academic representation handbook
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ACADEMIC REPRESENTATIONHANDBOOK
CONTENTS
Welcome and Introductions 1
You Said It. We Did It. 4
Overview of Representation 6
Explanation of Roles 10
Your Full-Time Officers 16 Departmental Student Coordinator’s Role 18
Student Representative’s Role 20
DSC Reports 22
Representation Advice 24
Know Your Meetings 26
Communicating With Students 27
Boundaries and Expectations 30
Key Contacts 32
Important Dates 34
INTRODUCTION
“The Departmental Student Coordinators and Student Representatives play a crucial role in improving the student experience at Goldsmiths. You are the bridge between the institution and the student body, feeding the student voice up through various channels to ensure that everything is done with the students’ interests at heart.
Over the years DSCs and Student Reps have worked together to drive positive changes forward at both departmental and institution-wide levels, and helped to improve the overall student experience.
In your role you will be supported by the Students’ Union, Goldsmiths Quality Office, and your department staff. My role as the Academic Representation and Student Voice Coordinator is to oversee and administrate the student representation programme, and I will be on hand to provide you with training and support throughout the year.
I very much look forward to working with you all over the coming year.”
FAIROOZ ANIQAACADEMIC REPRESENTATION AND STUDENT VOICE [email protected]
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THE PRESIDENT HAS SOMETHING
TO SAY“Far from being simply a consumer experience as many champions of the new Higher Education model would espouse, university can be an opportunity for empowerment, in and outside of the lecture theatre. For this to happen the gap between academics and students must be bridged.
As a DSC and Student Rep your job is vital to this. To be effective, you should build strong relationships with your department and have regular contact with your fellow students.
Over the past year DSCs have won many meaningful changes for students. I hope together we can make the coming year even more successful”
HOWARD LITTLERSU PRESIDENT
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“BEING A DSC FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS HAS ALLOWED ME TO DEVELOP SKILLS NEEDED IN THE WORKPLACE AND HAS ALSO GIVEN ME AN INSIGHT INTO HOW ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS WORK WITHIN A UNIVERSITY. THE DSC ROLE HAS BEEN A GREAT WAY OF COMBINING MY RESPONSIBILITIES WITH THE STUDENTS’ UNION AND GOLDSMITHS, WHICH HAS GIVEN ME A FULL ROUNDED VIEW OF WORK LIFE WITHIN A UNIVERSITY. IT’S BEEN GREAT FUN TO TAKE PART IN AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE DSCs TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE ROLE AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO APPLY”
THOMAS ANKIN
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WHAT DID WE DO EXACTLY?
BUT IN CASE YOU WANTED SPECIFICS...
WE DID IT YOU SAID IT
DSCs worked alongside Goldsmiths staff in support of the lecturer strike for fair pay.
DSCs incited change to ensure that all joint honours students receive a clear handbook for their programme and improved departmental communication on joint honours programmes for the 2014-15 academic year.
DSCs produced two Termly Reports with recommendations which have led to change in many areas such as room allocations and timetabling.
DSCs successfully lobbied for a bursary increase in recognition of the hard work they put in throughout the year.
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After raising a number of issues around timetabling and room allocation at Goldsmiths, the Departmental Student Coordinators have successfully pushed this to the top of the agenda and Goldsmiths have made a number of promising commitments including:
Eight new teaching rooms A two-year plan to change the way timetabling works at GoldsmithsA large financial investment into new processes for timetabling and room bookingsA new policy around timetabling and use of space on campusPaid student staff to carry out regular spot checks on AV equipment in teaching rooms to ensure that teaching time isn’t wasted on setting up AV equipmentFrom September 2015 students will be notified of room changes and timetable changes via text message - a relief to students who spend time and money on commuting into London for lectures!
Students and Departmental Student Coordinators raised a number of issues faced by joint honours students, including timetabling clashes and miscommunication between departments. Goldsmiths will prioritise the needs of joint honours students in regards to timetabling, ensuring fewer clashes and clear communication between departments. Goldsmiths will ensure that all joint honours students receive a handbook for their programme with clear guidelines on assessments and deadlines.
Goldsmiths have responded to student concerns regarding the quality and timeliness of assessment feedback by drafting a new Feedback Policy. This will provide staff with clear and concise guidelines for providing feedback to students, including a specified turnaround time for getting feedback to students. This has been positively received by the Departmental Student Coordinators and the Students’ Union and we hope to see a shift in the way that feedback is delivered across Goldsmiths.
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UNIVERSITY
YOU
STUDENT’S UNION DEPARTMENTS
AN OVERVIEW OF REPRESENTATIONRepresentation at Goldsmiths is about enhancing the learning of students through the building of partnerships. Goldsmiths is committed to listening to its students and taking their views into account in the development of its provision.
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AN OVERVIEW OF REPRESENTATION
The student voice has a key role to play at many different levels at Goldsmiths. Firstly through the Students’ Union at institution level, Departmental Student Coordinators at department level and Student Reps at programme level. DSCs work at the centre of all representation activities; communicating between departments, the Students’ Union and Goldsmiths as a whole.
Representation at Goldsmiths comes in the form of a Students’ Union consisting of four elected full-time Sabbatical Officers and 21 part-time Officers, approximately 55 Departmental Student Coordinators and a number of programme level Student Representatives.
This handbook outlines the representation structures that are in place for students at Goldsmiths. The handbook also provides a support tool for Student Reps and DSCs. It contains an outline of the role of Student Reps and DSCs, key contacts, schedules and relevant information to help you in your role.
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Feedback is a multi-channel system between students, Student Reps, DSCs, departments, Senior Management Team, Professional Services staff, the Students’ Union and the Quality Office. It is crucial that feedback passes between all these layers and comes back round full circle to students with comments on how that feedback is being acted upon or discussed.
Feedback is given at each Staff/Student Forum meeting regarding any issues from the previous meeting that required action. Students are also able to view the minutes from both Departmental Board and Staff/Student Forum meetings, often displayed on the departmental/programme notice board, website and/or VLE. Departmental staff, DSCs and Student Representatives work together to identify and implement best practice and disseminate outcomes to students.
Issues that remain unresolved at departmental level will be reviewed by DSCs and departmental staff, and where necessary raised with the Quality Office, who will report the Goldsmiths response back to departments. This ensures that students are informed of action taken in response to their feedback.
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN DSCS, STUDENT REPS, AND
SU SABBATICAL OFFICERS?
THE S
TUDE
NT RE
PS10
HERE’S THE BREAKDOWN
THERE ARE THREE ROLES:
THE SU SABBATICAL OFFICERS
THE S
TUDE
NT RE
PSTHE DSCS
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WHO DO YOU REPRESENT?
STUDENTS IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS
STUDENTS ON THEIR
PROGRAMME, AND IN
THEIR YEAR OF STUDY
THE WHOLE STUDENT BODY
WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?
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WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?
THIS IS A FIVE-DAY A WEEK FULL-TIME POST. SABBATICAL OFFICERS SIT ON VARIOUS GOLDSMITHS COMMITTEES AND HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR RUNNING THE STUDENTS’ UNION, MANAGING BUDGETS AND LEADING ON THE ORGANISATION’S MISSION, AIMS AND VALUES
ATTEND MEETINGS WITH DSCS, STAFF/STUDENT FORUM MEETINGS, MEET WITH MODULE AND
PROGRAMME LEADERS AND DEPARTMENT STAFF AS REQUIRED. COMMUNICATE AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK BETWEEN STUDENTS,
DSCS, AND DEPARTMENT STAFF
WRITE TERMLY REPORTS WHICH ARE CIRCULATED TO DEPARTMENT STAFF, THE LEARNING, TEACHING AND ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE (LTEC) AND GOLDSMITHS MANAGEMENT. DSCS PARTICIPATE IN WRITING AND PRESENTING AN ANNUAL PROJECT, PROMOTE STUDENT SURVEYS, COORDINATE MEETINGS, ATTEND DEPARTMENTAL BOARDS, DEPARTMENT STAFF/STUDENT FORUMS AND MONTHLY DSC MEETINGS WITH THE STUDENTS’ UNION AND QUALITY OFFICE, AND ASSIST IN THE RECRUITMENT OF FUTURE DSCS AND THE WIDER PROMOTION OF THE DSC ROLE. DSCS MAY ALSO BE ASKED TO SIT ON PROGRAMME REVIEWS AND SUPPORT OTHER GOLDSMITHS EVENTS AS REQUIRED.
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WHAT ARE THE INCENTIVES?GET TO TAKE ON A FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL
ROLE, WITH A FULL COMPETITIVE LONDON WAGE. DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP,
COMMUNICATION AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS. A VARIED AND BUSY WORKLOAD
GIVES SABBATICAL OFFICERS INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE.
THIS GIVES STUDENTS A GOOD INSIGHT INTO HOW DEPARTMENTS AND GOLDSMITHS WORKS AND ENABLES
STUDENTS TO GET MORE INVOLVED, WITHOUT THE LARGER WORKLOAD OR REPORT WRITING PRESSURES OF A DSC. THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE ROLE OFTEN LEADS TO STUDENTS
WANTING TO BECOME A DSC OR SU SABBATICAL OFFICER THE FOLLOWING YEAR. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES RECEIVE TRAINING AND SUPPORT FROM THE UNION, DEVELOP CORE TRANSFERABLE SKILLS AND RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE FOR
UNDERTAKING THE ROLE.
GAIN EXPERIENCE WORKING AS A TEAM WITH OTHER DSCS, IMPROVING COMMUNICATION, ORGANISATION, LEADERSHIP AND TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS. DSCS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE
STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND INPUT DIRECTLY INTO GOLDSMITHS COMMITTEES THROUGH THE DSC REPORTS AND PROJECTS. DSCS RECEIVE A £500 BURSARY DURING THEIR YEAR OF APPOINTMENT TO REFLECT THE LARGER WORKLOAD
THEY ARE REQUIRED TO UNDERTAKE, WHICH INCLUDES ATTENDING A NUMBER OF MEETINGS, REPORT WRITING, PRESENTATIONS AND PROMOTIONAL WORK.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE POST?
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HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE POST?
ELECTIONS IN
SPRING, VOTED IN
BY GOLDSMITHS
STUDENTS
APPLICATION AND INTERVIEW
NOMINATION AT
PROGRAMME LEVEL
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YOUR FULL-TIME OFFICERS
“When it comes down to it, the most important part of your university experience is your learning – be it in lecture theatres, seminar rooms, practical experiences, or even the social events run by departments. Although societies and activities are an important and fun side of university, students ought to feel secure in the knowledge that their learning at Goldsmiths is the best that it can be. Departmental Student Coordinators and Student Representatives guarantee that every student is able to shape their degree as partners in their programme, rather than simply taking what they’re given. With the rise of tuition fees and major cuts across all areas in universities, it’s become more important than ever to ensure that the university improves what students want to see improving. This is our education and academic representation is vital in helping us to have a better Goldsmiths.”
SARAH EL-ALFYEDUCATION OFFICER
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HOWARD LITTLERPRESIDENT
SARAH EL-ALFYEDUCATION OFFICER
SHAY OLUPONACAMPAIGNS OFFICER
BAHAR MUSTAFAWELFARE AND DIVERSITY OFFICER
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DEPARTMENTALSTUDENT COORDINATORROLE
A Departmental Student Coordinator (DSC) is a student recruited by Goldsmiths, the Students’ Union and each academic department to serve for one academic year, acting as a point of liaison between the student body within their department, students, and the Union.
In each department there is usually a minimum of two undergraduate Departmental Student Coordinators and one postgraduate DSC, with additional DSCs being appointed where this is necessary to achieve an appropriate level of representation in larger departments. DSCs receive training, a role description, as well as remuneration in the form of a bursary.
The Students’ Union keeps DSCs informed and up-to-date with developments on a regular basis, and hold a database of appointed DSCs. DSCs are required to keep in contact with students and staff in their department, as well as with the Students’ Union and the Quality Office. The Students’ Union ensures that DSCs are fully supported in their roles through close contact, training sessions and regular catch-ups.
Departmental Student Coordinators work closely with Student Representatives in their department to ensure that the wider student voice is captured at the programme level. DSCs are required to produce reports on departmental student feedback, promote student satisfaction surveys, attend departmental meetings (e.g. Staff/Student Forum and Departmental Board) and participate in an annual project.
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DUTIES
ORGANISATIONHighlight key issues within the department to the department staff, Students’ Union and Quality Office Organise forums for discussion with students and Student Representatives to collect feedbackAttend all of the scheduled DSC meetings (usually on Tuesday evenings every 3 weeks)
A BREAKDOWN OF THE ROLE OF A DSC
As a DSC you should aim to obtain and articulate feedback in a constructive manner, which would underline positive and negative elements of students’ experience, as well as providing realistic solutions to departments on how to resolve these issues. Make students aware of your role as a DSC.Work with Student Representatives. The DSC system should compliment the Student Representative system in each department.
COMMUNICATIONCollate student feedback and use this to suggest items for the agenda of the Staff/Student ForumsMake use of different communication methods to inform students of the DSC scheme and obtain student feedbackLiaise with the department in order to set up structured opportunities to collect feedback from students (e.g. lecture shouts) Work closely with other DSCs within and outside of your department, maintaining constant communication and a collaborative working relationship throughout the yearCommunicate with Student Representatives and build good relationships with them so that feedback can be clearly communicated.Promote the DSC role during recruitment periods and aid with recruiting new DSCs
LEADERSHIP
STUDENT VOICE
Liaise with Student Representatives on a monthly basis to identify issues and take them forward as appropriateLead on student issues in formal forums
Aid in the organisation and coordination of student voice events which includes the promotion of surveys such as the National Student Survey and DSC Annual Project Survey
Attend department meetingsParticipate in the Annual Projects presentation and report throughout the yearComplete termly reports and meet set deadlinesParticipate in Department/Programme Periodic Reviews when needed
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STUDENTREPRESENTATIVEROLEBeing a Student Representative is an excellent way to have a say in the development of your degree programme. Student Representatives play a vital role at Goldsmiths; providing an essential link between the students and their programme of study, as well as with their wider department, DSCs, the Students’ Union and Goldsmiths. Student Representatives have a narrower remit than DSCs. Representatives are responsible for gathering and reporting on feedback from students on their degree and programme of study, whereas DSCs have a broader responsibility for all undergraduate students, or all postgraduate students, within their department. Student Representatives liaise with DSCs where necessary to raise any higher-level feedback or broader areas for attention by the department.
Departments may invite all students to the Staff/Student Forum, or they may restrict membership to Student Representatives and Departmental Student Coordinators. Normally two Student Representatives are recruited for each level of a programme. Departments provide names of Student Representatives within their department to the Students’ Union, who provide training on the responsibilities of the role.
A BREAKDOWN OF THE ROLE OF A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVEAttend Staff/Student Forum meetingsMeet regularly and maintain a good dialogue with DSCsGather feedback from students on your degree, programme and in your year groupPass feedback onto relevant department staff and DSCs as appropriateAttend Students’ Union training sessions
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DSC REPORTSAs a Departmental Student Coordinator you will be required to submit 2-3 reports over the course of the year. These reports are written per department. There are separate undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) reports, so if there are two UG DSCs in a department they will work on these reports together.
The DSCs termly reports will collate positive feedback, areas of concern and recommendations for improvement. All DSCs will be given a report template and guidance notes prior to the first submission. The reports are written on the basis of feedback, which DSCs must collect and collate from students. DSCs are asked to collect as much feedback as possible so the reports are representative. If DSCs are unsure about any of the issues being raised in the report they should consult with the DSC staff contact in the department to clarify, so the content of the report is as accurate as possible. The reports should not name individual members of staff or students and must be written from the perspective of the collective feedback given. The DSC reports are then circulated to the each department for a response, as well as shared with
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Goldsmiths’ Learning, Teaching and Enhancement Committee (LTEC). Each year the DSCs work in groups to produce annual group projects, which are then presented to an audience of senior management and staff in March each year. The reports are usually between 3-4000 words in length and the presentations are approximately10 minutes long per group. The themes of the annual projects are selected from the issues and key topics raised in the DSC termly reports.
As a DSC you are required to promote the following surveys: National Student Survey (NSS), Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES), Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) and any other surveys undertaken by Goldsmiths. The survey results and qualitative comments are used to improve the quality of Goldsmiths provision and services. The feedback could influence prospective students on their choice of university. Most importantly, it helps us to know where we are getting things right, and where we need to improve.
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HERE’S SOME ADVICEREPRESENTATION ADVICE
As someone representing students at Goldsmiths you will be working together with various departments and levels of management, directly and indirectly, to improve the quality of education and learning. You’ll be invited to meetings and committees, hold and engage in open forum discussions and attend the Student Assembly.
There are often certain procedures or formalities that you will need to adhere to, but it’s important that you always get the most out of such events and use them positively in your role. Here are some tips on how to be effective:
MAKE SURE YOU READ ANY AGENDAS AND PAPERS AVAILABLE IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING. UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS BEING
DISCUSSED AND SEEING HOW IT INTERSECTS WITH YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES IS CRUCIAL. IF THERE’S A PROPOSAL OR ACTION
THAT IS PARTICULARLY CONTROVERSIAL THEN YOU CAN SEEK THE WIDER VIEWS AND OPINIONS OF OTHER STUDENTS IN ADVANCE
OF THE MEETING TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE REPRESENTING THEIR VIEWS ACCURATELY.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET AN ITEM PLACED ON THE AGENDA OF A SPECIFIC MEETING THEN YOU WILL NEED TO TALK TO THE SECRETARY OR CHAIR E.G. FOR YOUR DEPARTMENTAL BOARDS, IT IS OFTEN THE DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATOR
THAT YOU WILL NEED TO CONTACT. FIND OUT THE DEADLINE IN ORDER FOR YOUR ACTION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT MEETING. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR ITEM IS IN WRITING, OUTLINES THE ISSUE OR POINT CLEARLY AND INCLUDES
ANY CHANGES OR RECOMMENDATIONS YOU WANT TO PROPOSE.
ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON! THE MEETINGS ARE A
CONSTRUCTIVE WAY TO INITIATE CHANGE. PEOPLE WILL BE HAPPY TO HELP.
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MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE FUNCTION OF THE COMMITTEE YOU’RE ABOUT TO ATTEND. SOME POINTS ARE BETTER RAISED IN CERTAIN FORUMS AND KNOWING THE MOST EFFECTIVE PLACE TO AIR AN ACTION, PROPOSAL OR MOTION IS IMPORTANT.
MAKE SURE YOUR ARGUMENT IS CLEAR AND DON’T REPEAT WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. IF IT’S SOMETHING PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT THEN IT’S A VERY GOOD IDEA TO WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY BEFOREHAND. HAVING TIME TO WRITE YOUR ARGUMENT OR POINT WILL NOT ONLY HELP YOU DELIVER YOUR POINT BUT ALSO MAKE IT EASIER FOR OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND. IF YOU FEEL YOU MIGHT NEED TO DEFEND IT, THEN SMALL FLASH CARDS WITH THE KEY IDEAS CAN REALLY HELP YOU STAY CLEAR AND TRUE TO YOUR IDEA.
IT’S VALUABLE TO INCLUDE YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES AND OPINIONS; HOWEVER, YOUR ROLE IS TO REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF YOUR FELLOW PEERS ACCURATELY. IT’S IMPORTANT TO BRING THE ISSUES AND OPINIONS OF THE STUDENTS FOREMOST AND CLEARLY INDICATE WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR OWN OPINION ON THE MATTER. YOUR POINTS AND OPINIONS LATER MAY BE UNDERMINED IF IT APPEARS YOU ARE ONLY SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR OPINIONS.
ALWAYS REMAIN AS NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE WHEN DISCUSSING A POINT. EMOTIONAL RESPONSES SUCH AS HARSH CRITICISM OR ISOLATING INDIVIDUALS WILL GET IN THE WAY OF WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO SAY. USING NON-THREATENING AND INVITING PHRASES SUCH AS “COULD WE CONSIDER ___?” AND “WOULDN’T IT BE BETTER IF ___?” IS A DIPLOMATIC WAY OF RAISING COUNTER POINTS OR ARGUMENTS, IN A WAY THAT INVITES FURTHER DISCUSSION.
MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE OUTCOMES OF THE MEETINGS YOU ATTEND. ANY ACTIONS OR DECISIONS SHOULD BE DISSEMINATED TO THE STUDENTS YOU REPRESENT, AS THIS IS A KEY WAY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED THEIR VIEWS AND THAT GOLDSMITHS HAS TAKEN THEIR POINTS FORWARD. ALWAYS BE SURE TO ASK IF IT’S OKAY THAT YOU REPORT ON THE OUTCOMES BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE MEETING. IT GENERALLY WILL BE, AS LONG AS NOTHING SENSITIVE WAS DISCUSSED. IT’S A GOOD WAY TO BUILD TRUST AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE STAFF AND MEETING HOLDERS. 25
WARNING
KNOW YOUR MEETINGSStaff/Student Forums (SSF)These meetings normally take place at least twice each academic year and is the primary forum to discuss student issues and feedback. Your department is the facilitator ; academics, Student Representatives, DSCs and the wider student body are invited to attend the meeting. Departments may call this meeting by various names.
Departmental Boards (DB)These meetings normally take place three to five times a year and they are where departmental issues are discussed and student issues are raised. Your department is the facilitator; Head of Department, academics, Student Representatives and DSCs attend.
Monthly DSC Meetings (DSC)These meetings usually happen once every three weeks on a Tuesday from 5.00-6.30pm. In these meetings student issues are raised and DSC support, training and projects are discussed. The Students’ Union is the facilitator and DSCs, Quality Office staff and the SU Education Officer attend.
Warden’s Meeting (WD)These meetings are held once a year and are where your projects are discussed. The Students’ Union is the facilitator and DSCs, Students’ Union staff, Quality Office staff and Goldsmiths Senior Management Team attend.
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COMMUNICATINGWITH
STUDENTSAn integral part of representing students is how you communicate with everyone. There are many ways to reach out to everyone, and it’s important to know the benefits and limitations of each form of communication. Sometimes the hardest part is reaching out to the quieter voices of a large group of people, so using different methods of communication is key.
COLLECTING FEEDBACK
Listening to what’s being said and not imposing viewsBeing representative, broaden your feedback beyond yourself and close friendsCollect feedback that is widely and deeply felt to increase the legitimacyMake sure informal and formal points are clear and separatePropose solutions! They are key for change. Don’t focus just on problems but bring forward ideas
AWARENESS
Lecture shouts FISHing (Finding Issues Students Have)Utilising the Union website, Facebook, VLE, batch emails and other networks you may establish. Also encourage lecturers to promote your activitiesUpdating notice boards and posters
CLARITYWhat is your message? Make sure you’re clear and address any questionsAvoid jargon and make your language accessible to everyoneBe specific and brief and always be to the point Always provide contact details
DISSEMINATECreating awareness of yourself will help people come to youIdentify issues and focus on the groups of people they affectResearch issues; try to understand potential arguments or reasons for issues so you’re more informedAct! Try to be proactive and start a chain of events towards solutionsDisseminate the feedback from your department to your fellow students
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LEARN.GOLD
Emailing students is the best way to reach everyone but it has particular uses and drawbacks. Everyone will have an @gold.ac.uk email so you can be sure if you’re passing on an email to a department administrator then it will reach everyone it needs to.
It’s great for wide and broad messages that may be more formal and official. Notifications of public meetings are a good example where you’d want to give everyone a fair chance to learn about it and attend. The down sides are that emails are often missed or not acted on by students and it’s a very indirect method. It’s good for getting a message out, but it shouldn’t be your only means to do so.
It’s one of the easiest ways to talk and disseminate information to the largest group. It’s a social network with an increasing presence in many students’ lives, but you should be aware that not all students will be on Facebook and it is not a protected Goldsmiths method of communication (it is public and not moderated). Making a group for your department, for an issue or topic, is a good way to start communicating with students. It’s easy for small discussions to escalate so it’s generally advisable to try not to hold a discussion there, but just spread information. It’s a good way to share links to documents and events, where relevant.
The online virtual learning environment, Learn.Gold, is an integral part of the learning experience and one you can use! We’re working with the Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TALIC) to create departmental student representation pages and forums for discussion inside Learn.Gold. These pages will be entirely student managed, with no staff overview apart from basic moderation from TALIC and the SU. It’s going to be a great tool for discussion and sharing information. A major benefit over Facebook is that each year as new DSCs and Student Reps come in, the discussions from previous years are archived and an institutional memory is created. Learn.Gold is entirely open to be used how you need, and we’ll be working on this as the year continues.
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LECTURESIt’s important to get some face-to-face time and see people; it gets your face
recognised among students, it gives you a chance to follow-up on student views and you can gauge how widespread feelings are within a wider group of students and to
what depth it is felt. Work out which group of students you want to target and work with the departmental administrators to decide which lectures would be the most
useful to go to. Most lecturers are happy to let you take some time during a session, but do make sure you check with the lecturer in advance about the most convenient
time to do this.
STAFF/STUDENT FORUMSAnother key means for communication is the Staff/Student Forums. They are an open forum for students to meet and discuss any feedback they have with staff. The idea is
that it’s a neutral ground where staff and students can speak openly and freely. It gives a good chance for staff to ask opinions about modules and programmes, how things
are being done and seek student views on particular matters. Students also get to ask direct questions to specific people and they have a chance to explain how things
are done, why they are done, or what limitations there may be. It’s a good place to introduce non-student facing staff as well, and encourage debate to continue outside the room. Opening channels of communication, and enabling students to understand
their feedback, is important so they know that they aren’t without a voice.
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BOUNDARIESAs a DSC or Student Representative it is important to know your limits and boundaries.
Things that fall beyond your remit include the following:
If a student comes to you about one of these matters you can direct them to the Students’ Union Advice Centre at [email protected].
The Advice Service gives professional and friendly advice to help students with any problems they have with life while at Goldsmiths. All the advice and help is free and confidential. The SU Advice Service gives information in person, via email or via the website. The SU Advice Service provides information, advice and representation on all aspects of Goldsmiths procedures, including appeals, complaints and re-sits.
Our Advice Centre also offers advice and representation on problems students may have with Goldsmiths accommodation. It also supports students wishing to find private sector housing. The SU Advice Service offers information on a range of support relating to student finances including loans, fees and funding, as well as advice on budgeting. The SU administer a hardship loan to those most in need. Students also find our free telephone line helpful for contacting student finance and for sorting out their unexpected housing issues.
Disputes between students, academic staff and between individuals Academic appeals, examination offences, breaches of the code of student conduct
Funding or debt issues
Immigration/visa queries
Health and personal issues
Accommodation issues
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3 THINGS TO KNOW
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KNOW YOUR DATES Dates of meetings (DSC regular/monthly meetings), Staff/Student Forum meetings, Departmental Board meetings,
Student Assembly meetings, dates for submission of termly reports and annual group projects, and dates of any other
meetings between Student Representatives and DSCs.
KNOW YOUR CONTACTS Each department has a DSC departmental contact to support DSCs in their role. Your departmental contacts are there to support you. Each department
also has staff that are there to coordinate and support representatives in their role and keep you up-to-date with meetings and issues. Please ask
your department administrator who the first point of contact for student representation in the department is. You can always contact Fairooz Aniqa, the Academic Representation and Student Voice Coordinator in the SU at
any time also ([email protected]).
KNOW THE OTHER REPSStudent Representatives and DSCs should all get to know
each other and be in regular contact about student feedback and issues being raised and resolved.
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KEY CONTACTSQUALITY OFFICE
The Quality Office is responsible for ensuring that Goldsmiths’ quality assurance policies and procedures are effective and support the enhancement of the student learning experience. The Office manages key processes, including programme approval, annual programme review, student feedback mechanisms, periodic programme/departmental reviews, collaborative provision arrangements and external reviews of Goldsmiths. It is essential that appropriate student feedback and engagement systems are in place so that an effective dialogue can occur between students, academic departments and Professional Services. The Quality Office, alongside the Students’ Union, works to foster an open and transparent system for student representation at Goldsmiths and provides students with the opportunity to engage in quality assurance procedures to improve the student experience. As a DSC or Student Representative, you have a key role to play in engaging with these processes.
The Quality Officer is the key point of contact within the team for DSCs and Student Representatives: [email protected]
Advice Team: Student Centre, Richard Hoggart Building // [email protected]
Assessments: Student Centre, Richard Hoggart Building // 020 7717 2254 // [email protected]
Chaplaincy: 31 Laurie Grove // 020 7717 2953 // [email protected]
Disability Team: Student Centre, Richard Hoggart Building // 020 7717 2292 // [email protected]
Counselling: St James Hall // 020 7919 7472 // [email protected]
Fees (including Bursaries): Student Centre, Richard Hoggart Building // 020 7078 5311 // [email protected]
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STUDENT SERVICES
Within Student Services you will find information to assist you during your time as a student at Goldsmiths. Staff are available to offer help and support with many of the practical elements of student life.
Student Services provides administrative services to Goldsmiths. Their principal roles are:
STUDENT ENROLMENTSFEE ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTIONASSESSMENTS AND RESULTSADVICECOUNSELLING AND HEALTH SERVICESADMINISTRATION OF BURSARIESDISCRETIONARY FUNDINGDISABILITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Enrolments and Records: Student Centre, Richard Hoggart Building // 020 7919 7536 // [email protected]
Student Funding: Student Centre, Richard Hoggart Building // 020 7919 7757 // [email protected]
Careers: 23-24 Laurie Grove // 020 7919 7137 // [email protected]
Head of Departments: Know who yours is at: http://www.gold.ac.uk/academic-heads/
Department Administrators: Find yours at http://www.gold.ac.uk/departments/
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IMPORTANT DATESDSCs and Student Representatives should ask their department administrator for dates of departmental Staff/Student Forums, Departmental Boards and any other meetings the department would like you to attend.
Student Representatives will have a training session with the Students’ Union. Departments will notify Student Representatives of the date for this.
Departmental Student Coordinators will be expected to attend regular meetings with the Students’ Union and Quality Office. The dates of these meetings are listed below.
TRAINING
Wednesday, 17th September 2014 : DSC Training
MEETING DATES
Monday, 6th October 2014Tuesday, 28th October 2014 Tuesday, 11th November 2014 Tuesday, 25th November 2014Tuesday, 9th December 2014 Tuesday, 20th January 2015Tuesday, 3rd February 2015Tuesday, 17th February 2015Tuesday, 3rd March 2015Wednesday, 3rd June 2015
TERMLY REPORT DEADLINES
Monday, 3rd November 2014 : 1st Termly Report Deadline Friday, 6th February 2015 : 2nd Termly Report Deadline
ANNUAL PROJECT
Monday, 2nd March 2015 : Annual Project Deadline (Draft)Friday, 13th March 2015 : Annual Project Deadline (Final)Tuesday, 17th March 2015 : Annual Project Rehearsals Wednesday, 18th March 2015 : Annual Project Presentations 34
STUDENT ASSEMBLYStudent Assembly is open to all students. As DSCs and Student
Representatives we encourage you to attend Student Assembly meetings to raise issues and put forward motions.
The dates of Student Assembly are:
14th October - Student Assembly
18th November Student Assembly
9th December Student Assembly
19th Jan Election nominations open
20th Jan Student Assembly
9th Feb Nominations Close
10th Feb - Student Assembly
Question Time 26th/27th/28th Feb
4th-6th March voting
5th May Last student assembly
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