We’ll look now at some of the ways you can share what you’ve been up to, both with your cohort and us here at the Union. We’ll also touch on some of the initiatives we have in place to celebrate you for your achievements and hard work!
Why is reporting back important?
As representatives, your peers are placing their confidence in you to share their feedback with the University. It’s important to value their confidence in you by sending updates on what has happened as a result of their feedback.
By hearing about the impact their voice has made, and how they have been listened to, your fellow students and PGRs are more likely to feel represented.
Reps and the Union
It’s also important to remember that you are a part of the Union; making the voices of students heard and helping them achieve change. The Union as a whole needs to understand what the student body is concerned about so that we can tackle those issues at a wider level. That’s why reporting back to us on what you’ve been up to is also really important.
So why bother reporting back?
Making your own role easier
When you report back to the students or PGRs you represent about what their feedback has achieved in the department, they can see the tangible effects of why they should bother sharing their feedback with you. Engaging and sharing completed and successful feedback will help you gain respect and understanding from your peers, who will then see that you can make a change and their feedback is listened to.
This should hopefully mean that the next time you approach them to gather their feedback, they understand more why they should bother sharing it with you. They are more likely to know that something will make a difference!
Improving satisfaction
If students know they made a difference via you, they’ll feel more satisfied with their experience at Surrey. If their course or research experience has changed for the better, they’ll be happier with their experience.
Our data tells us that most students feel listened to, but less than half feel they know what their Course Reps have achieved. You need to ensure that students feel more aware of your achievements, and in turn, more satisfied that their feedback has been acted on.
Students that feel represented are generally happier with their time at University, and we want to make sure everyone feels like this.
Improve awareness of Course Reps
If students know that Course Reps can actually achieve results and bring about change, and that they have importance and power, then they’re going to have a new respect for you and for the programme.
They might be more likely to try out the role themselves in future years, or perhaps they will share good feedback about you to their peers or to staff in the department, helping everyone build community and respect for the student voice and Course Rep programme.
