Giving voice to the ‘quiet’ student body: Topic Representation at Flinders.
Authors
Kate Walsh, Senior Student Representation and Partnerships Coordinator
Liwen Seto, Topic Rep & Student Representation Support Officer
Flinders University Student Association
I have found the topic rep experience to be overwhelmingly positive. It is a good opportunity for staff and students to have dialogue. It gives students an opportunity to build a greater understanding of why teaching may be structured a certain way. It also gives staff a better understanding of the student perspective and what is working and not working in the classroom...
It gives a voice to the ‘quiet’ student body.
– Academic staff reflection
Student representation plays an important role at Flinders in enhancing the overall quality of education and the student experience. With close to 400 reps currently in place each year, there are multiple opportunities for students to engage in conversations about their learning experience and what they need to succeed.
The current model of student representation was developed following a University-wide review of student representation in 2017. The review provided a series of recommendations to further the depth and breadth of student engagement. As a result, at Flinders:
We now have a growing network of student representatives currently in place across our six Colleges (equivalent to a faculty) to directly impact the quality of teaching and learning and the student experience.
Every University and College Committee has at least two student representatives in their membership as standard practice (where student representation is deemed appropriate).
Targeted training and support is provided to student reps and delivered in a variety of modes.
The student rep role is recognised through the Horizon Award (Flinders professional skills development program), a Certificate of Recognition signed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students) and through annual Outstanding Rep Awards.
There has been a noticeable change in culture around listening and responding to students. Students are now expected to be involved in institutional reviews, planning & decision-making.
Our Student Academic Representation (SAR) program at Flinders has also been informed by good practice in other jurisdictions, particularly Scotland (sparqs) and Ireland (NStEP). The Topic Representative program discussed in further detail below is modelled on the Class Representative system at Victoria University, Wellington in particular, but also common across the majority of universities in Aotearoa.
Student Academic Representation at Flinders
Using a partnership approach, our SAR program at Flinders enables academic staff and students to:
discuss student perspectives on the learning experience;
identify and address issues impacting student learning;
co-create the learning experience in real time; and
implement opportunities for enhancement and change
At Flinders we have a blend of both course and topic representatives in place, with the College of Science and Engineering and the College of Medicine and Public Health leading the way for topic (class/subject) level representation. In other Colleges, course reps are situated in degrees where there is a distinct pathway for students to undertake as a cohort, such as a Bachelor of Education or Bachelor of Nutrition. We will be focusing primarily on the role of topic reps within this case study.
Topic Reps
The role of a Topic Rep is to continuously improve the student learning experience in partnership with academic leaders and the Student Association. As current students, Topic Reps and their classmates are ideally placed to provide insight into their experience of teaching and learning and where they feel improvement can be made. By working in collaboration with academic staff, Topic Reps are not only able to represent the voice of students, but also to mutually seek solutions to issues as they arise (or hopefully even before they arise).
The Topic Rep program provides a formal channel for dialogue as well as opportunity for staff to ask students how they are finding the topic as it is being delivered. Students have indicated that having a formal role is important in ‘levelling the playing field’ allowing students to reach out to academics with a clear mandate and purpose. Another benefit to this approach is the ability to tap into real time feedback to positively impact the learning experience as it is happening.
Training & Support for Reps
Of central importance to our Topic Rep program is the training we provide all students in the role. Taking the lead from training developed by Sparqs in Scotland, the emphasis of our training is on building positive and productive relationships between students, academic staff and leadership. We offer a blended training approach where students first complete a short online introductory module (30-40 mins). Reps are then invited to attend a one hour ‘face to face’ training session (either in person or online) where student reps get a chance to meet each other, ask questions, practice skills, and further develop their understanding of what being a topic rep is all about.
Our training team consists of both staff and students. Our student trainers have prior experience as student representatives themselves and undertake a ‘train the trainer’ program to upskill them to take on paid ‘associate trainer’ positions. We have found it to be hugely beneficial to have student trainers who can talk directly to incoming student reps about their own experiences in the role.
Challenges and Opportunities
Some particular challenges and opportunities for growth for the Topic Rep program include:
scaling up training and tailored support as more Topic Reps come on board,
assisting reps to communicate and connect with their cohort when university systems do not necessarily support efficient and effective communication,
adequately promoting and recognising the work reps do to ensure wider participation from students who have many competing interests for their time and energy, and
building the capacity of academic staff to work collaboratively with student reps to ensure that students (and staff) have a positive and rewarding experience.
Reflection from a Topic Rep and Student Trainer (Liwen Seto)
I became a topic representative for a 2nd year biology topic in 2020 as I considered the role a great opportunity for my personal development.
The topic had a large cohort of 250 students, so we had a team of four topic representatives to ensure we captured as many student viewpoints as possible. Our Topic rep team worked closely with the two Topic Coordinators and acted as a bridge between the teaching staff and students. Through regular conversations, the teaching staff became more aware of how students felt about the topic in real time. It was a nice feeling to work with student peers who have the same goal – to improve the student learning experience. We were able to bounce ideas off each other and share our experiences and struggles.
A highlight of being a Topic Rep was feeling like we (as a team) had made a positive impact for students. In fact, the student satisfaction rate within the topic improved from 56% to 73% in the year Topic Reps were first in place.
On a personal note, I was able to develop my leadership, negotiation and organisational skills. I also built wonderful relationships with academics and students outside of my normal social circle, allowing the opportunity for new friendships.
This Story from the field was presented at the 2022 Symposium. Watch this session on YouTube