SSLC Representatives are elected by students. They attend meetings of their SSLC and they ensure that students’ views are heard,  and that action is taken and reported back.

Responsibilities of an SSLC Representative

Collecting Student's Views

Making sure action is taken

Completing the feedback loop

SSLC Webpages and Portal

Representing the student view on internal and external reviews

Transferable skills gained from being an SSLC Representative

Responsibilities of an SSLC Representative

To attend a training session in week 4, term 1

 To make yourself known to the students you are representing and the staff you will be working
with on the committee

To gauge the views of students on your course and present those views effectively at SSLC meetings

To report agreed action back to students

To read minutes of meetings and ensure you folloy up on actions allocated to you

To ensure that the committee completes and approves the Annual Report Form

To alert the Faculty Representative or Education Officer of any issues you do not feel are being appropriately addressed

To check the SSLC Portal regularly for news or events for representatives, as well as changes to University policies and documents which may be of use to SSLCs

Collecting students’ views

You cannot claim to represent the “views of students”, unless you have researched those views thoroughly

Circulate your email address and check your e-mails for messages from the student body Check the SSLC pigeon- hole for any notesSend e-mails before each meeting asking if there are any conernsArrange a drop- in session before each meeting for students to discuss a particular issue or their course in general, and/or let students know that you will be available after a lecture to discuss issues for the next SSLC meetings

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Making sure action is taken

One way of encouraging action is to ensure that during the meeting every task is allocated to a person and a deadline is set, against which the outcome can be measured. If nothing is being done, raise the matter with the staff members of your committee. If this fails, approach your Faculty Representative or the Education Officer for advice and intervention if necessary.

Completing the feedback loop

It’s not all over when the meeting stops. You have to keep those you represent informed of decisions. The SSLC and department need to demonstrate to students that they are taking students’ views seriously and acting upon them. Departments and SSLCs can use a number of measures to complete this loop, which include:

Publicising the action or decisions resulting from student feedback via email, or through SSLC noticeboards, the SSLC Portal or a linked webpage, on- line forum or newsletter

Making announcements in lecturers

Discussing the issues raised by the feedback within and outside the SSLC meeting and determining the best way to address the issue in consultation with staff and students

It is important that, whatever the methods used to obtain feedback, the process is meaningful for students. A lack of publicising actions taken is one of the primary reasons for ‘questionnaire fatigue’ amongst students.

SSLC Webpages and the Portal

SSLC webpages are a great way to communicate with students and staff. The University’s in-house web publishing tool, Sitebuilder, enables all SSLCs to have their own webpages on the SSLC portal. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/sunion/sslc

There is also an option to integrate an on-line discussion forum. At minimum, SSLCs should post their agenda and minutes on a webpage, to inform other students of issues discussed and actions taken.  If the SSLC already has its own webpages, a link to those pages can be posted on the portal.

Representing the student view on internal and external reviews

The quality of the student learning experience is the main focus of regular reviews of departments held by the University and external bodies, such as the Quality Assurance Agency or professional, statutory and regulatory bodies. As SSLCs discuss student academic concerns, and act as a forum for departments to consult with students on future plans, SSLC student representatives are often invited to take part in these reviews. You are not obliged to participate in a review, and if you have any concerns about the review process you should speak to the SSLC Convenor, Departmental Head, or Students’ Union Education Officer.

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