Student Voice Jargon Buster
Academic Representation
Academic Representation is the process through which we empower students to become full and active partners in their educational experience, with a view to improving the quality of teaching and learning at the University of Exeter. The purpose of academic representation is to bring about change and improvement to the academic experience, not to monitor the status quo.
Academic Reps
Academic Reps (short for Representatives) are students who have volunteered to represent other students in their department or faculty.
Academic Societies
Academic Societies are student groups set up with a core aim of providing additional academic and social opportunities for students on a particular course or in a particular department, and for other students who have an interest in that subject area but aren’t studying it for their degree.
Action Log
A condensed version of a meeting’s minutes, focusing on the tasks and actions assigned during a meeting and the context around them, and who they have been assigned to.
Agenda
A written record of the principal points and topics to be discussed at a given meeting, and the order in which they are to be addressed.
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor Education (APVCE)
An academic post within a Faculty, the Associate PVC Education leads the design, delivery and management of a Faculty’s education and teaching strategy. APVCEs support and work closely with the Directors of Education and Student Experience in each Department within their Faculty.
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS)
One of the degree programmes offered by the University of Exeter’s Medical School.
Byelaws
Students’ Guild governance documents created by Student Advisory Board and Trustee Board.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Appointed by the Board of Trustees to run the Students’ Guild.
Code of Conduct
Sets out the standards required of all members of the Guild (i.e., all students of the University of Exeter), as well as the current complaints and disciplinary procedures.
Community Representation
Community Representation describes the support we provide to ensure the needs of our diverse student-led communities are represented outside of their academic studies. The communities we support include disabled students, international students, LGBTQ+ students, mature students, students of colour, students of faith, and women students.
Devonshire House (DH1, DH2, DH3)
The home of the Students’ Guild on Streatham Campus, upstairs from the Forum. DH1, DH2 and DH3 are the three floors of the building.
Director of Education and Student Experience (DESE)
An academic post within a Department. The DESE works to supervise the quality, content and delivery of the taught programmes in their department, and acts as a point of contact to provide support to academics on education matters.
Director of Postgraduate Research (DPGR)
An academic post within a Department and Faculty. The DPGR works to oversee the quality, content and delivery of the research programmes in their department, and acts as a point of contact to provide support to academics on postgraduate research matters.
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy (ESE)
One of the three Faculties within the University. (link departments)
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (HLS)
One of the three Faculties within the University. (link departments)
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (ESE)
One of the three Faculties within the University. (link departments)
Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union (“The SU”)
The Students’ Union for University of Exeter students studying and/or registered at one of the Cornwall campuses – Penryn or Truro.
Full-Time Officer
A student officer whose role is full-time (e.g. Guild President).
G48 South Cloisters
The home of the Students’ Guild on St Luke’s, providing a place for students to relax, eat, work, or meet friends.
Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A, “Mem and Arts”)
The Guild's principle governing document which it has to have as a charity. Sometimes known simply as the “Articles”.
Minutes
A log of meeting proceedings. They typically include a record of attendance, a note of where apologies were sent in case of absence, and descriptions of the main points made by attendees, record of what actions were assigned, and who they were assigned to.
National Student Survey (NSS)
A national online survey completed by all undergraduate students in their final term at University, which aims to assess student satisfaction across all areas of their University experience. The University of Exeter has a detailed annual process for using feedback collected by this survey to improve courses, which should include consultation with academic reps in each department.
National Union of Students (NUS)
An affiliation of around 600 students' unions (including Exeter).
Office for Students (OfS)
The independent regulator of higher education in England, sponsored by the government Department for Education.
Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA)
Independent body set up to review student complaints about higher education providers in England and Wales.
Part-Time Officer
A student officer whose role is part-time (e.g. Department Officer, PGR Officer). May be paid or volunteer.
Postgraduate Research (PGR)
Refers to higher levels of study than undergraduate that are research-based. The resulting qualification from such study is most often a PhD, but also includes those such as MPhil or Masters by Research. The PGR student experience is overseen and managed by the University’s Doctoral College, which has a system separate from SSLCs for dealing with student feedback.
Postgraduate Research Liaison Forum (PGRLF)
A formal meeting convened by the University once a term for each faculty, where PGR students and staff can discuss solutions and changes needed based on students’ feedback.
Postgraduate Taught (PGT)
Refers to higher levels of study than undergraduate that are delivered primarily through taught modules. The resulting qualification from such study is most often a Masters, which includes the abbreviations MA, MSc and MRes. The PGT student experience is overseen and managed by a student’s respective subject or department, therefore through the SSLC system.
Postgraduate Teaching Assistant (PTA)
A PGR student employed by the university to teach undergraduates or PGT students.
Professional Services
The University’s administrative and support staff, including Education and Student Support, the Doctoral College, Campus Services, and many more. The CEO of the Guild is a member of the Professional Services Leadership Team (PSLT).
Quality Assurance (QA)
In Higher Education, the way in which a university manages the quality of teaching and learning across all subjects, and maintains these to both a national code of standards, as well as internally-agreed standards. Part of those national standards, also known as the QAA Code, sets out how the student voice and feedback should be used to continually review and improve programmes of study available to students at any UK university. Some QA business will be discussed at SSLC meetings, and reps and chairs are often invited to take part in these processes outside of the SSLC structure also.
If you would like to know more information about QA in UK Higher Education, check out the Quality Assurance Agency’s (QAA) website, and specifically the chapter around student engagement (Chapter B5)
Quorum
The minimum number of people entitled to attend and vote who must be present at a meeting to make valid decisions at that meeting.
Rep Pathways
Pathways refer to additional, optional responsibilities that are available for student representatives at any level (UG or PG, Rep or Officer).
Returning Officer (RO)
Main official in an election to ensure it is free and fair. May have a Deputy – the DRO.
Student Advisory Board
The primary representational body of the Students’ Guild.
Student Experience
Student Experience is a broad term that can have many definitions – when we refer to the student experience here, we are considering every aspect of University life, and as such, student experience can broadly be divided in two – Academic experience, which covers everything related to your programme of study, and non-academic (or Community) experience, which covers everything related to extra-curricular engagement and overall wellbeing.
Students’ Unions
Students’ Unions represent the interests of the students of a university. Every university must have one under the Education Act 1994.
Student/Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC)
A formal meeting convened by the University once a term for each department, where students and staff can discuss solutions and changes needed based on students’ feedback.
Teaching Quality Assurance Manual (TQA)
The Teaching Quality Assurance Manual is a resource for staff and students containing the processes by which the quality of learning and teaching at the University of Exeter is reviewed and maintained.
Terms of Reference (ToR)
A detailed outline of the purpose, structure, objectives, and background of a committee, project, or meeting.
Trustee Board
Responsible for the Guild as a charity. There are three types of trustee: Officer Trustees, Student Trustees, and External Trustees.
Universities UK (UUK)
The representative organisation for the UK's universities.
University and College Union (UCU)
British trade union in further and higher education representing over 120,000 academics and support staff.
Vice Chancellor (VC)
The Vice Chancellor is the senior leader of the University, traditionally an academic post, and taking on the role of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Widening Participation (WP)
Strategy to enable students from a wider variety of backgrounds to study, to increase social mobility.
Wonkhe
External company with experience in higher education policy, and expert analysis. They provide platforms to drive the policy conversation forward and bring about real change.