Course Reps
One of the most important ways that the College monitors its services is through student feedback. They need to know what you think!
The College uses three main methods for doing this:
- Student feedback questionnaires - these are given out at various points during your course. Often called CRO’s
- The Students’ Union - Students’ Union officers meet with College management and hold places on several committees (e.g Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities) to represent student views
- Course Reps - these act as a link between the class and the teaching staff and represent students’ views at course meetings.
What does a course rep do?
The role of a course rep is to represent the views of your class mates and ensure that teaching staff are made aware of any issues or views your class may have. This is how you do it:
- Attend course meetings with the teaching staff 2 or 3 times a term, but this depends on your course. Your tutor will be able to tell you the dates of the meetings
- When you know that there is a meeting coming up, make sure you chat to people in your class to find out if the group has any issues they would like addressed at the meeting. You may wish to have some items put on the agenda for the meeting to make sure they get discussed. To do this, speak to your tutor
- Make sure you read through the agenda before the meeting so that you know what’s going on and so that you can make a note of any questions you might want to ask
- Let your class know the outcomes of these meetings
- As a course rep
you are NOT expected to help students with personal problems. Please refer students to their tutor or to
the Connexions Advisor in the Student Information Centre who will be able to
help them.
If you need any assistance or ever have any queries, contact the Students’ Union or Student Activities staff who will be happy to help you.
What’s in it for me?
More than you think!
Today, most people need more than qualifications to secure a place on a course or a job that they want. You need to show that you have developed extra skills whilst at college, such as communication skills, and that you have volunteered to do something useful in your spare time.
Being a course rep is a great way to achieve this and it looks great on your C.V or course applications. It shows that you are willing to develop extra skills and give up some of your free time for the benefit of others and do something constructive with your time. These are qualities that employers and universities look for! Being a course rep will not take up much of your time at all, but the benefits are huge!
You will also get a formally accredited certificate based on the number of volunteering hours they have achieved. So, why not give it a go?
