Rep Development, Training & Workshops
Our student representatives employ a range of skills in their role, including;
- Communication
- Advocacy
- Negotiation
- Meeting skills
- Developing a raised profile within their institution
Alongside our mandatory Rep Training (to acquaint reps with their role once elected or appointed) we also recognise we have a role in supporting the ongoing development of representation skills and facilitating reps to recognise their value and articulate them.
You can find below details of upcoming workshops and development opportunities open to our Reps:
Student Voice Conference 2025
The Student Voice Conference took place on Friday 17th January 2025 and focused on the theme 'Leading Through a New Lense'. The event featured a variety of guest speakers, including Mack Marshall (Community and Policy Officer from WonkHE) and Saranya Thambirajah (Vice President Liberation and Equality at NUS UK).
Student engagement was great at the event, and attendees provided feedback indicating that the conference enhanced their skill set and inspired their thinking about future leadership opportunities.
Thank you to all who attended this event!
Rep Workshops 2025
Skills Development & Employability
Being a Course Rep is another fantastic way to enhance your CV. A Course Rep is an elected student volunteer who represents their course mates by acting as their voice at meetings with University staff.
Course Reps need to establish and maintain communication with the Students' Union’s Vice President Education, their Course Leader, their Academic Representation Coordinator (ARC) and the Department Reps.
Their key task is to represent students’ views at course-level, attending and making positive contributions to the Course Management Committee (CMC) meetings. Course Reps are not expected to solve problems first-hand, but they are expected to work with staff to develop solutions to issues identified by the students they represent. To close the feedback loop, Course Reps are also expected to communicate outcomes resulting from feedback with their cohort.
We want to help Course Reps recognise the skills they develop through their role and be able to clearly articulate these for any future employers or opportunities. Below is a list of duties and responsbilities Course Reps are expected to complete, and the subsequent skill gained or quality demonstrated.
Course Reps
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Duties & Responsibilities:
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Skills gained and or qualities demonstrated
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Attend and participate in appropriate training sessions provided by the Students’ Union and the University or undertake online training where this is not possible.
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self-management, responsibility, organisation, personal development, networking
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Establish effective communications with students, other Course Reps, Department Reps and the Students’ Union.
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Verbal communication skills, written communication skills, IT skills if using emails, accessible communication, tailored messaging
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Attend and contribute to meetings for Course Reps arranged by Department Reps, Academic Representation Coordinators (ARCs) or other members of staff.
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Time management, self-management, responsibility
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Attend and contribute to the Rep Forums, chaired by the Vice President Education, and also attended by Department Reps, the Provost and invited members of University staff and/or other guests.
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Verbal communication skills, written communication skills, professionalism, responsibility, networking
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Help to promote the National Student Survey and the University’s internal student survey to encourage students to participate and express their views on their student experience.
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Responsibility and communication skills
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Help to promote the Student Academic Representative System.
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Communication, passion, creativity
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Prepare for, attend and contribute to Course Management Committees, ensuring that students’ views are expressed, and their interests represented.
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Verbal communication skills, written communication skills, active listening, professionalism, responsibility, consultation, and research
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Ensure that messages or questions for students from the Students’ Union are relayed and that responses are fed back to the organisation.
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Communication, administration, organisation, and time management
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Our full Employability Guide can be found online HERE.
You may also want to track your leadership skills development throughout the year in your role, using our leadership template below:
