Student voice and how to get involved

Graduate Student-Staff Liaison Committee

The MSc GSSLC (Graduate Student-Staff Liaison Committee) is an important platform for communication between the Economics Department and our MSc cohorts. It is an opportunity for you to provide feedback on your MSc course and influence its delivery and future development. The GSSLC is made up of elected student representatives (known as course reps) and key members of staff involved in delivering and running the MSc courses. The GSSLC discusses all issues that concern the learning experience and can generate actions for both the Department and the course reps in order to improve student experience.

The GSSLC is student led with the course reps taking on the roles of Chair and Secretary of the meetings. Your student representatives are named on the GSSLC webpageLink opens in a new window. If you would like to raise an issue for discussion at the GSSLC, please email your representatives. Please note that the GSSLC is not intended to address special problems that concern only one individual student. These can be more efficiently resolved if you speak to the Postgraduate Office or to the module teacher concerned.

Issues that have been raised in the past include access to material in the Library, questions concerning the Department’s IT facilities, positive feedback on, and concerns about, students’ learning experience and examinations. More long-term matters such as curriculum development, social events and improved careers support have also been developed with GSSLC input. The GSSLC is not in general a channel for the evaluation of individual modules or teachers. This should be done via the module evaluation forms. However, if the representatives feel that there are some issues about an individual module that are time sensitive or not addressed via the module evaluation form then they are free to raise these in the GSSLC meetings.

During the MSc course, GSSLC representatives will meet with staff from the Department five times. For these meetings to be effective course representatives should make sure they prepare the agenda for the meetings by canvassing opinion across the student body and preparing a list of issues that they want to bring to the Department. The GSSLC is most effective when the reps have strong links and clear communications channels with the cohort and when the agenda is prepared in sufficient time for staff to consider the issues raised.

A course rep's job is to help the students and the Department to communicate. If you are willing to listen carefully to both, and if you like to communicate and to analyse problems, you will be able to make a great contribution through the GSSLC.

How GSSLC representatives are elected:

• All students have the opportunity to declare their candidacy for a rep position.
• The Warwick S.U. hosts online voting.
• Elected representatives agree on Chair and Secretary.

Roles in the GSSLC

• The Chair's main task it is to chair the GSSLC meetings.
• The Secretary takes minutes of the meetings and replaces the Chair in their absence.
• Representatives canvass opinion across the cohort, help disseminate information to students and take part in the discussions at the GSSLC. They may help the Chair and Secretary produce the minutes of the meetings.
• The minutes are agreed with the Department and circulated to all students so they know what’s going on.
• All course reps contribute to the annual report.

Useful tips for new Course Reps

• The first thing to do for the representatives is to look at last year’s GSSLC annual report to get a feel for what has been discussed
• It is also useful to begin each meeting with an update on how the issues of the last meeting have been addressed since then
• Before each meeting, the Postgraduate Office will ask you to prepare a list of items to be discussed. All the representatives, and the Chair and Secretary in particular, are responsible for collecting these issues and sending them in on time
• Ask your fellow students what they think about the courses

During the Summer Term the representatives will be asked to prepare an annual report of the year. This will be considered by the University and Students’ Union to monitor the effectiveness of the SSLC system, highlighting issues and examples of good practice. All GSSLC meeting minutes must be uploaded to the SU website and provide another way for the Students’ Union and the SSLC Staff Co-ordinators to keep informed of current developments and issues of concern or good practice. The Education Officer, Postgraduate Officer and SSLC Co-ordinators have membership on the University’s Academic Quality and Standards Committee to make representations on behalf of the SSLC system and escalate any issues accordingly. The SU provide training and a handbook Link opens in a new windowfor all course representatives, and there is a code of practiceLink opens in a new window which all course reps should be familiar with.

Director of Student Engagement and Progression (PGT)

The Director of Student Engagement and Progression (PGT) will act as a champion for the student voice in the department and is responsible for working with you to enhance the student experience. This includes a focus on building a strong learning community, working with students to enhance learning, teaching and inclusion, and developing department policies and practice to improve student experience. The Director of Student Engagement and Progression works closely with the MSc Student Staff Liaison Committee, and is always keen to hear your views and feedback.

Economics Society

Warwick Economics SocietyLink opens in a new window is one of the longest standing academic Students' Union societies and one of the largest on campus with more than 2800 members from 130 degree programmes. WES offers you the opportunity to build a network with other students with professional and intellectual interests in economics. The society hosts a wide range of events to support your academic and career development. Sponsors several of the top economics consultancies and the society hosts some excellent careers events and talks. The Economics Society has growing links with public policy organisations and the third sector. The Society puts on some of the most talked about socials on campus, and boasts some of the strongest sports teams at Warwick. There are opportunities to get involved with football and netball in the earlier terms and cricket and rounders later on. The Society produces Assumptions magazine, and runs an annual debating competition where the winners are able to debate in a larger competition against students from other top universities.

Warwick Economics Summit

Warwick Economics SummitLink opens in a new window is one of the largest student-run academic conferences in Europe, featuring world-renowned figures, engaging debates and educational workshops. The Summit covers a range of global issues including politics, development, finance and psychology. It provides an opportunity for anyone with an interest in economic affairs and politics to discuss the latest worldwide developments. In the past, the Summit has hosted Nobel Prize-winning academics such as Sir James Mirrlees and Professor Oliver Hart, along with key policy makers from across the globe such Ursula Von Der Leyen and Jose Manuel Barroso. The weekend offers the chance to meet and learn from a truly diverse group of students, and to socialise and network with delegates from around the world.

Warwick Women in Economics Society

The Warwick Women in Economics Society Link opens in a new window(WWiE Soc) was launched after the successful Women in Economics Student-led workshop was held at the University of Warwick in January 2020. WWiE Soc is the UK’s first student society dedicated to supporting female economics students at university and further down the economics career track. The society not only provides a safe and welcoming space for female students but a space in which everyone can come together to discuss important topics related to gender equality. The society welcomes all students to join them.

Rethink Economics Warwick

The Rethink Economics WarwickLink opens in a new window student society is part of 'Rethinking Economics,' which is an international network of students, academics, and professionals aiming to build a better economics in society and in the classroom. As students, academics, and policy-makers, the society want answers to the fundamental questions of economics and of the economy itself, such as the nature of money, the role of the state, and the behaviour of households and individuals, among other such questions. The society would like to open up the discourse to different approaches, different models with different methods, making different assumptions. Whether it is different schools of thought within economics, or even fields outside of economics such as political science and anthropology, rethink economics wants to ignite debate within the discipline.

Would you like to become a student blogger?

Our Student Blogs are all written by current students, studying and often living on campus. We do not edit the posts or tell our bloggers what to say. These are their thoughts, opinions and insights and based on their own personal experiences of their time at Warwick.

If you would like to become a blogger please email our Marketing and Communications Team: economics.news@warwick.ac.ukLink opens in a new window