1. Welcome to SSLC Training! If you are waiting, then please make sure that you have… filled in your details on the attendance list an SSLC Handbook (red) a Participant Handbook

2. SSLC Training 2009 Sumaiya Khaku Education Officer

4. Equipping Reps to understand… The role of the SSLC The role and responsibilities of an SSLC Rep, SSLC Secretary & SSLC Chair Students’ Union Support for SSLCs Where to access further help and support How to use the SSLC Portal The Students’ Union’s Education Strategy Objectives of SSLC Training

5. What is the SSLC? Student-Staff Liaison Committee Collaboration between Union & University Student-led It exists to provide a forum for staff and students to discuss issues relating to a course, department or centre and this is important for the following reasons: – It provides staff and students with the opportunity to discuss new ideas and solve problems. – It provides an opportunity for student views to be taken to senior university committees. – It ensures student input into degree programmes and syllabi

6. How does the SSLC System work? Each department has an Academic Convenor… Each SSLC has a student Chair and a student Secretary… Each SSLC should meet at least 4 times a year. Reps sit on departmental staff meetings. Each SSLC should meet at least 4 times a year. Whilst the physical committee meeting is the most visible presence of the SSLC, work can and should be done outside meetings where necessary.

7. Issues discussed at SSLC Meetings Assessment and examination Library Services Careers and skills development issues Teaching Curriculum development Needs (which may not relate to teaching & learning) specific to students of that department Computing & e-learning issues Personal Tutor System Wednesday Afternoon & other timetable issues

8. What’s your role? SSLC Reps need to: Make sure students in your year know who you are Canvas fellow students to find out what they would like raised at meetings: -E-mails through departmental secretaries -Notice boards -Lecture shouts -SSLC Portal -Feedback box -Facebook Group Attend meetings! Feedback to the cohort about the outcome of each meeting Ensure that your contact details are available online and on a departmental notice board

9. What’s the Secretary’s role? Write up the agenda for the meeting and post on Portal Take minutes at the meeting Ensure that minutes are approved by committee members and then uploaded to Portal Other administrative tasks, as decided by committee Attend Faculty Forum meetings (once a term) in the absence of the Chair

10. What’s the Chair’s role? Call meetings, run meetings and ensure fair treatment of all committee members Make sure committee decisions are actioned Oversee Portal page, particularly ensuring that up- to-date details are available on the Portal and on departmental notice board Ensure that the annual report form is completed and submitted on time Attend staff meetings as Student Rep Attend Faculty Forum (once a term)

11. Dealing with common problems

12. Looking at the scenarios you have been given, decide which action(s) need(s) to be taken: 1.Use the Chair’s Authority 2.Approach an individual member of staff 3.Approach a Senior member of staff 4.Contact the relevant University staff (eg. Faculty Librarian, IT Services Representative, Careers Advisor) 5.Raise the issue at the SSLC Meeting 6.Hold a Pre-SSLC meeting for Student Reps only 7.Go to the Departmental Office 8.Ask some more students to get a wider view 9.Speak to a Faculty Rep or the Education Officer 10.Take another action

13. SU support for SSLCs A Union representative will try and visit your SSLC at least once during the year We are here to help, so please keep communicating with us

14. SSLC Procedure Depending on the nature of the issue, sensitive issues that come to SSLC may be discussed at the meeting for signposting only. (ie. they will not be minuted) The SSLC should use discretion here. Complaints involving named members of staff or named students should NOT be raised in the public forum of SSLC – i.e. student has problems with their personal tutor – Students are unhappy with the teaching of a particular member of staff

15. Complaints Procedure There may be situations where reps are unable to handle issues or where complaints need to be made. It is important to be aware of the alternative routes: Welfare Officer Personal Tutor Heads of Department Education Officer Director of Graduate/Underg raduate Studies Departmental Senior Tutor University Senior Personal Tutor

16. The SSLC Portal: go.warwick.ac.uk/sslc

17. SSLC Portal Info The Portal was designed to centralise information relating to the SSLC, and make it easy to find reps’ details Each department has its own page It is the responsibility of each SSLC to oversee its own page - making sure all reps’ details are correct - uploading minutes and agendas Editing permissions can be obtained by emailing Tim Sansom at tim.sansom@warwicksu.com Guidance on how to edit your page is available on the SSLC Portal.

18. Questions? It is crucial that we have accurate contact details for all SSLC reps, so please fill in the attendance sheet and use the portal!

19. Thanks for coming and all the very best for your year as SSLC Rep! Sumaiya Khaku, Education Officer: education@warwicksu.com education@warwicksu.com www.warwick.ac.uk/go/sslc Sami Wannell, Welfare Officer: welfare@warwicksu.com welfare@warwicksu.com Tim Sansom, Academic Representation Coordinator: Tim.Sansom@warwicksu.com Tim.Sansom@warwicksu.com