CLASS REPS
What is a Class Rep?
A class rep is a student enrolled in a paper; and who is selected by students enrolled in the paper. The role of a class rep is to facilitate communication between staff and students.
Why Do We Need a Class Rep?
- Learning Enhancement: You will contribute to the improvements of learning experience for you and your classmates when you provide constructive feedback to the university and academic staff with regards to teaching and learning.
- Representation: As class rep, you represent your classmates in voicing the feedbacks and resolving concerns or issues regarding your learning experience in the class. Basically you are the link between the students and the university and academic staff, particularly when other students do not feel comfortable approaching academic staff themselves.
- Consultation: Class rep provides constructive feedback regarding subject changes or general students’ learning experience to the academic staff. When elected to be subject, faculty or university student rep, you will have the opportunity to provide feedback on academic or teaching and learning issues within the school, faculty or university. If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything about your role as class rep, feel free to email the WSU at voice@wsu.org.nz
What You Can Provide Feedback On
As a Class Rep it is your responsibility to enhance the learning experience of others. Below are things you can have an impact on if you become a class rep:
- Learning and Teaching Processes
- Quality Enhancement and Assurance
- Learning Resources
- Student Progression and Achievement
- Guidance and Support
- Curriculum
How To Be An Effective Class Rep
What’s In It For a Class Rep?
As class rep, your representation does not stop at the class level. You will also have the opportunity to be elected as student rep for the subject, faculty and university academic board. This is how you can progress in your role as student representative:
- Students: The student body forms the basis of the representation throughout the University. Students elect Class representatives through their classes and programmes of study.
- Class Representatives: Class representatives represent the views of his/her class on academic matters to the lecturer, Department of Faculty.
- Subject Committee: Class representatives are members of the Subject Committee for their subjects.
- Faculty Board Representatives: Class representatives are then elected from the Subject Committee level to present the student of their departments on the relevant Faculty Board.
- Academic Board Representatives: Student members of each Faculty elect a student member to the Academic Board.
- Representatives to University Committees: The student members of the Academic Board from the electorate through which nominations for student members to a range of other University Committees are made.
- Gain Valuable Skills: As class rep, you will mediate, negotiate, gather and provide feedback constructively as well as maintain a positive relationship between the academic staff and your classmates. By actively engaging in your role, you gain and sharpen the valuable skills to be effective in your role which are useful for employment.
- University Recognition: Your contribution as class rep will be recognised by the university through the EPP program. Find out more from: www.waikato.ac.nz/go/epp
- Build Your CV: Being a class rep is a good way to build your CV and write about the leadership role and skills you gain as a class rep.
Any queries?
