The Roles and Responsibilities of a Student Rep
This article is a great tool to use when assessing whether you would like to become a student representative. It's also a great reference article to include in your application.
What does a Student Representative do?
The primary objectives of the student representative role are:
- To gather the collective student voice in relation to academic and student life concerns.
- Accurately and respectfully represent the views and opinions of the student body.
- Act as a communication channel between the Institute and Holmesglen learners.
- Continuously improve the student learning experience in partnership with Holmesglen by helping form solutions to identified problems.
Student representatives are required to meet with fellow reps as a committee or council in accordance with the councils' meeting schedule* to discuss various student concerns or issues and identify potential systemic change to improve the Holmesglen Experience (HX). The attached Student Representative Position Description (see below) provides an in-depth description of the role of a rep.
*Student reps are required to attend all meetings listed in the published meeting schedule.
What do Holmesglen students want from their representatives?
We reached out to the Holmesglen student body in May 2020 and asked them what they want out of their student representatives and how do they want to connect with them? Here is what they said:
- Leadership, honesty and communication ranked as the top three qualities students wanted to see in their representatives.
- Public speaking, organisation and confidence ranked as less important qualities.
- Students preferred to send and receive communication via email, text message and Brightspace but were also open to using the Online Community, classroom visits and drop in sessions to communicate with reps.
Benefits of becoming a Student Representative
Becoming a student representative enables learners to develop and strengthen leadership, advocacy, networking and communication skills - all great soft skills sought by employers!
It's a great way to contribute to real and positive change for current and future learners and make your mark at Holmesglen. Whilst all learners leave with a life long membership to Holmesglen, student reps leave a legacy.
In addition to walking away with a great skill set and a sense of achievement, Holmesglen student rep will have exclusive access to a range of personal and professional development opportunities and will receive a welcome pack with a range of Holmesglen merch and goodies.
