Have you ever wondered about volunteering as a Student Rep on the School of Maths and Stats Board of Studies? Well, it would probably help to say something about what the Board of Studies is, and the role of Student Rep on the Board.
The Board of Studies is where discussion and decisions on the School’s curriculum begins. That includes the introduction of new modules and qualifications, and the modification or withdrawal of existing ones.
The Board also discusses matters relating to the presentation of a module, exam results and the reports of external examiners and assessors, existing or new Policies, and Strategies of the Faculty and University and much else besides. In recent times there have been important discussions on generative AI and the integrity of exams. The School – and, indeed, the University – takes Equality, Diversity and Inclusion very seriously, and there are regular reports on what we are doing to address this.
The Board is Chaired by the Director of Teaching, and membership of the Board includes staff leading on key curriculum areas and priorities, including student support and careers. There are also representatives from key staff groups, including Associate Lecturers (tutors) – as well, of course, as Student Reps!
We are allowed three Reps. These places are there for us to represent our fellow students. They should not go to waste. Student Reps are full members of the Board.
During my time on the Board I have taken part in discussions on the Curriculum, the integrity of the OU’s qualifications, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, the Library, the School’s Rolling Action Plan and much else besides.
Student Rep input does make a difference to how things are done. Here are a couple of examples of things that have changed as a result of Student Reps’ input.
Originally only two of the three Reps were allowed to attend any given meeting. This was changed when we put the case for us all to be able to contribute each time.
The Study Site has a Student Discussions Forum. This was something the Rep team proposed, to provide a students’ space to discuss anything maths-related. It is also a space which Reps are responsible for moderating.
I have found it interesting to meet some of the people responsible for writing and delivering the modules I study and to learn a little bit about how the University works. Members of the School are very approachable and easy to talk with.
I have had the opportunity to see several new modules and qualifications introduced, beginning from scratch, and to see how they have developed.
It has also been interesting to see what our External Assessors and Examiners think of our qualifications. (All universities have these. They are academics from other Universities who are responsible for making sure that standards are maintained.)
The Students Association opened recruitment for new reps on 26 March and this will remain open until 25 May. If you are interested in applying for this role, then please head along to: https://oustudents.co/4kZDKnH.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to post them in the Discussions Forum or, if you prefer, write to me directly at Nigel.Patterson@open.ac.uk.
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