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We’re representing students’ academic interests better than ever before. For the third year in a row student satisfaction in the Students’ Union has increased, reaching 77.3%, putting us in the top half of the Russell Group!
We have the largest Academic Reps network in the UK and they have again led the way in shaping the education of students across UCL. Our Reps are integral to improving the student experience. They spend thousands of hours working with academics and staff suggesting improvements that makes learning more engaging, inclusive and enriching.
We asked our Academic Reps to tell us about the changes they achieved this year and they told us about 1,512 of the achievements they’re most proud of. Everything from introducing key changes to the curriculum, suggesting adaptation of teaching approaches, to clarifying approaches to AI use ahead of assessments. Our Academic Reps have been amazing advocates for their students.
Where Academic Reps are making change
The most common wins were about strengthening student voice, improving assessment and feedback, and strengthening how courses are organised and managed. One in four Academic Reps highlighted the relationships they built with staff, one in five pointed to assessment and feedback improvements, and 16% described changes to organisation and management.
We know this only captures some of the 1000’s of changes our Academic Reps made working with staff. We’re proud to have a network of student leaders that is so effective at working in partnership to make change at UCL, below this chart shows the theme areas our Academic Reps were most proud of this year:
How Reps Made Change Happen
We asked Academic Reps to tell us about the moments they were proudest of this year, here are a few examples of how Reps are making a tangible impact across UCL
In Engineering, an Academic Rep pushed for changes that students actually felt day to day, helping secure extended 24/7 campus access during the exam period and greater flexibility around note and cheat sheets in exams. As the Rep put it, these were changes that "provided students with much-needed study space and flexibility during a stressful time."
In the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, an Academic Rep worked to make course content more accessible, securing changes that mean more students can actually engage with their teaching materials rather than working around them.
In Population Health Sciences, an Academic Rep channelled student feedback into departmental actions, from teaching environment concerns at the Wolfson Centre to exam disruptions at ExCeL London. The department responded – committing to review room capacities with UCL Estates, correct Moodle assessment guidance, and escalate exam venue concerns. As the Rep put it, "communicating outcomes back to the cohort in a clear and transparent way was also a personal success – ensuring students could see their feedback was being heard and acted upon."
In the Institute of Education, an Academic Rep mediated a classroom scheduling conflict that had two courses booked into the same room at clashing times. The Rep raised it with the department and worked with the programme administrator to find a permanent fix, moving one course to a more suitable room. As the Rep said, "seeing students no longer disrupted – and knowing I helped resolve a tense staff situation – was a moment I felt truly made a difference."
And in Arts & Humanities, an Academic Rep kept communication flowing during a stressful exam period and saw student feedback translate into an actual change to the assessment format – proof, as they said, "that Academic Reps can make a practical difference when communication between students and staff is clear and consistent."
Five stories, five faculties, and hundreds more like them that mean so much to the students they helped. Our Academic Reps are securing better teaching, exam support, timetable updates, enhanced departmental life and assessments that prepare them better for the future.
Our NSS scores will keep climbing if we keep working together to make things better with Academic Reps raising issues, staff listening, and students seeing their feedback resulting in change. We're proud of where we've got to, but we know there's more to do, and we're not stopping here.
To every Academic Rep who gave up their time this year – thank you.
Sarah – Education Officer Anam – Postgraduate Officer