Dear Colleagues,Welcome to your Staff Handbook for Academic Representation.

Working with Academic Representativesis the main part of my role as Vice President Academic Affairs, and is one of the most important parts too. So, as the University staff that work with this elected group of students, I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do.

The Academic Representation Systemis a partnership between the Students’ Union and the University, so it’s hugely important for us to work together; the system is most effective when we have collaboration at the centre of our processes and students at the heart of our work.

My role is to lead and support all of the Academic Representatives in projects and campaigns from which their peers will benefit. We achieved a great deal last year, including a campus-wide campaign on assessment feedback that was inspiredby areas of the College of Social Science, working to improve access to learning spaces in the College of Science, and campaigning against hidden course costs in the College of Arts, focused on printing.

However, there is still so much to do!I have some exciting plans for the year ahead that I want to achieve with the help of Student Engagement Champions, Heads of Schools and all staff that work directly with Academic Representatives.

These students represent your College, School and all courses therein, so it’s important that we are open and sincerewith them and each other in order to empower our students to be impactful.

I can’t wait to work in partnership with you, continuing to make positive change for our students.

Best Wishes,Nyasha Takawira

Vice President Academic Affairs

Scott DavidsonDeputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching Quality) & Students’ Union Trustee

A strong and productive partnership between the University of Lincoln Students’ Union and the University of Lincoln is of fundamental importance to the wellbeing of all our students.If the University’s ambition is ‘to delight our students’ then the Vision, Mission and Values of the SU go a long way to helping us achieve this.

In the SU our students not only find the representation and support they need to make their voice heard educationally, but they also find a caring and supportive environment that encourages them to fulfil their potential through both the academic and social side of University life.

Here at the University of Lincoln, we value social learning and development as much as we value academic success. We all know that as well as being exciting, University life can be both challenging and daunting for even the most mature of students, whatever their age, and it is through the SU that our students find the student-focused support and advice they often need.

At the heart of the SU are our staff, who demonstrate the highest levels of commitment and professionalism in supporting our students and providing them with the advice they need to succeed. Our staff also provide the necessary continuity in an organisation which, because of its democratic nature, experiences an annual turnover of elected officers. This is a challenge in many ways as elected officers need full support not only to make them fully functional within a short period of time, but to help them deliver on their manifesto promises. It takes staff with dedication and exceptional skills to do this and we are fortunate to be blessed with such staff in the University of Lincoln Students’ Union.

This Staff Handbook is designed to provide staff with the essential information they need to support their valuable work, and I commend it to them.

Meet theStudent Voice Team

AcademicRepresentation Structure

TheSenior Rep Team

Elections

RepresentationCharter

RepTraining

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076050302010

Contents

Rewarding &Supporting Reps

RepForum

Or email the team: reps@lincolnsu.com

The Student Voice team are here to support Course Reps,

School Reps and College Officers. They organise training,

development, networking and feedback opportunities for all Reps

and are the key Students’ Union staff contacts for Reps, and

for the University staff responsible for Academic Representation.

We are available to contact at any time and we run drop-ins:

Tuesday 2pm- 4pm Thursday 10am -12pm

First Floor Office, Students’ Union

The Student Voice Team

academic RepresEntation Worker LIZ SMY

ESMY@LINCOLN.AC.UK 01522 837 673

student voice and impact managerJennY barnes

JBARNES@LINCOLN.AC.UK01522 837 607

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VP ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

COURSE REPS (APPROX 600)PG REPS

SCHOOL REP

Fine & Performing

ArtsDesign &

Architecture

SCHOOL REP

Film & Media

English &Journalism

SCHOOL REP

History &Heritage

SCHOOL REP

Social &Political Science Psychology

SCHOOL REP

Sport & Exercise Science Law

SCHOOL REP

BusinessHealth &

Social

SCHOOL REP

Computing Engineering

SCHOOL REP

Life Sciences Pharmacy

SCHOOL REP

ChemistryMaths &Physics

College of Arts Officer College of Social Science Officer College of Science Officer

Business Divisional Reps

Health & SocialDivisional Reps

The Academic REPRESENTATION STRUCTURE

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College of Arts OfficerJohn-Paul Dickieartsofficer@lincolnsu.com

College of Social Science OfficerAbigail Paceysocialscienceofficer@lincolnsu.com

College of Science OfficerConnor Muirscienceofficer@lincolnsu.com BusinessStephanie Nockbusinessrep@lincolnsu.com

ChemistryFraser Kellychemistryrep@lincolnsu.com

Computer ScienceEmma Huntleycomputingrep@lincolnsu.com

Architecture & DesignLorna Lovattarchanddesignrep@lincolnsu.com

EngineeringAndrew Hislopengineeringrep@lincolnsu.com

English and JournalismDanyal Khanengandjournorep@lincolnsu.com

Film and MediaIona Carterfilmandmediarep@lincolnsu.com

Fine and Performing ArtsNatasha Baileyfineperformartsrep@lincolnsu.com

Health and Social CareAlexandra Parkinhealthsocialcarerep@lincolnsu.com

History and HeritageMegan Leehistoryheritagerep@lincolnsu.com

Maths & PhysicsVacantmathsphysicsrep@lincolnsu.com

LawErin Cooklawrep@lincolnsu.com

Life SciencesScott Bonnerlifesciencerep@lincolnsu.com

PharmacyTanjit Ramapharmacyrep@lincolnsu.com

PsychologySamuel Jonespsychologyrep@lincolnsu.com

Social and Political SciencesChristian Worleysocpolrep@lincolnsu.com

Sport and Exercise ScienceMelissa Poolesportexsciencerep@lincolnsu.com

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These are like Course Reps, but they represent a whole School or College to the wider University community.

Senior Reps

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Academic Representatives

COURSE REPS are at the

forefront of the Academic Representation system, working to create positive change so that every Lincoln student has an effective and fulfilling academic experience. The ratio used for Course Reps is 1:25; for most courses, this works out as three Reps per level, per course. A Course Rep’s role is to gather feedback, ideas and issues fromtheir peers to take to meetings, Rep Forums and to the relevant University and Students’ Union staff. Course Reps are supported by academic and Students’ Union staff, the Vice-President Academic Affairs andtheir School Rep and College Officer.

PG REPS are elected to represent all PGR

and PGT students within your School; they can be elected separately if you have a large number of PG students. They represent their peers at Subject Committee Meetings and at wider College and Institutional Committees. They will meet regularly with other Academic Representatives, to discuss the progress of postgraduate programmes within their School.

DIVISIONAL REPS are elected at Course Rep training from and only by elected Course Reps. This Rep position is only used in the two largest Schools, the Business School and the School of Health & Social Care, where clear divisions have been set based on necessity. As shown in the Academic Representation structure diagram, they will assist their School Rep, support Course Reps and make sure that their division is effectively represented.

SCHOOL REPS oversee the work

of Course Reps within their School and support them in their role; each School has one School Rep. They will attend various meetings, chair their Subject Committees, and should encourage their Course Reps to attend all necessary events, including Rep Forums. School Reps also focus on encouraging their peers to complete the National Student Survey (NSS) so that feedback within their

School is as comprehensive as possible.

COLLEGE OFFICERS

are elected to represent their College at institutional committees and on Student Council. The three Colleges – Arts, Science and Social Science – have one College Officer each. College Officers filter aims and information down to their School Reps and oversee the work of their Rep team. They will attend various meetings and work closely with Vice President Academic Affairs.

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Under the 1994 Education Act, we are requried to hold elections for all student representatives. To ensure that this process is democratic, any of our members are able to stand as candidates and vote. Legally, voting must be done by secret ballot.

All Academic Representatives are elected by their peers. The election of College Officers and School Reps takes place at the same time as the Student Leader elections, in February each year, where any Students’ Union member can stand as a candidate for a number of positions. Only students from a given School or College can stand as a candidate or vote in the elections for that area.

Elections

COURSE REP ELECTIONS:

In March, we hold elections for students that will return to their studies in September (current First and Second Year students)

In October we hold elections for all First Year Course Reps, and any positions from the preceding March which are as yet unfilled

POSTGRADUATE REP ELECTIONS:

The Majority of PG Reps elections are in October, alongside CourseRep elections

The second period of PG Rep elections can take place in January, if you have courses that start at this time

It is your decision, as Student Engagement Champions, PG Leads and Administrators that work closely with Academic Reps within your Schools, to decide when you would like to elect; we will work with you to deliver this.

You can also choose how you would like to elect Reps within your School. We facilitate both online elections, throught the Students’ Union website, and offline elections by way of paper ballot in lectures.

There are benefits to both methods, and we can discuss which is best for your School when we meet with you before each election period.

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Wednesday 21st October 2015 1-3pmThursday 3rd December 2015 12-2pm

Tuesday 19th January 2016 12-2pmThursday 10th March 2016 11am-1pm

Dates for Reps Forums are:

Forums occur approximately every six weeks and are held in Engine Shed.

It’s part of the role of all Academic Reps to attend Rep Forums. They are a great opportunity to plan campaigns and solutions to issues as a team. Reps will also gain a greater understanding of the Academic Representation Structure, the Students’ Union, and the University as a whole.

School Reps will run a session for Course Reps within their School to discuss issues affecting the whole School, as well as items for Subject Committee Meetings; College Officers will do the same for their College. Previously, the College of Arts has discussed hidden course costs and Science has looked at student access to learning spaces.

If there is anything that you would like all of your Reps to know, Rep Forums are a chance for School Reps to disseminate information. Please contact them directly so that they can plan this into their sessions. If you would like feedback from all Reps across the campus, please contact reps@lincolnsu.com and the Student Voice team can work this into the agenda.

REP FORUM DATES FOR 2015/16

Wednesday 21st October 2015 1pm - 3pmThursday 3rd December 2015 12 - 2pmTuesday 19th January 2016 12 - 2pmThursday 10th March 2016 11am - 1pm

Rep Forum

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RepTraining

After all Course Reps have been elected in September, we will hold training on a by-School basis. These sessions will take place over a two week period from the 5th October 2015; times will depend on timetabling of academic sessions. During training we will cover topics such as meeting etiquette, the importance of completing the feedback loop and best ways of communicating with staff and students.

As part of their training, we would like you, as Student Engagement Champions in particular, to attend the session to discuss NSS action plans and Student Engagement plans within your School. These have to be finalised shortly after the training period, so this is a great opportunity to get the student input you need before they are submitted.

Many of you have told us that scheduling a Subject Committee Meeting between elections and plan submissions can be difficult, so we hope that using the training sessions makes this much easier.

The Student Voice team will be in contact to let you know when your School’s session is, once timetables have been released. If you cannot attend but still wish to use the opportunity to have Reps discuss these plans, please send the team any relevant material so that your School Rep, College Officer or the Student Voice team can lead a discussion with your Reps.

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REWARDING &SUPPORTING REPS

VOLUNTEER LOGSStudents who are Academic Reps are also volunteers within the Students’ Union.

This means that they can record the hours that they spend helping others on their Volunteer Log, which contributes to their Volunteer Certificate,

awarded in May each academic year. These can be submitted through the SU website and can also form part of their Lincoln Award activity if they choose

to take part. It would be very helpful if you could forward Subject Committee attendance to the Student Voice team so that they can validate these entries.

NEWSLETTEROnce a month, all Reps will receive our Rep Newsletter via email. In this

we will share success stories and progress on and campaigns and projects. It will also contain the School of the Month winner and let Reps know of events

and campaigns that they can get involved in to create positive change.

SCHOOL OF THE MONTHThis was first introduced two years ago and has become a prestigious award.

Each month, the Executive Committee, made up of the SU’s four Student Leaders, will select the winner based on submitted nominations. The winning School will have shown excellent student-staff partnership, that issues have been resolved through the joint efforts of staff and Reps, or that Reps have

been proactive within their remit in the last month; nomination forms can be found on the SU website. There will also be a School of the Year winner,

awarded to the School where Reps have had the most impact over the year.

Many issues and ideas that Academic Reps encounter will be directed to you, as the staff within their School. We are here to help them form their ideas and structure campaigns in order to have the most impact.

WE RUN DROP-IN SESSIONS EVERY WEEK:Tuesday 2pm – 4pm

Thursday 10am – 12pmFirst Floor, Students’ Union

Students can email us via reps@lincolnsu.com All Course Reps and PG Reps are able to purchase a hoody from the

Students’ Union which will help them be recognisable to their peers.

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The University strongly believes in and promotes ‘effective student voice’ and recognises that it is essential for developing the University and its offering, as well as for quality assurance.

The Academic Representation System is in place to ensure that our students are represented effectively in decision-making processes and that the student voice is heard. At their

discretion, Reps may take on additional responsibilities within the Representation System.

The Charter’s Code of Practice is in place to protect the rights of Academic Representatives, students and university staff. Each Academic Rep agrees to abide

by the Code of Practice when nominating themselves for a position; similarly, staff will be expected to adhere to this when dealing with Academic Reps.

The Academic Representation System is the product of a partnership between the University’s Academic Colleges and Schools, Academic Staff, the Secretariat Department and the Students’ Union; each partner has a key role to play. This Charter, alongside the

Memorandum of Understanding between the Students’ Union and the University, sets out the Students’ Union’s responsibilities towards Academic Representation. General enquiries about this system and about Academic Reps should be directed to reps@lincolnsu.com

Course Rep: An elected undergraduate student with the capacity to represent and act on behalf of students within their programme level.

School Rep: An elected student with the capacity to represent and act on behalf of all students within their School.

College Officer: An elected student with the capacity to represent and act on behalf of all students within their College.

Postgraduate Rep: An elected postgraduate student with the capacity to represent and act on behalf of all postgraduate students within their School.

VPAA: The Students’ Union’s Vice President Academic Affairs; one of the elected Student Leaders.

Academic Rep: All student representatives within the Academic Representation Structure.

Academic Staff: University Staff who teach students, e.g. lecturers, seminar tutors, programme leaders.

Professional Support Staff: University Staff that do not teach students,

e.g. Administrators, Academic Officers and Secretariat Officers.

TERMINOLOGY

Representation Charter

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All Academic Reps will:

• Actively seek student opinion and feedback.

• Effectively represent the views of students to the University and the Students’ Union, in a way that encompasses the views of all the students within their respective groups.

• Where possible, ensure that all views brought forward are based on evidence and not coloured by personal perception.

• Work with other Academic Reps and the VPAA to create a strong, influential student voice and to collectively conduct a dialogue between students, the University and the Students’ Union.

• Show fairness, professionalism and a sensitivity to diversity issues when representing students; they will lead by example through showing respect to all.

• Attend all training and relevant events provided for Reps throughout the year.

• Attend all relevant committees of which they are a member to represent the views of students.

• Be elected by their constituents, their peers.

School Reps will also:

• Attend Student Council as a voting member to represent their student cohort.

• Regularly meet with Course Reps and Postgraduate Reps to discuss progress on their course and to prepare for subject committee meetings.

College Reps will also:

• Attend Student Council as a voting member to represent their student cohort.

• Regularly meet with their School Reps and Postgraduate Reps to discuss the progress of their School and to prepare for committees and other meetings.

PG Reps will also:

• Represent postgraduate students within their School on Subject, College and Institutional Committees where required.

• Regularly meet with the School Rep and College Officer to discuss the progress of postgraduate programmes within the school and to prepare for Subject Committee Meetings, College Committees and Institutional Committees.

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Representation Charter

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Students will:

• Ensure that their voice is heard by communicating with their elected representatives, utilising their respective Reps when necessary.

• Hold their elected Representatives to account by questioning performance and outcomes from committees and agreed actions.

The University and its Staff will:• Fully support the Academic Representation system according to the Memorandum of Understanding between the University and the Students’ Union, and this Charter.

• Recognise and appreciate that Academic Reps are presenting the views of their peers, and will therefore act upon reasonable requests made in the interests of improving the student experience.

• Treat Academic Reps and colleagues respectfully in University and Students’ Union meetings and Committees.

• Actively promote Academic Reps as vital members of Subject Committees and include them in Committee business.

The Students' Union will:

Provide an Academic Representation system for postgraduate and undergraduate students, regardless of their mode of study by:

• Promoting, electing and training Academic Reps to ensure delivery of an effective Academic Representative system, as bench marked against other University systems and NUS recommendations.

• Providing continuous support to Academic Reps throughout their role, including creating space for them to share best practice with University staff and fellow Reps.

• Facilitating events to assist in the development of and networking between Academic Reps, as well as events to network with Academic and Professional Support Staff.

• Ensuring that all relevant University and College Committees have elected and trained Academic Reps.