Election to committees and meetings

Please note: as Student Reps serve for one year, for those who are elected to some University committees, this may mean that Student Reps are expected to attend the first meeting in the autumn of the following academic year. 

Formal decision making in the University takes place through a structure of committees and meetings, each with authority to make decisions about specifc issues or refer issues to other committees. Student Reps have places on many university committees and meetings, giving Student Reps a voice in the formal decision-making processes of the University. Committees and meetings with student representation deal with academic issues and with the wider aspects of the student experience that affect students' learning.

All student Reps are expected to attend their School Student Experience Group and, where appropriate, their Board of Study. In addition, Student Reps may also nominate themselves to be members of other committees and meetings whose Rep membership is decided by further election where necessary. These committees and meetings are at both school and university level, and include Senate, the highest academic committee in the University.

Student Reps are selected to sit on school and university level committees through a fair and transparent elections process, details of which can be found below and on the Students’ Union Webpages.

For there to be an effective student voice in meetings where decisions are made it is important that Student Reps take up the available positions and understand the purpose of the committees on which they sit. More information about preparing for committees and meetings can be found on the Students’ Union webpages.

Presentation for Student Reps

This presentation can also be accessed at https://sway.office.com/haCqfdDAeB893iA6?ref=Link 

School Student Rep Welcome Meetings

The election of Student Reps to committees and meetings begins at each School’s Student Rep Welcome Meeting. Shortly after being elected to post, Student Reps in each school meet together at a School Student Rep Welcome Meeting where they may put themselves forward for committee and meeting positions. Some of these positions, particularly on school committees may be filled at the School Student Rep Welcome Meeting itself. Reps will be invited to express an interest in each position and, where there is competition, a vote, using paper ballots where necessary, will be held.

Nominations for Reps to sit on remaining university committees where positions represent students across the University by area of study (arts/science/social science) or by level of study (undergraduate/postgraduate taught/postgraduate research) will be encouraged at School Inaugural meetings. Voting for nominations will be open to those Reps who will be directly represented by the sucessful nominee (e.g. voting for undergraduate positions open to undergraduate Reps only), carried out through the Students' Union webpages. Positions on committees where a position has been reserved for Student Reps in each School will be decided at the School Student Rep Welcome Meeting, using paper ballots if necessary.

Student Rep General Meeting

Soon after the elections for Student Rep positions, there will be a general meeting with Student Reps from across the University, as well as key contacts from the Students' Union and University staff. At this meeting, further information about the Rep Scheme and the activities for the year will be discussed.

The meeting is a chance to meet other Reps, ask questions about the role, committee positions or anything else related to Student Reps, and start the year with enough information to engage fully in the crucial role of Student Rep.

Further sessions are offered by the Student Rep Team on topics such as: the role of Chair Rep for the School Student Experience Group, briefings for university committees, and various workshops and training for Reps. The general training for Student Reps is offered online via Study Direct and all Reps are guided to complete the basic online Rep training.

Committees and meetings with student representation

Committees and meetings in which Student Reps are involved operate at both school level and at university Level:

School level committees and meetings deal with business specific to each school and report their activity up to university level committees. School level meetings with student representation are:

• School Student Experience Group
• Boards of Study
• School Teaching and Learning Committee
• School Research Degree Committee

All Student Reps are expected to attend their School Student Experience Group while other places are filled at the School Student Rep Welcome Meeting, by election where necessary.

University level committees deal with issues across Schools and the wider University. Academic committees ultimately report to Senate via the University Teaching and Learning Committee (for taught courses) and the Doctoral Studies Committees (for research degrees). The list of places for Student Reps on the University Committees and Meetings, as well as the method for electing Reps to these positions, are detailed below.

Positions elected at Student Rep Welcome meeting:

• Student Experience Forum (Chair Rep for the School Student Experience Group)
• Library Consultative Group (one UG and one PG Rep from each School)
• IT Consultative Group (one UG and one PG Rep from each School)

Positions elected via online elections on the Students' Union webpages:

• University Teaching and Learning Committee
• Doctoral Studies Committee
• Senate (except for the Council PGR Rep - see below)

Positions elected via Electoral Reform Services by the Governance Office:

• Council - PGR Rep from the Doctoral Studies Committee (also sits on Senate)

A summary of the committees and meetings is available giving examples of the kind of topics discussed at each one. Full details of committee memberships, dates and papers can be found in the committee section of Sussex Direct which you will find under the searches tab. The terms of reference for each committee is documented in the Organisation of the University.