Student Council

<p dir="ltr">Our Student Council is the decision-making body for the Students’ Union and functions as a forum to allow students the opportunity to provide general Students’ Union and university-wide feedback. The meetings are split into Union Business and University Business; university staff members attend the University Business section, which allows students to give feedback directly to the relevant teams and, in return, gives staff an insight into what the current concerns of the student body are. </p> <p dir="ltr">Higher Education Student Representatives are also invited to course-specific meetings referred to as Student Staff Feedback Meetings (SSFMs). These meetings happen twice a year and comprise of students from each year, the Student Union President, course teams and other relevant departmental staff such as members of our IT team.</p> <p dir="ltr">Our Pre-Degree students have a similar group called Student Voice, which comprises elected students studying on Extended Diploma, Foundation Design and Functional Skills. This is chaired by the Student Union President in collaboration with the Head or Deputy Head of Pre-Degree. </p> <p dir="ltr">Further Education Student Representatives are also invited to course-specific meetings referred to as Course Performance Reviews (CPRs). These meetings include Student Representatives, course teams and university staff such as the Head of Compliance and Quality Systems.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Student Council meetings (undergraduate and postgraduate level courses) occur four times throughout the academic year. These meetings usually fall in November, February, March, and May, though these may change due to holidays and how other key dates in the academic year fall. </p> <p dir="ltr">Student Voice meetings (pre-degree level courses) usually take place on a monthly basis, on a Wednesday lunchtime, to ensure that students from both pre-degree year groups are able to attend. </p> <p dir="ltr">Emergency meetings of the Student Council or Student Voice may occur if any unprecedented circumstances arise, for example this has previously happened during COVID-19 pandemic. <br /></p>

<p>The full list of Student Representatives will be added below when the positions are filled in Autumn 2026.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">All Student Representatives are provided with a unique Student Representative lanyard to make them easily identifiable. Course teams should have access to a list of the current Student Representatives. If you are unsure of who your relevant Student Representative is, you can ask your Course Leader or Lecturers. You can also reach out to the Students’ Union to find this out. <br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Student Representatives are democratically elected at the beginning of each academic year. If you would like to run for the position, you are able to put yourself forward as a candidate when your lecturer requests applications, provided that you are a member of the Students’ Union (you are automatically a member once you enrol as a student at Arts University Plymouth, unless you have elected to opt out). If at any point during the academic year one of your elected Student Representatives steps down for any reason, you can then also ask to fill in that position.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Becoming a Student Representative is a great experience for your CV. Though this is a voluntary role, it shows employers that you have great leadership, communication and problem-solving skills. The role can help you gain confidence, become a better negotiator and helps to build relationships with staff at the university. It also demonstrates that you were engaged in university life as a whole, and care about changing things for the better. </p> <p dir="ltr">As well as looking good for future employers, you also get exclusive discounts and have the chance to win awards for your efforts as a Student Representative. Winning our ‘Student Representative of the Month’ award gets you a certificate and a £10 voucher. We also have a ‘Student Representative of the Year’ award at our annual Above and Beyond Awards.<br /></p>