Student Academic
Representative (StARs) Scheme
Training 2012-13
Please sign the register and take a seat
What today’s session will cover
StARs scheme at London Met
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Welcome & Ice-breaker
Quality Assurance
Role of a StAR?
Advice and support
Make yourself known
Feedback
Identifying & dealing with issues
Course Committee meetings
Campaigning and taking action
Communication hints and tips
Evaluation Form
Ice-breaker!
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Form a circle in alphabetical order of the town or
city you were born in
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Introduce yourself to the group and state name,
course and town/city
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State why you decided to become a StAR?
StARs: Getting Started
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University expects faculties to have StARs for each year
of each course
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During weeks 1-3 the Course Leader facilitate the
election of a StARs, typically one per course per year.
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StARs to attend Course Committee meetings and liaise
with Course Leaders and other academics throughout
the year
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2-5 Faculty StARs per faculty elected to the Student
Council
StARs
Benefits for YOU
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Improve University – make a difference & help others
Chance to improve academic standards and teaching that you experience
Training and skills development
Networking
Potential references from University and Students’ Union
CV enhancement
Benefits for the University
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Courses closely linked to student input
Chance to improve academic standards
Chances to learn from students
Find out what’s wrong before it all goes wrong
Improve what we do – you said / we did
Quality Assurance Agency
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The QAA is a quality ‘Watchdog’ which ensures that courses
delivered in UK Universities were of an appropriate standard and
that a good quality education was being offered
The Quality Enhancement Unit at London Met is there to keep
the Universities Quality Framework and work to make sure the
high quality of teaching
The Quality Enhancement Unit are VERY keen to work with StARs
from all faculties of London Met. StARs provide some of the most
useful feedback
Catherine Connor, Head of Quality Enhancement Unit
c.connor@londonmet.ac.uk
StARs: Advice and support
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StARs Handbook
Students’ Union website:
http://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/studentacademicreps/
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NUS Connect Course Rep website:
http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/campaigns/highereducation/studentengagement/courserephub/
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QAA/NUS Quality Matters website (includes on-line training)
http://qualitymatters.nus.org.uk/
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London Met Metranet (for faculty and University information)
https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/
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StARs: Contacts
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Students’ Union faculty attached Sabbatical officers:
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Students’ Union staff:
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CASS & LGIR Syed Rumman vpeducation.su@londonmet.ac.uk
FLSC & LMBS Wasim Javed vpparticipation.su@londonmet.ac.uk
FSSH Adnan Pavel vpmedia.su@londonmet.ac.uk
Eddie Rowley, Liaison & Quality Coordinator e.rowley@londonmet.ac.uk
Mark Crowhurst, General Manager m.crowhurst@londonmet.ac.uk
Faculty StAR staff contact points:
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LGIR - Alan Wilkinson a.wilkinson@londonmet.ac.uk
LMBS - Peter Wynarczyk P.Wynarczyk@londonmet.ac.uk
CASS - Cecile Tschirhart c.tschirhart@londonmet.ac.uk
FLSC - Peter Chalk p.chalk@londonmet.ac.uk
FSSH - Sheila Lodge S.Lodge@londonmet.ac.uk
1. What is the role of a StAR?
Understand the role of a StAR
Session Activity
Role of a StAR
To represent students views and opinions on all matters
relating to teaching and learning in an effort to
continuously improve the student learning experience in
partnership with the institution and Students’ Union.
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Identify issues on the ground
Raise issues and concerns with Faculty
Notify course mates or developments and opportunities
Provide feedback (positive and negative) to Faculty
Build strong working-relationship with Course Leader etc
Making yourself known
How can you make yourself know as a StAR for your course?
Making yourself known
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Introduce yourself to your class mates and make regular announcements in
class ‘lecture shout-outs’
Collect the names and emails of the student on your course and email them
Join StARs AT LONDON MET face-book group
Carry out a survey or questionnaire to find out what students think
Ask in your Faculty if you can use a notice board or part of a notice board to
publicise yourself
Communicate information your receive from the Students’ Union, University,
National Union of Students (NUS) and other external student focused
organisations
Install a suggestions box in your Faculty office (ask first)
Make friends and work in partnership with other StARs in your faculty
Communicate with the StARs doing the same course as you but in different
years, work together!
Making yourself known
How can you make yourself known as a StAR?
Feedback
What areas could you feedback on?
Feedback
What areas could you feedback on?
 Teaching on the course
 Assessments (exams and coursework)
 Academic feedback from lecturers
 Academic support
 Learning resources (such as the Library, Weblearn)
 Organisation and management of your course /
University experience
 Personal development
 Mitigating circumstances / appeals
 General University Services
 Student welfare issues
2. Identifying Issues
Criteria to identify what is an issue:
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Is it widely felt?
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Is it strongly felt?
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Is it winnable?
Here are a few potential issues:
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Quality of lectures
Issue with a specific lecturer
Issue with feedback
Issue with Library resources
Issue with rooming
Session Activity –
handout 2
3. Dealing with issues
In each of your groups, spend 5-10 minutes discussing one
of the issues you have identified
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What are your first steps you might you take to tackle
this issue?
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What would you do then? Work together to come up
with a simple action plan to dealing with this issue
Session Activity
Other ways you can get the Uni to
listen
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Course Committee Meetings
Module evaluation
Informal discussion with senior academic staff
Ask for a formal meeting
Email or write a letter
Petition or open letter
Surveys
Students’ Union
NSS and other Uni surveys
Course Committee Structure
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Course Committees usually meet x2 a semester
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2 or 3 StARs usually attend
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Course Leader is the chair
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Consider teaching and administrative issues surrounding the course
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Should consider student issues and concerns
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Library and others external to the dept may be present
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Quality coordinator may attend
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Minutes are included in Course Logs and should be reviewed by Faculty
managers
Before the Course Committee
meeting:
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Meet Course Leader beforehand so they can let you know what to expect
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Read the agenda
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Make sure you have identified the issues you wish to raised and have
feedback from your class mates to back it up
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If you have an complicated issue to raise or and have research/evidence to
produce e.g. survey, emails from course mates send them to the Course
Leader before the committee meeting so they have a chance to digest the
issue.
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Liaise with other StARs who may attend (ask you Course Leader to put you
in touch or look on the SU website)
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Speak to your Faculty Sabbatical Officer, ask them to come along with you
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Makes sure you know where the meeting is and be on time. Being late will
not help your cause!
During the Course Committee
meeting:
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Listen
Raise you issues clearly and concisely
Present any evidence you have
Don’t be confrontational, work in partnership
Take notes, ask for clarification if you are not sure what is being said
Remembers to note down action points
If you don’t understand a term used, ask!
At the end of the meeting clarify the decisions taken and when they
are to be actioned (this prevents drift)
Confirm the date of the next meeting. Request a follow-up meeting
to deal with a specific issues if required.
Make sure the Secretary has your email
After the Course Committee
meeting:
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If other StARs present have a debrief straight away
Write up you notes and action points right away
Feedback to your course mates and the Students’ Union ASAP
If you are not happy with the conduct of the meeting then speak to
another academic in your faculty and express your concern
Provide any constructive criticism you have of the committee to the
Faculty
Campaigning & taking action
Sometimes you may have a widely felt, deeply felt and winnable issue which
you can’t make any real progress on. In this situation you may decide to
launch a campaign and take some action.
What steps you take in this situation?
Campaigning & taking action
Contact and work with the Students’ Union, who have the resources to run an
effective campaign. Running campaigns and taking action is a whole topic
in its own right, but here are a few hints:
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Use SMART targets!
Gather data. Learn the reasoning for the decision, always remain openminded.
Ask Student Reps on board of Governors, Academic Board etc to formally
raise the issue
Read and critique the rationale for the decision you are campaigning
against. Can you successfully challenge the (business) case
Organise meetings
Email campaign
Use social networking: facebook, twitter etc
Work with allies: Other StARs, academics, NUS, Students, other Students’
Unions, Local MPs, Staff Unions (UNISON, UCU - is there common
ground?)
Press and Media
Lobbies and protests
Any questions?
Contact details:
stars.su@londonmet.ac.uk