At Lancaster, Academic Reps make change possible. They work to improve the experience of students by campaigning for change and passing students’ ideas, feedback and requests on to their Departments and the University.
In their day-to-day activities, Reps collect feedback from students and then attend meetings with members of staff in their departments to make change happen. They also meet with the Students’ Union, and we collect their feedback to on to even higher levels of university management.
To find out more about the role Academic Reps play, download the role description here
To become a Rep, you must be appointed by your department!
For more information, please contact reps@lancaster.ac.uk
Academic Reps contribute to our Annual Education Review (AER) which we publish each year. Read the report for 2022/23 here and find out more about the AER below.
There are lots of different ways to find your Rep and get in touch with them.
Your ‘Talk to your Rep’ Teams Space - these are Teams groups where students and Reps can check in with each other regularly – staff are not allowed access. You can post in the Teams and wait for a reply, or Reps might post their contact information in here so you could email them directly.
Through your Department - they might email your Reps contact information to you or they might publish them on a noticeboard. You can also email a member of staff in your department to pass on a message to your Rep.
Through the Students’ Union - use the feedback form below to reach out to us with any query you have. You can also contact us via email at reps@lancaster.ac.uk. We will be able to pass a message on to your Rep, or if your Rep has given us permission, we can provide you with their email to contact them directly.
If you have any queries about Academic Reps, or you have feedback that you’d like to pass-on regarding an issue in your department, use the form here.
We’ll make sure to pass-on your feedback to the relevant Academic Rep. Your feedback is vital in helping your Rep understand the experience of students on the ground and accurately represent it to university staff.
This is the first step in making change happen.
Academic Reps are all about representing their fellow students. They exist as a method of communication between students and the University (Departments/ Faculties/ University management) to identify good practice, make student voices heard, and work towards continuous improvements for students.
In order to achieve this, a Rep’s primary responsibility is collecting feedback from students and then feeding this back to their Department and/or Faculties. Reps also provide the Students’ Union with student feedback to inform our work representing students in higher levels of University management
Lead and Faculty Reps are positions created in collaboration with the Students’ Union.
Departments oversee the appointment of Academic Reps, so if you want to get involved, contact your department’s Academic Rep Coordinator.
The scheme begins at the start of the academic year, which includes nominations opening around Welcome Week, with Reps to be elected shortly after. Academic Reps should then complete registration and be ready to start by Week 4 of Term 1. Sometimes if a position is unfilled or becomes vacant throughout the year, departments will re-advertise for Academic Reps and new Reps will be appointed.
Students can only nominate themselves to be an Academic Rep for the department they belong to. Some departments might accept minoring students whose major department is not their own, but please ask about this in advance.
Reps have a few core duties that include:
Reps have done loads of things, but a few examples from the last few years include:
Being a Rep has so many benefits, from representing your fellow students, identifying best practice, and initiating positive change in departments and faculties that will benefit hundreds of students for year to come.
From a personal perspective, being a Rep is great experience for your CV and personal development! Loads of our Reps report that their work has helped them develop better time management, public speaking, negotiating, networking and analytical skills.
Each year the Students’ Union Academic Executive produces a student-led summary of the academic experience at Lancaster University called the ‘Annual Education Review’ (AER).
This review collates, showcases, and celebrates what Reps have done throughout the year and what students told them about their experiences of studying at Lancaster University. It also suggests recommendations for the future. Read the AER for 2022/23 here.