Committed to providing a world-class student experience

Committed to providing a world-class student experience

Representation

Undergraduate & Postgraduate

Lead Rep Handbook 14/15

Congratulations on becoming a Lead Rep!We’re thrilled to know you’ll be joining the team.

You have the voice to really make a change on the student experience and how your Course is run. It’s also an exciting role offering you amazing opportunities and events throughout the year. The more you put into the role, the more you’ll get out of it. As part of the Students’ Union, we want to hear your ideas! You may fancy running an event, have ideas for your Course or maybe just need some help and advice. You will be working closely with your Course Reps, School Rep, the SU President and Vice President to ensure that you have the best experience in university.

The representation structure is at the core of what we do as a Students’ Union. We put the students at the heart of every decision using our extensive network of representatives to ensure every student feels supported and their voice is being heard.

This handbook will provide you with the knowledge you need in order to succeed within the role. It will cover different topics to enhance your skills including the meetings you need to attend, how to promote your role within your School yourself and common issues you may have to deal with.

1

Welcome

The Students’ Union has two Student Executive Officers who are elected by the students and work full-time: the President and Vice President. They are supported by five School Representatives, and Course Reps that are also there to support you as a Lead Rep. You may also be known as a Year or Department Rep depending on your School. Each year or department will have one Lead Rep appointed to support the rep team and the Students’ Union. It is important to remember that the Students’ Union is always accessible and we provide support, training and guidance, along with any information you may need throughout your year as a Lead Rep. We can also provide practical help and information about how the University structure works, along with keeping you up to date with any campaigns or events we have going throughout the year.

Student Executive Officers

Josh BarnettPresidentEmail - supresident@cardiffmet.ac.ukTel - 029 2041 6191

Facebook –Cardiff Met SU Twitter - @cardiffmetsu

Stefan KellyVice PresidentEmail - suvicepresident@cardiffmet.ac.uk Tel - 029 2041 1153

Facebook – Cardiff Met SU Twitter –@cardiffmetsu

The School Reps are the link between the Student Executive Officers, Lead Reps and Course Reps. They feedback information on issues affecting you, so that the President and Vice President can communicate with the appropriate members of staff.

School Reps

Art & DesignTom WrightCSADrep@cardiffmet.ac.uk Facebook – Cardiff School of Art & Design Rep Twitter – @CSADRep

Education Emma WinterCSErep@cardiffmet.ac.uk Facebook – Cardiff School of Education Rep Twitter – @CSoERep

Sport Luke BaileyCSSrep@cardiffmet.ac.uk Facebook – Cardiff School of Sport Rep Twitter – @CSSRep

Management Hollie EdwardsCSMrep@cardiffmet.ac.uk Facebook –Cardiff School of Management Rep Twitter - @CSMRep

Health Sciences Niamh ChapmanCSHSrep@cardiffmet.ac.uk Facebook – Cardiff School of Health Science Rep Twitter – @CSHSRep

As a Lead Rep you are one of our frontline representatives for the students on your Course. This gives you a unique position, in that you have the ability to help influence your own learning as well as that of your peers. Your responsibilities may vary slightly between the different Schools and Courses, but there will be a core set of responsibilities that all of the Lead Reps will have. These common responsibilities include the following:

Liaise and support your School Rep. Liaise with the Students’ Union. Engage and liaise with Course Reps and students through a

range of different media. Keep your School Rep updated (e.g. Copy them into

emails/invite them to meetings) Gather student feedback on matters such as, but not limited

to, campaigns, events and academic issues. Represent the views of your peers at Course, School and

Students’ Union meetings. Provide feedback to your peers from these meetings. Respond to enquiries (if applicable).

Along with these responsibilities, throughout the year you may find yourself doing the following:

Working in partnership with other Reps on issues of joint concern

Campaigning on issues raised by peers and the Students’ Union

Referring students with specific needs, whether it be support or advice, to us at the Students’ Union and/or School Rep

Aiding School Reps with campaigns. Helping with Course Rep recruitment

Role of a Lead Rep

As part of your role as a Lead Rep, you will be asked to help support campaigns run by the SU. Throughout the year there will be a number of various campaigns such as SLTF, mental health, and the NSS. These campaigns will see you encouraging student engagement from those on your Course and the wider Cardiff Met community.

Any campaigns you are asked to get involved in will be explained to you in full and you will be provided with any information/additional resources you need. For any further information you would like about our campaigns please contact the SU and get involved.

You can see any current or upcoming campaigns in the events section of the Cardiff Met SU website;

Campaigns

As a Lead Rep you may come across many different situations and issues that will require you to take action, from both students and Course Reps. Although you will be able to deal with some matters directly, there will be some that will require you to refer students to different people or departments. A larger amount of information regarding some of these issues is available on the University and SU website. Here are just some of the problems you may encounter:

Assessments and FeedbackLack of prompt/detailed feedback on work.

Personal Tutor SupportStudents not assigned a Personal Tutor, not being able to meet with their tutor or not knowing who their tutor is.

ResourcesTeaching areas or library/I.T. may not be meeting the needs of students.

Teaching MethodsUnhelpful lecturers, lack of hand-outs, information not on Blackboard/Moodle.

Bunching of Assignments DeadlinesStudents may find that the workload is impossible if they have too many deadlines that are close together.

Cancelled LecturesWhich are not communicated to students quickly and efficiently.

Mitigating CircumstancesThroughout a student’s time at University, they may run into difficulties that can cause their work to suffer. You should advise the students to speak to their Programme Director or the Students’ Union for any confidential and impartial advice and support.

Academic Complaints and Appeals

Common Issues

A student may feel their results for coursework/exams were adversely affected by mitigating circumstances or administrative error. You should advise the student of their right to appeal and direct them to the Students’ Union. You may also encounter students wanting to complain. Try to work out the seriousness of the complaint and direct them to the Cardiff Met website for more information on the Complaints procedure. If in doubt do refer the student back to the Students’ Union for any advice.

Scenario 1

A student asks to borrow your lecture notes and essay to use as a guide for the upcoming assignment. They explain to you that they are struggling with some personal issues that have been causing them to miss lectures and they are now finding it difficult to complete the assignment on time. The student would also like you to sit down and discuss their personal issues to see how you can help them. You are not comfortable showing your fellow peers your work, but feel you could make an exception due to the circumstances. How to react;

You should not be afraid to say no. Explain how sharing work between peers is collusion and could get you both in trouble as it is against the university procedures for unfair practice. Be aware that you can also get in trouble for assessing your peer’s work/assignments.It is also not your job to take the role of a counsellor. Refer them to the Students’ Union as they have members of staff who are trained to advise and support the student on both personal and academic matters. Here they can confidentially discuss their personal issues they are having, and the receive advice on mitigating circumstances so the School becomes aware of the student’s personal circumstances so it does not impact their work. Scenario 2

A student has come onto campus to find out the lecture has been cancelled and is blaming you for not passing on the message. The lecturer has emailed the students 1 hour before the lecture started, but this particular student has not checked their emails within this time. You usually try to spread the word about lecture cancellations to fellow students but today you have been completing an upcoming assignment. The student is clearly upset and continues to blame you for not getting the message out. How to react;

Example Scenarios of Common Issues

You do not have to deal with uncomfortable situations. Calmly and politely inform the student that it is not your job to inform them of lecture cancellations and separate yourself from the situation. If you feel you would like training on how to deal with such situations there is additional training organised by School Reps and workshops

offered by the SU. If there is any further training you would like that we do not offer, let us know! Lead Rep duties should not interfere with your academic work and you should not feel pressured by students to do so. If you are noticing that students on your Course are unhappy with a particular situation that has been continuing for a length of time, you can however pass this information through the rep structure and try to resolve the situation with the lecturer. Liaise with the staff member to come up with a reasonable solution to the problem and relay this information back to the students.Scenario 3

You are running 10 minutes late for a programme committee meeting as you went to the wrong room. You are having second thoughts about attending the meeting as you do not want to walk in late. They are however expecting you to be there. How to react;

One of your key roles as a Lead Rep is to attend meetings. This is the perfect time to liaise with staff and discuss the issues of students on your Course. If for any reason you cannot attend a meeting (you’re ill/have a looming deadline etc.) communicate this to your School Rep who can find a replacement attendee. Do not miss a meeting if someone is expecting you, if you happen to turn up late give your apologies and carry on as normal.Scenario 4

Example Scenarios of Common Issues

A Course Rep comes to you because they have an issue with a certain member of staff and you feel you cannot bring this up in a committee meeting.How to react;

Find out if the grievance is personal or academic. If the grievance is personal refer the Course Rep to the Students’ Union Advice and Support service. If the grievance is academic take the same steps that you would to deal with all academic issues. Before approaching the subject in a meeting seek the advice of your School Rep who will be able to tell you how to proceed.

Your role requires you to Your role does not require you to

Not be afraid to say no Deal with awkward situations

Collect feedback from peers Put Lead Rep duties before grades

Attend meetings Provide lecture notes or materials

Interact with your Course and promote the SU

Allow access to your work on request

Know the correct channels to feed information

Assess your peers assignments / work

Liaise with staff and students Take the role of counsellor

Represent students  Take on matters that should be dealt with by the School Rep

Have an open and proactive communication with your School Rep

As you can see from the list of common issues and scenario

Scenarios/Common Issues Overview

examples you will come across a range of situations that will require you to take action. You have a responsibility as Lead Rep to represent your peers and help influence the learning environment at Cardiff Met. However, you should not feel that you need to comply with all requests that students put to you. If a request is outside your remit you can feed information and concerns through the rep structure and SU services.

If in doubt seek advice! Your School Rep and the Students’ Union are always there to support you.

An important part of your role will be attending meetings to put across the views of students. Whether you are studying in Cardiff or at one of our partnership institutions, it is important you’re invited to meetings where you have the opportunity to make a difference for the students on your course. As Lead Rep you will attend;

Course Committee Meetings (CCM or PCM)Meet with staff to discuss Course level issues

Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC)Meet with the Dean or DLT (Director of Learning and Teaching), your School Rep and other Course Reps to discuss school wide issues.

Students’ Union Annual General Meeting (AGM)Meet with other Reps, students and the SU to raise concerns, discuss campaigns and find out more about the SU.

School Rep MeetingsYour School Reps will call meetings that you are required to attend.

Arrange your own

Meetings & Training Days

This may be with fellow students or Course Reps to gather feedback or discuss an issue. It could be with the SU to gain advice or with a member of staff to help resolve issues.

When you join our team, we want to make sure you are best equipped for the role. We offer training at the start of the year presenting you with an overview of your role and the Students’ Union. This is followed by a team building session introducing you to some of the skills you will need for the role.After the initial training session, the Students’ Union will be providing follow-up sessions throughout the year. You may also be responsible for providing training to Course Reps. We’ve also published an online training session so you can learn everything you need to know about the role from the comfort of your own home.

Before

Gain feedback from students Read the minutes from previous meetings and ask for

amendments if needed Make notes of topics and questions to raise and if required

request them to be added to the agenda Identify important issues Clarify any matters you are unsure of If you are not able to attend let the Chair/School Rep know as

soon as possible. Make sure you know where and when the meeting is Be on time

During

Be concise when making points Listen to others views as well as contribute your own Don’t be afraid to say no, ask questions or if you are unsure of

a response say you will find out and get back to them Make notes; key points, actions, items for further

consideration. Sit where the Chair can see you Be positive and constructive Speak clearly Switch phone to silent and do not check your phone unless it’s

in relation to the meeting Be professional; remember you are representing the students

and the Students’ UnionAfter

Report back to students, you School Rep and the SU on matters discussed of interest to them

Carry out any actions you’ve been allocated Reflect on the meeting Check minutes to ensure accuracy

Meeting Conduct

There are many incentives and benefits to becoming a Lead Rep. We’ve named just a few:

Rep Awards at the end of the year to congratulate you on your achievements

Lead Rep payment (issued in December/March/June) Receive funding from the SU for activities with the rest of the

Rep team such as bowling or ice skating A free personalised rep hoodie Rewards such as free drinks vouchers when you’ve attended

meetings Looks great on your CV An official certificate at the end of the year to reward your hard

work and showcase your skills and achievements Priority for extra work offered by the SU (eg. WOW, NSS) Show future employers proof of your personal and professional

development Become more involved in the Students’ Union and University Meet new people and make new friends Help make positive changes on your Course Training you in many skills, including communication,

organisation, and leadership skills

Benefits

Here are just some ways that you can be proactive and raise your profile as a Course Rep:

Focus groupso Think about hosting a get together with students on your

Course to get to know each other and discuss topics.

Notice Boardso All departments should have a notice board, easily visible

and accessible to all students. Use these boards to tell others who you are and how they can contact you. Please ask permission first.

Suggestion Boxo This is something you could try to set up with other Reps.

It needs to be in an easily accessible area a needs to be checked regularly.

Social Mediao A Facebook group is a quick and easy way to post news

and updates from your department. Remember to read and adhere to our Social Media Guidelines.

The Students’ Union Websiteo Make sure you have a look at our SU Exchange section of

the website. Here you can join the discussion on a variety of topics and get the students in your School involved. We also have an Ideas Hub on the website where we welcome your input.

Just before or after a lectureo Ask your lecturer for a couple of minutes to speak to the

group. Introduce yourself, your new role and how they can contact you.

Leaflets and Posters

Raising your Profile

o The SU can help you with the design and print of leaflets and posters so you can promote your role or any events you're holding as part of your role. Come and see us to find out more.

Your School RepYour School Rep is a crucial contact. You will be required to keep them up to date with any and all information you gather as a Lead Rep.

Module LeadersThey manage one or more specific modules in their respected area. This person will often be heavily involved in the teaching and assessment of the module itself.

Programme DirectorsThis person is responsible for the day to day coordination of a named programme of study and its development. They will be the person to approach with issues relating to the programme.

Dean and Director of Learning and Teaching (DLT)The Dean and DLT are ultimately responsible for all programmes and academic development within the School.

The Students’ UnionContact the Students’ Union for information on Clubs and Societies, Jobshop, Student Engagement, and Advice. The Students’ Union is here to support you so you can represent your peers to the best of your ability.

Key Contacts

We hope that you are looking forward to working with us and if you need any support please don’t hesitate to contact

us.

Thanks,

Cardiff Met SU

Keep in touch!