Student representation in class is an important component of the teaching and learning process at the ANU College of Law. A class representatives is a student who is enrolled in a class and who is responsible for representing the cohort of that class. There is a University wide policy on Policy: Class Representatives to standardise the practice of appointing student class representatives by ANU Colleges and Schools and ensure course conveners engage and respond to student feedback. The procedures governing the application of this policy are set out in the Procedure: Class Representatives.
What does a Class Representative do?
A class representative is the official liaison between students and the course convener.
The primary responsibility of a class representative is to provide constructive feedback on issues affecting the entire student cohort, or a subset of the student cohort.
If there are multiple classes within your course (particularly for the larger courses), you are expected to make yourself known within each class (including introducing yourself to the tutors).
Benefits of being a Class Representative
Class representatives are enormously beneficial for the student body and the university. It can also be a great opportunity to grow personal and professional skills, including:
- Develop skills sought by employers, including interpersonal, dispute resolution, leadership and communication skills.
- Become empowered. Play an active role in determining the direction of your education.
- Become more aware of issues influencing your university and current issues in higher education.
- Ensure students have a voice to their course convener, lecturer, tutors, and college.
What happens with feedback collected?
Class representatives provide an opportunity for students and course conveners to discuss issues in real time, as they arise during the semester. Changes can often be accommodated at the time, to improve how the course is running and student's experience of a course. This feedback plays an important role in shaping how courses are running and will run.
Appointment:
All LAWS coded LLB and JD compulsory courses will have Class Representative Blocks containing a Class Representative Nomination Sign-up tool on course WATTLE sites. Students can nominate themselves or another student and vote via the selection tool. Nominations and voting opens from two weeks prior to the start of the semester and closes at the end of Week Two of semester.
Where there are more than the required number of nominations, the ANU College of Law will select the class representative with consideration given to the diversity of the student cohort.
Representatives are appointed and details published on the relevant Course WATTLE Site by the end of Week Three of semester and the list is provided to course convenor, ANUSA and the College AD(E).
For courses that do not have a class representative, students are provided with a link to our student feedback form on WATTLE under Course Assistance to submit their feedback to the College to escalate their academic concerns.
Training:
It is the College’s expectation that all appointed class representatives undergo the training provided by ANUSA.
By the end of Week Four of semester, a meeting between the AD(E), course convenors and class representatives will be scheduled to outline expectations, discuss how feedback is collected and communicated to the course convener, escalation processes and available support structures.
Feedback:
It is the expectation of the ANU College of Law that course convenors actively engage with their class representatives and the feedback provided.
A meeting in Week Eight of semester will be scheduled for the class representatives, The LLB/JD Program Director (on behalf of the AD(E)) and the College Student and Education Support team to provide an opportunity for the class representatives to provide any updates or feedback during the second half of the semester.
Please note, this meeting is optional and scheduled only if requested from the class representatives.