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The Queen’s Partnership Project

Current Partnership Arrangements

Introduction
Current Partnership Arrangements

Queen’s University Belfast and the Students’ Union are proud of their strong joint commitment to student participation, engagement and representation. The University considers student participation in the ongoing development of the University and within a wide range of decision making processes to be of vital importance, and seeks to ensure that a number of opportunities for student engagement and involvement exist within its normal functioning.

There are many opportunities for students to participate including:

two female students drinking coffee in the students union with the Lanyon building in the background
Current Partnership
Students' Union

The Students’ Union is the heart of the student voice. It ensures the student voice is heard and student partnership is active by electing six full-time Sabbatical Officers who represent students in welfare, equality and diversity, education, postgraduate and student activities.

The SU also elects 12 part-time Officers each year. All Officers represent students’ needs and interests at an institutional, local and national level.

Students can get involved by running for Student Council, signing up to Volunteer SU, developing business skills through Enterprise SU, getting involved with Clubs and Societies, and availing of the services of Advice SU.

Students can also make use of the multitude of rooms and spaces in the SU, be it for clubs and societies, fundraising, social events, and more.

The SU also runs events and campaigns each year to engage students and ensure their views are represented. Further information is available at: http://www.qubsu.org/

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Current Partnership
Student Representation

Each year we elect over 700 student reps to ensure the student voice is heard on behalf of their course or School. Both the Students’ Union and the University work together to ensure all of our student reps are trained and supported in ensuring that student issues are raised, acted upon, and that changes are made to provide a better educational experience.

All student reps work proactively to gather feedback from students on their educational experience, which they then discuss with staff to find resolutions to any issues and ways to progress and enhance students’ education.

The School Reps work closely with, and are supported by the VP Education in the Students’ Union as well as having a position on Academic Board, which functions as a University-wide Staff Student Consultative Committee.

Student reps are vital to both the University and the Students’ Union as they are the frontline of the student voice and the key link between staff and students across the University.

Students can also represent their cohort by running for Student Council, to be a Part-Time Officer, or a Full-Time Officer. Further information is available at: http://www.qubsu.org/change/YourStudentReps/

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Current Partnership
Membership of University Committees

The University and the Students’ Union work together to ensure that students are represented on all relevant committees and are supported, trained and heard.

The elected full-time Sabbatical Team represents students on a wide range of committees across all Faculties and the University, and has an open and constructive relationship with Senior Management in the University. 

Members of student council are also elected to a number of different committees including Senate, Academic Council, Academic Board, and the Students’ Union Management Board, as well as a number of Students’ Union Council committees.

School and Course Representatives sit on their School’s Staff Student Consultative Committee (SSCC), which is either chaired by the School Rep or jointly by a Course Rep and a member of staff.

The School Rep also attends the School’s Education Committee and School Board. All of the above allow students the chance to have their say on their education and experience and to be involved in implementing changes and enhancing their education and experience during their time at Queen’s.

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Current Partnership
Quality Assurance and Enhancement

The University’s quality assurance and enhancement procedures encourage student engagement in the ongoing review of the curriculum and learning opportunities. This includes active student participation in new programme approval and in programme monitoring and review where students form part of the membership of the panels set-up to undertake this work.

Further information is available at: https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/

Dragonslayers
Current Partnership
Clubs and Societies

With over 200 Clubs and Societies, there are many opportunities for students to be elected into a number of different roles including, President, Secretary, Treasurer, Media and Communication, or of course as a member.

Our many Clubs and Societies offer students the chance to meet new people, develop new skills, and even get rewarded for the work they put in with a Future-Ready Award accreditation. Further information is available at:
http://www.qubsu.org/ClubsSocieties/

Current Partnership
Feedback

The University seeks to gather the views of students through a range of ways including: student evaluation of teaching; major student experience surveys such as the National Student Survey, Postgraduate Experience Surveys and internal First and Second Year Experience Surveys; and through our student representation structures.

Students may also give feedback more informally through their participation in lectures and tutorials. Further information is available at:

http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/CentreforEducationalDevelopmen t/StudentFeedback/

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Current Partnership
Undergraduate Peer Mentoring

QUB undergraduate peer mentoring schemes give new students the opportunity to make friends, find their way about campus and get to grips with their degree course by keeping in regular contact with a mentor who has already experienced first year.

Undergraduate peer mentoring is student-led with mentors designing schemes to suit the particular needs of students within their School.

All undergraduate peer mentors are provided with training and each School has an academic co-ordinator available for support and guidance. Further information is available at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/learning/PeerMentoring/

Current Partnership
Development Weeks

Development Weeks provide students with the opportunity, as part of the academic year, to participate in a variety of activities that complement their studies to gain skills beyond their degree pathway and to explore and experiment with new subject areas.

Students are encouraged to develop ideas for activities that they could deliver to their peers from across the University; provide suggestions for events; and review their experiences by writing ongoing reflections and develop a personal portfolio and CV.

Further information is available at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/DevelopmentWeeks/

800x533 smiling student with juice
Current Partnership
Informal Engagement

Students are encouraged to interact and engage with staff at the University on an ongoing basis in terms of their experience. This can be as simple as a student having a chat with their lecturer after class or in the corridor and giving their views on their experience on the programme. This type of open dialogue can have a major impact when trying to implement change.

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