10.2 Role and Remit of School Presidents
- Audience: This policy is for the attention of:- All students; Heads of Schools, Directors of Teaching, Module Co-ordinators, Directors of Postgraduate Studies.
- Scope: This policy applies to all students in the University.
- Responsibilities: Policy author: SRC Director of Representation. Responsibility for the implementation of the policy lies with the SRC.
- Contact details: For advice and support on any aspect of this policy please contact:- Students: Contact the SRC Director of Representation. Staff: Contact the Vice-Principal (Proctor).
- Role and Remit of School Presidents
- Authors: SRC Director of Representation
- Approved: Vice-Principal (Proctor) in December 2010
- Implementation date: Session 2010/2011
- Last amended: January 2013
- Review date: January 2014
10.2 Role and Remit of School Presidents
The role of the School President is to make representations on behalf of the students within their School. The broad aim of the School President system is to improve communications and co-operation between students and staff, for the mutual benefit of both. The School Presidents will act as a fundamental link between the student sabbatical officers of the Students’ Association and the class representatives.
Election
School Presidents are elected on an annual basis in semester two. They will serve until the end of semester two of the following year. There will be one School President for each School with the exception of the School of Geography & Geosciences and School of Philosophical, Social Anthropological and Film Studies. The Student Society representative from English Language Teaching may attend the School President Forum.
Any undergraduate full time student at Honours level is eligible to stand for election. Honours level is defined as any student taking the majority of their modules at 3000, 4000, or 5000 level.
Students must be on a graduating programme (ie not a Junior Semester Abroad or Junior Year Abroad student). Students are only eligible to stand for the School from which they will graduate, and this will be defined according to the degree intention stated on their Student Record. In the case of Joint Honours, the student can choose to stand for election in either, but cannot stand for both.
The date of the election, rules concerning campaigning, and any appeals process will be determined by the Students’ Association Director of Representation in advance of the election.
The Students’ Association will take responsibility for conducting, overseeing and ratifying the School President elections.
Voting will take place online, and will be open for a 24-hour window. Any student taking any module within a given School has a vote for that School President. Voting will be credit weighted. The system of single transferable vote will be used, as with all Students’ Association elections.
Postgraduates are eligible to vote, and taught postgraduate students will be given the same credit weighting as undergraduates. PhD students and other research postgraduates will be assigned the equivalent of 120 credits full-time, and 60 credits part-time. For multiple Schools these credits were split evenly between Schools.
Roles and Responsibilities
Each School President will be expected to act responsibly and appropriately as a role model to other students and will attend every SSCC meeting and School President Forum, unless reasonable apologies are given. The School President will chair every SSCC meeting within the School and will organise meetings of all class representatives within the School at least twice every semester. E-bulletins will be communicated to all students in each School every semester and issues will be communicated back to the Director of Representation where appropriate.
Training
It is the responsibility of the Director of Representation to coordinate centralised group training of all the School Presidents. The purpose of the training is to ensure that the School Presidents will approach their roles in a conscientious and constructive way. A handbook will also be provided on an annual basis by the Director of Representation to provide all School Presidents with information, contact details, and advice.
In-School training will also be taken with a handover between the outgoing and the incoming School Presidents. It is not the responsibility of the School to train the School Presidents, but it is expected that the Director of Teaching will meet with the newly elected President to welcome them into the role.
School President Forum
Every School President must attend every forum, which will be chaired by the Director of Representation. An agenda will be set in advance by the Director of Representation and the Vice Principal (Proctor). At least two forums will be held each semester, one of which will be attended by the Vice-Principal (Proctor), the Dean of Science, the Dean of Arts and the President of the Students’ Association.
The minutes of each meeting will be published online through the Students’ Association website. Any action points from the forum, alongside updates from the Director of Representation, will be sent out to all School Presidents immediately following the forum.
Chair of the Student Staff Consultative Committee (SSCC)
The School President will chair every meeting of the SSCC within their own School. The agenda should be set in advance by the School President, preferably in consultation with the Director of Teaching, or appropriate member of staff such as the SSCC Co-ordinator, and the class representatives.
Where there are multiple SSCCs for different Departments, such as in the case of the School of History and the School of Modern Languages, the School President may appoint Conveners to chair, and organise the running of these committees. These Conveners can either be appointed by the School Presidents from amongst the class representatives, or elected by the class representatives, at the discretion of the School President.
If Schools have a separate postgraduate SSCC then a postgraduate class representative should be appointed as Chair. However, as School Presidents should still be engaged with the postgraduate community, they should also attend this SSCC.
At the start of each academic year, the School President and School will agree the arrangements for minute-taking and subsequent approval and publication.
The School President should also be invited to the Teaching Committee as the default student member. If the Director of Teaching and/or Head of School are happy for the School President to attend any other meeting within the School, such as the Staff Council, then they may be invited, but this will be at the School’s discretion.
Class Representatives
The School President shall suppport all the class representatives within their School.
Class representatives will be democratically elected by as much of the eligible constituency as possible during semester one. The School President and Director of Teaching, or SSCC Co-ordinator, will mutually establish a deadline for the election of all class representatives within the School.
The School Presidents will be responsible for organising a training session for their own class representatives, with support from the Director of Representation.
The School President will convene a class representative forum within the School typically at least twice every semester, and will set an agenda in advance of this meeting. Class representatives will be able to raise any issues they feel appropriate at this forum, and anything discussed should remain confidential.
If class representatives fail to attend class representative forums, or SSCCs, the School President reserves the right to organise a co-option to appoint a new class representative for that particular module/year group. Candidates should be co-opted by election by the class representatives and School President.
Relationship with school staff
School Presidents should strive to establish a constructive working relationship with staff in the School.
School Presidents should meet with the Director of Teaching on a regular basis, but no more than once a month unless mutually agreed. The School President should not make unreasonable demands upon staff time or resources.
Confidentiality
Any confidential or sensitive information to which the School Presidents become party over the course of their duties, particularly in regards to information concerning individual students or staff members, should remain confidential.
Any breach of confidentiality should be regarded as a breach of the University's Student Confidentiality policy.
Communication with students
The School President has the explicit permission of Registry to contact all students within their School. This communication should come from their non-personal email accounts (e.g. biologyPresident@st-andrews.ac.uk). Communication to all students within the School should be no more frequent than twice a semester to avoid ‘spamming’, and information contained within these emails should always be appropriate, constructive and reveal no confidential information.
School Presidents are also permitted by Corporate Communications to set up informal communication with students through social media (such as Facebook and Twitter). School Presidents should ensure that any sites are regulated for any inappropriate or slanderous content.
Teaching awards
The School Presidents should support the centrally managed Teaching Awards organised by the Students’ Association by encouraging all students within their School to nominate members of staff.
Funding
The Students’ Association shall award a sum of money on an annual basis specifically for School Presidents to use. This money will be awarded on a discretionary basis upon application to the Director of Representation. Examples could include producing a School newsletter or organising a careers event.
Role of Director of Representation
The Director of Representation shall support and co-ordinate the activities of School Presidents. If any student wishes to raise any complaints or concerns with regards to any School President these should be directed to either the Students' Association or School. If any staff member wishes to raise any complaints or concerns, these should be directed to the School's Director of Teaching in the first instance who will be expected to consult with the Director of Representation.
The Students' Association may withdraw the position of School President where there is evidence of dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming to the post or violation of any of the University's policies. Any appeal against this decision can be submitted to the Rector who will liaise with the Students' Association and School and reach a judgement based on any evidence presented.
If the office of School President becomes vacant through dismissal or resignation, the Director of Representation has the right to appoint a successor from amongst the Honours class representatives within the School, or organise an election amongst the class representatives, at his/her discretion.