As freshers week wraps up and lecture halls start to fill, University of St Andrews students are endlessly 'nudged' to run for class representative. Despite already working through degrees, their inboxes are flooded with school presidents hailing the Class Rep scheme.
As class representatives, students can work alongside the staff to relay their peers' feedback and helping to develop a curriculum that prioritizes the wants and needs of students. Their responsibilities range from changing workload to planning school-wide events, allowing class reps to not only work towards their degree but to have a voice in how their degree runs.
Credit: University of St Andrews, Students' Association website.
Since the Class Rep elections open and close within the first week of lectures, some departments obviously struggle to find students who want the position. The School of Modern Languages' class president has sent multiple emails, begging students to run for positions that still do not have a single nomination.
Representation for students within a school’s administration is valuable but it seems as if the St Andrews student body is not interested in holding these positions.
Nominating students, who were mere strangers a week ago, to represent the entire class in front of staff is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Yet the elections are held so quickly, students are forced to decide within the first weeks of term who they like best – almost as if it is encouraged to hold some sort of popularity contest at university. This scheme is essential to form an open line of communication between students and staff but, as the year is just starting, effectively deciding on the best Class Rep seems to be the last of students' worries.
Credit: University of St Andrews, Students' Association website.
If the position of Class Rep is so important, then why aren’t we given more time to decide who we want as our representative? I understand that the academic year has already begun but, especially for freshers, we barely know these people. Who are we to decide if they would be an effective communicator or an organised individual?
Instead of multiple emails suggesting we have been nudged for a position, or extending the deadline for communications, maybe all we need as students is a better summary of the role and more time to know the candidates.
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