Semester Two Report

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Rep: Tariq Ali

The second semester of the 2024/25 academic year flew by. This semester, our primary challenge revolved around navigating the changes to graduation days; however, we also made significant strides on other issues and initiatives, as outlined below.

As highlighted in my previous reports, my main goal as a School Rep has been to enhance communication between the university, faculty, and students. This has been increasingly important given the recent redundancies affecting programmes, module changes, and the rescheduling of graduation days, issues that, while not entirely resolved, have already seen improvements in university communication as a result of our collective efforts.

Other successes this semester included:

• Strengthening the feedback collection process within the School by organising meetings between course reps from different programmes. This facilitated the effective collation and actioning of feedback.
• Improving communication about the rationale behind student surveys.
• Ensuring that students receive adequate feedback and engagement following all assignments, while also clarifying the minimum requirements for assessment feedback in the process.

While the announcement of the major change to graduation presented a challenge for many students across our School, the course representatives and I have tried our utmost to support those affected. Following a constructive meeting with the Head of School, VP Activities, and several third-year course reps, where we discussed possible solutions and the need for improved communication, students felt heard and were subsequently able to engage directly in discussions with the university.

Other ongoing issues include:

• Students are awaiting updates regarding the use of certain university buildings next year, such as Cookworthy, and clarification around the closures of its communal areas and facilities.
• Course representatives and I are exploring ways to promote initiatives to help with the rising commuting costs that are impacting students.

Although this has been a challenging time for all students, we have made a positive impact, however small, in fostering better communication and relationships between the faculty and students. A huge thank you to all the course reps, the Student Union, and the staff who worked closely with us throughout the semester.