This is my third and final year as a course rep at Queen’s. As an undergraduate within the School of Maths and Physics, I have enjoyed my experience as a course rep while also developing valuable skills. In this blog I will describe the role of a course rep, what is to be expected, how this experience could benefit you and the impact that you can make. I would recommend signing up as a course rep to anyone who is considering it.

What is a course rep and what do we do?

As a course rep, your main responsibility is to gather feedback from your peers on their experience of the course and relay this feedback (both positive and negative) to the academic staff. Typically, there are a few course reps for each year group on any course. It is important for you to make yourself known and build a connection with your classmates. This could be as simple as a brief introduction before a lecture or messaging into a course group chat about who you are. If your course does not already have a group chat, consider setting up one yourself with the help of your fellow course reps.

What are the benefits of being a course rep?

A group chat is a great way of gathering feedback in an informal setting and sending out announcements efficiently. Another method of gathering feedback is through surveys which you can send into the group chat or ask your school to email it to everyone in your year group. Having anonymous surveys are a fantastic way to encourage feedback and engagement. The feedback you gather should be inclusive of the entire student experience including course content, teaching quality, assessment methods and social aspects.

While these surveys are great at gathering general feedback in an informal manner, you should encourage the student body to fill out the more formal Teaching and Module Evaluation Questionnaires after the module is complete.

What is a SVC?

Each semester the student reps from each year group on your course will meet with the academic staff to discuss the student experience and any issues that may arise during the semester. This meeting is called the Student Voice Committee (SVC). Depending on your school, you may also be required to attend a module reflection meeting. For the School of Maths and Physics this is after each semester and usually scheduled around a similar time to the SVC.

You will have the opportunity to represent the views of the student body and be the voice for their experience of the course

During these meetings you have the opportunity to represent the views of the student body and be the voice for their experience of the course. The academic staff will happily address any issues the students may be facing and will also provide clarification or solutions to address the problem. By actively engaging in these discussions and providing constructive feedback, course reps can contribute to improving the course structure, teaching methods and academic resources offered to students.

The feedback you gather through in-person and through surveys is invaluable to these meetings. It is also a good opportunity for you to get to know the academic staff better, so they know who to look out for when they want to reach out to a course rep. It is also a great idea if you ever want to ask a lecturer for a reference!

How could being a course rep benefit you?

There are many benefits to being a course rep apart from looking impressive on a CV! The skills you will gain from this experience will be transferrable to other aspects of your life, including your communication skills as well as leadership, organisational and problem-solving skills which are valuable life skills highly valued by employers.

"The feedback you gather should be inclusive of the entire student experience including course content, teaching quality, assessment methods and social aspects."

Representing and advocating for a group of students, having an input on important discussions, and coordinating between the other course reps and staff members offers rich leadership experience. This role enhances communication skills through interacting with both students and academic staff and developing negotiation skills when advocating for changes or resolving issues.

You will gain an inside perspective of how the university operates, understand its policies, decision-making processes, and the reasoning behind changes made in a course and the wider academic environment. It is also a great way to get to know your peers and make friends on your course!

Future-Ready Award

As a course rep, this allows you to apply for the Future-Ready Award. This is a recognition of extra-curricular and volunteer work you achieved during your degree. Of course there are other ways to attain this, for example, through volunteering, helping to run a society by being on their committee (which are all student-led), and a language course through The Language Centre to name a few.

Find out more about the Future-Ready Award

My closing remarks would be that this is your chance to advocate for your fellow students and represent the student voice to staff. It is also an excellent way to distinguish yourself and get to know your lecturers better, so if that is something that interests you then go for it! 

Find out more

Apply to be a course rep

ROI: Admissions guide

Study Astrophysics at Queen's

Lauren McGinley Astrophysics | Undergraduate Student | Donegal, Ireland My name is Lauren and I'm a physics student taking the astrophysics pathway. Originally from Donegal, I moved into Queen's accommodation for my 1st year and now live in a flat with my uni mates. Outside of lectures I enjoy archery, pub quizzes and jewellery making and art.