Student Community
There are many opportunities for you to get involved, whether it’s having your say in module evaluations or representing your fellow students.
Evaluations
Student evaluations
Each module is evaluated as it comes to an end by means of an anonymous questionnaire. The questionnaires will normally ask you for tick-only responses to most questions, and use a rating scale to assess your experience of different aspects of the module, but we also encourage you to provide more detailed responses or free-form comments.
Additionally final-year students are asked about core courses, the syllabus as a whole and their judgement of their time as an undergraduate. Problems are addressed promptly by the Head of Department or through the department committees.
Issues arising from course evaluations are discussed by the relevant committees and at the Department meeting, while individual tutors also respond to module evaluations in developing the delivery and content of their modules from year to year.
Participating in other evaluation processes
In addition to the student evaluation operated by the departments, you may also be asked to participate in other surveys throughout your study. Many final year students take part in the National Student Survey (NSS), which seeks views from students on their overall satisfaction with their programme of study. The results of this survey, which was run for the first time in 2005, are published.
The University also runs an Annual Student Satisfaction Survey towards the end of semester 1, which all categories and levels of students are offered the opportunity to complete. This evaluates student satisfaction with the broad range of University services, for example, library and IT facilities, and also includes questions on academic support. The University also uses these survey results, in addition to those at departmental level, to gauge how well departments are performing.
Student representation
Being a student representative is rewarding work and can help you develop confidence, communication and leadership. It can also give you a greater understanding of how the University works as well as enabling you to play a role in the decision making of your department and/or faculty.
2023-24 academic reps
BA Journalism
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
MA Broadcast & MA Journalism
MA Global Journalism
MA IPPC
In the department
We have a Student-Staff committee which is made up of students who act as academic representatives for their year group, and a number of academic staff. Getting involved means you will be able to take part in discussions and decision making about a range of issues, for example:
student feedback on teaching;
changes to courses;
departmental/school services (e.g. hand-in arrangements, office opening times, study facilities, availability of personal tutors);
communication with students.
For more information about becoming an academic rep and sitting on the Student–Staff Committee, please contact journalism@sheffield.ac.uk or have a look at the Students' Union webpages here. You should also watch the video below which outlines how the role of the academic role works.
In the faculty
All faculties have a Learning and Teaching Committee which has a small number of places for student representatives. In addition to this, some faculties have other committees on which students are represented.
The Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee is made up of academic staff from all departments and discusses a range of issues relating to learning and teaching e.g. new University policies, changes to university regulations, new programme proposals, annual departmental reviews of learning and teaching.
Being a student representative on a Faculty Committee is your chance to put forward the student view on issues relating to learning and teaching and this is always valued by committee members.
Faculties also have student committees which provide opportunities for students to put forward and discuss their views on issues at a faculty level. Faculty Student Staff Committee dates are TBC.
In the Students' Union
Alongside this there are even more opportunities to represent yourself and your peers through the Students’ Union.
The two primary ways are either through running as a Student Union Councillor, who serves as a link between the union and departments, offering another voice for students to use. The other way you can get involved through the union is through running for a position of Student Union Officer – with eight places available; these positions are voted for by your fellow students.