Q & A with Andrew Payne on the Class Rep System
Why do we have class reps?
"From a student union perspective, we would like to know issues that are facing students in every division of the school. It is our hope/goal that class reps report their experiences (both positive and negative) to the division reps, who then pass along their findings to the Student Administrative Council."
What does it do for me?
"Open channels of communication between the college, student union, faculty, staff, and students would make for a smoother-run academic environment where problems or issues could be addressed quickly and dealt with in a timely manner instead of tolerating things you'd rather see changed. Everyone wants a healthy and vibrant atmosphere, because when that happens, optimum learning can occur ... which is why we're all here."
"On a personal level, it looks great on a resume and also gives you a chance to make contacts you might not have otherwise made and gives you an insight into another world of communication. It can also give you a sense of being involved and giving back to our college community."
How important is this communication?
"It isn't vital or crucial to the success of the average student's academics or for the college, but by communicating issues to those who can affect change, progress can be made. This is, however, a key aspect in improving the student experience."
How do I get involved?
"Getting involved with the Student Union is easy! While there are plenty of class reps currently involved, there are always vacancies for students who would like to participate. It can be as simple as approaching your professor or coordinator and inquiring about the class rep system or coming to the Student Union office in SC2001 (above the Oasis), and asking."
What's involved? What would be my responsibilities?
"Being a class rep is pretty straightforward. If you already go to class, then you're halfway there. Beyond that, you'd be asked to attend two meetings per term and required to give feedback on how things are going in your class. You might also be asked to comment on the overall 'vibe' of your program. Are you and your classmates happy (academics aside)? How's the program going? Are there any non-academic issues facing your class? Those are typical questions asked of a class rep. The Student Union simply wants to know how it's going so we can pass that on to our decision-making body, the Student Administrative Council or SAC."
Can you give an example of recent issues brought forward by class reps?
"There have been issues about food labeling/nutritional information in the Student Union's areas of hospitality, questions about security, appropriate advertising and microwave availability and cleanliness. We hear about plenty of issues every week."
*The FSU cannot change the labels for the College's food providers, however we can make suggestions to our partners at the College.
"From a student union perspective, we would like to know issues that are facing students in every division of the school. It is our hope/goal that class reps report their experiences (both positive and negative) to the division reps, who then pass along their findings to the Student Administrative Council."
What does it do for me?
"Open channels of communication between the college, student union, faculty, staff, and students would make for a smoother-run academic environment where problems or issues could be addressed quickly and dealt with in a timely manner instead of tolerating things you'd rather see changed. Everyone wants a healthy and vibrant atmosphere, because when that happens, optimum learning can occur ... which is why we're all here."
"On a personal level, it looks great on a resume and also gives you a chance to make contacts you might not have otherwise made and gives you an insight into another world of communication. It can also give you a sense of being involved and giving back to our college community."
How important is this communication?
"It isn't vital or crucial to the success of the average student's academics or for the college, but by communicating issues to those who can affect change, progress can be made. This is, however, a key aspect in improving the student experience."
How do I get involved?
"Getting involved with the Student Union is easy! While there are plenty of class reps currently involved, there are always vacancies for students who would like to participate. It can be as simple as approaching your professor or coordinator and inquiring about the class rep system or coming to the Student Union office in SC2001 (above the Oasis), and asking."
What's involved? What would be my responsibilities?
"Being a class rep is pretty straightforward. If you already go to class, then you're halfway there. Beyond that, you'd be asked to attend two meetings per term and required to give feedback on how things are going in your class. You might also be asked to comment on the overall 'vibe' of your program. Are you and your classmates happy (academics aside)? How's the program going? Are there any non-academic issues facing your class? Those are typical questions asked of a class rep. The Student Union simply wants to know how it's going so we can pass that on to our decision-making body, the Student Administrative Council or SAC."
Can you give an example of recent issues brought forward by class reps?
"There have been issues about food labeling/nutritional information in the Student Union's areas of hospitality, questions about security, appropriate advertising and microwave availability and cleanliness. We hear about plenty of issues every week."
*The FSU cannot change the labels for the College's food providers, however we can make suggestions to our partners at the College.
