Course reps/ Student Action Groups

Student representatives are elected by their peers in their department to act as a two-way mechanism of communication between the University and the student body they represent. They convey the views and interests of postgraduate researchers to the department and within the University of York Students’ Union.

Academic representation is a partnership between postgraduate researchers, through the University of York Students’ Union and the department. Together, we aim to ensure that postgraduate researchers play an essential role in monitoring, driving and developing the quality of the academic experience here.

Current postgraduate researcher reps

For Departmental Course Representative information visit our Student Representation webpages.

Student-Staff Forums are informal meetings which are arranged for all course representatives to meet to raise issues with members of staff within the Department whose roles involve supporting the student experience and maintaining the quality of the teaching and learning provision. The Forums have been divided into pre-registration and postgraduate groups to enable issues relevant to different students to be raised. If issues are relevant to all students then they can be brought to DEC meeting for wider discussion. The Student-Staff Forums report to the Departmental Education Committee  to ensure that concerns are minuted and responded to appropriately. In response to the University requirements regarding the operation of Student-Staff Forums, reports from the pre-registration and postgraduate Student-Staff Forums are received by DEC.

If you attend Departmental meetings as the Course Representative and the meeting clashes with a timetabled session, you will not be counted as 'absent'; however, you will be required to inform your lecturer of your whereabouts during this time. Representing your peers at DEC is relevant evidence towards transferable competencies containing elements such as communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership, management and team working.

An Academic Representative noticeboard is also located in the Student Services resource area.

Applying to be a PGR Rep

You can apply to be a Department or Course Representative if you’d like to represent the views of your fellow students and have a say in how your programme is run.

All academic representatives will be given regular departmental support and resources to support their role from a named contact within Student Services. This is provided during the recruitment process, induction and through the term of each role. Please contact Student Services for more information.

Department and Course Representatives are also members of the Departmental Education Committee which is the main decision-making body within the Department. Representatives are invited to attend the DEC meeting each term. Course Representatives are also responsible for ensuring that students are properly represented in regular monitoring of quality within the Department, including the ‘Annual Programme Review’ and ‘Periodic Review’ every 5-6 years.

PGR Forum

The PGR Forum brings the York Graduate Research School (YGRS), the Graduate Students' Association (GSA) and PGR academic representatives together with the aim of enabling a wider range of PGR views to be heard within the University. Contact your PGR academic rep if there are any areas that you’d like to see discussed at the Forum.