Student representation at ICON College

The College views effective student support beyond teaching, learning and assessment as a crucial part of its overall academic provision and seeks to engender a supportive learning and social environment for all its students. It recognises that well planned student support arrangements make a major contribution to personal well-being and academic success. The College also views positive engagement with students as critically important and takes steps to engage all students as partners in the assurance and enhancement of their educational experience. NB: the provision of student support and engagement applies to all academic partnerships and their validated programmes delivered by the College. At present this applies equally to Bishop Grosseteste University, Falmouth University and Pearson. 

ICON College has developed an effective approach to student voice and representation. Student representatives are elected per class, and there are 60 representatives in total; diversity is encouraged in the advertising, and subsequently monitored. The current representatives include students from lower socio-economic groups, BAME groups and with disabilities. Every elected representative is trained to enable them to understand the role and how to undertake it effectively. The training takes place each semester, shortly after the elections, (this reflects the fact that there are two intakes per year). The half-day training explains the representative system, role, duties and responsibilities and ways of collecting feedback from peers. Case studies are discussed to enable student representatives to consider how they will react to different scenarios. 

The College’s representation system has been commended by QAA in all reviews; this is reflected in the NSS survey, where the more recent student satisfaction rate for student voice was 81.64% placing the College amongst the top institutions in the country for student satisfaction (sector%=71.89%). All College students are eligible to and encouraged to become members of the National Union of Students. The College is keen to support the establishment of a students’ association. In 2019/20 a team of five student representatives began the process of establishing a students’ association, but after 3 meetings the team decided against it. Our encouragement of student representatives to set up a student association have not been successful yet. 

Student Representation Election Process

The following principles apply for the election of the student representatives’ team to be involved with the various College Committees:

• The number of student representative from each Course is proportionate to the number of students in that Course.
• The student representatives that is elected will be based on meeting the 80% criteria for attendance; meeting 100% academic progression and demonstrating a commitment to the College.
• A student representative will be elected as follows:
  • Students in each Course cohort will elect one representative, these representatives will sit on the Staff Student Liaison Panel (SSLP) for their respective Department
  • The representatives from each SSLP will elect a number of representatives to form the College’s Student Representative Team
  • The Student Representative Team will elect 16 members and an alternative for each to sit on the Colleges formal committees i.e. 1 student will sit on the BOG: 1 student will sit on the AcB; 2 students will sit on the Teaching and Learning Resources Committee; 1 student from each of the 5 department will sit on the Student Affairs Committee; 2 students will sit on the Widening Participation and Fair Access Committee; 1 student will sit on the Prevent Lead Team; 3 students will sit on the College Consumer Affairs Group; 1 student will sit on the Health and safety Group.
• Each representative on a formal committee will have an alternative who will attend a meeting if the main representative is unavailable
• Each representative will be elected to a term of office to sit on a Committee for 1-2 years.
• Each representative will sign an agreement with the College to indicate their commitment to the role
• Each student representative will be reimbursed for the loss of income and transportation cost in relation to attending the meetings. At the end of their membership, all student representatives will receive a token of appreciation for their overall performance and commitment.
• All student representatives will receive a certificate to acknowledge their contribution to the College activities.
• Prior to carrying out the duties of student representative, each student representative will be given formal training.
• Membership as a student representative is dedicated to a policy of equal opportunities and does not discriminate on the grounds of sex, age, disability, ethnic origin, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.

The representatives attend committee meetings and share information feedback from the meetings via the VLE forum with the other student representatives, who share the information with their constituents (class members). The process works similarly in reverse: class representatives collect feedback from their peers and share this with subject committees and College committees. We ensure that the 3 student members of the Widening Participation Committee identify as being from one of our APP target groups.

Student Representative Training

• All student representatives are required to attend an induction/training event at the commencement of their role. The training will include the following areas:
  • Introduction to the role
  • Information about the work of the Colleges formal committees
  • Feedback from relevant Committees and acting as a channel of communication back to the students in their respective Courses
  • Contribution to the effectiveness of taught Courses by giving feedback to the College
  • Providing feedback on public information such as the College website, ICON VLE
  • Meeting visitors from external organisations such as Quality Assurance Agency and awarding organisations.
  • Helping organise events that bring together the Colleges and department’s student body
  • Participation in writing of the Colleges newsletter
  • Acting as an ambassador of the College and helping communicate information to their Course of study so that other students may be encouraged to attend events sponsored by the College
  • Commenting about the effectiveness of the Colleges Personal Tutoring system.
  • Attending mandatory student representative training
  • Conducting themselves in a way that promotes an atmosphere of civility, diversity, equity and respect in their interactions.