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

SSLC Training 2009

Sumaiya KhakuEducation Officer

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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)

Dealing with common problems

Looking at the scenarios you have been given, decide which action(s) need(s) to be taken:

1. Use the Chair’s Authority2. Approach an individual member of staff3. Approach a Senior member of staff4. Contact the relevant University staff (eg. Faculty

Librarian, IT Services Representative, Careers Advisor)5. Raise the issue at the SSLC Meeting6. Hold a Pre-SSLC meeting for Student Reps only7. Go to the Departmental Office8. Ask some more students to get a wider view9. Speak to a Faculty Rep or the Education Officer10. Take another action

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

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

Complaints Procedure

There may be situations where reps are unable tohandle 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/Undergraduate Studies

Departmental Senior Tutor University Senior

Personal Tutor

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

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.

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!

Thanks for coming and all the very best for your year

as SSLC Rep!

Sumaiya Khaku, Education Officer: education@warwicksu.com

www.warwick.ac.uk/go/sslc

Sami Wannell, Welfare Officer: welfare@warwicksu.com

Tim Sansom, Academic Representation Coordinator: Tim.Sansom@warwicksu.com