Become a School Rep and Transform the Leeds Educational Experience

Roll up… Roll up…. It’s School Rep recruitment time! Make your voice heard!

Want to change the academic experience of students at the University of Leeds? Want the chance to work directly with students and staff in your School or Faculty, and make sure student interests are represented? Want the chance to develop your skillset while receiving individualised support from an LUU Student Engagement Coordinator?

Apply to be an Undergraduate School Rep before 12pm (noon) on Monday 11th May 2020.

As your Education Officer, it’s my job to represent the academic interests of our diverse student body, which includes 38,000 undergraduate, taught postgraduate, and research students. I could not do it alone though. I work closely with a team of School Reps and the university to improve the student body’s academic experience.

Before I was the Education Officer I was the School Rep for English and it was 100% the best thing I did during my time as a student! The change I was able to create and the skills I gained as a School Rep became my main motivation for running to become Education Officer. There is so much you can transform and the possibilities are endless.

Working with our wonderful group of 77 School Reps has been really important this year. This academic year has been particularly challenging with two rounds of industrial action and a global pandemic. The struggle has been real! Hearing from our School Reps on these areas has been fundamental. Our most recent wins have been lobbying for the university to adopt and clarify its no-detriment (‘safety net’) policy. We have also worked in partnership to achieve a more streamlined and simplified mitigating circumstances procedure. Like I said, the student voice is so powerful.

Still not sure if you want to apply? I’d love to present you with some of our current Reps and their experiences, to help you to get a sense of the role and what you can do:

UG School of English Rep (incoming Education Officer) — Carolina Hall-Rodriguez

• What’s been your favourite moment from your year as a School Rep?

My favourite moment from my year as school rep has been attending education assemblies. They really bring together a lot of the work we do as school reps and relate it to the partnership and to the work being done at LUU. It’s a great feeling as though you are part of a wider group affecting change together!

• In your own words, what does a School Rep do each week?

At the heart of it, being a school rep is about representing the interests and opinions of the students within your school. One thing I love about the school rep role is how varied it can be. One week you may have a Student-Staff Forum and an education assembly, and the next you may have a greater focus on social media polls and responding to students’ emails for example. This means the role is never boring and it also gives you room to shape the role around your studies.

• What advice would you give for people who are applying to the Role this year?

My advice for students applying for the role this year is to just go for it! The very fact that you have an interest in the role and care about student-led change already makes you an excellent candidate. I would also encourage applicants to speak to their current school rep as they have already been through the process and may offer some advice!

PGT Earth and Environment School Rep — Jess Chai

• What’s been your favourite moment from your year as a School Rep?

My favourite moment this academic year as a School Rep was having the rare opportunity to speak to the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor along with two other reps over the concerns of students affected by the strike action. I would have never thought that my actions to collect student feedback would ever reach this level of the University. It was great to see the student concerns acknowledged.

• In your own words, what does a School Rep do each week?

In a normal week, my school rep work mainly consisted of spending a couple of hours every day replying to emails and messages, which usually consisted of preparing for or completing actions brought up by the Student-Staff Forum and student queries. I would also speak to the students and my course reps to gather feedback and what they would like to see in future.

• What advice would you give for people who are applying to the Role this year?

There are times where the semester can get incredibly busy and there may be unexpected disruptions. My advice to School Rep applicants is to stay organised and plan ahead. Remember to ask for help when you need it from your course reps or other networks such as your school’s student support service, and your LUU co-ordinator. Also, it’s important to let people know who you are, what you do and how you will help students. I would advise you to introduce yourself at the front of classes or set up a photo board in the Student Service Office. I would also suggest setting up a group chat with the course reps to build relationships and communication channels.

Undergraduate School Rep applications are open until 12pm (midday) on Monday 11th May. (Postgraduate School Rep recruitment isn’t open yet, but will take place in the next academic year).