Consultation on a new framework for
student representation for the University
of the Highlands and Islands and its
academic partners
Summary
Closing date for consultation: 5.00 pm Monday 17 November 2014
Please email responses to: studentvoice@uhi.ac.uk
Executive Summary
Student representation is very important to make sure that students are able to influence all
aspects of their education and experience at their college or university. For example, class
or course representatives collect the views of their fellow students and make sure that this
information is communicated to staff at the college or university and any problems or issues
are resolved. An effective students’ association listens to the views and opinions of their
fellow students and the elected student officers take forward activities and campaigns to
tackle matters of importance to the student body. A strong student voice is important as it
can influence all aspects of the student experience.
A number of recent changes have taken place within the post-16 education sector in
Scotland. The new Post-16 Education Act introduced by the Scottish Government aims to
create efficient learner journeys to enable students to progress easily from further education
(such as Highers) to higher education (such as degrees). These changes mean that existing
structures for student representation in the University of the Highlands and Islands and its
academic partners need to change to make sure that students can influence decisions and
life at the partner where they study and can also influence decisions that are made at a
regional level that affect students who are based in different academic partners.
The purpose of this consultation is to seek the views of students, staff and Board members
across the University of the Highlands and Islands and its academic partners on a new
framework for student representation.
The student representation project, which is funded by the Scottish Funding Council,
commenced in July 2013. The activities of the project team are guided and approved by a
Project Board comprising student and staff representatives.
The project has carried out three key activities over the past year. Firstly, market research
with students has been carried out to understand students’ perspectives around
representation and, secondly, a mapping exercise has been completed to review current
structures, processes and practices around student representation. Thirdly, a review of
good practice has been undertaken both within the UHI academic partnership and with other
colleges and universities. The findings from the market research and mapping exercise can
be found at www.uhi.ac.uk/studentvoice
The project team developed a suite of options for a new framework for student
representation and the Project Board have selected two preferred models and a
communications sub-structure. The members of the Project Board now wish to consult
students, staff and Board members across the partnership to seek their views and thoughts
on which structure they prefer and think will best serve the needs of future students and
make sure the student voice is at the heart of all decision making about the student
experience.
Section 1 (omitted from summary document)
Section 1 of the consultation explains why change is needed to comply with legislation and
make sure there are strong and effective students’ association/s across the UHI academic
partnership.
Section 2 (omitted from summary document)
Information is provided to explain why the student representation project was set up, what it
has been tasked with doing and what progress has been made to date.
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Section 3 (omitted from summary document)
This section details the findings from market research which was carried out with both further
and higher education students across the UHI academic partnership in spring 2014. The
findings from this research have shaped many of the recommendations in this consultation.
The findings from the market research and mapping exercise can be found at
www.uhi.ac.uk/studentvoice
Section 4
The information in this section explains why these two options for a new structure for student
representation have been selected and the core principles behind both options.
Section 5
This section provides information on Option 1 which proposes to establish an independent
and autonomous students’ association at each of the academic partners and set up a
regional students’ association which will have responsibility for identifying the issues which
are important to students across different academic partners to ensure that the views of
students are heard and acted upon at a regional level.
Section 6
This section provides information on Option 2 which proposes to establish a single students’
association for all students in all of the academic partners. This option recommends that this
new students’ association has an active presence in all of the academic partners and also
has a ‘hub’ to identify and coordinate activities that are important to students across different
academic partners.
Section 7
This section provides information on a communications sub-structure which could be put in
place within both Option 1 and Option 2. The Project Board felt strongly that this is needed
to ensure transparent and effective channels of communication so the student voice is
heard. The sub-structure proposes establishing a new Further Education Regional Council
and a Higher Education Regional Council which will have student representatives from each
of the academic partners to ensure that the views of both further and higher education
influence decisions that impact upon the student experience.
Section 8
This section provides information on how students and staff can ask questions or get
additional information that will help them to shape their responses to the consultation.
Details are given of 2 workshop sessions which are being run to enable students and staff to
ask questions from members of the student representation project board before preparing
their responses to the consultation and an email address is provided so that students and
staff can get additional information or ask questions.
Section 9
This is a very important section of the consultation as 7 questions are asked and the
responses to these questions will determine which option for student representation is
preferred by both students and staff and which structure will be rolled out across the UHI
academic partnership.
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Closing date for the consultation
Responses to the consultation must be submitted by email to studentvoice@uhi.ac.uk by
5.00 pm on Monday 17 November 2014.
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Section 4:
Context for the options for a new framework for student representation
Core principles for a new framework for student representation
A number of core principles are common to both options:
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Both options must focus on student officers and representatives influencing
governance, the life and work of the institution and learning and teaching at a local
and regional level;
Both options must represent Further Education and Higher Education students so all
students will have a chance to make their voice heard – whether they are studying for
a Higher or a Degree;
Both options must be ‘bottom up’: students at academic partners will direct the
activities of their elected student officers and those officers will sit on the Executive
Committee which directs the activities of the ‘hub’ which is tasked with developing the
regional agenda;
Staff support for student officers is very important to make sure the students’
association/s succeed year after year. The number and role of staff employed by
the students’ association/s will be scoped out once a preferred option has been
chosen;
The market research with students confirms that learning and teaching is very
important to students but other aspects of representation, governance and students’
contribution to the life and work of their institution is also important;
A Board of Trustees is recommended for both options to advise and support the
student officers as well as to monitor and approve the activities of the student
representation framework.
Two options for a framework for student representation
The Project Board wishes to hear the views of students, staff and Board members on two
different models for student representation.
Option 1 is called a hub and spoke federal model.
This means that there will be an
independent students’ association at each of the academic partners (the spokes) and a
regional students’ association (the hub) to make sure the student voice influences the
regional agenda.
Option 2 is called a unitary regional model. This means that there will be a single students’
association to represent all students who study at the University of the Highlands and
Islands and its academic partners, such as Perth College UHI or Highland Theological
College UHI. There will be a branch of the students’ association at each of the academic
partners (the spokes) and a regional students’ association (the hub) to make sure the
student voice influences the regional agenda.
The table on page 5 summarises some of the key differences and similarities between the
two options.
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Section 5: Option 1 Hub and Spoke Federal Model
The key features of this option are:
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A students’ association (fully constituted to the provisions of the 1994 Education
Act) at each of the thirteen academic partners;
Two elected student officers at each academic partner will become members of
the Board of Management;
The number of elected student officers at each academic partner and their title
and remit can be determined locally;
A regional hub with an Executive made up of elected officers from each of the
academic partners (the spokes).
The hub will be a separate students’
association with a remit to inform the governance of the university, both further
and higher education, and to work across partners to identify shared objectives or
shared issues and to drive forward the student agenda regionally;
The hub will have an elected President, a Vice-President Higher Education and a
Vice-President Further Education who will take up appropriate posts on the
university governing bodies. Some of this work can be shared with other
members of the Executive. This could include Faculty Board or Subject Network
meetings;
Staff support and a Board of Trustees would be established in line with the key
principles in section 4;
The amount of time student officers at academic partners will need to fulfil the
various roles within the framework will be scoped out and resourced.
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Section 6 – Option 2 Hub and Spoke Unitary Model (a single students’ association)
The key features of the option are:
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There is one regional students’ association for the university and its thirteen
academic partners. The students’ association will be constituted to represent both
further and higher education students;
A regional hub with an Executive made up of an elected President, a Vice President
Higher Education, a Vice President Further Education and an elected Vice President
from each of the academic partners (the spokes);
There will be one flexible constitution for the students’ association and this will
specify that the role of the regional hub is to carry out those activities agreed by the
Executive and approved by the Regional Student Council. The constitution will
specify that the role of the regional hub is to carry out those activities agreed by the
Executive Committee and approved by the Regional Student Council, the main
decision making body, which are deemed of most importance to the students based
at the academic partners;
There will be a set of role specification for the various student officers in the
structure, although there will be scope for the student officers in the academic
partners to modify the role specifications to suit local circumstances or priorities;
Staff support and a Board of Trustees would be established in line with the core
principals in section 4;
The amount of time student officers will need to fulfil the various roles within the
framework will be scope out and resourced.
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COMMUNICATIONS SUB-STRUCTURE FOR EITHER OPTION 1 OR OPTION 2
Section 7 Communications sub-structure for either Option 1 or Option 2
The key features of the communications sub-structure are as follows:
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The primary focus of the sub-structure is on learning and teaching for all students;
The communications sub-structure uses the Executive Committee to deliver the student
agenda both locally and regionally;
A Further Education Regional Council – a key sub-committee of the Executive
Committee – to represent the interests of further education students. An elected further
education student representative from each academic partner will sit on this Council and
meetings will be chaired by the Vice President Further Education;
A Higher Education Regional Council – a key sub-committee of the Executive Committee
– to represent the interests of higher education students. Elected Subject Network
Student Representatives – or an elected higher education representative from each
academic partner - will sit on this Council which will be chaired by the Vice President
Higher Education;
A Regional Student Council which will be the ultimate decision making body for policy
and priorities;
A Board of Trustees to monitor the performance and approve the activities of the
regional students’ association.
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Section 8:
How to get more information to help you respond to the consultation
Ask a question
If you have a question you wish to ask or wish to obtain more information to help you
respond to the consultation, please email studentvoice@uhi.ac.uk
A member of the
project team or a member of the Project Board will respond to your question.
Attend a workshop
Members of the Project Board and the project team will be available to discuss the
consultation with you and respond to any of your questions by video-conference on the
following days:
11.30 – 12.30 pm on Tuesday 28 October 2014
15.30 – 16.30 pm on Thursday 6 November 2014
12.00 – 13.00 pm on Wednesday 12 November 2014
Rooms have been booked at each of the academic partners for the use of students and
staff to attend these workshops by video-conference. A list of the rooms booked at each
of the academic partners and the jabber code for the three sessions are attached in a
separate document in this email.
Ask for help
If you are, for example, planning to review the consultation at a class representative
meeting and would like one of the project team or project board to be available to help –
either by attending the session in person or being available by email or phone – please
email studentvoice@uhi.ac.uk
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Section 8: Questions for the consultation exercise
1. Do you agree that the evidence base that has been gathered points to the
need for significant changes to be made to our practices and structures
relating to student engagement and representation?
Yes / No
2. Is there other key evidence that you believe that the Student Representation
Project Board has overlooked that should have been taken into consideration?
Please provide details
3. Of the two options for a new student representation structure that are set out,
which do you think will best deliver on the commitment to ensure effective
representation for our students?
Option 1 / Option 2 / Neither
4. Please provide a brief explanation of the option you have chosen, or your
reason for rejecting both.
5. Both options provide for a communications sub-structure. Do you agree that
this sub-structure should form part of the new structure?
Yes / No
6. Do you agree that there should be an independent Board of Trustees to
monitor and approve the activities of the students’ association/s?
Yes / No
If not, what alternative do you propose?
7. Is there anything else that you’d wish the Student Representation Project
Board to take into consideration at this time?
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