Student representatives at the Royal College of Art Students' Union (RCA SU) have a vital role in championing the student community and enabling efficient communication among students, faculty, and the administration.
The Student Representative role is a part-time volunteer position.
The student representative system at the RCA SU consists of 2 main roles:
- Programme Representatives,
- Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Representatives,
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Sabbatical Officers
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EDI Reps
of your School
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Programme Reps
of your School
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Students
of your School
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Programme Representatives are responsible for addressing various issues related to the academic experience of students within their specific programs, including:
- Learning Experience: student workload and availability of staff support, timings, assessment, coursework, and addressing concerns regarding feedback.
- ILTS Resources: effectiveness of IT (Moodle, Panopto, softwares) platforms, Library (L),Technical Services (TS) (workshop, resource store, CAT zone) provisions, and the overall quality of learning spaces.
The Equality, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) Representatives focus on promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity. They are responsible for raising awareness about and addressing issues such as:
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Relationships: Addressing concerns related to bullying, harassment, sexual violence, isolation, and loneliness.
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Equality & Diversity: Ensuring that minority groups are adequately represented and their voices are heard.
It is important to note that while the EDI Representatives raise awareness about these issues during meetings, students in need of support should reach out to the Student Support services, which are not part of the RCA Student Union. Student Support can be contacted via email at student.support@rca.ac.uk or in person at the Student Hub (Kensington Campus, Stevens Building, Ground Floor).
Student Support is responsible for addressing the following:
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Visa and Immigration Issues
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Disabilities, including Dyslexia
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Finance and Scholarships
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Housing and Accommodation
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Counselling Services
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English for Academic Purposes
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Faith based welfare support
Additionally, students with personal issues are encouraged to contact their assigned Personal Tutor in the first instance. The RCA Student Union does not know who is your Personal Tutor, you can ask the Programme Administrator or your Head of Programme (HoP).
Each representative serves for one academic year. Once the year concludes, the representative will no longer hold their position, and will need to be re-elected if they are studying a longer course and wish to stay on. If a representative decides to step down, obtain a leave of absence, or withdraw from their studies, communication with the RCA SU regarding this change is necessary. In such cases, if there is only one available volunteer for the role, the election process will be waived in favour of ensuring continuity with a representative in the course.
As Student Representatives, it is crucial to stay connected with the wider student cohort. You cannot do this job while isolating yourself! By actively engaging with fellow students, you can create a supportive and inclusive environment where you can collect their feedback and later convey it to the RCA SU.
How much time do I have to dedicate to my role as a Programme Rep?
There are monthly and termly meetings you will need to should attend, such School and College assemblies (once a term), programme forums (organised by your HoPs or Programme Admins), and occasionally Estates or ILTS meetings. You also need to collect feedback from your cohort to ensure you are aware of ongoing issues and can circulate the feedback back to the SU.
How much time do I have to dedicate to my role as an EDI Rep?
EDI reps also need to attend the termly School and College assemblies, as well as meet with your HoPs or Programme Admins. You also need to collect feedback from your cohort the same as the Programme reps do. As EDI rep, you have the opportunity to raise issues or concerns with our SU Communities Officer, Halimo, who can be contacted at halimo.hussain@rca.ac.uk.
What are important qualities that make someone a great Rep?
EDI and programme reps both need communication and organisational skills. They need to be able to represent the opinion of their course mates, not only their own. If you like to get involved, and enjoy advocating on behalf of others, this is a great role for you. We will also provide training for all Reps and will always be there to support you.
What if I need more help to share my responsibilities?
If you are struggling with your responsibilities, please reach out to us and we will work on sharing the load. Whether this entails recruiting more student reps to balance the workload, such as internal reps who can support behind the scenes, or communicating with your faculty staff to manage better communication with your cohort, we are here to support you.
Student Voice