Student Voice

The student representative system has been designed by GSASA and GSA in partnership with students to ensure as many decisions as possible made at GSA are informed by the Student Voice. You are central to making this system work, and if you become a rep, you will be a conduit for student opinion between the student body and GSA staff. 

There are two types of student representative at GSA - Class Reps and Lead Reps. 

Class Reps
Class Reps are elected by students as a class, and act as a spokesperson for the students in their class and year group. They collate and feedback on issues affecting their programme and are there to ensure that student concerns (large and small) are acted upon by the School. The role of the Class Rep is vital for ensuring that your learning experiences are of a high standard at the School, and you play a key role in ensuring that student voices are acted upon by the School. You participate in Staff Student Consultative Committees and represent the interests of people on your course. 

As a Class Rep you are a member of the SRC and participate in decision making in at least one of the three committees of the SRC. Through this you can get involved in programming, funding opportunities and collaborative projects and campaigns in the Students’ Association, and actively benefit students in the GSA community. By being a member of the SRC, you can put yourself forward for election to the Board of Trustees for the Students’ Association.

Being a Class Rep is an important role and one which can be rewarding and beneficial to students who take it on. They are essential to the running of the GSA and the Students’ Association and play an important role in promoting and championing the needs of student communities. 

As a rep, you develop professional skills and make decisions actively improving opportunities for your fellow students.

Lead Reps
The Lead Reps’ role is an appointed position and represents their whole school rather than just their class. They play a vital role in driving forward some of the most pressing issues that affect students across all years and specialisms in their school.

They do this by attending regular meetings and keeping in contact with class representatives and staff members within the school. They attend important meetings like Staff Student Consultative Committees and the Boards of Studies, where they are the key representative of students interests and concerns, and they actively participate in improvements to student learning across the school. They also work together to work on projects which improve student representation at GSA and are encouraged to participate in shaping key projects concerning student learning and student partnership at the School.

Like Class Reps, the role provides students with excellent experience, developing professional skills and actively participating in improving GSA as a learning environment.

To reflect the level of responsibility and time that comes with this role, an honorarium is awarded Lead Reps. Currently this is £350 per taught semester.

Student Representation on GSA Committees 
Class and Lead Reps can nominate themselves to join various committees as a student representative. Class and Lead Reps can put themselves forward at the start of each year to join the following GSA Committees.

Learning and Teaching Group 

Student Partnership Group 

Education Committee 

All these Committees and Groups have responsibility for the oversight and delivery of key projects and processes concerning Learning and Teaching at the school. Having student voices on these committees is really important and helps ensure student oversight and opinion is heard across the school.

For more information, including the full remits and memberships of these Committees you can visit this page on the GSA website. 

Academic Council 
At the start of each Academic Year, the Students’ Association, and the school hold elections for students to nominate themselves for election to the school’s Academic Council. Academic Council is the most senior academic body in the school and reports directly to the school’s Board of Governors. Currently there is space for up to six student representatives (including GSASAs two Sabbatical Officers). Elections are held in September and October at the start of the Academic Year.