An effective Course Rep can use a number of methods to contact students, ensuring that they get a good amount of useful, representative opinions from all students on their course before meetings. Here are just a few:
• Social networking sites: e.g. myspace.com or facebook.com may be a good way to contact other students on your course and discuss the issues. Why not start up a group for your course? Don't forget to join the NUS Course Reps Network group on facebook.com if you haven’t already too;
• multimedia tools why not make a video and disseminate the link on issues that matter? Aslom Ullah, Course Rep at Queen Mary University has made a video about the National Student Survey to encourage students on his course to feedback;
• online content – ask your students’ union to get something up on their webpages, or let students know if you have a blog or webpage where they can find out about what you’re doing or leave their feedback;
• lectures/announcements/shout outs - take five minutes at the start or end of a lecture to get student opinion (don’t forget to ask permission first though!) Better still, why not get a lecturer to assign you a regular slot in a core lecture to speak to students?
• text and instant messaging – disseminate short messages via Bluetooth or by SMS asking for students views;
• suggestion box – start your own feedback/suggestion box and ask to leave it in a key area in your department, and remind students that it’s there;
• Posters– advertise the issues on your departmental noticeboard, or why not advertise yourself?
• circulate a questionnaire – start your own survey to drill down into the issues – you can even create a small free online survey and send it out. Remember to keep it short and sweet;
• intranet – Make the most of the resources available and speak to a member staff to get information up on your institutions’ intranet;
• email – gain access to email distribution lists from a member of staff;
• social events – organise a social event for students on your course, and use this as an opportunity to get informal feedback;
• word of mouth – the personal touch is often much neglected and underrated, but it’s really the best way to let students know that you exist and gain meaningful feedback!