Training & Skills Development

Personal Development for Reps

We believe that any student has the potential to make a brilliant Course Rep or School Rep. All we ask is that you start your year with a commitment to improve the educational lives of students a Salford and be willing to learn new skills! The Students’ Union is committed to supporting your personal development and will provide a tailored training programme throughout the year to develop the skills needed for the role.

How does it work?

Shortly after being appointed, you will be invited to mandatory training which will cover the basics of being a Rep.
We then provide at least 2 hours of training for each broad soft skill category to help you skill-up throughout the year.
You can pick and chose which of these sessions you want to attend based on which skills you feel you need to develop. Sign-up to a session using the link below.
Use the table on this page to understand how you then utilise these skills while fulfilling your role as a Rep!

By the end of the year you should be able to list all the skills you’ve developed and specific examples of how you’ve demonstrate them!

The registration form for each session can be found on the table below! Please only sign up to a session if you're sure you can attend as we have limited capacity. As you would expect, sessions will be delivered online via Teams - you will be sent a link to the session the day before it is due to take place.

Below is a wheel of all the skills we will support you in developing.

School Rep Skills Wheel Course Rep Skills Wheel

Use this table to see how Reps demonstrate all the skills in the wheels above, and when additional training sessions will take place!

Skill		How Reps Demonstrate This Skill	Training Sessions
Communicator	Communication	Course Reps & School Reps adapt tone of voice dependent on whether communicating with students or senior staff. These conversations are often informed by the personal experiences of other students, Reps speak on behalf of others concisely and sensitively.	Communicator Award Session name: Managing Difficult Conversations Session name: Presenting with Confidence
	Listening	Course Reps listen to the concerns and feedback of their peers. School Reps Listen to the concerns and feedback of Course Reps and other students.
	Negotiating & Influencing	School Reps make arguments for change to Subject Heads and other senior staff in the University, based on student feedback. Course Reps make arguments for change to Programme Leaders based on student feedback. Reps work towards finding a compromise.
	Confidence	Course Reps and School Reps interact with staff more senior to them. They believe in the requests they are making and their ideas.
	Public Speaking	Course Reps collect feedback in-person during lectures. School Reps raise awareness of their role with Course Reps in their area. They support in recruitment of Course Reps via lecture shout-outs and stalls.
	Presentation	School Reps assist with the training of Course Representatives when required.
Problem Solver	Critical Thinking	School Reps attend Programme Approval and Review Panels. They assess if they feel the changes to programmes will have a positive impact on students. School Reps must assess if student feedback has been sufficiently recognised and integrated into decisions.	Problem Solver Award Session name: Leadership and Problem Solving Date: TBC Additional sessions coming soon!
	Research	School Reps conduct further research into school-wide issues, with support of the Students’ Union. They disseminate Students’ Union led research to Course Reps when required.
	Problem Solving	Course Reps & School Reps Propose solutions to issues identified when collecting student feedback. They consider feedback and understand the root cause of the problem, or wider picture.
	Project Management	School Reps conduct research into issues that affect students across a Subject Group which need further investigation. This will often lead to a longer-term project that might need to be strategically managed.
	Leadership & Management	School Reps attend relevant meetings with University staff to discuss feedback on behalf of the Subject Group or Directorate. School Reps take responsibility for their actions and what they say on behalf of those their represent, as a student leader.
	Reviewing & Evaluating	Course Reps review feedback from their peers and evaluate what the best course of action might be. School Reps analyse data sets to identify directorate-level issues and writing reports when required. They collate feedback from Course Reps on their experience, face-to-face & online
Emotionally Intelligent	Teamwork	School Reps work with other School Reps across Directorates to represent students’ views to the Union. They will often collaborate on projects and campaigns.	Emotionally Intelligent Award Session name: Improv for Team Building Time: 1 hour Date: TBC Session name: Emotional Intelligence Workshop Date: TBC
Emotionally Intelligent	Mediation	Course Reps and School Reps may handle cases where staff and students can not identify an agreed solution to feedback. Reps find a way forward while maintaining positive relationships and help both parties see each other’s side.
Professional	Networking	Course Reps and School Reps raise awareness of the Rep system with peers. Reps quickly forming memorable connections with students in passing.	Professional Award Additional sessions coming soon!
	Knowledge of Governance & Quality Assurance	School Reps attend Programme Approval and Review Panels and Student Disciplinary Panels. School Reps can review Programme Action Logs across a Subject Group as part of the Programme Monitoring and Enhancement Process (PMEP).
	Time Management	Course Reps and School Reps attend relevant meetings with University staff to discuss feedback on behalf of a Subject Group. School Reps attend meetings of the Union’s Academic Executive and other relevant meetings. Academic work is effectively planned around these commitments accordingly.

Student Voice

Training & Skills Development

Personal Development for Reps