There are 3 Masterclass Training Sessions:

• 1. What is a Rep?
• 2. Communication
• 3. SSCs

 

You can either attend the 3 in-person sessions which we hold in October, or access pre-recorded presentations on the Blackboard site. If you access the pre-recorded sessions, you will also need to complete a short quiz to test your knowledge in order to complete the training.

It is is called Course Reps – please use the search function at the top of your courses list, and you should be able to find it! The Course codes are below (they are different depending on which cohort you are):

 

September Intake Reps: ADX159

 

January Intake Reps: ADX166

 

April Intake Reps: ADX167

As well as the chance to improve the university, you receive full training on key elements of the role. You’ll have a chance to build relationships with staff, including the Executive Board of the University. In terms of skill-based benefits, you will gain an extensive skill-set which hones your communication skills, problem solving skills, organisational skills, and interactive skills, which are only a few amongst many! The experience you gain from being a course representative will look great on your CV and shows keen involvement with your course.

 

You’ll also take part in our Accreditation Scheme, earning a certificate of achievement at the end of the year, and a £50 voucher! (Subject to requirements, and completing atleast 75% of checkpoints). All Academic Reps will receive merchandise and other rewards, details of which are on our website.

All Course Reps are eligible to receive recognition via the Representation Accreditation Scheme, which tracks your engagement with your role as Course Rep. Course Reps will receive either a ‘Pass’, ‘Merit or ‘Distinction’ level accreditation, providing they complete the core aspects of their role. These levels build on each other, so you need to complete the criteria for the ‘Pass’ level before you can achieve a ‘Merit’, and the criteria for a ‘Merit’ before you achieve a ‘Distinction’.

 

If you want to achieve a merit or a pass, you should attend our Rep events, such as briefings and forums, as well as going along to any further opportunities such as Focus Groups that might pop up over the year. Attendance to some wider SU events, such as the Student Leaders Conference (SLC) and Student Council, will also give you points towards your accreditation, as well as Co-Chairing your SSCs.

 

The Accreditation Pass Criteria is:

• Attend (or send apologies to) 75% of your SSC meetings
• Submit 75% of the Checkpoints
• Complete the Course Rep training

You can find more information about Accreditation below, specific to your intake, and also on the Blackboard course.

If you are not being invited to SSCs, send an email to us and your department admin team. We will confirm with your department that you are a Course Rep, so that you are always invited to SSC meetings.

Your programme admin is the Professional Services team who supports your Programme and School – you will probably receive lots of emails from them as a student! Usually, they are called something like SubjectAdmin@leicester.ac.uk (for example, PhysAdmin for Physics, BSAdmin for Biological Sciences), but if you don’t know who your Programme Admin is, please just reach out to us.

 

Knowing your Programme Admin is important, because often they are the team that organises SSCs, so they will be who you send your apologies to. It is also important to know your Admin team, because sometimes feedback that is raised to you might need to be raised to them as well.

If you would like to step down from the role, send us an email on su-repteam@leicester.ac.uk, and we will notify your department.

 

Remember, if there is anything that you are struggling with, send us an email – we are always here to support you!

There are also School Reps and College Reps.

 

School Reps represent you at a School-level by attending School Education Committees. They collect feedback based on the topics discussed in these meetings, providing a student viewpoint on wider topics like course and module creation.

 

College Reps are recruited to represent the views of their college to the higher University. College Reps are the lead representative within their college and are responsible for communicating between Reps within their College, in particular School Reps, the Education Officer and relevant committees/staff and students.

The first time you will hopefully meet your fellow reps is at our Academic Rep Briefings, where you will make a plan for the year ahead! There, you can set up the way you would like to communicate (in person/email/WhatsApp etc) – you can also do this after your first SSC if you can’t attend the Briefings! You can also check who your fellow reps are by visiting the website here – this will include their email so you can reach out if you haven’t managed to meet in person, or if you want to chat before your first SSC! If you’re having any problems with the website, or can’t find your fellow reps for whatever reason, please just let us know by emailing su-repteam@leicester.ac.uk.

This can be a very frustrating part of a rep role, but there are several things you can do:

• Try changing up the way you communicate – if you always use a group chat, try email, or vice versa
• If you’re both attending SSCs, try catching them for a quick chat before or after the meeting – then, you can choose how to communicate, and make clear your expectations of each other
• If you’ve tried these things, you don’t know who your fellow reps are, or they don’t attend meetings, please drop us an email. We will be able to check in with any reps and make sure everything is ok!

You can find them on our website here.

 

If you attend Briefings, Forums and other SU Rep Events, you will get the chance to talk with other reps from your School and College to discuss the Academic Experience of students. This is a great way to connect and become familiar with other reps!

The orange lanyards are given to Course Representatives so that students can distinguish your role from your lanyard, and recognise that your role is on behalf of the Students’ Union.

 

This is helpful for students and staff as they can then approach you, knowing you are a Course Rep.

 

The lanyards will be handed out during in-person training, or you can collect a lanyward from the SU Main Office.

The Academic Rep of the Month scheme is where reps can be recognised for their exceptional hard work. Winners get a certificate and a badge, and are featured on our website and our social media. Anyone can nominate someone for Rep of the Month – you can find the nomination form here.

Sorry about that! Just send us an email at su-repteam@leicester.ac.uk to let us know that you are not on the mailing list, and we will update our records to ensure you receive communications from us, and your department.

Of course! Send us an email at su-repteam@leicester.ac.uk with the correct spelling of your name, and we will get that fixed for you!

Please just reach out to us at su-repteam@leicester.ac.uk and we will be able to update the photo on the website. We will also communicate this change to your department, but they take longer to update any Rep Posters they have shared with students, and we do not have any oversight of this (other than providing the material).

There are various ways in which you can gather feedback. As a Course Rep, you will gain access to email students on your course via the SU website. This will allow you to update students on your course on what has been discussed in your SSCs and give them a chance to give their feedback on any matters which concern them. You can also create surveys and send them out to students on your course to gather data which acts as a useful form of feedback.

 

You can also reach out to your course mates via social media apps, or group chats to gather informal feedback. Students may be more inclined to giving feedback in this way, as they may find it more comfortable.

 

Alternatively, you can rely on verbal methods to also gather feedback through talking to your course mates after lectures and tutorials whilst on campus. You can also do lecture shoutouts where your lecturer gives you time at the beginning, middle or end of the lecture to address students and gather any feedback. It is best to arrange this with your lecturer beforehand!

 

For more information, refer back to your training on the Feedback Loop and methods of communication.

If you are struggling to gain feedback, you may want to check what communication method you are using, and see whether you may need to use a different communication method in order to gain feedback - using many different kinds of communication could be really useful! You can also remind students that their feedback is completely anonymous and helps to improve their academic experience on the course - closing the Feedback Loop here can also be a handy tool, as students will see their feedback has an impact!

 

You can also reach out to us at su-repteam@leicester.ac.uk if you are having issues as we can also help!

Communication is important in ensuring that you are representative. Without clear and consistent communication, you cannot be an effective spokesperson for those that you represent, so always try to reach out to everyone on your course as one person’s experience does not define another person’s experience.

Info to follow.

Here are just a few tips on how to write a good email:

• Remember the basics, like capitalisation and punctuation.
• Include a subject line – this should be something simple but descriptive, like Climate Change Module Concerns, or Issue with Lecture Slides.
• Address the email to the person you are sending it to. Start either with Dear […] or Hi […] – this can be contextual, and depends who you are emailing, but you must always address the email in some way.
• Be respectful and polite – not only is this common courtesy and how you would like to be treated, but it will also make it more likely that your concerns are listened to and acted on.
• Give as much detail as you can, but if you know an issue is complex, perhaps suggest a meeting. If you have any evidence, such as a survey, make sure to attach it.

This is also covered in the training!

Not at all – ever! It’s what we’re here for, it’s literally our job! We are here to support you, help you and make sure your experience is a positive one!

 

We’re constantly trying to improve what we do and feedback is key to that – so please do reach out if you have any, we’re always receptive.

The SU is an empowering, innovative and inclusive student-led Union championing your interests and providing a community that is home away from home. Although we regularly collaborate with the University, we are a fully independent organisation made up of student elected representatives that work totally and completely for you.

 

As part of what we do, we run the Academic Representation system.

 

It is important to know what we do and how we do in order to be the best rep you can be! In our position as separate from the University, we are in a unique position to lobby for change – which is where student feedback comes in! You might also need to signpost students who come to you with concerns and issues you aren’t able to deal with to one of our other services, like Advice or Activities. More about what we do can be found in the training, or on our website here.

The SU if for all students – you are automatically a member when you become a registered student, you don’t have to do anything else! Whether you are full-time, campus-based, part-time, distance learning, undergraduate, post-graduate, just turned eighteen, a mature student or anything in between – the SU is for you!

The SU is run by students for students – every year, in March, the students vote in who they want to run to SU for the following year – these positions are called our Officers. We have two types of Officer – Full-time and Part-time. All our Officers are current students when they are elected – Full-Time Officers are either graduating and take up the role once they have finished their studies, or take a year out, and Part-time Officers carry out the role part-time around their studies.

 

Full-time Officers (FTOs) work for a year for the SU (paid) – elected on a manifesto, their job is ensure students have positive experience at university. Currently, our FTO roles are: President, Education, Community and Welfare, Sports and Societies, and Liberation. Our Full-Time Officers are also sometimes called Sabbs (short for Sabbatical Officer) or Execs (short for Executive Officer).

 

There are 10 Part-Time Officers (PTOs) and each PTO has a different remit, but their overall aim is to represent student views in the Students’ Union and advocate for positive change on behalf of students. There are 5 Officers whose remit is related to Liberation and 5 other Officers whose remit is related to student experiences and interests. PTOs run campaigns throughout the academic year and are a point of contact for students who want to provide feedback on what they want to see improved at university.

 

You can find more information here, including our Officers’ contact details.

Accreditation is how we reward reps for your hard work across the year

 

Course Rep Accreditation has three levels:

• Pass
• Merit
• Distinction

 

What you do as a rep over your time in the role will affect what level of accreditation you receive. To gain your Course Rep reward voucher, you must at least pass your accreditation.

 

You pass you must:

• Attend (or send apologies to) 75% of your SSC meetings
• Submit 75% of the Checkpoints
• Complete the Course Rep training

 

To get a Merit or Distinction, you need to achieve a certain number of points from attending optional extra events that we hold, or by chairing SSCs. The Training goes into more detail about how to achieve these higher levels of Accreditation.

You can complete the training in two ways – by attending the 3 in person sessions, or by completing the online quiz after viewing the online presentations.

 

The Training is split into 3 Masterclasses: -

• 1. What is a Rep?
• 2. Communication
• 3. SSCs

Checkpoints are a short form about what you have been up to and are submitted 4 times across your time as a rep. This will include what happened at your SSC, or what feedback you have gathered, or what skills you have worked on. The Checkpoint Windows will be at:-

• End of November
• End of February
• End of March
• End of May

   

  • The specific dates can be found on the Blackboard site. The Checkpoint link is also found on the Blackboard site.

We hold Academic Rep Briefings and Academic Rep Forums, both of which you will be invited to.

 

Academic Rep Briefings:

• This is where you can look at the goals your School’s Course Reps had last year
• Look over last year’s successes and also find out what didn’t (or couldn’t) get changed
• Decide goals for this academic year
• You will also be able to meet and get to know your fellow Reps!

 

Academic Rep Forums:

• You can discuss a wide range of topics with reps in other schools and a relevant University staff member – previous topics include Blackboard, study space and assessments & feedback
• Get your course’s voice taken directly to University staff – this includes high level staff like the Deans of Colleges, the University’s Registrar and the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education
• You will also find out about changes that happening at the Uni

 

We hold two Briefings and two Forums over the Academic Year – one in November, and another in February.

 

You can find them on our website here.

What you do as a rep over your time in the role will affect what level of accreditation you receive. To gain your Course Rep reward voucher, you must at least pass your accreditation.

 

You pass you must:

• Attend (or send apologies to) 75% of your SSC meetings
• Submit 75% of the Checkpoints
• Complete the Course Rep training

 

To get a Merit or Distinction, you need to achieve a certain number of points from attending optional extra events that we hold, or by chairing SSCs. The Training goes into more detail about how to achieve these higher levels of Accreditation.

 

For January Intake Reps, the training is online.

 

You can complete the training by reaching the pass mark on the online quiz after viewing the online presentations (which can be found on the Blackboard site).

 

The Presentations are split into 3 Masterclasses:

• 1. What is a Rep?
• 2. Communication
• 3. SSCs

Checkpoints are a short form about what you have been up to and are submitted 4 times across your time as a rep. This will include what happened at your SSC, or what feedback you have gathered, or what skills you have worked on. The Checkpoint Windows will be at:-

• End of February
• End of March
• End of May
• End of November

 

The specific dates can be found on the Blackboard site. The Checkpoint link is also found on the Blackboard site.

We hold Academic Rep Briefings and Academic Rep Forums, both of which you will be invited to.

Academic Rep Briefings:

• This is where you can look at the goals your School’s Course Reps had last year
• Look over last year’s successes and also find out what didn’t (or couldn’t) get changed
• Decide goals for this academic year
• You will also be able to meet and get to know your fellow Reps!

 

Academic Rep Forums:

• You can discuss a wide range of topics with reps in other schools and a relevant University staff member – previous topics include Blackboard, study space and assessments & feedback
• Get your course’s voice taken directly to University staff – this includes high level staff like the Deans of Colleges, the University’s Registrar and the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education
• You will also find out about changes that happening at the Uni

 

For January Intake Reps, you will be invited to two Briefings and two Forums – the first will take place in February, and the second in November.

You can find them on our website here.

Accreditation is how we reward reps for your hard work across the year

 

Course Rep Accreditation has three levels:

• Pass
• Merit
• Distinction

 

What you do as a rep over your time in the role will affect what level of accreditation you receive. To gain your Course Rep reward voucher, you must at least pass your accreditation.

 

You pass you must:

• Attend (or send apologies to) 75% of your SSC meetings
• Submit 75% of the Checkpoints
• Complete the Course Rep training

 

To get a Merit or Distinction, you need to achieve a certain number of points from attending optional extra events that we hold, or by chairing SSCs. The Training goes into more detail about how to achieve these higher levels of Accreditation.

For April Intake Reps, the training is online.

 

You can complete the training by reaching the pass mark on the online quiz after viewing the online presentations (which can be found on the Blackboard site).

 

The Presentations are split into 3 Masterclasses:

• 1. What is a Rep?
• 2. Communication
• 3. SSCs

Checkpoints are a short form about what you have been up to and are submitted 4 times across your time as a rep. This will include what happened at your SSC, or what feedback you have gathered, or what skills you have worked on. The Checkpoint Windows will be at:-

• End of June
• End of August
• End of November
• End of March

 

The specific dates can be found on the Blackboard site. The Checkpoint link is also found on the Blackboard site.

We hold Academic Rep Briefings and Academic Rep Forums, both of which you will be invited to.

 

Academic Rep Briefings:

• This is where you can look at the goals your School’s Course Reps had last year
• Look over last year’s successes and also find out what didn’t (or couldn’t) get changed
• Decide goals for this academic year
• You will also be able to meet and get to know your fellow Reps!

 

Academic Rep Forums:

• You can discuss a wide range of topics with reps in other schools and a relevant University staff member – previous topics include Blackboard, study space and assessments & feedback
• Get your course’s voice taken directly to University staff – this includes high level staff like the Deans of Colleges, the University’s Registrar and the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education
• You will also find out about changes that happening at the Uni

 

We hold two Briefings and two Forums over the Academic Year – one in November, and another in February.

 

You can find them on our website here.