Your Voice
Body
In the School of Social and Political Science, we foster a collaborative partnership between staff and students to ensure a learning experience where every student feels connected, supported and equipped to succeed.
- Enhancing the Student Voice: Strategy and Action Plan (2025-27)
This strategy and associated action plan has been developed by students and staff working in partnership to understand and explore key areas for improvement.
Enhancing the Student Voice: Strategy and Action Plan (2025-2027)
- Programme Representatives
Programme representatives are students who represent their cohort and speak to staff about the issues that matter to you.
Reps communicate with staff throughout the year and attend Student-Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) meetings each semester. At these meetings, they share student feedback, discuss key issues, and collaborate with staff to find solutions.
You can get involved as a rep to make a difference (see section below on becoming a rep), or work with your rep by sharing your thoughts so your voice is heard.
- Student-Staff Liaison Committees
Student-Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) meetings are held between relevant members of staff and programme reps each semester, usually around Week 7.
Remit for Student-Staff Liaison Committee
Undergraduate SSLCs are usually held at subject-area level. You can view minutes from the SSLCs at Student-Staff Liaison Committee minutes
Postgraduate SSLCs are usually held at School level.
- UG Student Council
The UG Student Council is chaired by the EUSA SPS Undergraduate Representative. The Council is constituted by programme reps from each subject area as well as students in other key roles across the School.
To find out more about how the UG Student Council works for you, ask your programme rep or contact the SPS Undergraduate Rep directly.
- Become a Programme Rep
There are lots of great benefits of becoming a Programme Rep:
- making a positive contribution to the University by improving the student experience in your School for your peers
- receiving specialised training and ongoing support via the Student Rep Forum. The basic online training will help you understand how to represent students’ views democratically, be an effective student leader within the Students' Association, and work constructively with the University to solve problems and implement positive changes
- improving your leadership skills and employability by meeting expectations to earn recognition for your role, including Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) recognition and/or the Edinburgh Award for Representing Students.
Programme Rep responsibilities
To have your role as an SPS Programme Rep recorded on your HEAR certificate, you must:
- Complete the training/induction provided by EUSA.
- Actively collaborate with EUSA and your subject area or programme to gather feedback, ideas, and thoughts from the students you represent.
- Attend and actively participate in Student-Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) meetings (two per academic year)
- Close the 'feedback loop' by informing the students you represent about how their feedback was communicated in the SSLCs, what resolutions and recommendations were made, and any actions taken in response to this feedback.
- Successfully complete a Handover Document by the end of your term (in May for Undergraduate programme representatives).
Edinburgh University Students' Association training
For Programme Reps to gain HEAR recognition, they must successfully complete the Programme Rep Training by the end of Week 6 and a handover document by the end of the academic year.
The training will cover the role of a Programme Rep in relation to quality enhancement; working with students to gather representative feedback on the student learning experience; communicating feedback to relevant staff; and the support available from the Students’ Association.
The training will also provide additional information regarding the Programme Rep role in the hybrid teaching model, and how Reps can effectively use online platforms to gather feedback.
If you are appointed as a Programme Rep, you will be contacted by the Students’ Association with full details.
How to apply
Please complete the application form via the link below. As part of the application, you will be asked to provide a short statement of no more than 100 words on why you would like to be considered for this position.
Apply to be a Programme Rep Deadline to apply: 12 noon on Thursday, 25 September.
- Internal Periodic Review
Our most recent Internal Periodic Review (IPR) of undergraduate provision took place in 2023–24. Reports from this review are available at the link below.
An IPR is part of the University’s quality assurance framework, held at least every six years, to enhance the student experience. A review team meets with staff and student representatives and produces a report with recommendations.
- Student Voice at the University