10.1 Student Staff Consultative Committees
- Audience: This policy is for the attention of:- Heads of Schools, Directors of Teaching, Module Co-ordinators. Students Association Sabbatical Officers; students.
- Scope: This policy applies to all Schools.
- Responsibilities: Policy authors: Executive Officer to the Proctor; SRC Director of Representation. Responsibility for the implementation of the policy lies with Vice-Principal (Proctor).
- Relationship with existing policies: This policy supersedes the SSCC paper approved by Academic Council in June 2005.
- Contact details: For advice and support on any aspect of this policy please contact the Proctor's Office or the SRC Director of Representation.
- Policy on Student Staff Consultative Committees
- Authors: Executive Officer to the Proctor; SRC Director of Representation
- Considered by: Enhancement Sub, PG Sub and then TLAC on 15 December 2010
- Approved: Academic Council, 26 January 2011
- Implementation date: Immediate
- Review date: November 2011
Role
The Student Staff Consultative Committees (SSCC) operate at School level and provide a forum for students and staff to communicate and for staff to respond to student concerns over the provision of learning and teaching and organisational issues. This can include module content, teaching methods, examples of good practice, assessment criteria, resources and feedback. The SSCCs allow students to raise their concerns and for staff to respond as appropriate. It is the responsibility of the class representatives to consult with their classmates and to raise any issues brought to them at the SSCC.
Composition and Structure
The School President will ensure that all Schools convene a SSCC at least once in each semester. The structure and organisation of the SSCC may vary between Schools but should always comprise both undergraduate and postgraduate student representatives and staff members from the School. Schools have the flexibility to convene separate SSCCs for different levels of study or disciplines. The student School President will chair the SSCCs and will encourage all class representatives to contribute to the discussion. Staff may typically comprise the Director of Teaching, Module Co-ordinators or any relevant members of staff that the School deems desirable. Schools with large cohorts of taught postgraduate students may convene separate postgraduate SSCCs in these instances, a postgraduate student rather than the School President, will convene the meetings.
Election
Class representatives are elected by as much of the eligible constituency as possible by the end of week 3 of the first semester. The Students Association outlines best practice for Schools on how to administer the election of class representatives, which takes place under the supervision of a staff member. If more than one candidate is nominated then an election must be held. A role description for class representatives is also available from the Students Association.
Training for Class Representatives
The training of class representatives is co-ordinated by the Students Association and includes provision of a handbook to every class representative which is updated annually. The School President is responsible for promoting the class representative system at School level and to communicate the identity of the class representative to the Students Association once elected.
Communication
SSCCs should be minuted and a copy of forwarded to the relevant Teaching Committee. The minutes should be made widely available to students via School noticeboard and/or electronically through School websites or Moodle. The School President is also responsible for communicating with the student body by sending an out e-bulletin every semester updating students in their Schools on any relevant issues.