The document provides information and guidance for Student Academic Representatives (StARs) at Worcester Students' Union. It begins with an introduction to the role of StARs and their importance in representing student views to the University. It then presents a quiz for StARs to test their knowledge about the Students' Union. The quiz covers topics like the Students' Union's status as an independent charity, who are considered members, how it is funded, and the roles and responsibilities of StARs. StARs are encouraged to log their voluntary hours and have them recognized in various ways like with a V-Record or through StARs accreditation.

1. StARs Training 2013
Your guide to being an effective
Student Academic Rep

2. Introduction
Thank you for volunteering to be a Student Academic
Representative (StAR)
As a StAR, you are responsible for making sure that the views
and concerns of the students you represent are listened to and
responded to by the University
The Students’ Union supports StARs and helps them to be
effective and influential
StARs are key to what the Students’ Union does, so you’re very
important to us and we want you to feel a part of the Students’
Union
We’d like you to get to know us a bit better, so try out our quiz

3. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
1. Worcester Students’ Union is:
A department
of the
University
A registered
charity
A private
company

4. That’s right
Worcester Students’ Union is an independent,
registered charity. This means that all of our
income must be used to fulfil our charitable
objects. It also means that we can support
students if they have a complaint about the
University, if they are unhappy with their
student experience or if they want to see
changes made which will improve their course
or other areas of student life.

5. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
2. Worcester Students’ Union’s objects (the
reason it exists) are:
The advancement of
education of students
of the University of
Worcester
The provision of sports
clubs and societies for
students
The advancement of
political campaigns on
behalf of the National
Union of Students
(NUS)

6. That’s right
Everything we do as an organisation
must, ultimately, benefit our members and have
a positive impact on their student experience.

7. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
3. The members of Worcester Students’ Union
are:
Students who buy
an NUS Extra card
Students who have
joined a student
club or society
Everyone who is a
registered student
of the University of
Worcester

8. That’s right
Everyone who is registered for a course of study
with the University of Worcester is automatically
a member of Worcester Students’ Union, unless
they choose to opt out of membership. The
only thing you need, to show that you are a
member, is your University ID number or card.

9. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
4. Worcester Students’ Union gets most of its
income from:
The membership
fees it charges
A block grant from
the University of
Worcester
Profits from the
bar and the shop

10. That’s right
The University awards a block grant to the
Students’ Union every year and this makes up
the bulk of the organisation’s income. Any
profits from the upstairs bar (the downstairs is
run by an external company which runs the
University’s catering provision, so we don’t
make anything from that) and the shop are
ploughed back into the organisation too and we
receive £4.70 for every NUS Extra card sold too

11. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
5. The governance, strategy and budget of the
Students’ Union (SU) is the responsibility of:
The board of
trustees
The executive
committee
The
University

12. That’s right
Like every charity, the SU has a board of
trustees, who have responsibility for the
governance, strategy and budget of the charity.
The board is make up of the three officer
trustees (sabbatical officers), four student
trustees and three external trustees. Every
year, student trustee vacancies are advertised
on our website and via email and social media

13. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
6. The SU holds elections every March for three
full-time paid sabbatical officer positions, as well
as voluntary part-time officer positions. Who
can stand as candidates to be sabbatical
officers?
Students in their
final year of study
Any student
registered with the
University of
Worcester
Full-time
undergraduates

14. That’s right
Any registered student can stand as a candidate
to be a sabbatical officer. You don’t have to be
in your final year – you can take a “sabbatical”
year off if you’re elected and then return to your
studies. Part-time students and those based in
partner colleges are all eligible to stand for
election and, of course, to vote too.

15. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
7. The current elected Vice President Education
is:
Sam
Uppal
David
Green
Tom
Clarke

16. That’s right
Sam Uppal was re-elected last March to serve a
second term as Vice President Education, but
she left to take up a job at another university
and a by-election was held to replace
Sam, which Tom Clarke won.
David Green is the University’s Vice Chancellor
and Chief Executive

17. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
8. Student Academic Reps (StARs) should be:
Selected by
their tutor or
course leader
Elected by
students
Anyone who
volunteers

18. That’s right
Every year, students should all have the opportunity to stand to
be StARs and to have a say in who should represent them. We
know that in some cases, any students who volunteer are
accepted as StARs, that first-year and second-year StARs may
continue, without challenge and that sometimes individual
students are invited by members of staff to be StARs.
The SU, with support from the University, is committed to
working towards a system which allows students to elect their
representatives, but we recognise that this may take some years.

19. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
9. The key responsibility of StARs is to:
Help individual students with
their personal problems
Make sure that students’
complaints about their
course are taken to the
course management
committee
Ensure that students’
suggestions and issues about
their student experience are
raised and responded to
swiftly and appropriately

20. That’s right
StARs should do their best to see that students’ positive and
critical comments, questions and issues are raised and dealt with
as quickly as possible. The course management committee is an
important, formal forum for discussing the quality of the
course, but many matters can be addressed outside this
meeting.
Do try to take positive comments, not just complaints, to the
course management committee.
StARs should not try to deal with individual students’ personal
problems – students should be advised to seek help via
Firstpoint in Peirson or to contact the SU’s Student Advisor, Jane
Murray jane-alice.murray@worc.ac.uk if they need support with
a disagreement with the University.

21. How much do you know about your Students’ Union?
Click on the answer you think is right
10. StARs are volunteers. They can have their
voluntary activities recognised by:
Logging their activities
in a V-Record, which
can be picked up from
the Students’ Union
Welcome Desk
Applying for StAR
accreditation at
bronze, silver or gold
level
Registering for the
Worcester Award

22. That’s right
StARs are encouraged to log and reflect on their volunteering
using any or all of these three options.
If you undertake at least 20 hours’ volunteering, you’ll get a
certificate and be invited to the VoScAs evening in May. If you
log over 50 hours, this will be recognised on your Higher
Education Achievement Report (HEAR).
You may choose to work towards StARs accreditation using the
format developed by the SU – successful completion will be
rewarded with a certificate and recognition on your HEAR.
The Worcester Award is the University’s “employability” scheme
and your activities as a StAR can also count towards this
prestigious award.
Click here
to continue

23. That’s wrong
Worcester Students’ Union is not a department
of the University.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

24. That’s wrong
Worcester Students’ Union is not a private
company.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

25. That’s wrong
The SU does support student-led sports clubs
and societies, but that’s not the organisation’s
primary aim.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

26. That’s wrong
Worcester Students’ Union is affiliated to NUS
and members may choose to support national
campaigns, but that’s not its primary aim.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

27. That’s wrong
Students who buy an NUS Extra card enjoy a
range of discounts, but this is not a membership
card and you don’t have to buy one to be a
member of Worcester Students’ Union.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

28. That’s wrong
Around 1,400 students are members of at least
one student club or society, but you don’t have
to join one to be a member of Worcester
Students’ Union.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

29. That’s wrong
We don’t charge membership fees.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

30. That’s wrong
All profits from the bar and the shop are
ploughed back into the organisation, but this is
not our main source of income.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

31. That’s wrong
The executive committee is made up of the three
sabbatical officers and six part-time officers. Their
activities and priorities are determined by decisions
made by students through Student Council.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

32. That’s wrong
The University has a legal duty to ensure the SU
operates in a fair and democratic way, but decisions
about the way the organisation is run are made
independently of the University.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

33. That’s wrong
You don’t have to be a final year student to stand – you
can take a “sabbatical” year away from your studies to
take up a sabbatical officer role.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

34. That’s wrong
You don’t have to be a full-time undergraduate to stand
for a sabbatical position. All members, including parttime students and those based in partner colleges, are
eligible to stand for election.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

35. That’s wrong
Sam Uppal was elected to be Vice President Education
for 2012-13 and was re-elected for 2013-14, but she
left to take up a job with another university, so there
was a by-election to find her replacement.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

36. That’s wrong
David Green is the University’s Vice Chancellor and
Chief Executive. He was a course rep when he was a
student, so he understands the vital role played by
StARs and also how being a StAR can contribute to your
own personal development.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

37. That’s wrong
We know that some of you will have been invited by a
member of staff to be a StAR, but this process is not
the one favoured by the SU.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

38. That’s wrong
All StARs should be volunteers, but some courses have
more volunteers than they need for adequate
representation.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

39. That’s wrong
StARs are not expected to deal with students’
individual and personal issues. Students can get
information, advice and support through Firstpoint and
also from the SU’s Student Advisor, Jane Murray.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

40. That’s wrong
Playing a full part in course management committees is
an important part of a StAR’s role, but some issues
can’t wait until the next meeting. StARs should also be
sure to feed back positive comments and views at
course management committee, not just complaints.
Do you want to try again?
Yes
No

41. Thanks for taking part in the quiz!
We hope it’s helped you to understand your Students’ Union a bit better
and to see why you’re such an important part of what we do. Continue
reading for more information about your role and the support available.

42. How students’ views are represented
at all levels across the University
Elected officers represent
students’ views at the
University’s Board of
Governors and a range of
University-level committees
Institute Reps represent students’
views at Institute level at the
Institute Quality Committee,
Learning and Teaching Committee
and Institute Board
StARs represent students’ views at course
management committees, meetings of StARs in their
Institute, at the StARs Forum and through regular
communications with StAR Coordinators and course
leaders
Students take personal responsibility for their own learning experience
and engage with their lecturers and academic tutors to get their
questions answered and to get the help they need to get the best out of
their time at University

43. Do’s and don’ts for StARs
• If students have
individual/personal issues
and concerns which just
affect them, it is not the
role of StARs to deal with
these – please encourage
individual students to
seek information, help
and advice by talking to
Firstpoint staff in the
Peirson building, calling
01905 542551 or emailing
firstpoint@worc.ac.uk
• If a number of students
have shared issues and
concerns about their
experiences on their
course, it is the role of
StARs to ensure that
these are raised as soon
as possible and that the
response is fed back to
students

44. How to deal with comments and concerns
from students about the course
If the issues are
urgent
If the issues are
general feedback
about the course
• Arrange to discuss them with the
course leader as soon as possible
• Feed back the responses to students as
soon as you can
• Ensure that you express both positive
and negative feedback from students at
the course management committee
• Feed back the responses to students as
soon as you can

45. How to deal with comments and concerns from
students which can’t be dealt with at course level
Issues affecting students from
more than one course should
be raised with your Institute
Reps and your StAR
Coordinator, so that they can
be discussed at Institute level
Issues affecting students from
more than one Institute
should be raised with the Vice
President Education, so that
they can be discussed at the
relevant University-level
committee
Key issues and topics should
be raised and discussed at the
StARs Forum, so that the Pro
Vice Chancellor (Students)
and other members of
University staff can hear them
and respond

46. Key contacts for StARs
Institute Reps
Every Institute has at least two Institute Reps, who have all been StARs themselves and who were
recruited and selected by the Students’ Union and University to represent students at Institute level. All
can be contacted using the generic email addresses as shown below.
Institute of Education: Abbie Jeffries and Helen Manners
IErep@worc.ac.uk
Institute of Health and Society: Michael Anslow, Stuart Frost, Clair Medhurst, Elizabeth Taylor
IHSrep@worc.ac.uk
Institute of Humanities and Creative Arts: Hannah Brockbank and Alejandra Girigan
IHCArep@worc.ac.uk
Institute of Science and the Environment: Charlotte Goss and Cat Lodge
ISErep@worc.ac.uk
Institute of Sport and Exercise Science: Lauren Adams and David Millward
ISEreps@worc.ac.uk
Worcester Business School: Alexa Moor and Edwin Tamasan
WBSrep@worc.ac.uk

47. Key contacts for StARs
StAR Coordinators
StAR Coordinators are named members of staff with responsibility for supporting StARs and Institute Reps:
Institute of Education: Joy Carroll
joy.carroll@worc.ac.uk
Institute of Health and Society: Tina Dennis
t.dennis@worc.ac.uk
Institute of Humanities and Creative Arts: Lesley Spiers
l.spiers@worc.ac.uk
Institute of Science and the Environment: Tory Milner
v.milner@worc.ac.uk
Institute of Sport and Exercise Science: Lerverne Barber
l.barber@worc.ac.uk
Worcester Business School:
Sue Barnes (Computing)
s.barnes@worc.ac.uk
Roger Saunders (Business)
r.saunders@worc.ac.uk

48. Key contacts for StARs
Students’ Union
The elected Vice President Education is the key contact for StARs and Institute
Reps. The person in this role takes part in a range of University-level
meetings and committees and is a Governor of the University, so is expected
to know what concerns and priorities students have. This relies on StARs and
Institute Reps making sure that the VP Education is made aware and kept
informed of what students think.
Your VP Education for 2013-14 is Tom Clarke – email t.clarke@worc.ac.uk
The Membership Services Manager is a permanent member of staff at the SU
and is responsible for working with elected officers, StARs and Institute Reps
to ensure that students are represented and to increase students’
engagement with the SU and the University.
Contact Ruth Christie via email r.christie@worc.ac.uk

49. Key contacts for StARs
University
The key point of contact with the University is the
Pro Vice Chancellor (Students), John Ryan. The SU
has regular meetings with John Ryan, including
StARs Forums and meetings with Institute Reps and
StAR Coordinators. Email j.ryan@worc.ac.uk
Will Bowen-Jones is the Head of the Educational
Development Unit and is keen to develop
opportunities for students to get involved in
genuine partnership projects with academic staff.
Email w.bowen-jones@worc.ac.uk

50. How to find out what students think
StARs are meant to represent students’ views, but how can you find out what students think?
It may sound obvious, but you have to ask them what they think.
Experience shows that you’re much more likely to get a response if you
ask direct questions, rather than just asking “Do you have any issues?”.
Try asking questions such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
What do you like most about your course?
If you could make one change to your course, what would it be?
How could your course be improved?
Do you have access to the resources you need for your course?
Are you confident about referencing?
Is the feedback you receive helpful?

51. Communication methods
There’s no “best” way of getting a response from students, but you could try some or
all of these:
• Facebook: setting up a Facebook group for students on your course can encourage
discussion and suggestions, but don’t forget that not everyone uses Facebook
• Email: students can email you from their SOLE page. If they’re happy to give
you’re their email addresses, you can email them to ask questions
• Meetings: you may think about setting up a meeting for students on your course,
especially if there’s a particular issue which you’d like to discuss with them
• Talking to students in lectures. Ask your lecturer if you can talk to the class for a
few minutes. This can be useful if you want to give students information, but you
may find students reluctant to raise issues in front of lots of other people
• Comment sheets: Giving students comment sheets so that they can write down
what they think can be very effective and bring up issues which might otherwise
remain hidden. These can be anonymous, or students wanting a response can
include their names
• Drop-in session: You could fix a time and place when you’ll be available for any
students to come and talk to you face-to-face
• Suggest an informal chat over coffee, lunch or a drink with your coursemates

52. Meetings
Course management committee
The University recognises that it’s essential to have students
on course management committees, so that course leaders
and other staff can hear what matters to students and
consider suggestions from students about changes and
improvements which might be made. All StARs should attend
course management committees as taking part in these is a
key function of the role. If you’re not sure when these
meetings are, check with your course leader. If you really
can’t attend, make sure you give your apologies and ask
another StAR to make comments on your behalf.
Sometimes, these meetings are held at very inconvenient
times for students, so please let the SU know if this is a
problem. It may be possible to get some help from your
Institute Reps too.

53. Meetings
Meetings within your Institute
Most Institutes arrange meetings or Forums for
StARs. These may be organised by Institute
Reps, StAR Coordinators or senior members of staff.
Some provide lunch! They’re a good opportunity to
talk through common themes and problems with
StARs from other courses in your Institute. If you
think it would be a good idea to have such a
meeting, talk to your Institute Rep about organising
one.

54. Meetings
StARs Forum
These meetings are held twice a semester and provide
the chance for StARs and Institute Reps to put questions
and comments from students directly to the Pro Vice
Chancellor (Students), the Vice President Education and
senior members of staff invited according to the themes
of the Forum. The University undertakes to respond to all
of the issues raised, either during the Forum or in the
coming days. The responses are fed back to StARs so that
they, in turn, can tell students the outcomes. The SU and
the University really value your input at these Forums and
you can give us written feedback from the students you
represent if you prefer.

55. Additional opportunities for StARs
From time to time, there will be further opportunities
for StARs to get involved in other ways such as focus
groups, periodic reviews, conferences and
presentations. We’ll let you know about these through
the website http://www.worcsu.com/yourvoice/stars/
as well as email and the Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WorcesterStARs/
We’ll also let you know about any further training
sessions and meetings.

56. Thanks for taking part in the training
We welcome your feedback and would love to
hear your ideas about how we can improve our
support to StARs. Email t.clarke@worc.ac.uk
with your comments and suggestions.