Guidelines on Student Representation on University Committees
to take effect from Semester 1, 2023-2024
1. Introduction
The University is committed to receiving and responding to student feedback in order to improve the quality of the student experience within the institution. Feedback may be gathered in a variety of ways, for example, through module questionnaires, within School Student- Staff Liaison Committees (SSLC), the academic advising system, and by including student representatives in academic committees.
This document aims to provide a clear description of the selection of student representatives and the role and responsibilities of student representatives on academic committees.
2. Nomination and Appointment of Student Representatives
- The term of office for student representatives usually runs for one year until the end of the academic year.
- Election of student representatives should be conducted in a fair and transparent manner on an annual basis. All elections shall be conducted anonymously and set up electronically through online system, administered by the Academic Affairs Support Team of Registry and schools respectively.
- Elections are held in the beginning of each academic year to recruit new student representatives for the academic year.
- Self-nominations are invited for the election of student representatives to University and School committees. Candidates shall normally serve for a full academic year.
Detailed guidelines about the election process are available in the Appendix entitled “Nomination and Election Process of Student Representatives to University Committees”.
3. Responsibilities of Student Representatives
Student representatives should make every effort to gather representative feedback on learning and teaching matters from their constituents to present to their peers. It is their responsibility to present the views of students to staff and to report back to students the outcomes and important highlights of academic committee meetings.
Student representatives are expected to present constructive feedback to the committees they serve and work actively with the University to find solutions to any problems encountered. Where issues raised may have an impact across the University, student representatives are encouraged to consult with the wider student community to collect feedback. Student representatives are expected to conduct their consultations with students in English, so that all students and academic staff may participate freely.
Responsibilities of student representatives cover areas of collecting and providing constructive feedback, closing the feedback loop and sharing experience in briefing, as summarized below:
• Collect general views and feedback from peers
• Identify key general issues from views of student peer group
• Discuss with committee secretary for proposing agenda items and prepare written proposal if necessary
• Attend committee meetings, read documents before meeting
• Participate in discussion about issues related to students in the meeting, share views from students’ perspective on behalf of wide student group
• Pass key decisions and updates of action status on student related matters made at committee meetings to student peers
• Attend university and School briefings on student representation.
• Support new round of student nomination and elections at both university and/or School level, share experience with new student representatives in student representative briefing
4. Student Representatives’ Association (SRA)
Student Representatives’ Association (SRA), which is an independent student functional organization, unites all student representatives to enhance connection and cooperation among student representatives, promotes committee culture among the student body, and helps ensure the effectiveness of the University’s student representation system. All student representatives are core members of SRA.
5. Briefing for Student Representatives
The University provides a central briefing session for all successful candidates to prepare them for the role they have been elected to. The briefing is co-delivered by Academic Affairs Support Team of Registry and Student Representatives’ Association (SRA).
Both university and school committees, provide additional briefings for student representatives, introducing committees’ specific remits and operational procedures and communicating expectations of student representatives.
In addition to briefings, SRA and Academic Affairs Support Team of Registry offer additional training programmes and support for student representatives during the academic year.
6. Two-way Communication between Student Representatives and Their Peers
Basic information and contact information of student representatives are available on Learning Mall.
Student representatives interact with their peers via forum on Learning Mall for providing related key decisions made at committees; collecting general matters and concerns from student peers; updating peers with responses and follow- up actions.
7. Confidentiality
Students representatives are expected to maintain confidentiality about any information related to students or staff that they may have access to during the course of their responsibilities.
Similarly, information that is confidential to XJTLU may not be shared beyond the campus community.
At the beginning of each meeting, academic committees will decide on reserved agenda items for which student representatives will be asked to leave for closed discussion among staff members of the committees.
Appendix:
i. Nomination and Election Process of Student Representatives to University Committees
ii. Nomination and Election Process of Student Representatives to School Committees
iii. Constitution of Student Representatives’ Association
(Last review date: Sep 2024)