Do you know your student rep? By now, you’ve been introduced to your student rep through your instructor or area coordinator. If you are unsure what a student rep does, and why you should get to know them, keep reading!
Jamiey Dale and Abbygail De Guzman are Human Resources reps for the Diploma in Human Resources Management and the Certificate in Human Resources Management respectively. Above all, Jamiey and Abbygail decided to become reps to help fellow students.
Reps Help You Find Answers
Treat reps as a compass to navigate student life. “When there’s a question I’m always happy to do research and look for information,” explains Abbygail, “Or, to find someone who could help them better.” Providing a sounding board to find solutions and encouragement to get proactive is one way reps serve students.
Reps Pass on Your Feedback
Importantly, they bridge the gap between students and administration. “I see the role as one of offering feedback to the area coordinator about the experience of students,” says Jaimey. “Imagine if you knew a student in your program that [communicates with] your area coordinator or the assistant dean, and could bring issues on your behalf, confidentially if need be?”
Reps Share Important Reminders
Finally, students reps have your back by providing important reminders. For example, classroom visits will be made to let you know about instructor evaluations. Importantly, this extra support is there to help students succeed. “[Having student reps] helps them feel more secure in their space and to enjoy their educational experience,” explains Abbygail.
Similarly, student reps benefit from sharing their hard-earned experience. “Getting involved is a way of contributing things I’ve learned in class,” says Jaimey. “[It] is a great way to deepen my learning.”
While most programs have a their own student rep, several do not due to their size or timing of rep appointment. However, Leadership students can approach the Human Resources reps, as they share similar courses. Therefore, if you do not have a rep you can speak to one in a similar program.
One word of advice? “Definitely go see your student rep,” advises Abbygail, “You can google anything, but the representative should be able to help guide you.”