Changes to student academic representation announced

Arrangements for Student Academic Representation have changed considerably for the year ahead, as implementation of the ‘2020 Vision for Student Academic Representation’, recently adopted by Education Committee and Research Degrees Committee, begins. A number of significant changes should now be going into effect, which all staff should be aware of. These are outlined below. 

End of the ‘StARs’ Acronym

The StARs acronym is being dropped for the 2017-18 academic session. Feedback from students and staff demonstrated that the acronym was creating a barrier to understanding what the role was all about, and even put some students off taking it up. 

From next year materials disseminated to departments and promoted institutionally will refer to:

• Course Representatives/Research Student Representatives (replacing ‘StARs’)
• Faculty Representatives (replacing ‘Faculty StARs’)
• Lead Department Representatives (new role, see below)

These roles will be collectively referred to as ‘Academic Representatives’ for student audiences, and ‘Student Academic Representatives’ for staff audiences.

New Lead Department Representative role

A new Lead Department Representative role has been created for 2017/18. This role will be tasked with a leadership role on student academic representation in their department. They will specifically be responsible for the co-chairing and agenda setting for SSCCs alongside a member of staff, and with being a member of the Department’s Teaching Committee (or doctoral-education equivalent).

Departments will be asked to elect a student to this role alongside the appointment of representatives in October, with one lead role for each SSCC.

Single Appointment Period

The appointment of all student academic representatives should now take place in October, and the second appointment round in late January/early February will be ended. All course representatives and research student representatives for all years and programmes of study should be appointed by the close of the appointment period in October.

Changes to Academic Manual

The Academic Manual for 2017/18 has a new section on Student Academic Representation, replacing the previous chapter on SSCCs. This largely reflects practice developed over the last few years, such as covering the appointment of representatives. It also reflects the changes outlined above, and amends the minimum number of SSCC meetings from two a year to three.