Resources
Handbook
The SRC and Student Participation in Quality Scotland (Sparqs) have worked together to produce a handbook to guide new student reps on what kind of tasks they might be set, roles they will be asked to play and how best to go about it.
To view a copy of the handbook, click here.
To download it as a PDF, click here
You need to attend the Sparqs training for your term as a Student Representative to be recorded on your transcript. The handbook is designed to be looked at along with the Sparqs training sessions which will fill in all the gaps.
Staff & Student Liaison Committee
SSLC is just a fancy name for a departmental meeting where some senior members of staff, admin staff and lecturers get together with Student Reps to discuss any departmental wide issues
What points to raise
- Issues that involve the department as a whole e.g. Department resources, essay deadlines, departmental library opening hours.
- Issues that may be of interest to other students in the university, main library opening hours, computer / web access.
What not to take...
- Specific individual concerns – These can be dealt with by lecturers/ class tutors
- Problems with lecturers – SSLC is no place to rant about a lecturer. Speak to the lecturer concerned first, then if there is not resolution you can go to the head of department.
- Personal complaints of students – These need to be dealt with on an individual basis, if in doubt speak to the Faculty Conveners or contact the VP (Learning & Development) for assistance.
SSLC Survival tips
- Don’t get bored. Ask your class before the meeting if they have any issues you should raise
- Be confident! Remember that student opinion matters
- Minutes are taken, but keep your own notes, so you remember details of the discussions that are important to you and your class
Report back...
- Show your class that student representation is alive and kicking – report back to them on the SSLC discussions
- Ask that the department displays the minutes of the SSLC on the Course Rep notice board
- Contact the SRC if you feel there are important issues not being followed up.
Meeting Procedure
You may never have been in a meeting like a SSLC before, and how formal they are depends on the department. But just in case you’re worried there’s meeting jargon simplified
Agenda
This is a list of things which will be discussed in the meeting. You should receive a copy of this in advance of the meeting. If you want to put anything on the agenda, contact the chair at least 7 days in advance
Apologies
People who can’t attend. You should notify the Chair or at least the secretary to let them know that you cannot attend.
Chair
The Chair is the person responsible for running the meeting. If you’re having difficulty getting your say, catch the Chairs eye so they know you want to speak
Minutes
These are the official record of what happened at the meeting. Minutes are usually distributed a few days after the meeting, and at the next meeting members will decide to accept them or not.
Secretary
The secretary is responsible for recording and distributing the minutes of the meeting.
Moodle
For all Student Reps who were not at training or did not receive the email about this new system, SR Moodle is the new method of sharing information and communicating with one another, with Faculty Convenors and with me, the Vice-President (Learning & Development). It takes the form of an online community of all elected Student Reps and is split into Faculty groups and a forum for general topics, where all reps can discuss general issues. Find it here