At some point over the last two weeks, you have probably heard about the course rep system from multiple people. Here’s a quick reminder of what they are, what they do and why you should run to be one.
At some point over the last two weeks, you have probably heard about the course rep system from multiple people. If you’re now looking confused at your screen, wondering what on earth is a course rep, here’s a quick reminder of what they are, what they do and why you should run to be one.
What is a course rep?
A course rep is an elected student who represents the views of their course mates in order to make changes to the education provided by your department. Ultimately, you get to talk about the great stuff that happens in your classes and improve the bad stuff that sometimes comes up.
What do course reps do?
Mostly, you need to talk to people. It can be face-to-face, over social media or in the corridor after a lecture. You need to be able to put yourself out there and gather the views of as many people as you can. Reps are automatically part of the department Staff-Student Committee which meets three times a year and act as a mechanism for change, so you’ll need to be able to communicate issues constructively and negotiate resolutions with staff.
Why should you run to be a course rep?
Gain all of the skills
As a rep, you are offered one-to-one support throughout the year to help you hone your transferable skills. From training to development meetings, to conference workshops you’ll be able to improve lots of your core skills, like communication, as well as honing some new ones, like negotiation and strategic thinking. The skills you’ll build as a rep will set you up nicely for life post-Holloway!
Make a real difference
The best part about being a rep is having the opportunity to make a real difference to the education provided by Royal Holloway. By working with their departments, last year’s reps achieved changes that mattered:
- Some students were struggling with some of the content within a class. The course reps worked with the module coordinator to schedule a drop-in session every Wednesday, with the lecturer, to give specific one-to-one help to students
- The use of pre-lecture quizzes was so highly praised in an SSC meeting that they will now be implemented in several more modules
- A popular course unexpectedly had fewer seminars available due to the lack of time available for an external coordinator. After being raised by a course rep, the department has put on more seminars so that all students can take the module.
And that’s just three things throughout an entire year!
If you’re interested in running, email us for more information.