Skills Development & Employability
Department Reps provide the essential link between Course Reps and senior members of staff within the department. They have responsibility for liaising with the Vice President Education and the appropriate Academic Representation Coordinator (ARC) to ensure that the Students’ Union and the University are kept informed of issues affecting Course Reps and the students they represent.
Their key task is to represent students’ views at department level by attending and making appropriate and positive contributions to meetings, which will include key College-level meetings.
Effective representation requires Department Reps to consult with students and, in particular, Course Reps; presenting findings both at department-level meetings and in-between meetings; feeding back to students via Course Reps and helping to develop solutions to problems identified by students and closing the feedback loop.
We want to help Department Reps recognise the skills they develop through their role and be able to clearly articulate these for any future employers or opportunities. Below is a list of duties and responsbilities Department Reps are expected to complete, and the subsequent skill gained or quality demonstrated.
Department Reps
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Duties & Responsibilities:
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Skills gained and or qualities demonstrated
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Represent the broad range of student views from the range of courses within their department. Department Reps should aim to represent the full diversity of their cohort and act professionally in line with the Students’ Union’s vision and values.
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Professionalism, responsibility, ability to feedback, adaptability, active listening, compassion
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Act as a channel of communication between Course Reps, other Department Reps, the Academic Representation Coordinators (ARCs), the Students’ Union and senior members of School, College, and University staff.
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Communication skills both written and verbal, presentation skills, networking, action planning
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To attend training for the role, complete regular Rep Journals and attend the relevant meetings.
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Self-management, responsibility, organisation, commitment, motivation, passion
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Assist with the delivery of induction talks, promotion of surveys such as the National Student Survey and CES and training for Course Reps in collaboration with the SU.
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Presentation skills, verbal communication, creativity, public speaking
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Assist the department or school with a range of activities related to student recruitment, retention, and student experience. This includes arranging and supporting the delivery of student-led School meetings when appropriate.
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Awareness, delegation, responsibility, active listening, creativity, problem solving skills, leadership
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Department Reps are expected to work with the Students’ Union as members of the Education Council and as representatives within the Union structure to campaign on both national and local issues, where appropriate.
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Verbal communication, advocacy, research, leadership, adaptability
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Attend and contribute to the Rep Forums and Student Voice Conference.
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Self-management, responsibility, organisation, confidence
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Promote the Student Academic Representation System.
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Advocacy, confidence, communication skills, passion, creativity
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Keep a record of activities undertaken and complete the appropriate record/claim form and submit it by the due date to the Vice President Education.
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Time management, administration, organisation
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Our full Employability Guide can be found online HERE.
You may also want to track your leadership skills development throughout the year in your role, using our leadership template below:
