Supporting Student Communication Working together to promote the importance of an effective representation system Katherine Brown: School Representative: History, Classics and Archaeology & George Watkins: NUSU Representation & Democracy Coordinator

Objectives A clearer understanding of how the student representation system works. To discuss ways in which to improve communication between staff, student representatives and the general student population. To consider improved ways in which the University and the Students’ Union can work together to further improve the support offered to student representatives.

Newcastle University – 21,045 Students 1 Education Officer

Newcastle University – 21,045+ Students 1 Education Officer 1053 Course Reps

Newcastle University – 21,045 Students 1 Education Officer Course Reps – 1053 who sit on 74 Staff/Student Committees in Schools Student Chairs on the vast majority of the 74 Staff/Student Committees 55 Taught and Research School Representatives who sit on Faculty Committees

FEEDBACK LOOPS

Students tell their Course Representative about a problem to do with their studies. The Course Representative presents the problem at the SSC. The SSC discuss the problem and come up a solution and implement it. The Course Representative feeds this information back to the student and asks whether it is enough. The solution is fine and the loop is closed. The Basic/SSC Feedback Loop The solution is not enough as there are still problems.

School Level Feedback Loop Students tell their Course Representative about a problem to do with their studies. The Course Representative presents the problem at the SSC. The SSC alone cannot solve the problem and the issue needs to be resolved elsewhere. The Course Rep informs the students. The Chair of the SSC talks about the problem at the School Forum. The School Forum discusses the problem. It has been encountered before by another SSC who has already implemented specific solutions to come to a resolution. The Chair informs the SSC of these solutions, and after discussion decide to implement them as well. The Course Representative feeds this information back to the student and asks whether it is enough. The solution is fine and the loop is closed. The solution is not enough as there are still problems. Issue enters the Basic/SSC Feedback loop.

Newcastle University – 21,045 Students 1 Education Officer Course Reps – 1053 who sit on 74 Staff/Student Committees in Schools Student Chairs on the vast majority of the 74 Staff/Student Committees 55 Taught and Research School Representatives who sit on Faculty Committees

Newcastle University – 21,045 Students 1 Education Officer 1053 Course Reps who sit on 74 Staff/Student Committees in Schools Student Chairs on the vast majority of 74 Staff/Student Committees 55 Taught and Research School Representatives who sit on Faculty Committees

Newcastle University – 21,045 Students 1 Education Officer 1053 Course Reps who sit on 74 Staff/Student Committees in Schools Student Chairs on the vast majority of 74 Staff/Student Committees 55 Taught and Research School Representatives who sit on Faculty Committees

Newcastle University – 21,045 Students Education Officer 1053 Course Reps who sit on 74 Staff/Student Committees in Schools, chaired by Students Student Representatives sit on Board of Studies School Reps and Staff sit on the FLTSECs Staff Meetings within a School - SLTSEC Student Chairs attend Forums held by the School Rep ULTSEC

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Discussion Groups If you could get into groups to take part in the discussion. Can you try your best to make sure that there is in your group at least one member of staff or a student from each of the three faculties, and a member from one of the Central Services. Use the A3 Discussion summaries provided to write down your ideas. Please make sure its is legible so we can take photographs of them later.

How can we promote a culture of feedback in the University? How do we communicate to students the importance of giving positive and negative feedback? How could we prove to students that it is worth the time they would dedicate to giving feedback? What whys could the Students Representatives and Staff work together to make this successful?

How can we support communication between the Course Reps and the Student cohort? How could the University and Students’ Union coordinate their efforts to better to support communication between Reps and Students in the long term? Could the current methods used be supported differently to make them more effective?

How can you support communication within a school? Given the size and diversity of subject areas in some schools, how could the School Reps be better supported by the School and Students’ Union to ensure communication between departments is effective everywhere? How could Taught Representatives be supported better to forge links between UG and PGT? How could Research Reps be better supported in PGR where student representation is not intergrated? How could the role of the School Rep be conveyed to students who are less familiar with the student representation system, for example to first years or ERASMUS students?

How can you support effective communication in meetings? What tips and strategies do you have for representatives who are attending meetings and communicating information? – Dealing with anxiety about public speaking – Understanding documentation and agendas – Chairing effective meetings and taking accurate minutes What ways could staff led meetings be structured to benefit student representatives and maintain effective communication?

Thanks and one final thing… Thank you for attending to today, your viewpoints are very much appreciated. One final thing… – You all have a post-it note, could you write on it your School/Service, and write down what you think is the most important thing that your department needs to focus on next to better support Student Communication.