Who Are Class Representatives?

Class representatives are elected by their peers to represent their views on academic matters to the tutor, lecturer, or Department. They play a vital role not only in representing their classmates but also in making change possible between the needs of their class and those of the academic staff, relaying course-related concerns and information between students and lecturers or tutors in real time. Their role is essential to enhancing the student experience and to promoting greater responsiveness within the teaching and learning environment, ensuring that students’ concerns and inquiries are promptly directed to the appropriate lecturer or tutor.

Class representatives are tasked to convey the views, experiences, and opinions of the class they represent to (where appropriate) the tutor, lecturer, the Enhancing Teaching and Learning Committee, and any other meetings or forums of discussion that they might attend in their capacity as class representative. Class Reps are responsible first to their classmates and then to the lecturer. In serving the broader University community, class representatives help ensure that the University lives up to its reputation as student-friendly, and they are instrumental in promoting the adoption of solution-oriented strategies that consider the individual or specific needs of students. They also contribute to overall student success and are required to attend one meeting per semester with the Enhancing Teaching and Learning Committee.

• Make sure their classmates know who they are
• Familiarize themselves with the student support services offered by the University
• Inform classmates when student feedback is required for important University plans and guiding documents
• Be available for consultation when the Faculty requires student input
• Be available to listen to and assist students who approach them with concerns
• Liaise promptly with the lecturer or tutor about problems or questions raised by students
• Provide feedback to the class on any issue that has been raised with the lecturer or tutor
• Attend meetings of the Enhancing Student and Learning Committee
• Attend the class representative training provided by the Faculty
• Act professionally and respectfully to fellow students and staff
• Know about the course evaluation process and encourage their classmates to provide useful feedback
• Be available to sit on the departmental Student/Staff Liaison Committee should such a request be made

Expectations and Standards of Conduct

• Lead by example as model students, through regular attendance at lectures and tutorials and through their general
• comportment and conduct in relation to their studies
• Facilitate communication between lecturers or tutors and students, while recognizing that this does not replace
• students’ own responsibility to engage directly with course resources, materials, and their lecturers or tutors
• Establish clear boundaries in scheduling their time, so as to appropriately balance their own academic obligations
• with their duties as class representative
• Be sensitive to the personal time of lecturers and tutors by communicating within appropriate working hours
• (unless there is an emergency) and allowing reasonable time for a response

• Inform classmates about important dates and events
• Familiarize themselves with some of the rules and regulations relevant to students
• Refer students to relevant support services
• Become involved in developing resources to support class representatives
• Have opportunities to represent students on other University committees at the Departmental and Faculty level
• Take part in additional training opportunities as they arise
• Offer suggestions about how to improve support for class representatives

• Assume that one student’s issue (or their own) is that held by the entire class
• Speak for all students without checking that their views align with what is about to be expressed, and are shared
• Escalate issues without seeking advice

• Opportunities to develop leadership skills and initiate change
• Training opportunities
• Develop valuable personal transferable skills that look excellent on CVs or other university applications and are very attractive to future employers
• Opportunity to be awarded ‘Class Rep of the Year’
• Opportunities to be the voice of the opinions, concerns, and ideas of your classmates, so they may be addressed

Revised 2026