A Course Rep is an elected student who volunteers to gather student feedback and voice it to the University. They provide a way for students to communicate their diverse range of opinions and experiences to the staff who deliver their courses, and to make change happen.
For undergraduate and Postgrad taught students
Click here to nominate yourself for election as a Course Rep for 2022/23!
For Postgraduate Research students
Click here to find out about PGR Rep elections & becoming a PGR Rep!
Responsibilities
Course Reps on taught courses have three responsibilities:
- Research student opinion – Reps will encourage all students on their course to engage in discussions about their academic experiences, and promote the opportunity to post collective feedback, ideas, and questions using MySurrey Voice discussion boards, whether it is positive or about something that needs changing. This gives the Course Rep and the University a full understanding of student opinion.
- Represent students – Reps attend departmental meetings held by the University to give voice to more complex issues requiring collective discussion with staff, along with monitoring and escalating student feedback on MySurrey Voice discussion boards and directly to relevant staff on time-sensitive matters.
- Report back – Reps will let students know what has happened as a result of their feedback! This will help students see the value in sharing their opinions with their Rep, through MySurrey Voice discussion boards, and to the University.
Interested? Nominate Yourself
Course Rep elections for most courses occur in May and in October.
Click here to nominate yourself for election as a Course Rep for 2022/23!
Any student can stand to be the Course Rep for their course, and there will be at least one per level for all courses. You just need to be ready to listen to student feedback and be willing to communicate this to staff in an effective, professional way.
When elections take place, you will be asked to complete a nomination form. Once you have submitted your nomination form, your Faculty will process your nomination and if needed, organise a vote amongst your cohort to decide on who is elected to be the Course Rep. You will then be notified that you have been elected and you will be registered with us here at the Students’ Union in order to contact you to complete Course Rep Training!
If you have any questions about the nomination process, please contact ussu.coursereps@surrey.ac.uk
Role Descriptions
If you want to read more about being a Course Rep, the role descriptions are available below:
Election Dates
For undergraduate programmes, Course Reps are elected at one of two points in the year, depending on your level and Faculty.
Semester 1
Nominations: Week 1-2
Elections: Week 3
Semester 2
Nominations: Week 9-10
Elections: Week 11
Why Should You Become A Rep?
Being a Course Rep is a fantastic way to boost your employability, assertiveness, and communication skills. Having a leadership role on your CV when you leave University is going to help you stand out from the crowd, and help you to develop qualities you’ll need when you leave Surrey to start work – think about how much practice you’ll have in public speaking and negotiation from attending departmental meetings and representing your cohort. As a Course Rep, you’ll also receive:
- Chances to win awards, including Rep Of The Month
- Resources, freebies, and training
- Improve your employability
- A record of your role detailed on your HEAR
- Logging volunteer hours
- Access to other opportunities, e.g. workshops and focus groups
Time Commitments
The time commitment to be a Rep isn’t as much as you might think! Many Reps easily balance their responsibilities alongside their studies and other voluntary roles, and even part-time work. You’ll need to ensure you have the time to attend your departmental meetings – these are the core responsibility to the role. You can expect to attend 3 meetings a semester, which will take up about 6-8 hours total.
There are also some other time commitments, such as USSU events like Student Voice Forum, and these will add around 3 hours per semester. The rest of your role will be less time-demanding – monitoring your MySurrey discussion boards to moderate and escalate student feedback, and to update your cohort on the results of your departmental meetings.
All in all, you’re looking at around 15 hours each semester, which works out at an average of just an hour a week!
