Course Reps represent the interests of students within their cohort. In practice, this means that Course Reps act as a liaison between staff and students. Course Reps collect feedback – formal and informal – from students in their cohort, feeding this back to the relevant staff members.
What exactly do Course Reps do?
Course Reps are responsible for:
- Representing the views of students at Student Voice Committee meetings, which are held between once per semester and once per month
- Collecting feedback from students on their course by holding meetings, using social media and designing surveys
- Updating students on their course through a variety of methods
- Preparing for meetings and following up actions after meetings
- Attending School Forums together with the other Reps from their School
- Completing course rep training at the start of the academic year
All Course Reps are volunteers, and Course Reps are expected to undertake these duties alongside their studies. The expected time commitment is a couple of hours per week.
Please note that Course Reps are unable to undertake casework and provide advice to individual students. This includes advice about personal problems, extenuating circumstances, academic misconduct and formal complaints. If you are experiencing a personal problem, please contact Advice and Counselling. If you need advice regarding extenuating circumstances, academic misconduct and formal complaints, please contact the Academic Advice Service.
What’s the purpose of having Course Reps?
Most students have a good experience during their time at Queen Mary, but many students will also experience things that could be working better. This is where the Course Reps come in. Course Reps are recognised by the university, and they have access to meetings and key people that allow them to raise issues and suggest improvements on behalf of their cohort.
Why do we need Course Reps?
Most students have a good experience during their time at Queen Mary, but many students will also experience things that could be working better. This is where Course Reps come in. Course Reps are recognised by the university, and they have access to meetings and key people that allow them to raise issues and suggest improvements on behalf of their cohort.
How are Course Reps chosen?
Course Reps are elected by the students they represent. Each year, the Students’ Union organises online Course Rep elections. Students can put themselves forward (‘nominate’ themselves) to be a Course Rep. Students in each cohort then cast their votes to decide which person they’d prefer.
Can I become a Course Rep?
Yes! Course Reps are elected annually. Most elections take place in September and October, but some courses hold elections at other times of the year.
We advertise the Course Rep elections on our website, on social media and in newsletters, so keep an eye out for updates. You’re also welcome to contact us at su-coursereps@qmul.ac.uk to find out when the next elections will be for your cohort. If you email us, please include the full name of your course and your year of study, as this will make it easier for us to provide accurate information.
FAQ's
For more information, check out some of our frequently asked questions below:
How do I become a course rep?
Our reps are elected at the start of the academic year in an online election, and they hold the position for one academic year. If your course does not have a rep and there are no elections running, get in touch with us at su-coursereps@qmul.ac.uk to express your interest in becoming a course representative.
I was a course rep before, can I run again?
Yes! You can be a course rep for as many years as you like, all you need to do is run in the election again.
What is the time commitment?
The Course Rep role is what you make of it, but there is a minimum time commitment we expect that you should be willing and able to fulfil when you put yourself forward for election. During term time, the average time commitment is 2-3 hours per week. Outside of term time, the time commitment is lower.
Course representatives are expected to complete course rep training, attend at least two Student Voice Committee meetings and two School Forum meetings within the academic year to receive a Contribution Award. Your School may have more than one of these meetings per semester, and you should attend as many as you can.
The role is likely to take a couple of hours of work per week, covering the following:
- Collecting feedback from your cohort
- Updating students with any relevant news
- Preparing for meetings and following up actions after meetings
- Completing the mandatory course rep training at the start of the year
What skills will I gain?
Being a course rep will allow you to develop a range of skills that will make you more employable. Some of the skills you’ll have the chance to develop during your time as a Course Rep include:
- Communication
- Public speaking
- Problem solving
- Presentation
- Negotiation
- Teamwork
- Leadership
I’m a joint honours student – what position am I eligible to stand for?
Larger joint honours courses have a dedicated Course Rep. An example would be History and Politics, who may attend both student voice committees for both History and Politics. If you are on a course with a dedicated Rep, you will only be eligible to stand for this position.
If you are on a small course, there may not be specific joint honours provision. In this case, you would be eligible to stand to be the single honours Course Rep in your department.
If you have any questions or aren't sure which position you can stand for, contact the course reps team at su-coursereps@qmul.ac.uk.
I’ve tried to contact my Course Rep, but they are not responding, what should I do?
If you have only contacted your course rep once, send them a follow-up email or message as they may have just missed your first communication. If they still don’t respond, we recommend you:
My SVC doesn’t have a student co-chair, what do I do?
If you're interested in becoming a co-chair for your SVC, contact us at su-coursereps@qmul.ac.uk. You will be provided with all the training and support you need to be successful in this role.
I no longer want to be a Course Rep, how can I resign?
If you are considering resigning from your role, we recommend you contact us at su-coursereps@qmul.ac.uk so we can see if there is any support we can offer you. You can then decide what the best option is for you.