Hey! For those of you that don't know me already I'm Ashley and I'm your Deputy President (Education) for the year. I have a background as a UG student, PGT (Master's) student and a PGR (PhD) student - so hope I can bring this experience to represent all students equally, building on the strengths of our Academic Rep Network and partnership with College.
Get in touch
If you have any ideas, any problems, any feedback be it back or good – I'm here to talk. Just get in touch by email, twitter, or even drop into the office and I'll do my best to clear some time and talk with you. I'll be doing Meet the Sabbs tours around our campuses so look out for when those pop up!
My goals
Every Officer Trustee sets several goals at the start of each year – goals they will work towards individually, and ones they will work on achieving collectively. It is worth remembering that alongside our main priorities, we also keep our relevant areas running day to day, and have a number of smaller projects on the go at any one time. We’re always working to try and improve your student experience!
Here are my main priorities for the year:
- NSS & PRES Response – NSS complete, PRES complete
- Improve Assessment & Feedback – In progress
- Ensure Student Engagement in Curriculum Review – In progress
- Enrich the Postgraduate Research Student Experience – complete
Goal 1: NSS & PRES Response – NSS complete, PRES complete
Key Deliverables:
- NSS Response
- PRES Response
Updates/Progress I've made:
- Consult and collaborate with appropriate reps
- Write response (& recommendations) to NSS and PRES surveys in order to send to relevant committees on time
- Send, present, discuss at appropriate (senior) College committees
-
Tracking of implementation of NSS recs now in progress; will be an influential tool but currently needs more focused efforts from myself and the rep network
Goal 2: Improve Assessment & Feedback – In progress
Key Deliverables:
- Establish working/discussion group (with key reps/staff)
- Clear recommendations/actions
- Implementation (across departments)
Updates/Progress I've made:
- Ensure clear assessment criteria and quality, timely feedback
- Met with Assessment & Feedback champions - there are toolkits to help lecturers
- NSS recommendations regarding Assessment and Feedback will be discussed and worked out through a Task and Finish Group (see next bullet)
- Assessment & Feedback Task and Finish Group has been established, to meet between March and June; has now met 5 out of 5 times
- Agreed focus areas: timeliness, effectiveness, fairness and consistency
- Agreed matrix approach: use NSS questions in this category, and consider each from the angles of: staff, students & process; and exams, coursework & practicals
- Received useful input from the Education and Representation Board; followed up with consultation and review/input at ERB on 3 June in time for final meeting
- Following up with implementation on a departmental level - future work for next DPE!
Goal 3: Ensure Student Engagement in Curriculum Review – In progress
Key Deliverables:
- Student evaluation of (1st year) curriculum review
- Implement PGT curriculum review framework (note: PGT curriculum review postponed a year by College)
Updates/Progress I've made:
- College rolling out new curricula across many (most) UG programmes (degrees) — and some PGT programmes, particularly in Faculty of Medicine — and will require ongoing input and review from student reps
- College undertaking PGT curriculum review, and will require student consultation – period extended by college so will be something for DPE next year!
- Student-led evaluation planned for 1st year curriculum review with rep network; plan to find out what college evaluation has taken place (if any) and complement this.
- Input gathered from ERB, and many faculty/dep/year reps, (especially 1st years)
- Key student areas of concern regarding evaluation sent to College
- Covid-19 has unfortunately made evaluation as planned difficult/delayed
Goal 4: Enrich the Postgraduate Research Student Experience – complete
Key Deliverables:
- Establish PRES working group (with key reps/staff)
- Clear recommendations/actions for College
- Clear recommendations/actions for Union
- Implementation plan of action
Updates/Progress I've made:
- Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) Response 2019 completed and presented to the PRQC on 23 Oct
- Recommendations taken to a sub-working group of PRQC, to include DPE, Grad School, GSU and academic (on the staff side) representatives – now established
- Ensure services/communications/activities (both from the College and the Union) are targeted specifically at PGR students to increase sense of belonging and wellbeing
- Final report went to PRQC detailing the Task and Finish Group’s response to ICU PRES 2019 Recommendations; a comprehensive list of targeted actions have been organised around the major themes of supervision, research culture and wellbeing
- We have drawn up Union recommendations in addition to College ones to increase PGR activity & engagement from the Union; these are being looked at, too
- Already started implementation for many College recommendations (and some Union ones)
- Short-mid term strategy for Union implementation plan of action delayed somewhat due to Covid-19
- Ongoing implementation and monitoring will be required for the next DPE!