After a lot of positive change, we're very excited to announce our very first Rep of the Month! Find out who they are and what they've done by reading on.
Early this term, we launched the Rep of the Month award. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination (a whopping ten in total, you guys really love your reps!) With the high quality of all the nominees, the panel found it incredibly difficult to choose a winner.
But there was one who stood out, through their hard work, diligence, and excellent engagement. So, join us in congratulating our first ever Rep of the Month – Emily Jones, Year 3 Classics Joint Honours rep! The panel were really impressed with the way Emily made herself available to students within her year, as well as the impact she has had so far this term.
We caught up with her yesterday to have a chat about all her great work.
Beaming: Emily is all smiles as she picks up the November Rep of the Month award from VP Education Jack O'Neill
Why did she want to become a rep?
Emily had experienced what being a rep entailed through some of her friends, who had previously been reps as well. Her personal tutor had also recommended her to run.
What has she been up to this term?
Emily’s definitely been busy this term! The main thing has been making use of the informal feedback she’s been receiving to make positive changes. This has included making herself visible to the general student body and talking to students immediately after class in order to engage those who wouldn’t normally do so via surveys etc.
How does she see being a rep impacting on her future?
Emily told us that the experience she’s gained in problem solving has certainly been a useful skill to learn. The role of being an academic rep doesn’t just involve communicating problems to the staff, but is also about finding solutions to difficult challenges in order to bring about the best outcome for everyone.
What’s the best thing about being a rep in her eyes?
Interacting with students from other years has definitely played a key part. As a third year student, it’s been very interesting to talk to other students who are going through similar experiences that she went through herself. It has certainly made an impact on her to hear about some of the changes that have been made since she started. Given that there aren’t many opportunities to get involved with people from other years, Emily told us that being a rep has offered a great chance to do this – and to learn from one another too!
We are incredibly proud of our reps, and as mentioned earlier, choosing only one winner has been a difficult task. For that reason, we’d also love to give a shout out to Yohan Pathikirkorale (Information Security Department rep) and Abi Russell (Physics Department rep) for their outstanding work this month!
You can still submit your Rep of the Month nominations throughout December and they will be considered once we return to the office in the new year!
Nominate a rep
Jack O'Neill // Vice President Education