Student Staff Council and School President

The Student-Staff Council (SSC) has representatives for students in each year of study, and also a postgraduate representative and members of staff. Its primary purpose is to serve as a forum for the discussion of academic issues, but it also oversees some of the social facilities available in the building and some student activities. Officially this body is one of the University's student-staff consultative committees, but our council has opted to keep the name that it took on when it was one of the first to be set up in the UK back in the seventies.

The two meetings per semester are normally held 1–2 pm. The meetings are chaired by the School President. Student reps are asked to discuss matters of interest with the relevant year coordinators before the meetings. Broad academic issues in the School are debated and more serious or ongoing academic matters from year and subject groups are discussed. Matters in the reports from external examiners and from the University module evaluation questionnaires will be reported on and discussed where appropriate. The School's Director of Teaching normally provides a note some time after each meeting indicating what actions have been taken on the items covered. The School President and others may seek input for, and report back on, meetings of University committees with which they are involved.

The SSC often runs a mid-semester survey of students asking them to give feedback on how their modules are going. The SSC has been the source of many useful suggestions that have gone on to be of value in the School's teaching programme.

SSC members are also involved in organising social events such as the Burns Supper Dinner Dance, now traditionally held near the start of Semester 2.

School President

In each School in the University students elect annually a student to the role of School President. This person chairs that School's Student-Staff Consultative Committee, is a point of contact for students in the School, and sits on a number of University committees.

For 2025-2026 the School President is Ellie Shaw.

You can contact her by email: physicspresident@st-andrews.ac.uk.

 

The School President for 2025-2026.

 
Student Staff Council Members 2025-2026

First year

Second year

Junior Honours - level 3

Senior Honours - level 4

MPhys year - level 5

Representatives

 

Former School Presidents

  • 2010-11   Claire Motion
  • 2011-12   Chris Carroll
  • 2012-13   Danielle Harper
  • 2013-14   Gerald McLaughlin; Patrick Sandquist and Martha Tabor
  • 2014-15   Louise McCaul
  • 2015-16   Tomi Baikie
  • 2016-17   John Weaver
  • 2017-18   Alisa Danilenko
  • 2018-19   Amy Suddards
  • 2019-20   Amy Gallacher
  • 2020-21   Sarah Johnston
  • 2021-22   Thomas Rintoul
  • 2022-23   Isabelle Terry; Carol Ballinger
  • 2023-24   Anna Conti
  • 2024-25   Hugo Decitre