Undergraduate Education

Your Education Quality is worse than a year ago – but it doesn’t have to stay that way

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 11:35:23 +0100

Hey you! We’ve got a problem – and no I don’t just mean timetables. We need to talk about the quality of Education at UEA. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a decline in quality and a rise in inconsistency. But don’t panic – it doesn’t have to stay this way.

The backstory:

A year ago, I was delving deep into the world of the Teaching Excellence Framework. In case you missed the memo, TEF is the government’s attempt to evaluate how well universities are delivering quality education. I went in, armed with a 10-page report filled to the brim with insights from our diverse student community. In it, we exposed an ugly truth: the student experience at UEA is far from consistent, with specific groups of students like disabled students, bearing the brunt.

The recent shock:

Here's the real kicker – UEA, once the proud owner of a Gold TEF rating has now fallen to Silver. This isn’t just a change in labelling, but a downgrade from “Outstanding” to “Very High Quality”. Clearly, something is up. And honestly? I don’t think this rating is entirely unfair. It accurately reflects the inconsistency in quality and practices across our institution. Our submission showed the reality, the government listened and UEA received a fair rating.

A difficult truth:

Am I seriously telling you all that you’re all worse off? Well yeah. I suppose I am. And the truth is that you probably are.

But the point here is that we don’t have to accept this decline in the quality of our education. We must not.

UEA has faced numerous challenges this past year, and as we uncover their impact and new issues emerge, it's so important that you, as students, feel empowered to change. You should feel compelled not only to sing praises for what's working but, more importantly, to shout about what's gone terribly wrong. We're on a mission to empower students to combat this quality slump. We're here to hand you the tools to drive change because if this is not what the Students' Union is here for, then what the heck are we?

The solution:

So, how do we do it? Enter Academic Representation. Our Course Reps and School Convenors, a dedicated team of SU volunteers, hold regular meetings with university staff, setting agendas and addressing issues. Each year, countless stories of positive change emerge thanks to these representatives.

Don’t get me wrong - the system isn't perfect, there's more we can do to improve it – and that’s why my top priority this year is to do just that. But - this system exists to empower you to become the change, whether through dialogue with your reps or by running for these roles yourself. We must use it to reshape our education at UEA, ensuring that all of us can have the best possible experience now and in the future.

Taking Action:

Rest assured, I'm not taking this lightly either. Just last week in LTC, I raised our concerns about the TEF and the NSS results. I also addressed at the University Council this week and presented my views in Union Council yesterday. This fight isn't over for me, and it shouldn't be for any of us.

In conclusion, it's undeniable that our education quality has declined. But remember, it doesn't have to stay this way.

Course Rep Nominations Are Open!

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:34:04 Z

Hey again! Hope you’ve all had a good few months.

I’m excited to share that we have now opened nominations for our Academic Rep Elections! There are spaces for every course, school and even faculty that you can sign up for. In some schools, we even have Convenor places available who are there to lead the course reps in the school to make change. You can nominate yourself by going to this link and then following the instructions.

But hold on Taylor… why should I sign up? Well that’s a damn good question! Let me tell you.

We often talk about how so much of what you can get involved in with the SU allows you to make change – it’s the very fibre of who we are. But – it’s genuinely true and in no place is that clearer than as an academic rep. You’ll be representing yourself and your friends in meetings directly with your school, allowing you to tell them the good, the bad and the ugly. And they listen! Our reps make change every year and it genuinely changes your courses and school for the better. This is even more important at a time of strikes, a university that’s both in a financial crisis and completely redesigning their curriculum. The time for you to make changes is RIGHT NOW both for you and future students.

But don’t worry – you won’t be on your own. We have a dedicated Student Voice team that exists solely to support our reps by providing you training, attending meetings with you and always being on the end of an email. You’ll also have dedicated support staff in your schools. And you’ve always got me!

As if that deal isn’t good enough, you’ll also gain employability skills in things like leadership, representation and communication that will help you stand out from the crowd. It also contributes to the UEA Award and you could be nominated for Rep of the Month and win prizes.

All that for just a few hours a semester. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for me. And don’t feel intimidated by running for “election” – you don’t need to be putting posters up in the hive and campaigning like Full Time Officers did. Just put yourself forward and get some friends to vote for you – it’s that easy! And it’ll take you 30 seconds to nominate yourself so really, what’ve you got to lose?

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 15:42:59 Z

Hey everyone!

Hope you’ve had a good weekend!

I’m your Undergraduate Education Officer (in case you didn’t know) which means that, I do a lot of things that kind of run in the background. I’m not always doing sexy things like planning and winning Derby Day or throwing t-shirts and djing at Damn Good. Sometimes, I get lumbered with some of the less glamourous things that most people just don’t care about. I also seem to have to use weird acronyms a lot of the time – we are at UEA after all.

Enter: the TEF. The latest mundane-sounding thing that I’m working on. WTF is the TEF I hear you ask?! Well, it’s the Teaching Excellence Framework of course! I know, I know. The NAME sounds dull but the one sentence explanation: it’s a national scheme that ranks all the universities in England, based on the quality of their teaching. (Sounding slightly more interesting? Maybe?)

My pitch to you is this: although this sounds tedious – and don’t get me wrong, some of it is – it is one of the most powerful tools you as a student have to shape teaching here at UEA. Here’s how: I’m working on the “Student Submission” which is where I’m going to tell the regulator – the OFS (more three letter acronyms) – about your experiences on teaching. Whether that’s how your lectures are being run or, what your assessments are like. My job with the submission is to tell the OFS what you’re experiencing which feeds directly into where UEA rank.

And, UEA’s rank is quite important – it’s one of the ways the UEA can market themselves and prove to the world that they really are “The home of the wonderful.” So it means they’re probably going to listen to what we have to say and change things – and that is where the name and acronym hide quite how important and powerful this is for us and for you.

That’s WTF the TEF is. That’s why, for the next few weeks, you’re gonna hear all of us talking about the TEF in a lot of different spaces – including surveys and focus groups. We’re doing this to get your views and have your input on what we say to the regulator – and importantly the university – about their teaching.

If you find yourself wanting to know more about the TEF and how it’s gonna work, lucky for you we have a website. Head to ueasu.org/tef (convenient!) to find out more and how to get involved. Spoiler alert – you can win some cash for getting involved too. Getting to improve teaching and get enough money for a takeaway? Yes PLEASE!

Have a great week everyone and I’ll see you out and about chatting about more boring schemes.

Taylor :)

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Find out more about the Teaching Excellence Framework here.

Taylor’s update - the SU win on Extenuating Circumstances

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:15:39 +0100

Hey everyone!

Fresh off the back of an incredible Welcome Week (I hope you all had as good a time as we did!), I have some good news to share. It’s been confirmed that there will be some changes to the way Self Certified Extensions (self-certs) work from the start of this academic year.

The main change is that there are now 7 calendar days extension instead of 3 working days. This applies to all deadlines within 5 working days. So, for example, say you have an essay due on the Monday and a portfolio (or other kind of course work) due on the Wednesday and something happens that means you won’t be able to submit on time – If you apply for the extension on the Monday, it will extend both deadlines to the following week. If you have reasonable adjustments, you can still extend those deadlines too.

There are some things to note about the changes:

These cannot be used on group work or assessments where they have to be completed at a certain time – such as exams
You are only allowed two of these per year
Submitting a self-cert doesn’t stop you from being able to submit a longer EC if you need it – although this won’t be automatically applied

Remember in order to do this, you need to go through the process on e-vision. If you need help with this, you can talk to our advice team by emailing advicecentre@uea.ac.uk. You can also view all of the EC regulations here if you need them.

I think these changes are definitely steps in the right direction and it’s another win from your SU. Although, there is still more that can be done on ECs and I am pushing the university for these and working with them on this going forwards.

Hope you have all had a fab first week of semester and as always, if you need anything education related or have any questions, please do feel free to get in touch or come and say hi! And don’t forget to give my socials a follow because I am still determined to beat the other officers…

Taylor :)

Finally some good timetable news!

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 16:44:21 +0100

Hey everyone!

Hope you’re all having a great summer!

As it’s my first blog, before I get into it, I think I should properly introduce myself…. So, hi! I’m Taylor. I’m your Undergraduate Education Officer for 2022/23. That means I represent you on all things education – including everything from lectures and seminars to the library and Learning and Teaching Services (LTS). I’m here to help with any and all things education so please pop into the office or drop me an email if there’s anything you need – or even just to say hi! Make sure you’re also following my social media pages (including @undergraduate_ueasu on Instagram and Facebook) for updates on what I get up to this year. I’m determined to beat the other officer’s follower counts by the end of the year so make sure you get following!

But anyway, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into the blog. I think nearly every undergrad officer before me has written about timetables in their first blog – it’s basically part of the job description. But! Finally, I get to be the one who’s timetable blog is good news! I’m thrilled to say that your timetables should have started being released yesterday (10th August) and this will continue over August, way in advance of the new semester starting at the end of September.

An incredible amount of work has gone into making this happen over the last year and the university teams have done a great job getting these out to you this early – something that’s not been done before. Your SU worked with the university at every level of this project, including helping with the first review of what went wrong last year, to now sitting on the project board that has gotten us to where we are now. A lot of the credit goes to my predecessor Ivo for his hard work on this. This is a great example of how your officers and student’s union represents you on academic issues and pushes the university to make changes to your experience while studying here. This sort of thing is exactly what we’re here to do.

There are a couple of caveats to some of this. In some schools where a few issues have come up, the release is slightly delayed so if you don’t have it yet, please don’t panic. Most students will start receiving their timetables today and your schools and LTS should communicate with you when your timetable will be released to you. It’s also likely that these timetables will move around slightly as they are still draft. So, some rooms are likely to change between now and September so make sure to double check Timetabler before all your teaching sessions in September. If you need help with a problem with your timetable (i.e a clash or you’re struggling to access it) please contact the Student Information Zone, on The Street or via LiveChat (Mon – Fri, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) or by email student.information.zone@uea.ac.uk.

If you are seeing lots of other issues, please do get in touch with me, particularly if they are accessibility concerns relating to teaching sessions or rooms as this has been raised to me as a potential issue.

This is a huge win for everyone at UEA. Thank you to all the university staff who have made this possible. I’ll continue this work throughout this year (work on the 23/24 timetable has already begun!!) and I’ll keep pushing the university to iron out issues going forward. This isn’t the only thing I’ll be working on – there’s a lot more things happening already, and I can’t wait to share all that with you.

Have a great summer and I’ll see you all in September!

Taylor :)

Extenuating circumstances review

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 12:58:53 Z

TW: death, mental health

Hello there! I hope everyone is having a good 2022 so far and that the assessment period was as smooth and stress-free as possible!

Over the last month, I’ve received feedback from multiple students that they have had difficulty in applying for extenuating circumstances. The most extreme of these cases include students being asked to provide the death certificates of recently deceased friends and family members as evidence with their applications. To make matters worse, some of those students were then told that this did not prove an impact on their ability to learn or complete assessments, and that they would have to provide a letter from their GP explaining the effect on their wellbeing.

I was appalled and sickened when I first heard about the university making such insensitive requests; my sympathies go out to all those affected. It is absolutely not appropriate to ask for such personal evidence - the potential for this requirement to have a further traumatic effect on students should not be understated. I have already spoken at length to Emma Sutton-Pavli, UEA’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience and Education, who accepted how problematic these requests are. We also looked at issues with other aspects of the extenuating circumstances process, such as the online form asking when the student thinks their circumstances will stop affecting their education, which is clearly insensitive and, in most cases, is not useful information.

Thanks to the feedback I have presented, the university has now committed to conducting a full review of the both the process and evidence requirements for extenuating circumstances. I look forward to working with the university on this project to ensure that the wellbeing needs of students are catered for.

Ivo

ANOTHER update from ivo

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:46:08 Z

Hello there!

Just a short blog from me this week, but I bring good news that will hopefully put a lot of minds at ease.

Firstly, I’ve been informed by the university that everyone should expect their timetables for next semester later this week. This launch should be much smoother than the launch of timetables back in September and there should be far fewer issues to resolve this time. There will be an email from the university later this week to explain what to do if your timetable has any clashes or other problems. I’d also like to take this opportunity to recommend that if you would like to change any of your modules, get your module change form submitted as soon as possible!

Secondly, I’d like to clarify that the current plan for next semester is to keep as much teaching in person as possible. Obviously, this is something I hope we’re all glad to hear, particularly given the recent announcement of more COVID-19 guidance.

This will likely be my last blog of the semester, so I wish you all the very best of luck with your assessments and hope you enjoy the Winter break. As always, feel free to send me an email if there’s anything I can do to help, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Ivo

update from ivo (incl. timetabling)

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 09:43:56 Z

Hello all!

I realise that this is my first official blog of the year, so feel it’s probably worth giving a brief introduction to myself. I’m Ivo, my pronouns are he/him, and I’m your Undergraduate Education Officer. I’ve been at UEA for over 4 years now, having started back in September 2017. I initially did the Humanities Foundation Year, then completed one year of Politics and Economics but ended up changing to Politics and Media Studies. As Undergraduate Education Officer, it’s my job to represent undergrads within the SU and push for the university to make the changes you want.

It’s no secret that timetabling has been a bit of a mess this semester, however I’m glad to say that things are looking up. I was informed in a meeting on Monday morning that the university is currently on target to deliver the timetable for next semester by mid-December. I’m sure this news will be well received by everyone, but especially those who have been hardest hit by the problems at the start of this semester: the students with childcare responsibilities, the commuter students who need to know their schedule so they can arrange transport, the students who rely on part-time work to support themselves financially.

In addition to this, I should also mention the work of the Timetable Project Review Board. This team has been set up specifically to investigate how and where mistakes were made in the implementation of the new timetable system. It will also provide recommendations on what steps the university can take to do better on future projects. I’m particularly happy that the university asked me to be a part of the board; I’ve felt quite frustrated over the last few months because I’ve had to put my own projects and goals on hold to deal with timetabling. You may have seen an email sent out to all students a couple of weeks ago outlining the work of the Project Review Board and requesting feedback via this form. I would strongly encourage you to fill it out, as all the feedback we receive will be taken into account. As always, I stand in solidarity with all students affected by the timetabling issues and am fighting to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

If you have anything you want to bring up with the university and need some support - please feel free to drop me a line anytime.

Ivo

our response to proposed arts education funding cuts

Thu, 06 May 2021 12:05:15 +0100

University should be a place for students to realise their potential, develop their knowledge in a field while they prepare to enter the workforce. These institutions are also vital breeding grounds for developing critical thought, creativity, and academic exploration.

The proposal from the Office for Students (OfS) to cut funding by 50% to "high-cost subject[s] ... in performing and media studies and archaeology" destroys this essence of the university experience. We have already heard of the government’s intention to place a stronger emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics as a response to the economic and labour market. This was a particular concern of ours and this proposal is likely to see widespread cuts to courses across UK higher education and lead to university becoming more exclusive than it already is.

Further reducing academia to perceived future economic viability feeds the issue of siloisation and marketisation in higher education, causing dissonance amongst subjects and harming the inter-disciplinary work which universities and students are trying harder each year to establish and maintain. The OfS proposal also disregards the economic contributions of creative industries, and therefore students who engage in the related economic activity, which in 2018 contributed £111.7b to the UK economy (Gov.uk, 2020).

The OfS is currently running a consultation on these proposals ending today. We will be opposing the proposals, and if you would like us to include your views in our response, please email Callum.Perry@uea.ac.uk

Office for Students consultation: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/consultation-on-recurrent-funding-for-2021-22/

want to have a say in your education? become a course rep!

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:22:07 Z

Hi Everyone,

We’ve reached that point in the year when we’re starting to think about welcoming another group of amazing student leaders. Teaching and Learning is an integral part of your experience at UEA. In recent pandemic times, we’ve seen more and more students come forward to talk about their concerns and offering well thought-out innovative solutions. If you are one of those students then we definitely NEED YOU!

It’s so important to both the SU and schools across the University that there is positive and constructive communication between staff and students to improve the student experience. In order to do this, we ask students to become Course Reps.

Course reps help to feed into discussions with lecturers about things they like and dislike about their course via meetings within Schools; for example, this year there have been discussions about online teaching, extending deadlines, online assessments and group work. Course Reps also work with their school to come up with solutions to problems and represent the student voice to the University and the Students’ Union.

Course Rep recruitment for 21-22 is now open. If this is something you would be interested in head to Course Rep Recruitment 21/22 (uea.su) and fill in the expression of interest form before the morning of Thursday 6^th May. One of our team will be in touch about the next steps!

Course Reps are provided with training in the Autumn semester about the role and the support they will receive.

This year we also introduced Faculty Student Forums which allowed Course Reps to discuss with the Associate Deans (Learning and Teaching) in the Faculty and address any issues relating to academic experience of students in their area, working with higher levels of the University.

The volunteer role is a fantastic opportunity to develop your employability skills such as communication, negotiation and public speaking. You’ll also develop networks amongst other like-minded individuals who are all passionate about leading change and working with staff across the University.

We want as many of our members as possible to feel empowered to contribute to discussions with their schools about their experiences at UEA. The opportunity to put yourself forward is LIVE NOW on the website, and you can do so by simply filling out the form.

We are also running elections for our Undergraduate Faculty Convenor positions as well as some of the remaining vacant School Convenor positions. If you are passionate about developing your School or Faculty’s teaching and learning experience for students, this may be a leadership role for you! To find out more head here School and Faculty Convenor Elections 21/22 (uea.su) by the morning of Thursday 6^th May.

Let’s be the change. Let’s lead change together.

If you have any questions please do give me an email callum.perry@uea.ac.uk

All the best,

Cal X

planting trees with every internet search

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 14:36:41 Z

In response to an SU-led campaign, the University has decided to change the default search engine across all managed devices to Ecosia. The change will take place this week and is in line with UEA’s commitment to tackling the climate and biodiversity emergency and further enhance the sustainability of the university.

You may have heard of Google and Bing, but have you heard of Ecosia?

Ecosia is the world’s largest non-profit internet search engine. It functions just like Google but with a key difference: it uses ad-revenue generated by searches to plant trees. Since it was founded in 2009, Ecosia searches have funded the planting of 110 million trees in 31 biodiversity hotspots around the globe. These trees mitigate the climate emergency and tackle the biodiversity crisis, sequestering carbon and providing habitat in some of the most biodiverse yet threatened ecosystems in the world.

Switching to Ecosia will fund the planting of trees while maintaining the functionality and accessibility of alternatives such as Google and Bing. This way, UEA can make a positive environmental impact with a relatively small change. Users who don’t want to keep Ecosia as their default search engine are free to change it back to whatever they prefer.

As always, if you have any questions you can contact me on my Facebook page or by email.

Cal x

safety net & no detriment: a quick reminder of support!

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 16:55:57 Z

Hi All,

Many SU reps have made us aware that some students are still unsure about the Safety Net and No Detriment measures this year.

To help, the University have provided us with the information and we have summarised it here for you. Hopefully this should answer your questions! Plus remember our Facebook Live with UEA staff on this topic, which you can re-watch for lots of useful answers to student questions.

UEA have reduced the number of assessments you need to take as part of your course.
You can let UEA know if you have had an illness or other problems by submitting an Extenuating Circumstances Request. Please note, from the first of March 2021 you will be asked for evidence where you can be reasonably be expected to have some.
If you haven’t been able to access learning, for example in studios or labs, assessments will be changed if needed. Your module organisers will let you know about this.
UEA will use the best year average you have to calculate your degree classification.
As a final check, the Board of Examiners will look at all students’ marks and circumstances and consider what is a fair outcome.

You can find the full details on the No-Detriment Approach and Safety Net Use in this email sent to all taught students from Prof Emma Sutton, or on the Assessment Support page on My UEA.

The Learning and Teaching Service have put together some No-Detriment FAQs, as well as some Safety Net examples to help students understand how both approaches work to support their academic progression.
You can find the full details of everything that’s been put in place to support their education via the ‘Learning, Teaching and Assessment Information’ card on the My UEA dashboard

As always, if you have any questions then please let us know. You can contact myself on callum.perry@uea.ac.uk

Key message: If you are unsure ask and always check the information available.

Take Care

Cal X

february updates

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 16:10:21 Z

Hi everyone,

I hope you are keeping safe and well. The academic year so far has been a rocky one and I know how hard everyone has been working to try and keep on top of deadlines and learning. Things are tough right now and it is important to make sure you are staying connected and talking to one another.

I was lucky enough to attend an online session the other day and see first-hand how much resilience you are showing as students. Many of you are juggling child-care, working in crowded homes or struggling with WiFi and broadband as everyone is locked inside. You are doing it. A reminder that sometimes knowing when you need to break is the most important thing you can do. Take time and remember little and often.

We have a couple of notifications for you:

Blackboard Changes

A new interface for Blackboard was installed on 8^th February called Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation. Having previewed this upgrade, it seems to have a fresher, more modern look to it, and more obvious ways to access courses and organisations. Once you arrive, the actual courses and organisations are the same as they were before.

Please click over to ITCS’s Update Page to familiarise yourself with the new look and feel. The page has screenshots and screencasts and descriptions of what to expect.

Safety Net FAQs

I have had some questions around extensions and safety net/no detriment guidance. We have been given a link to the FAQs from the University, so I am sharing it with you here so you can refer to it if you are worried.

https://my.uea.ac.uk/divisions/student-and-academic-services/learning-and-teaching/students/covid-19/assessment-support/no-detriment-faqs

Supporting our Nursing Students. A Statement

We understand that things are tough for all our students now. We wanted to give a thanks for those fighting on the front line and help support them with issues around placement and completion/taking a break in study.

We’re working with the School of Health Sciences to ensure that students and apprentices are not disadvantaged by changes to structure of their course, especially where these changes result in a break in study or the extension of placement/theory learning into the summer. This includes where changes may result in rearranged childcare, accommodation, or other factors that may affect your ability to study. We’re already discussing these issues with your student representatives, with the relevant course teams and with staff across the School – If you’d like to feed into these conversations, please get in touch.

We have written to the CMA

The Consumer Marketing Authority (CMA) deals with issues surrounding universities and students as consumers of their services. We have written to them to see clarity around how the changes to teaching and learning might affect students position as consumers, and thus the grounds for complaints. For many months now there has been little attempt to provide clarity and this has resulted in either silence or unclear communication from various HE bodies and regulators that make it difficult for students to know where to go if their educational experience has had severe detriment to their outcomes. Further to this, we know all students experience has been altered and we want to seek clarity on why the lack acknowledgement that quality might not be to the same standard for all, isn’t being explored and reviewed. You can find the copy of my letter, signed by many other officers around the country, here.

Complaints:

We are currently working on making sure you know where to submit your concerns and complaints. Whether it be within the University, with the regulator or higher bodies; we want to make the process simple for you and we are taking steps to communicate this clearly and provide some opportunity for you to ask questions and seek clarity. More on this soon.

Education Hub is LIVE

You may have seen the news that the new Education Hub on the SU Website is LIVE. You can find it under Your Education in the main menu.

The Education Hub has been a passion project of two years. Collecting snippets of the most important things to students and combining areas of importance for education and representation. We have some fantastic students representing their peers, we have some great resources across the university and SU that students want to access centrally, and we have collected content that is accessible and relevant to our current discussions with students. The Education Hub puts a spotlight on all these areas in a one-stop-shop for students on our website. In the future, we aim to add good news stories about representatives and expand our collections of resources through discovering what our students are talking about and creating. This truly is a space created in response to student need and driven by student conversations and priorities, as well as showing off how our collaborations with the university really can do good for students. Thank you to all departments that have contributed to the space and if you would like to see something that we have missed, please do get in touch.

There is lots going on now and we are doing our best to work through it all. I always have loads going on behind the scenes and so if you have any questions or want to get involved with anything then please let me know via my Facebook page or email callum.perry@uea.ac.uk

Take Care,

Love,

Cal X

uea responds to letter on tuition fees

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 16:48:47 Z

Hi All,

Hope you are keeping safe and well.

Over the last few weeks we have been working hard, as mandated by Union Council, to support you in the fight for tuition fee refunds and compensation. We are currently working on some SU content to help you make sense of how to seek support at the University and what we mean by ‘quality’ in teaching and learning so you can divert your issues to the correct place. One of the things we did about a month ago was reach out to the University and ask for their response to our letter on tuition fees and the learning experience of students at this time. You can read their response here. I apologise for the delay in publishing their response. We wanted to try and address some of their points in the letter with them and as a result of our discussions, many universities including UEA have come together to raise their concerns with government and ask for interest rate reductions. You can read the press release here. Whilst there is still lots to learn about this approach and seek your views on if this is a useful suggestion that will be positively felt by many, we think that sticking the head above the parapet is a step in the right direction and that our continued conversations with UEA about your concerns are effective.

We have also addressed international student experience through writing to the VC on this issue and Ayane has been working hard to make the voices of international students heard. Some of this letter will ring true with actions we have taken several weeks ago and for that we apologise for the delay in getting this out to you. We have so much we need to tell you and our teams are working as quick as possible to give you quality communications that are transparent and beneficial to you all.

There is still work to do around making sure the University continues to monitor the standards of learning and teaching during this time. I want to thank every single course rep, convenor and student that has come forward to help represent their peers on issues affecting them. Without these amazing leaders, with positions that are incredibly more demanding this year, we could not gain the insights we do without you. As many of you have had January assessment, there are bound to be worries about how these went and how the quality of your learning played a part in this. We want to hear and support you. I was lucky enough to be involved in watching some presentations by students the other day and I was so proud of them in the way showed resilience and tenacity in learning online and dealing with all the difficulties that come with this. Now more than ever, we need to support one another and I hope that we are demonstrating to you how we are taking your concerns seriously and raising them regularly. We are beginning to see how your voice can help push outcomes both locally and nationally. This is a complex and difficult topic and we want to continue to work with you.

Any questions, please do let me know.

All the best,

Cal X

Callum.Perry@uea.ac.uk

letter to the vc: student feeling in relation to course fees

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 14:57:58 Z

In light of the ongoing disruption caused by the pandemic, we've received numerous questions about tuition fees for this and the next academic year. We've written an open letter to UEA's Vice Chancellor, Prof David Richardson, to express your concerns.

You can read our letter below or download a copy.

Student Feeling in relation to Course Fees

Dear David and Executive colleagues

In the second half of the academic year 19/20 COVID-19 took hold across the country and most students and staff found themselves having to adapt quickly to new online provision. Whilst this was difficult for all involved, the pace of change coupled with changes to assessment, grading and module choices left many students at UEA and across the country confused and worried. As students entered the new academic year 20/21, online provision became the norm with some blended offering where possible. The overall impression across the student body was that this was not rolled out well, and whilst many students understood the task at hand, they were disappointed and underwhelmed by the provision offered. From our anecdotal conversations, many students have expressed concerns, despite understanding the difficulties teaching staff have faced:

Lecturers have put in a lot of effort. Nice to have the recorded lectures to look back on. Find doing practical maths sessions very difficult online when there's 80 people in the collaborate room and class discussions and talking to peers far more difficult online.

Had one face to face session all term, the move to online has some benefits, for example being recorded, easy to attend as just have to get out bed etc. But breakout rooms are useless they are often silent, and hard to interact with other people, also sometimes feels a disconnect between teachers and pupils.

Less live teaching and no face to face contact, along with lecturers seemingly not having received proper training on how to use the live lecture software has given a lower quality of teaching than last year, despite this year arguably being a much more important year.

They are doing the best they can with what they have but we pay a lot of money to attend the university and we are not being supported as well as we could be if it was face to face.

Video streaming was temperamental even in UEA residences. Also, paying for tuition AND accommodation rent and getting mostly online content and video lectures is NOT value for money. In countries where free tuition is policy, students have not even had to deal with the value for money issue, but over here, it is a completely different story.

To add to this, the changes to assessments left many students concerned about their ability to complete them well and having the correct resources to do so. Some students also had concerns over high stakes assessment which in some cases, became a by-product of the reduced number of assessments. Whilst the feeling is mixed and contrasting in this area, the overwhelming sense of anxiety is clear for many students. This anxiety has only been exacerbated with the tightening of Government restrictions in the last 24 hours.

Whilst we know first-hand the hard work and commitment that has been taken to try and provide a full offer of online learning, the successful rollout of this has been varied across schools. Many do this well, but many have left students feeling that the provision they have received has landed far below expectations. Much of the student population feel aggrieved that they were promised a face-to-face provision in some capacity and this is now looking more and more likely to not be the case for the full academic year. The Pandemic has caused massive disruption to the lives of students, the changing in Government guidance and rules regarding mixing in both academic and social circumstances has meant that students have not been able to take advantage of the all the usual opportunities available to them

Naturally, due to this disruption, students are questioning the value of the offer both in terms of fees and accommodation charges. We support students in their endeavour to lobby for tuition fee refunds. We recognise that whilst the UK Government has spent £210bn on COVID response none of this money has gone to universities to support hem for loss of income or additional costs incurred in making campuses COVID secure, converting teaching to on-line and providing additional support for student mental health and wellbeing.

We have the following questions

Is the university prepared to acknowledge the disruption the pandemic has caused for students?

What action is the university taking to support students demands for compensation for this disruption. What action are the University and Universities UK taking to lobby the Government to give financial support universities currently, particularly to support the refund of student rents?

Will the university commit to providing greater transparency around the financial position of the institution and engage in dialogue with students to help them understand the Universities current funding issues?

Will the University support student demands from Government to compensate them and financially support Universities?

Would the Vice Chancellor participate in a live online Q&A with students?

How will the University offer greater transparency around academic mitigations being put in place?

Despite the difficulties that the whole HE sector faces, we know the UEA have been working incredibly hard to ensure students are given the best quality teaching and learning and are supported well through this difficult time. However, we feel that the time has come to engage in serious dialogue around this area. Students feel aggrieved and tired of the constant changes and restrictions on their learning and wider opportunities. Students feel that the offer that has had to be presented for their degree this year is now far removed from what they hoped, expected and were promised. UEA students are resilient but they also now feel they have no other alternative than to ask for a tuition fee refund.

We thank you once again for your willingness to engage in conversations such as these and look forward to response to our questions.

Sincerely,

Em Anderson – Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer

Ayane Hida – Postgraduate Education Officer

Lizzie Payne – Activities and Opportunities Officer

Callum Perry – Undergraduate Education Officer

Hamish Williams – Campaigns and Democracy Officer

your 2020-2021 convenors

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 14:39:14 Z

Hi Everyone,

Every year our school and faculty convenors are the eyes and ears to both Education Officers. They help bring key issues to the forefront of our mind and support us in wider work with students on their educational experience. We wanted to take the opportunity to put the spotlight on them and give a short introduction to themselves an what they want to do for you this year.

So, without further ado, welcome your 20-21 convenors.

All the best,

Cal X

Becca Morrison (DEV)

I’m a third year International Development student and I have been a rep since my first year, always pushing for the best for DEV students. People ask me why I wanted to be DEV convenor this year and the truth is that people already thought I was, so it just made sense! This year is the most important year of all for many of us, so I want to make sure that teaching is at its highest standard and that no-one is left behind

Sophie White (PHA)

I’m a 4th year Pharmacy student and I am the school convenor for Pharmacy this year. I have been a course rep since my 2nd year and I am passionate about ensuring every student within the Pharmacy school can contribute to student voice at UEA

Diana Baltag (MED)

I'm Diana (she/her), a third year medical student and this year's MED convenor. This year my focus is student voice and representation by enabling faster and more direct communication between students and staff, which is particularly important this year with distance learning. I would also like to continue the conversation about mental health and signpost students to the right resources for them

Dan Siddorn (PPL)

Hi everyone - I'm Dan (he/him), a postgraduate taught student in Media, Culture and Society and school convenor for PPL. One of our main focuses this year is ensuring students are supported in their new learning situations online through regular student and staff feedback and drafting of 'Online Learning Protocols'.

Ben Woodruff (EDU)

I’m Ben, a third year undergraduate in the school of education studying on the physical Education course. I was course rep last year, and have stepped up to the convenor this year. My main for this year is to ensure as little disruption as possible is felt by students, as well as to look at potential collaborative projects with various university departments to benefit students, such as enhancing study spaces.

Sarah Nichols (PSY)

I'm Sarah (She/her) and I am a third year psychology student and this year's school convenor for Psy. My main focus this year is to ensure all students in the school get the best possible academic experience they can despite COVID and that everyone feels listened to and represented.

Ruby Rae (ENV)

I'm Ruby (She/her) and I am a third year Environmental Sciences student and the current school convener for ENV. Our focus this year is involving students on our wide range of course variants to make sure that teaching is successful and that students remain feeling like part of an immersive community while studying at UEA.

Zoe Callow (LDC)

I'm Zoe (she/her) and I'm a third year English Literature and Drama student, and school convenor for LDC. This year I want to focus on spreading the word about course reps and SSLCs, so every student knows who their rep is and how they can get in touch!

Adriel Fung (MED)

I'm Adriel, fourth year Medical Student, and faculty convenor for FMH. I'm particularly interested in the transition from in-person learning to online learning. I hope to improve the consistency and the standards of delivery, while suggesting improvements to improve the interactivity of the lecturers to healthcare students. The conversation has already been started and work is getting done, but I'm open to any suggestions or feedback. I can be reached either by email/teams, or during our Faculty Student Forums happening every other week .

Charlie Harvey (HSC)

Hello all, my name is Charlie and I am the HSC Convenor for NMC programs. I am passionate in inclusive education, enabling participation in HSC and promoting health care sciences across post-16 establishments.

Now so more than ever I am particularly interested in supporting learners in their placements.

If you have any questions please contact me via email.

Ellis Sullivan (AMA)

I'm Ellis (she/her), a fourth year American Studies student who did a year abroad last year and am currently the School Convenor for AMA. The main focus of mine for this year is ensuring we are getting the most out of our degrees as possible; especially during a time where teaching has moved online and many are questioning how well universities are adapting to this change. I have started a dialogue about what is most useful for students and would love to hear from any students about what they think is and is not working so that I can ensure we are all getting the teaching we deserve. Please feel free to email me, I am always happy to discuss feedback about AMA.

Kristy Laverick (HUM Faculty PG)

I represent PG student voice for the Humanities faculty.

Afia Tajammal (HSC)

Hello! My name’s Afia (she/her) and this year I am the HSC school convenor representing the OT, PT and SLT cohorts. I am in my second year studying Speech and Language Therapy. In my role as School Convenor I hope to ensure that any problems faced by us as healthcare students are heard and acted upon appropriately, whether it’s about contact hours and workloads, promoting student wellbeing or the financial, emotional and physical demands of clinical placements. I am particularly passionate about increasing awareness around equality, diversity and Cultural Competence. I hope to ensure these themes are more explicit in our curriculum and teaching so that we are prepared to effectively support and work with colleagues, peers and service users from a wide range of backgrounds as students and future healthcare professionals.

Mari Silva (CHE)

Hello everyone! I hope you are keeping safe and enjoying the start of the new academic year. I would like to introduce myself: my name is Mari, I’m on Chemistry Year 3 and I am the Chemistry School Convenor for 2020-21. These are issues I am hoping to raise attention to during the next few weeks. These include both concerns raised by students over the past few years, and more recent feedback:

• Implementing Discussion Boards for all modules

• Breaks during lectures which are longer than 2 hours

• Maths Support Accessibility and extended support for students without a background in Maths

• Better student representation within Physics

• Year 0 and Year 1 integration within the school

Whether it is a personal concern, a wider issue or a recommendation, or perhaps you’d like share your feedback on this post, you can always contact me through M.Soares-Da-Silva@uea.ac.uk.

Travis Cullum (NAT)

Hi everyone, I'm Travis Cullum (he/him), the Natural Sciences School Convener. Natural Sciences is an extremely versatile course and as such, my goal is simply to do whatever I can to help accommodate all students. I am a friendly, approachable person, so please do not hesitate to contact me regarding any issues or concerns you may have relating to the course specifically or your university experience at t.cullum@uea.ac.uk

Holly Reader (SCI Faculty UG)

I represent UG students for the whole Science faculty.

Daniel Hempstead (ECO)

Hi everyone, I'm Daniel Hempstead, the School Convenor for Economics this academic year. I am a second year undergraduate, and my role as convenor involves chairing the Economics SSLC, making sure students voices in my school are heard, and chatting with other convenor about education as a whole at the university.

Originally my goals were to increase student engagement and show the importance of having a student input in our teaching. Now with the effects of COVID-19, these goals are much more serious. Instead of focusing on engagement with the SSLC, my main goal is engagement with online studies. Some students are benefiting from it, but for those students who aren't I feel it is my role to make sure the school is providing the right help and resources for these students who are struggling with this situation, and making sure all students are well aware of the services available, both new and old services.

Omari Cunningham (NBS)

I represent students voice for the Norwich Business School.

Beth Mann (FMH Faculty PG)

Hiya! My name is Beth and I am studying MSc Adult and Mental Health Nursing and I am also the FMH postgraduate faculty convenor. In the current climate it can be difficult for healthcare professionals on every level to feel heard, so I hope to provide a platform through which the voices of the healthcare workers of tomorrow, can be heard today. My email is beth.mann@uea.ac.uk, pop me an email whenever you would like ??

Meg de Pasquale-Crighton (SCI Faculty PG)

My name is Meg (she/her) and I’m a postgraduate student within the School of Environmental Sciences. I was elected as the PG Faculty Convenor for SCI, and within this role I’d really like to empower postgraduate students to make the most of their time at UEA, with a particular focus on integration and community building. As a representative of all postgraduate students in SCI, through your feedback I’d like to transform the real student voice into positive, actionable and sustainable change. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly via email (meg.de@uea.ac.uk) or drop me a message on Facebook

Alex Arcay (SSF Faculty PG)

Hello everyone! My name is Alex Arcay and I'm currently studying MSc Management. My current role is Norwich Business School Faculty Convenor. Over the course of the year I would like to gather as much feedback as possible from students to make beneficial changes to each course with the help of the University.

Max Wrigley (IIH)

Hi, my name’s Max (pronouns: he/him). I’m on the Humanities Foundation Year and I’m the IIH School Convenor. I hope to progress onto the Creative Writing and English Literature BA next September, as I would like to become an author. I’m contactable on my email address: m.wrigley@uea.ac.uk.

Rory McKnight (SSF Faculty UG)

My name is Rory and I’m in my third year at UEA studying International Development with Politics. This year I’m the undergraduate social science faculty convenor, and I’m looking forward to working with course reps and school convenors across the faculty to help support current students through their studies and also help to improve courses for future students.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the online teaching that this necessitates will undoubtedly be a focus this year. This in mind, I will do all that I can to make sure that social science students can get the most out of online teaching, and make sure any issues are resolved quickly’.

Dzifa Williams (HUM Faculty UG)

Hello, I am Dzifa Williams and my pronouns are she/her! I am from LDC and currently in my final year of an English Literature degree! I am the Undergraduate Faculty Convenor for Arts and Humanities. In this academic year, I want to work with you as students, alongside the School Convenors and Course Reps to ensure that this academic year is not stolen by the pandemic by bringing about change to benefit the current and future students within this faculty. If you would like to contact me, you can do so using my email address which is dzifa.williams@uea.ac.uk.

Jude Salaymeh (BIO)

Heya! My name is Jude Salaymeh, I am in my 2nd year of Molecular Biology and Genetics. I am your new School of BIO Convenor! As a Convenor my aim is to give back to the BIO community and to ensure that all the students can have a great experience at university. I will do my best to make sure that students' voices are heard, and their needs are met. Please feel free to contact me via Email at any time with feedback on anything involving the School of BIO, and I will aim to address your concerns to hopefully make a positive impact within the BIO Community!

Jordan Lubega (CMP)

Hello! I’m Jordan Lubega. I’m currently in year 1 enrolled on the Computer Science Course. I am also a School Convenor too! My goal for this year is to allow students to be inspired and be unfettered to discovering the full potential of the Computer Science course; learning optimally whilst enjoying it! You can contact me through my email: j.lubega@uea.ac.uk.

Garret Brown (SWK)

Hi Y’all,

My name is Garrett Brown (he/him/his). I am a MA2 student studying at the School of Social Work where I will be representing Social Work and Sociology students as Convenor. My goal is to uplift student voices and to encourage wellbeing in our school. I would love to hear from you! Feel free to email me: Garrett.Brown@uea.ac.uk and follow me on Twitter: @gb_SocialWorker.

Beginning of the Academic Year Notices

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 16:30:42 +0100

Hi Everyone,

Well, it’s been over 6 months since the university closed its doors for teaching. It’s also been 6 months since many new students now arriving at UEA stopped attending sixth form and college, and it has been 6 months since everyone last sat in a classroom together and learned. However, students have successfully completed A-levels, BTEC’s and assignments. Students have successfully made it into the next year of study and have successfully found their way to university.

Despite the differences in delivery of teaching this year, there are many tools and new resources to help you learn well. With less face-to-face sessions and more remote online learning, it is important to know where you can get support and resources. There will also be changes to some room capacities and expectations when you come onto campus. Let me take you through some recent updates from different areas of the university:

Learning and Teaching Hours

As you will have seen through some of the videos created by UEA, there will be more student-led study and pre-recorded or live remote teaching. In fact, there will be more hours where you will be watching, reading and engaging online than there will be in face-to-face.

Teaching Delivery – The university wants to provide all students with ‘some’ face-to-face teaching. For many that have received their timetable, they will not have any sessions like these in place but the university is working to remedy this from week 5 onwards. Much of your learning will be recorded or streamed live. You will be using many platforms such as Blackboard Collaborate, as well as Teams and Zoom where the lecturer feels it is appropriate. If you need any support with this, please make sure you keep in contact with your adviser and use the support services in the Learning Enhancement Team at UEA.

Support for students learning – There are a whole host of resources and services available to support you. Learning Enhancement at UEA can help you with a host of issues and you may be receiving some online support through UEA Peer Assisted Learning (PAL). We are also working on bringing you UG Dissertation Café again this year, in collaboration with UEA.

Student Preparedness – UEA has worked on building a Blackboard course that helps you navigate a new type of learning as a student. This is a good place to start, with tips for getting the right bandwidth and connection, preparing your study space and keeping track of your learning.

Academic Services

There is no IT helpdesk in the library! For IT help start here https://my.uea.ac.uk/divisions/it-and-computing-services
You need a campus card to get in to the Library. You cannot get in without one. This is to ensure the Library can capture essential NHS test and trace data
The Library has walk-in study spaces and bookable spaces via eVision but they have reduced study space capacity to ensure 2m social distancing. You should only use spaces with a green tick, and the Library cannot offer any group working spaces.
Face coverings must be worn when moving around the Library building.
The Library are keen to hear from you – our helpdesk will be open 9am-5pm Mon – Fri but you can also call them on 01603 592993, email them lib.helpdesk@uea.ac.uk or live chat from my.uea.ac.uk during helpdesk opening hours.

The returns drop boxes will stay – if you are just returning items, the Library does not need you to come into the building, so you can make returns via the drop boxes for the near future. This also enables the library to quarantine (yes, books also need to isolate) these items before returning them to the shelves.

We have also created a quick tick-list for you. This is to make sure you know who the key people in the university are and where to go to find out so you have all the right support networks in place.

Your Academic Checklist

Do I know who my full-time officers are?
Do I know who my Head of School is?
Do I know who my Module Leader is?
Do I know who the Course Director is?
Do I know who my Course Rep is?
Do I know who my Faculty Convenor is?
Do I know where my courses are on Blackboard?
Do I know where my timetable is on E-vision?
Do I know how to access Learning Support?
Do I know how to access support for my wellbeing?

This is a difficult time and many of you are likely to be worried about the transition into a new type of learning. The first semester will be lots of trial and error, and we want to hear from you about how you are finding learning and support at UEA. Please get in contact with us via socials @ueasuundergraduate, follow our Instagram @unionuea or give me an email on callum.perry@uea.ac.uk

Wishing you all the success for the beginning of the academic year!

Cal X

A new normal: Preparing for the new academic year

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 16:03:44 +0100

We are beginning to enter a period where the new academic year seems so far away but, this year; there is lots of worry about how to prepare for a new experience of learning and teaching. Since lockdown, we have been working hard with the university to make sure there are arrangements in place, which mean you can still receive a quality experience when you come back or arrive at UEA. As we move into the summer and more of these plans take shape, I wanted to share some of the places/things you can visit to begin preparing for the next academic year.

‘This is learning’

UEA has prepared some video content that aims to explore some of the changes and let you know what to expect when you return to or start your journey at UEA. In case you have not seen it, here are some of my key takeaways:

You may see changes in the timetable to make sure you can move around the campus’ one way system with plenty of time.
There will be NO large lectures this academic year. Instead there will be small face-to-face workshops, seminars, labs or fieldwork where possible.
UEA will use a mixture of both online and face-to-face teaching methods; called Blended Learning.
Face-to-face teaching will be done where possible but all students will have access to the virtual learning environment through Blackboard and other practices that your school might choose to use.
Overall, you will have around 37.5 hours a week of studying. This incorporates learning that is done by staff and then learning you do on your own.

‘Student Preparedness Course’

UEA has prepared a new course in Blackboard. It is an interactive and informative short course, which you can dip in and out of to learn about some of the changes for September and prepare yourself with practical solutions to managing time and adjusting to new types of learning method. With a message from me on how we can support you with changes, as well as messages and tutorials from academics about what to expect and how to plan; this is a great first step into thinking about returning to campus in September. Some of the key areas to look at would be:

Creating a learning portfolio

This looks at the how you can map out where you learn and how you process information in different areas. With online content, face-to-face teaching, seminars, podcasts, journals etc; there are lots of places that you can go to find your information. It is useful to keep track of this and academics on the course will guide you through how to do this effectively.

Making sure that your bandwidth, network security and software is up to date

This includes practical step-by-step guidance on how to make sure you have the best connectivity that you have and that you can access the correct software for your learning in September.

Keeping motivated

This includes practical tips like taking breaks in your learning. ‘Teams Tiredness’ is a REAL thing (trust me) and so it is all about making sure you have plenty of opportunity to take a break from the screen or working out small goals for you to achieve if you are struggling to work from your home or your room.

Understanding what the ‘learning week’ will look like

This includes understanding what Synchronous (Learning that happens in actual time, like a lecture) and Asynchronous (Learning that can take place at any time, like catching up on a podcast or watching a recording or doing some planning work) are.

Your safety and wellbeing is the biggest priority to us, and we understand that you might be concerned about returning to campus and studying. At advice(su) we are committed to helping you through difficult periods with your studies. Whether you have an issue with the delivery of teaching and learning, need support with your studies or have concerns about assessment; we can help you through that journey. Many of you will have had to change modules or will have seen changes to your learning and we want to make sure you are satisfied as a student. If you have any issues or concerns about your teaching in the next academic year you can email me on callum.perry@uea.ac.uk

Stay safe and I look forward to seeing you in September.

Cal x

Important update: module changes deadline 9th July

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 15:52:10 +0100

Over the last few weeks we updated you on the plans for schools to contact you around changes that might be happening to your courses for the next academic year.

We understand that for some students this will involve a big change to their studies. For others this will only be a minor change but regardless of this, it is really important that you get your module changes completed before the deadline on the Thursday 9^th July.

As we have said before, make sure you do the following regularly:

Check your emails regularly to ensure you access the information about how you are affected, before the 9^th July.
If you don’t understand the changes, contact your school using the contact info provided in your email.
If you are concerned about how the change affects you personally or need further help understanding what it means, you can get in touch with advice(su) here and our advisors can support you in exploring your options.
If you want to raise a course, school or faculty level issue, use the form here and our officers will raise your concern with school or faculty leads, or university senior management as required.
If you feel worried about coming back for whatever reason – money, health, caring responsibilities – speak to your school to see what they can do to support you to learn remotely.
As your student union, we want to understand how you feel about the changes being made and how those changes are being communicated, so please also use the form to share your feedback with us good or bad.

We have also been working with the university to provide answers to you question around raising complaints. If you feel that you have an issue you want to raise, and it hasn’t been addressed informally, then you would find the link to FAQ’s surrounding raising complaints here.

The SU will continue to provide you with up-to-date information on any deadlines and information to help you make informed choices about changes to your learning and your rights as a student. Remember to do the following:

Check your emails regularly.
Ask questions to your school if you are unsure
Raise concerns if you are feeling unsure about returning
Make sure you submit your module changes by 9^th July.

Take care of yourselves.

Cal x

Changes to courses for September 2020 and what it means for you

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 14:12:43 +0100

By now most students will be aware that significant changes have been taking place across the curriculum in preparation for September. Hopefully you have received an email explaining what those changes are and that they are due to the safety and logistical challenges, and the financial impact, of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your students' union aim is to ensure that the new curriculum works well for students and that where changes have been made to module and course options, students are fully consulted, student feedback is listened to and valued, and students’ interests are protected. Finally, we want to ensure students have appropriate routes of complaint if they are not happy with the options available to them.

We fully appreciate the amount of hard work the university has been doing to prepare the changes to curriculum for this and the next academic year. We want to ensure that all staff and students feel confident and competent to make new types of learning work and enjoy the innovative ideas that will come out of these changes.

You can find out more about how your student officers have been involved in this process and what we have been advocating for here.

We anticipate further communication will be coming out to students next week explaining exactly what these module changes are and how your course is affected. For many the changes are likely to be minimal or low impact. But it is likely that there are some students who will feel that the changes have a significant impact on the course they were expecting to do. So what do you need to do?

Check your emails regularly to ensure you access the information about how you are affected as soon as you can – there will be a deadline by which you need to respond to your school with any decisions you make.
If you don’t understand the changes, contact your school using the contact info provided in your email.
If you are concerned about how the change affects you personally or need further help understanding what it means, you can get in touch with advice(su) here and our advisors can support you in exploring your options.
If you want to raise a course, school or faculty level issue, use the form here and our officers will raise your concern with school or faculty leads, or university senior management as required.
If you feel worried about coming back for whatever reason – money, health, caring responsibilities – speak to your school to see what they can do to support you to learn remotely.
As your student union, we want to understand how you feel about the changes being made and how those changes are being communicated, so please also use the form to share your feedback with us good or bad.

As always, don’t be a stranger. Stay safe and keep in touch

Callum