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The 'Rep of the Month' Award recognises Course Reps who have gone above and beyond in their role. Students, staff and Reps themselves are welcome to nominate any Rep they feel is working hard to represent their Course or Department well, and ultimately to improve the student experience at Sheffield Hallam.
Winners of 'Rep of the Month' receive a £10 Amazon Voucher prize! We also interview all of our winners, to see how they have found the role so far - see below to read about previous winners.
I'm absolutely overjoyed to know students have felt I have helped them. I cannot take all the credit though, all the successes we have had, has been down to teamwork, from the brilliant course reps to the rest of the committee for BioSoc and the academic staff in our department who genuinely care about the students, without them, none of it was possible.
I really enjoyed my role as course rep in first year, I got to help my fellow classmates and improve the communication and understanding between staff and students. I enjoyed being able to interact with so many people and so many different backgrounds. I also really enjoyed building connections with academic staff and getting to understand how and why they teach and work the way that they do, it made them a lot more approachable and allowed the work environment to be a lot more fun (made way for lots of banter ??) this year I wanted to do all of that on a larger scale so became a department rep.
What's a positive difference you've made as a Course Rep?
With the help of academic staff, brilliant course reps and an awesome society committee we have managed to rebuild part of the Biosciences and Chemistry community again in a post pandemic environment. We have begun working together and socialising in different environments and events again. And have planned and made plans for staff student social events, the first of which have been great successes. Such as our SHUniversity challenge.
I chose to be a Course Rep to make a difference for students whilst their time at the university. I always enjoyed bridging the gap between the students and the professors, by collecting any pressing concerns and feedback from students and report it to during our regular student voice meetings. I always wanted to go extra-mile for all who needed my help and support and I have showcased it throughout my journey as a CR. Guided students with any information they needed as well. It was a valuable journey for me to serve as CR for 2 years and I have learnt so much in this role to carry forward.
The positive difference as a CR was to encourage many students to manage their time and studies whilst working. I always aspired to inspire people. I was invited for zoom sessions by my course leader for any assignment support session for students and to address any new hire meetings and it was my pleasure to share my knowledge and best practices to many. I was always ready to help students and helped them on-time. Those sessions which I gave was very helpful for many and they conveyed it to me as well. I think I have made a positive impact by supporting some students to be up to speed with our course modules, organizing zoom sessions where they are not clear during their individual studies. Guided and assisted my course mates during assignment times. I collected cohort feedbacks on Google forms and shared with my course leader as a report, she was really happy for all the work I did as a CR and to see how organized and helpful, I was for many students and said “You are a Star Roopal”
I decided to be a course rep because I wanted to be able to support my peers and escalate the concerns we had, in order to make meaningful change. Nursing is a really challenging degree, and I believe as a cohort, our support for each other has been a key factor in getting us this far - as a rep I'm able to use my role in supporting my peers to represent our cohort in order to improve our university experience!
As a course rep, I have been involved in the development of the nursing and midwifery departments 'placement recovery plan', which has included liaising with the RCN, attending numerous recovery meetings, collecting the views of my cohort, advocated for their needs, passing on their individual experiences and keeping my cohort informed and updated throughout. It's a challenging process for everyone (and is still ongoing!), but I hope that by being able to be one of the voices of my peers means that the end result will be a recovery plan that works for everyone.
Level 7 Gobal MBA
Own words
"Your vote demonstrates that you trust me to be your voice, and I cannot thank you enough for your trust. I pledge to take us to greater heights and to complete all of my goals as a CR"
"This accomplishment is a significant milestone in my life. I extend my gratitude for allowing me to receive this reward. Thank you!"
Why did you decide to become a Course Rep?
I decided to be a CR because Being a Course Rep is all about making a difference to students’ lives. Moreover, I knew that it will also allow me to develop a range of skills that will make me more employable. Better still, it will show me to be the sort of person willing to go the extra mile to support others.
Being a CR I strongly believe that I was able to deliver my message clearly, confidently, and objectively. Not only this, but I also was approachable, tactful, and able to find creative ways to gather feedback from students and still I am continuing the same. By volunteering as a Course Rep, I’ve stepped up and taken on an additional commitment on top of my academic workload. This demonstrates that I can balance multiple responsibilities and sets me apart from other graduates.
Level 7 Big Data Analytics
This is so heart-warming and exciting, I feel honoured. It is always a great privilege to serve and I'm super excited to be recognized as the Rep of the month. Kindly find below and attached as requested.
I chose to be course rep because I see it as a great opportunity to volunteer, make a positive impact in my department, and assist students in having an exceptional experience. Also, being a rep helps me develop a profiting network with staff and students.
I think I have made a positive impact by supporting some students to be up to speed with our course modules, organizing tutorials where they are not clear during their individual studies. Generally assisting students to have a better course experience.
Level 5 Social Work
I became a student rep to be the intermediary between staff and the course and to represent their views especially during the first year that was online.
The collecting of feedback from my cohort and the attendance of rep meetings and department meetings has caused changes in how the inter professional modules are delivered. Profession specific sessions were created so that Social work students have a clearer understanding of practice within a multidisciplinary setting.
I chose to be a course rep because I wanted to contribute to the improvement of the university experience. Course reps, in my opinion, play a crucial role in ensuring students have a channel through which to address their issues. I also chose to be a course rep to help me develop skills such as empathy and courtesy when offering feedback. These are valuable skills for future job prospects, and will look good on my cv.
I feel I have made a positive difference by helping in improving the university experience for students joining the course in the coming years. This involves adjustments to modules (how they are delivered and graded), strengthening the communication between staff and students, and hopefully increasing the travel bursary for students on placement.
Level 6 Media
I decided to be a course rep because I wanted to ensure students had the ability to be heard by the university and improve the university experience. I wanted to be involved and push myself in something I had not done before.
I believe I’ve made a positive difference in how students have experienced the course, I think I’ve given students the ability to speak up about problems they may have and get these issues resolved.
Level 5 Primary Education (5-11)
I chose to become a student rep as I wanted to do more to be involved in the university experience. I also thought it would be great to make a difference to other students experiences at university.
I believe a positive difference that I have made while being a student rep is receiving feedback for students in regards to any issues that arise as well as passing on information to course reps and module leaders in terms of where students are struggling or what need to be improved. I would also like to thing that I have made a positive difference in the sense that my fellow peers know I am here for them if they need to talk about anything.
Level 6 Software Engineering
I became a course rep because I know what a difference open communication can make and I think it's important that students have a say in how their course is run.
I believe I've made a positive difference by continually providing feedback to our lecturers and communicating the actions back to my coursemates. I've also advocated for the support our department and uni provide so that everyone knows how to get the best out of our course.
Level 7 Global MBA with Placement
Being a Course Rep gave me a chance to get to know and interact with the staff and students from in my course. I viewed this as an opportunity to assist my friends by allowing them to express their worries and making them feel more involved in the course.
As we conducted online sessions throughout our course, a few classmates expressed concern about certain modules. Because of the new education system and the fact that all of them were international students, the online classes and grading system were difficult to understand. Being a course rep, I tried to be a bridge between my peers and tutors to analyse the gap. I presented my classmates' concerns and provided practical feedback on how things were looking from the student's perspectives. Also, by providing feedback on the quality of the teaching experience, I think I have made difference to the course for the next year.
Academic Year 2020/21 Academic Year 2019/20 Academic Year 2018/19 Academic Year 2017/18