Information for Students

Here you can find out more about the role of Student Reps, prior achievements and how you can get involved in this domain yourself.

Student Reps are recruited through Programmes and Schools to represent your academic interests.

We then provide training and support to those Student Reps every year, enabling us to learn more about the experience(s) of students across the University.

We would also encourage you to nominate someone as part of our Rep of the Month scheme, as and when you feel like they deserve recognition.

What is a Student Rep?

Student Reps are appointed for the purpose of listening to their peers’ feedback on academic-facing issues, and then using it to drive positive change where needed. As volunteers in this critical leadership position, they amplify the student voice by raising such feedback with relevant staff from both the Students’ Union and University – working in collaboration with them to implement new ideas and propose solutions to problems. They also help to support School Community Organisers (SCOs) in making students’ overall experience of life at Herts the best that it can be. Check out the full role description below for more details.

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Student Rep Role Description for 2022-23

Why should I become a Student Rep?

Below you can find just some of the reasons why getting involved as a Student Rep is something you should consider:

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- Impact (by highlighting students’ concerns and working with others to improve them, you’ll be able to make a positive difference to the experience that people have here at Herts).

- Employability (being a Student Rep will provide you with a range of key skills and development opportunities, and the activities you get involved in will also count towards achieving the University’s Go Herts Award).

- Creativity (you’ll already have your ideas on how things could be changed/improved at Herts, so this is your chance to get stuck in and bring them to life).

- Networking (as a Student Rep you’ll get to meet and work with a wide range of students and staff, so can make plenty of friends and build those professional contacts along the way).

- Reward (you’ll have our constant support throughout the year, and your hard work will be rewarded with certificates and prizes as part of recognition schemes, plus regular socials).

How do I become a Student Rep?

As a first port of call, if you’re looking to become a Student Rep for your course this year, the best thing to do would be to contact your Programme Leader(s) and/or Year Tutor(s), because the process of appointing Student Reps will be different across different Programmes/Schools.

You can also get in touch with your School Community Organisers (SCOs) - the senior Student Leaders within each School of Study.

For any queries on this, or for any other questions relating to Representation, please email reps@hertssu.com.

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If you're successful in becoming a Student Rep, we'll then be running our annual Student Rep Conference on Wednesday 19 October 2022, so SAVE THE DATE!

(NOTE: If you're appointed after this time, don't worry - we'll be organising further training and social opportunities throughout the Semester).

What can Student Reps do?

Below you can find just some of the things that Student Reps have achieved in previous years:

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Issue	Outcome	Programme/School
Students were concerned about the spacing of assignments in Semester B.	After collating students' views, and contacting the module leader, postponements to assignments were agreed and communicated to all via email.	Business and Event Management // Business School
There were no companies involved in the Creative Arts Careers and Employment Fair that were specific to Interior Architecture and Design.	Following discussions between Student Reps and the Careers team / department staff, 3 such companies were secured for this year's Fair.	Interior Architecture and Design // Creative Arts
Students were concerned about the deadline for an assignment, and the academic support available.	Once raised, this feedback led to the deadline being moved and further support provided, plus a meeting that explained how assignments were marked.	Primary Education // Education
Students were struggling with how to format one of their assignments.	As a result of passing this feedback on, Student Reps were able to successfully lobby for a sample assignment format to be provided as an example.	Artificial Intelligence with Robotics // Engineering and Computer Science
Communication was inefficient for students on different courses and programmes, creating confusion among different groups of students.	In response to students' feedback, separate WhatsApp groups were created so that relevant information could be circulated more efficiently.	Paramedic Science // Health and Social Work
There were delays in grades being uploaded for a few modules (beyond the 4-week turnaround deadline).	Module Leaders were contacted, raising this as an issue, and the grades were then uploaded later that very same day.	Journalism and Creative Writing // Humanities
Lack of information and guidance on Master's degrees and Careers opportunities after University.	After being raised by Student Reps in a Programme Committee Meeting (PCM), lecturers agreed to arranging a day that focused on supporting students with this information.	Psychology // Life and Medical Sciences
Mark Thompson was leaving his role as Dean for the School of Physics, Astronomy and Maths.	Student Reps came together to collect "Thank You" messages, and other positive sentiments for him, to celebrate the job he had done for the School.	Financial Mathematics // Physics, Astronomy and Maths
Students were concerned that some lectures were too fast-paced, and/or covered too much content in one go.	Changes were made to how lectures were presented, and the speed on Canvas was altered such that students were happy with their pace and access.	Business Studies // Business School
There were problems with the temperature in the FMM building due to the air conditioning not working.	The team of Student Reps came together to contact the relevant University departments, and as a result the issue was fixed.	3D Games Art & Design // Creative Arts
Students raised some concerns about the layout of tutorial sessions.	The format of tutorials was switched from a focus on individual work to more of a group work approach, allowing for more collaboration.	Aerospace Engineering // Engineering and Computer Science
It was noted that Presentations were to be done a week earlier than had previously been communicated/expected.	Following feedback, Student Reps contacted the Module Lead, who corrected this issue.	Mental Health Nursing // Health and Social Work
Students expressed that their Academic Skills module was placed too late in Semester A for it to be most beneficial.	Changes have been made to the structure of the course next year, such that Academic Skills will be covered at the beginning of Semester A.	TESOL // Humanities
Students were concerned about the lack of information available to them regarding the structuring of essays in one module.	As a result of feedback, the lecturer ran a session providing specific guidance on this earlier than originally planned.	Psychology // Life and Medical Sciences
Students weren't happy that 2 coursework deadlines had been placed on the same day.	Once feedback had reached Student Reps, they were able to get in contact with the Module Leader, who agreed to postpone one of the deadlines.	Physics, Astronomy and Maths
It was difficult for students to keep up to date on what events were happening across the School.	To address this issue, Student Reps came together to create discussion boards on Canvas, for the purpose of sharing and talking about such events.	Business School
Some old learning material (including Wacom Tablets and Pens) was going to be disposed of.	Following students' concern, it was decided that this material would instead be donated to the LRC, for students to loan and make use of.	3D Games Art // Creative Arts
Students expressed a desire to have more assistance with regards to understanding plagiarism, and completing coursework.	As a result of this feedback, some new material on plagiarism was produced, and sample formats were provided for assessments.	Artificial Intelligence with Robotics // Engineering and Computer Science
There was much discontent with the uniform provided to students, having been received late, and in different colours/standards.	Given the concerns, the University are now working very closely with the clothing supplier to ensure that no problems like this occur again in future.	Paramedic Science // Health and Social Work
There was appetite for a more active Social Media presence from the School, to keep students updated on its goings on.	Student Reps have set up WhatsApp groups for different programmes, and taken part in Instagram takeovers to increase engagement.	Humanities
Coursework deadlines for 3 separate modules were very close together.	After contacting the module lead(s), some of these deadlines were extended by an extra week, which a lot of students found very helpful.	Dietetics // Life and Medical Sciences

Nominate a Rep of the Month

If you've been particularly impressed with the efforts of a Student Rep throughout the year, you can nominate them to become our Rep of the Month by completing this form.

Following each 'round', the winner(s) will then be decided by the Student Development team each time, based on the quality of what's been submitted for them.

If you have any questions about anything mentioned on this page, please don't hesitate to contact us.