Course Rep Training 2012-13
Learning Objectives
• Define student experience
• Understand the factors affecting the student
experience
• How to get evidence on about your course
• Understand your role as a rep
• How to be an effective course rep
• Have an insight into the University Structures
• Understand where reps sit on committees and how to
get elected
• Recognise the importance of good communication
• Know where to get help
Post It Exercise
• What single thing would have improved your
experience in the first week of this academic
year?
Knowing
where we
were
supposed to
be on the
first day
!But only something that the University could control
The Student Experience?
• To understand your role better we think that
you need to consider what constitutes:
– a poor quality student experience
– an excellent quality student experience
How would you define a poor
student experience?
How would you define an excellent
student experience?
Key factors that affect the Student
Experience
The QUALITY of:
• The teaching on the Course
• The assessment and feedback
• The academic support
• The organisation and management
• The learning resources
• Personal development
• The environment in which you live and work
• The social and leisure opportunities
Small Group Exercise
• Looking at one of the factors affecting the
student experience. Discuss and list what this
means in reality?
How does the University know
about the Quality of the Student
Experience?
•
•
•
•
•
•
National Student Survey (NSS)
Surveys in the University based on NSS
Focus Groups
Views from Students’ Union
Views from Course Reps!
Views from students generally
What is your role then?
• Taking this all into account what is your role
then as a course rep?
One possible answer.....
To look after your course and the University
making sure that it is delivering a high and
even excellent quality student experience
How can you do that?
• Work with the Academics to make sure that Quality is
maintained and improved
• Use evidence that is available
– NSS, KIS, what are students saying?
• Gather evidence using research
– Ask students questions, do your own survey, use social media, use post its
• Put forward solutions
– Based on your research come up with solutions share these with students and
academics
• Argue for improvements
– Go to meetings and argue for the solutions you have come up with
• Campaign for change
– If the solutions you have put forward are being ignored or sidelined start a
campaign to get them implemented
Work with Academics to maintain
and improve Quality
• Most Academics want their programmes to be
excellent!
• Some however may not.
– If this is the case you may want to ask yourself
why, what are the causes?
• You will need to meet with them to discuss
how to improve things
Use the evidence that is available
Hard evidence exists in one useful place on the
Internet called Unistats
This includes the data on individual courses
including:
• Key Information Sets (KIS) and
• National Student Survey (NSS)
http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/
When you search for Newport click on the
W(for Wales) to find University of Wales, Newport
Gather evidence using research
• Where you have identified an area that needs
change or improvement
• Do your own research with students, use
surveys , callouts, PostIts etc.
• Use that research to develop ideas with
students
Case Study Evidence
• You are a course rep on the a BSc/BA (Hons) ****
Course
• You have been given the NSS results for last two
years
• Look at the NSS Results
• What questions might you want to ask of
students/academics?
• Present your findings to the group and suggest
solutions?
So how is the University of Wales,
Newport doing?
• This is going to be a shocker!
• What was the overall student satisfaction i.e
In 2011 76%
In 2012 74%
Not all programmes are the same.
• The programme with highest satisfaction
rating was Business and Marketing with
100%
(no result in 2011)
• The programme with the lowest satisfaction
rating was Advertising Design with
25%
(92% in 2011)
Key Issue
These results are important because they come
from students it is not what the University
itself thinks!!
• If your programme has poor satisfaction work
with academics to improve the quality
• If a programme has excellent satisfaction work
with academics to keep it there
• It can be done!!!
You can change things by working
with the academics!
This is what happened last year in:
• Photography for Fashion and Advertising!
– 2011
– 2012
4%
73%
• Graphic Design
– 2011 50%
– 2012 87%
How well did the Students’ Union
Do?
• 2012
56%
overall satisfaction
Back to your role?
• Using what you have learnt so far and the
Guide on Supporting Students
Complete the exercise on whose role is it
anyway?
Problem Trees
Students get angry and
frustrated
Poor NSS results
Some academics do not
answer emails from
students
Poor communications
generally
Between staff and students
mean many more emails
Solution Trees
Effects
Vision
Solutions
Student emails are
answered within
48 hours
Weekly surgeries
Where staff can answer
questions face to face?
Disciplinary action?
Employ more staff?
Wider research done to
Determine causes
Example of a Problem Tree
• Look at a real problem you have
• Create a problem tree
• Create a solution tree
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic)
University Structures
Executive Dean
Arts & Business Faculty
Prof Paul Coyle
Executive Dean
Education & Social Sciences Faculty
Carl Peters
PA Grade 4
Head of Newport
Business School
Sian Rees
PA Grade 4
Head of Faculty Administration
R&KE Administrator
Grade 4
Head of School of
Design,
Communication &
Engineering
Jenny Hann
Head of School of
Humanities & Life Ling
Learning
Ed Jones
Academic
Subject Leader
Photography
Paul Cabuts
Academic Subject
Leader
Postgraduate
Programmes
Lyndon Murphy
Academic Subject
Leader
Professional
Programmes
Jared Davies
Academic Subject
Leader
Computing &
Engineering
Eric Llewellyn
Academic Subject
Leader
Performance,
Sound &
Music/Film ,
Games &
Animation
Andy Smith
Academic Subject
Leader
Fashion & Design
Mark Jackson
Nuala Meadows
Head of School of Sport,
Health & Applied Social
Sciences
Nicky Lewis
Jennie Sparks
Barry Atkins
Academic Subject
Leader
Undergraduate
Programmes
Head of Faculty Administration
Project Manager QWEST
Grade 9
Sheena Haddock
Head of School of
Film, Photography
& Digital Media
and Research &
Knowledge
Exchange
Other Posts
Reporting to DVC
(Academic)
Head of
Community
Programmes
(CCLL)
Grade 9
Head of
Research (CCLL)
Grade 9
Academic Subject
Leader Education
& Linked Awards
Jane Williams
Academic Subject
Leader
Postgraduate
Programmes
Academic Subject
Leader
Inter-professional
Practice
Michelle Culwick
Academic Subject
Leader Psychology
& Creative
Therapies
Phil Tyson
Shirley Egley
Academic Subject
Leader
Humanities
Karen Morris
Academic Subject
Leader
Secondary ITT
Kerie Green
Academic Subject
Leader
Primary ITT
Elizabeth Barry
Director of Sport,
Health & Wellbeing
Alun Davies
David Norcliffe
•Access &
Foundation
Head of School of
Education
Sports Centre
Academic Subject
Leader PcET
(including Franchise)
Richard Lander
Clarke
Meetings/Co
mmittees
Rep Elections to Boards
• Academic Board
– 1 rep from each Faculty (2)
• Faculty Board Education and Social Sciences
– 1 rep from each school in faculty (2)
• Faculty Board Arts & Business
– 1 rep from each school in faculty (2)
• Faculty User Group (Arts & Business Faculty)
– 1 full time rep one part time rep (2)
• Validation Board
– 1 rep from each faculty (2)
• Student Experience Committee
– 1 rep from each faculty (2)
This is an Important Year!!
• Merger talks are under way
• Likely that University of Wales, Newport will
merge in the next year with Glamorgan
• Raises huge questions about maintaining
quality for existing and future students
• Course Reps the first line of defence!
Communicating with your
students
How?
Make sure all of you students know that you are
their rep!
Noticeboard
Face to face end of lectures
Email
Facebook
One off events
Other ideas
What to do next!
• Find out dates of programme meetings (if
your programme has them)
• Find out who to contact about your Board of
Study
• Carry out your first piece of research. Ask your
students ......the same question we asked
when you arrived
Post It Exercise
• What single thing would have improved your
experience in the first week of this academic
year?
Knowing
where we
were
supposed to
be on the
first day
We need the answers
back by 25th Oct 2012
!But only something that the University could control
Help and Support
The SU is there to support you.
• Verity Worthington
– Education and welfare Officer
– edwelfare@newport.ac.uk
• Peter Townend
– Course Rep co-ordinator
– peter.townend@newport.ac.uk
www.newportunion.com/education-welfare/course-reps