truly
offer the necessary skills to represent students effectively
- Only through having the recognition that comes from being an
official School Rep can there truly be an identifiable advocate for the
needs of students in your School
What other motivations did you have for becoming a School Rep?
Picturing the ideal School Rep
What qualities would the ideal School Rep
have?
Draw him/her on flipchart paper,
emphasising the parts of his/her anatomy
that relate to the necessary skills
Gaining those qualities
Student Activities Centre
- Skills Programme – Communication,
Negotiation, Time & Stress Management,
Presentation, Meetings…
Course Rep Conference
- Wide range of sessions dedicated to skills and
Union/University knowledge base
Advanced training
- Let us know your needs and we’ll devise the
training!
Being an activist and
involving students
Current Experience
i.e. ‘My student experience…’
e.g. Halls accommodation is £100 per week…
Problems or difficulties
i.e. ‘Could be better…’
e.g. This leaves little money for food, clothes, transport…
Injustice injection
i.e. ‘Should be better…’
e.g. Similar Uni’s to ours charge £85 per week! …
Action required
i.e. ‘What can I do about it?’
e.g. Sign petition; come to meeting; etc…
Source: National Union of Students – Campaigning Training
How does this relate to your
role as a School Rep?
• As a School Rep, you are a facilitator for student
activism
• However, first and foremost, you are a
representative of your fellow students
• Therefore, if things ‘could be better’ and you feel
they ‘should be better’, the ‘action required’ of
you is to represent your peers effectively in
meetings
• Remember the Northumbria Student Learning
Values gives you a standard that the University
must work towards – helping you to identify what
‘could’ and ‘should be better’
Getting known, gathering ideas
and feeding up the chain
To be effective as a Rep, you need to be well- known in
your School community and gather ideas
How will you:
- Get known amongst your peers and Course Reps?
- Gather feedback from your peers as a group?
- Gather feedback anonymously?
- Help foster a strong and confident community of Reps in
your School?
Hint: what resources are available to you – electronic or
otherwise?
The Representation Cycle
Gathering viewpoints
Forming arguments
Feeding in
Feeding back
Gathering viewpoints…
Why is it important to follow all four stages before
starting again?
What lessons can be learnt from Northumbria’s
performance in the National Student Survey?
Taking ideas up and
identifying the way forward
Consider the case studies on the sheets how would you take things forward?
Remember to complete the Representation
Cycle:
• Gather viewpoints
• Form ideas
• Feed in
• Feed back
Meetings: the art of diplomacy
Consider the situation on the sheets – now
imagine that you’re the delegate to the
meeting described on the slip of paper.
How would you behave at the meeting?
Now work out why it went wrong!
The benefits of being
a School Rep
Learning and Teaching Awards
- Take advantage of your extensive experience
- Chance of a £1000 cash prize!
School Rep of the Year
- Category in the Students’ Union Awards
Northumbria Plus+
- The perfect boost to your CV
- Logbooks to be issued shortly…
This is your Union!
We’re here to support you in your role
- School Rep Forums in 2007:
Dates in your School Rep Handbooks
- One-to-one supervision from the
Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator at
a time to suit you:
If you haven’t booked them yet, get on with it!
- Vice President Education and Welfare on
hand to support and represent you at the highest
levels
The debrief on being a School Rep
Those objectives again
- To identify skills and qualities needed of a Rep and
ways of developing them
- To gain familiarity with core concepts in student
activism
- To explore means of feeding ideas up, feeding ideas in
and feeding ideas back
- To locate the role of the Rep in effecting positive
change on behalf of students
Do you feel these objectives have been met?
Thanks for coming!