Section 7: Student Representation on UCL Academic Standing Committees and Sub-Committees

Published for 2022-23

7.1 Representation at Departmental and Faculty Level	7.4 Student Representation on UCL Academic Standing and Sub-Committees
7.2 Student Academic Representatives	7.5 Student Representation on UCL Non-Academic and Statutory Committees
7.3 Representation via the Students’ Union

	Policy
1.	UCL and the Students’ Union provide many opportunities for students to engage with UCL's policy- and decision-making in all areas of teaching, learning and support. Students can have a say in the way the University is run. There are many opportunities. The page below summarises these.

7.1 Representation at Departmental and Faculty Level

7.1.1 Staff-Student Consultative Committee (SSCC)

Every Department should have at least one Staff-Student Consultative Committee (SSCC) (see Section 6) which meets at least three times each academic session (typically once each term). SSCCs provide the opportunity to feedback to lecturers and departmental administrators about issues that have impacted on programmes and modules. These may include good or bad ways in which lectures, tutorials, labs etc. have been delivered which can be addressed by the teaching Department, or they may include university-wide issues such as library or computing facilities, or even noise caused by building works. Departments take these comments very seriously, and the minutes of the SSCC meetings are considered by the UCL Student Experience Committee (see Section 7.4).

7.1.2 Departmental Teaching Committee (DTC)

Every Department should hold a Departmental Teaching Committee (DTC) meeting each term, where changes in programmes, modules, teaching and assessment are agreed and monitored. All DTCs should invite the student Lead Department Representative to membership of the Committee (see Section 6.6) and consider inviting other student representatives where appropriate.

7.1.3 Faculty Teaching Committee (FTC)

All of UCL's academic Departments belong to a Faculty which provides governance and support to the way in which Departments are managed. All Faculties have a Faculty Teaching Committee (FTC) which meets termly. All FTCs should invite the student Faculty Representative to membership of the Committee (see Section 6.7) and consider inviting other student representatives where appropriate.

7.1.4 Faculty Research Degrees Committees (FRDC)

Faculties may also hold a Faculty Research Degrees Committee (FRDC) meeting each term. The FRDC should include three Research Student Representatives in its membership and attendance may rotate depending on availability for meetings. The FRDC may also wish to invite the student Faculty Representative to its meetings.

7.1.5 Faculty Academic Representative Forums

1.	Faculties should also hold a Faculty Academic Representative forum. The forum should include Faculty Representatives and the Lead Department Representatives (or their nominee) from each SSCC in the faculty.

7.1.6 Further Information

1.	For more information on your SSCC, DTC, FTC, FRDC or Faculty Academic Representative forum, students should contact their undergraduate or postgraduate tutor or the Faculty Office.

7.2 Student Academic Representatives

Student Academic Representatives are elected to represent students’ views to UCL. Student Academic Representatives sit on various committees at a programme (such as SSCCs), faculty and university level, at which they act as the voice of students, ensuring that UCL takes into account the needs of students in its decision-making processes. The Student Academic Representative scheme is managed by the Students’ Union, and students can be representatives at both a departmental and faculty level. For general enquiries, please visit the Students’ Union website.

7.3 Representation via the Students’ Union

The Students' Union is run by students for students. Apart from providing social spaces, support services and extra-curricular activities, the Students’ Union is an important political forum for all students. Students at UCL are automatically members of the Students’ Union and have access to all its facilities and support. The Students’ Union is run by Student Officers who are elected each year by the membership. Students can speak to one of these officers if they have any issues with which Officers may be able to aid or support them.

7.4 Student Representation on UCL Academic Standing and Sub-Committees

Many of UCL's formal committees have student representation. On most of these committees, the student representatives comprise one or more of the Students’ Union's elected Student Sabbatical Officers, who you may speak to if there are issues that you wish to raise at meetings of these committees.

The Student Experience Committee (StEC) deals with issues relating directly to students. It reviews university-wide issues raised at SSCCs and also looks at the data received from student surveys. Many of the agenda items are raised by students via the Students’ Union. StEC currently has eleven student members and three student sabbatical officers. These student members are nominated by the Students’ Union. If you are interested in being nominated to serve on StEC, then please contact Simon To, Representation & Campaigns Manager, Students’ Union: simon.to@ucl.ac.uk.

Current student representation on UCL's formal academic committees is as follows:

Academic Board

Education Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Postgraduate Students' Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Thirteen elected full-time students, including at least one from each Faculty, with the proportion of undergraduate and postgraduate students determined to reflect the overall student population.

Academic Committee

Education Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Postgraduate Students' Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Welfare & International Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)

Education Committee

Education Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Welfare & International Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Postgraduate Students' Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
One taught graduate student, nominated by the Students’ Union
One undergraduate student, nominated by the Students’ Union

Library Committee

Education Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Postgraduate Students' Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Research Degrees Committee
Postgraduate Students' Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
One research student, nominated by the Students’ Union

Student Experience Committee

Education Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Welfare & International Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Postgraduate Students' Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Eleven student members with one from each faculty nominated by the Students’ Union

Student Recruitment, Admissions and Funding Committee

Education Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Postgraduate Students' Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)

7.5 Student Representation on UCL Non-Academic and Statutory Committees

Council

Education Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)
Democracy, Operations & Community Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)

Finance Committee

Democracy, Operations & Community Officer, Students’ Union (Student Observer)

Health and Safety Committee

Two Student Observers, nominated by the Students’ Union

Honorary Degrees and Fellowships Committee

Education Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)

Research Governance Committee

Postgraduate Students’ Officer, Students’ Union (ex officio)

Discipline Committee

One student, registered at UCL, nominated by the Students’ Union (normally as and when the Committee needs to be convened)

Discipline Review Body

A registered student of another university institution within the University of London, to be appointed by the Chair in consultation with the Registrar of UCL, as and when the Review Body needs to be convened.