Dydd Llun 23-01-2017 - 15:52

Cymraeg

One of the most important aspects of representing students is making sure that students are told what is happening in response to the issues you raise on their behalf. This isn’t just for things that have been solved or when requests have been turned down, but at all stages. The whole point of Students’ Unions is to try and make change to improve students’ lives. Everyone has a part to play in this process, but one of the key parts that is often forgotten is keeping everyone up-to-date.

 

As an example, think of a student raising a problem with getting on to the Wi-Fi in one of the library rooms. Assuming that they have actually told someone, it’s likely that they’ll avoid using that space until they know the Wi-Fi is back on. If no-one tells them the problem has been fixed, that space may become totally unused. Taking it a step further, IT might think that they’ve fixed it but if no-one tells them that actually the fix hasn’t worked, how are they to know?

 

This is why we call it a loop, and as the image above shows, it’s all about making sure that the changes that we make are actually working. We need to know if we are being effective, and ensuring that people know what work we have done is the best way of finding this out.

 

Having an unclosed feedback loop also means that students may be less likely to fill in surveys and take an active part in representation systems. Without knowing whether or not problems have been taken on board and addressed, students will question why they should bother taking part in these processes. This is where another way of closing the feedback loop can be used.

 

It’s not just when students come to you with issues that you can feedback on. It’s also the opinions and suggestions of past students that you can feedback to current students. For example, you can find out what last year’s students thought by looking at the NSS results (www.unistats.com should have information on your course) – you can ask students if they still agree with them on where the problems lie in your school.

 

Ultimately, we all want student representation to be as effective as it can be. Students want the best from their time at university, universities want their students to be happy and unions want to effect lasting change. Making sure everyone is informed and the feedback loop is being closed is the most effective way of making that happen. As ever, you can always get in touch with us in the SU for more advice and support.