Accountability Report 2015/16 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty Rep: Shannon Thwaites Summary My manifesto included three main points: - More than one cardless library visit per year (students can only have one cardless visit per academic year, whereas members of the public can use the University Library for reference purposes any time, as long as they have photographic ID) - Better communication between students and course reps (feedback – both positive and negative – is so important in order to enhance your student experience, which is why this communication is vital) - Less assessment bunching (more spread out coursework deadlines) 1 of these has been fully achieved and 2 are in progress.
What have I done since I’ve been elected? Since I have been elected I have attended as many meetings that I can, in order to make the FHSS students’ voices heard. I have done my best to actively engage students in both Union in University meetings by sending out a termly newsletter to all FHSS course reps. This term I also plan to send out a message to all students in the Faculty in order to engage more students. Fortunately, Humanities students are often quite engaged anyway but it was noted both at the Faculty Forum and the SSCC that I attended for my department that attendance at meetings and engagement were particularly high this year. I am hoping that by sending out these newsletters, it is easier for distance learners to get involved, as I know it is sometimes harder for them to engage when they are not on campus. I have engaged with the FHSS Academic Dean for Students (ADS) Theresa Callan and the Student Voice Coordinators (both within the faculty and the Union) and have kept in regular contact with them. I have also worked closely with the Course Rep Exec Chair, and the other Faculty Reps to publicise meetings, events and training sessions on social media in order to try and increase engagement. In addition to this I have helped complete many projects, including creating a Moodle Forum for students, increasing cardless visits in the library and organising a training session for SSCC Chairs and Minute Takers within my faculty. Please see below for more details.
Significant achievements - Moodle Forum for SSHLS students This relates to my second manifesto point. I communicated with the ADS Ian Tapster, and he/ the Online Course Developers created the forum. All students (including me, despite not being in this school) have access and can speak to students in all year groups, on all courses. The department SVC and the ADS can both oversee the forum but cannot contribute to it. I am hoping that this will be rolled out across the faculty by the end of this term. I hope to collect feedback from students about this by the end of this month. I am also hoping to work with the Course Rep Exec chair, to see if these forums can be created across the university. - New cardless visits policy in the library This wasn’t necessarily something that I enforced, but I did bring up the policy at a Library Committee meeting after student feedback and they then informed me that they were planning on changing it in the new year. Students can now have up to 10 cardless visits per academic year, and access is gained via a machine rather than via the desk, taking off any time restrictions. I have publicised this on social media and the change has received positive feedback. - Chair and Minute Taking training session for SSCC chairs/ minute takers At the faculty forum, staff and students felt that SSCC Chairs and Minute Takers had not been trained properly. Isabel did a fantastic job at organising this session very quickly (8 days after my initial email contact) and so I am counting this as a win! However, despite publicising the event a lot, the attendance was low, unfortunately. The majority at the event (6/8 students) were from FHSS. Ongoing progress After discussions at the second Humanities Have Your Say zone, at the Faculty Forum and Board, and with Jamie Mitchell VP Welfare, contact has been made with Estates and Campus Services to try and change the timetable, because there are humanities lectures/ seminars that take place from 6-8pm but there is a bus break between 7.20-9pm so some students cannot get home safely. The Women’s Officer has also expressed an interest in working on this. Estates and Campus Services have said that a review will take place in the New Year. Email contact was made again on the 4th of January to ask when this review would take place, but we are yet to hear back. At the Faculty Forum, International Students said that they feel left out of the Faculty and the Union. While I was surprised to hear this because the Union does very well to involve international students, I have made contact with the International Students’ officer and we are hoping to help the FHSS ADS hold a networking event for International Students this term. I’d also like to support Carla in encouraging good behaviour and discipline from students during their time at university, as this is something I feel could be improved.
This term I hope to focus on my final manifesto point; less assessment bunching. In order to start work on this I will organise meetings with my Sabb contact Jamie and the FHSS ADS as soon as possible.
Meetings & events attended (up until 13/1/16) Student Officer Training weekend Course Rep conference (1/1) (This was a particular highlight as I had the chance to network with both staff and students in the faculty). Course Rep (Have Your Say) Exec Zone (3/3) Humanities Course Rep Social (1/1) Humanities Have Your Say Zone (2/2) Humanities Rep & Sabb meeting (1/1) Union Actioning Body meetings (3/3) Meeting with Isabel (SVC Course Reps & QA) & Carla (VP Education & Democracy) to discuss ULTC papers + University Learning and Teaching Committee (ULTC) (1/1) Faculty Forum (1/1) Faculty Board (1/1) Faculty Rep Top Up Training Meeting with Jamie (VP Welfare) and Kacper (Course Rep Exec Chair) to discuss Library Committee papers + Library Committee Meeting (1/1) Course Rep Chair & Minute Taking Training (1/1) Meeting with ADS UPSU Annual Members’ Meeting Student Rep and Senior Management Meeting (1/1) Course Rep Christmas Quiz Meeting with Isabel (catch up on wins) (As a course rep: SLAS SSCC & Board of Studies meetings) Estimated time spent in meetings: 50+ hours (average 8+ hours per week) (Please note - This time does not include admin such as reading papers and reports for meetings, completing actions that have come from faculty meetings and email admin). Unfortunately I was unable to attend the Course Rep Communication session on the 23rd November due to coursework commitments. I was unable to attend the Humanities Course Rep Drop-In session on the 24th November because this clashed with the Faculty Board meeting. I informed Isabel I would not be able to make these events. I am yet to attend a Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee meeting - I was not aware that the committee existed until after the first meeting when I was in office, and I had a lecture during the second meeting. I sent email apologies for this. I have read the minutes of both meetings in order to keep up to date. This term my timetable has changed and so I will be able to attend both meetings.
Deputy Faculty Rep: Ayela Aziz Summary My manifesto contained three key points. ● ● ●
to use social networking sites in order to set up a system of constant feedback. to work towards increasing student awareness and use of University resources. increasing the visibility of Course Reps among their year groups as well as sending out updates on the decisions and progress made by the University and its representatives.
Since I’ve been elected Setting up the Humanities and Social Sciences facebook page and using it to create events such as the Have Your Say Zones as well as publicise information to students and let them know about opportunities available, sharing ‘wins’ such as the cardless library visits being increased to ten/term through lecture shout outs, social media etc, Ongoing projects Attempting to get buses to run later at night - as a matter of concern for all students, particularly female ones. Waiting to hear about review via email. Meetings & events attended Student Officer Training weekend Course Rep conference Humanities Have Your Say Zone Humanities Rep & Sabb meeting Faculty Forum School (SSHLS) Board of Studies Faculty Rep further Training
