Your Academic Reps!

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.

Find Your Rep

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.

 

 
Hannah Bywood
Faculty of Science & Technology (FST) Postgraduate Taught Faculty Rep
 
Frankie Lynch-Brown
FST Undergraduate Faculty Rep
 
Gabriela Lungoci
Management School (LUMS) Postgraduate Taught Faculty Rep
 
Huseyn Guliyev
LUMS Undergraduate Faculty Rep
 
Charlie Seddon
Faculty of Health & Medicine (FHM) Faculty Rep (Union Assembly)
 
Hannah Ashworth
FHM Faculty Rep (Faculty Forums)
 
Manya Betha
FHM Faculty Rep (Senate)
 
Gabriella Oppong
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences Undergraduate Faculty Rep
 
Srota Bhowmik
FASS Postgraduate Taught Faculty Rep
Feedback Form

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.

 

Contact Us

FAQs

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

  • What are Lead and Faculty Reps?

    Lead and Faculty Reps are positions created in collaboration with the Students’ Union.
     

      • Lead Reps - these Reps act as a spokesperson in Faculty Forums for their department, overseeing the effective communication of departmental updates to the Students’ Union, and writing reports on their Reps’ activity.
      • Faculty Reps - these Reps attend faculty level meetings, and sit on the Students’ Union Academic Executive Committee, and the Educational Assembly. They chair all Faculty Forums but don’t directly speak into departmental issues. Two are appointed per Faculty: one Undergraduate and one Postgraduate.

         

      • Both Lead and Faculty Reps are elected at the Rep induction event at the beginning of the academic year. If your Reps are appointed or registered late and miss this event, they will miss the opportunity to run for these positions.

         

  • How can I become a Rep?

    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.

  • What can Reps do?

    Reps have a few core duties that include:
     

      • Gathering student feedback
      • Attending departmental meetings
      • Attending the Faculty Forums (discussion groups for Reps to feedback and receive updates within their faculties) organised by the Students’ Union
    • However, there are lots of additional opportunities Reps can get involved with during their time in the post which includes:
      • Being a Lead Rep for their department
      • Being a Faculty Rep for their Faculty
      • Leading or participating in Academic / Educational campaigns run by the SU / VP Education
      • Participating in additional Student Voice activities
      • Have the opportunity to participate in complaints panels and consultation groups for the University
      • Attend additional training sessions to develop relevant and transferrable skills

     

  • What have Reps done?

    Reps have done loads of things, but a few examples from the last few years include:
     

      • Worked with FASS to implement trigger warnings for set texts
      • Developed Student Only Spaces (now called ‘Talk to your Rep’ Teams) with ISS
      • Run campaigns on Moodle best practice to improve its implementation
      • Worked with the VP Education to get the University’s online exam policy refined to reflect student demands
      • And many, many other small changes across departments that have made a big difference in students’ lives...

     

  • What are the benefits of being a Rep?

    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.

  • What is the Annual Education Review?

    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