Exciting eh?
With the end of term now approaching, one must look back at the last 12 weeks and reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly! It has been full of laughter, arguments and passion! But definately worth it, to say the least!
There has been:
- GRADUATIONS :)
- Academic Forum's
- Training nearly 500 Course Reps
- Our AMAZING Academic Affairs Zone Committee
- Planning for the QAA to come
- A notebook full of to-do list's
- Copius University Committee's
- E-learning development
- Student engagement finally reaching the top of the agenda
- Lecturers and students united in the strikes against public sector reforms
- David Cameron talking out of his arse
- HEFCE still not reaching a decision
- Will they/won't they coalition bitching
- Lots of great conferences!
- And some long-lasting friendships being forged!
...amongst everything else!
So... May I take this opportunity to wish you all a great Christmas Holiday, and a prosperous New Year!
Get Merry, Eat Cake and Party Hard!
Roll on 2012 and the challenges it's gonna bring! The only way is up, and I'm in the mood for climbing!
Lots of Love,
Amy xxx
Course Representation.
How many people see that phrase and don't really know what it means?
Within the University of Brighton there is a policy in place explicitly outlining the role and responsibility of Course Reps at our institution, and the relationship (or should I say partnership) that the Union, University and Reps has in order to make it effective.
Now, as much as I am very happy that we have this policy in place, to what extent does it mean effective representation across the institution?
Yesterday, six Academic School Reps and I attended the NUS National Course Rep conference in Leeds. This presented a very good opportunity, to see how effective our 'partnership' with the institution on course representation is compared to other institutions across the country. The reaction from the Academic Zone Committee members who attended was unanimous. We have an incredibly good working partnership/relationship with the University of Brighton staff, with student views being listened to and acted upon where possible.
Now, I must emphasise, this is something I am not going to dispute. From my experience during my degree as a course rep, and then as an Academic School rep, I very much had the same level of success in my roles.
However, a flag is raised in my mind now as VP as to whether or not this engagement encountered by reps from the insitution, can necessarily be called effectiveness?
Are some of the reps in the institution simply there as a tickbox exercise to say the policy is being implemented? Or are our students effectively making the differences and seeing those positive outcomes that they put themselves forward to do?
This is something that is incredibly difficult to monitor, and to be perfectly honest I'm not sure where the accountability is meant to fall, to the institution as it is a University policy, or to the Union as it is a working partnership? Who know's?
I, however, do believe that the effectiveness of the Course Rep policy is not only down to having a rep for each course, but its also about actively engaging with the feedback the representatives are telling the institution, and valuing the contributions of the reps whilst at the same time, making sure the feedback loop is being completed, wit any solutions being communicated back to the student body, successful or not.
Another question that pops up is whether or not student representation and feedback is about engaging students into the institutional structure? Or should the focus be on the process, or maybe even in the outcomes of effective representation?
Personally, I believe it's a bit of both. Process is just as important as outcome, and the engagement of students in the structures is just as important as ensuring that the representation is effective and meaningful.
What does everyone else think?
