Postgraduate students lack a strong tradition of engagement with students’ unions. We are aiming to (through the postgraduate course rep system) promote community among postgraduates, to strengthen postgraduate representation and to make a tangible contribution to improving postgraduate students’ experience.
It’s time to start a new tradition: one where all students, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, turn to their students’ union for
representation, advice, advocacy and support.
Representation, whether for postgraduates or undergraduates can be a positive, affirmative role, rather than a requirement to be the bearer of bad news and complaints. Representatives work with the institution to improve the students experience, not to undermine the institution but it is also worth remembering that the experience of academic representation builds leadship, organisation and communication skills, all of which are highly valuable to future employers. For postgraduates who intend to continue to work in higher education, you may gain an inside view of how universities are run, opportunities to build relationships with senior academics in their department, school or faculty and make a valuable contribution to their subject community.
Postgraduates that teach may face problems of inadequate
attention to employment rights such as appropriate payment, a
job description and contract, and limited support and training for
teaching. Postgraduate Research Reps can work with UCU to ensure postgraduate students are informed of their employment rights, and with institutions to ensure that postgraduates that teach are supported in useful ways, including support with how to plan a course, manage a classroom, use ICT, teach students with special needs and evaluate and improve their teaching. Postgraduates that teach should receive teaching supervision from an experienced academic, have opportunities to gain feedback on their teaching and give feedback to their department on their teaching experience.
To become a PGR or PGT rep or find out more about the system please contact union-education@kent.ac.uk