In the last academic year, Liz’s academic department, the Homerton School of Health Studies (HSHS) merged with Anglia Ruskin University’s Institute of Health and Social Care, having a huge impact on students on the courses involved, especially those in the former HSHS.
New surroundings
The convergence led to students having to leave their small private college and adapt to new surroundings, as well as having to travel across to different sites to continue the course. This led to them feeling abandoned and confused – the students didn’t know who to turn to for help or where to go when they had an issue that needed resolving.
As a Course Rep, Liz was part of the Student Council for HSHS before the merger where Liz, staff and other Reps would meet, later becoming the Students’ Union assembly.
Liz was later nominated to become chair of this meeting, and she used these meetings as a platform to get students’ views heard, communicate students' anxieties and suggest ways to improve the situation for students involved.
Liz’s achievements:
• After the merger, students on pathway courses had not received clear guidance on academic regulations, and students did not know which academic regulations they were meant to work to. As a result, Liz brought this to the Associate Dean's attention and they soon ensured that information on current academic regulations was made available to students;
• students had to fund their own travel (around 40 miles after the merger as teaching was held over different sites) and the university was not subsidising the cost of this additional travel for students. Liz raised this issue at a Faculty Board meeting and an agreement was finally made to provide subsidised travel expenses for students until the end of the academic year, as well as a commitment to consider ways to minimise the impact of this on students in the future;
• students had regularly complained to Liz about problems with student email accounts and access to university IT systems. Liz raised these issues with the Communication and Information Technology service and improvements were made. In fact, connectivity is now five times better than before.
Step into the spotlight
Tell us what issues you’ve been working on as a Rep; perhaps you’ve helped make change happen or affected the lives of students on your course?
Share your victories or achievements, however large or small, by emailing coursereps@nus.org.uk or posting them on the Course Reps Network wall by 1 March 2008.
If your achievements are featured on nus.org.uk, we’ll also send you a £20 book voucher or an NUS Goodie bag. You must be a current Course Rep at a university or college within the UK to enter.