UAL have embraced the recommendations we made in the Conversations with Students report, and we would like to update you on the progress that has been made since then. 

Below sets out the recommendations Arts SU made in our report, and the actions UAL have committed to implementing in response: 

Arts SU recommendation: Develop a set of agreed working and communication principles between Arts SU, Colleges and the UAL Comms team for the promotion and impact of the course rep role throughout the year to all stakeholders. 

UAL response: Dean of Students will facilitate work with Arts SU, Academic Registrar, Deans of Academic Strategy, and UAL Comms team on agreeing a set of working and communication principles. 

Arts SU recommendation: Strengthen engagement and understanding of course rep training. 

UAL response: Dean of Students to work with Arts SU on strengthening engagement and understanding of course rep training. 

Arts SU recommendation: Strengthen understanding of the purpose, outcomes and impact of Student and Dean Forums. 

UAL response: Dean of Students will facilitate work with Arts SU, Deans of Academic Strategy and UAL Comms team to develop messaging which supports the delivery, outcomes and impact of Student and Dean Forums. 

Arts SU recommendation: Devise a UAL-wide approach to the production and open access of Course Committee minutes. 

UAL response: Dean of Students with facilitate work with Academic Registry and Digital learning teams to develop and implement template for minutes and key actions to be included on course Moodle pages. Central repository for minutes and key actions to be explored as part of this work. 

Arts SU recommendation: Devise a UAL-wide working model for the introduction of student chairing of Course Committees. 

UAL response: We will include this in work being undertaken by Academic Registry on guidance for chairs to ensure meetings are inclusive for course reps. 

Arts SU recommendation: Review UAL’s approach to feedback raised at course committees that typically sits outside of the course and its delivery. 

UAL response: Dean of Students will facilitate work with Deans of Academic Strategy and Directors of College Administration to review process for receiving, reviewing and taking action on this feedback. 

Arts SU recommendation: Introduce a UAL-wide system for course reps and students to be able to communicate with each other. 

UAL response: Dean of Students to facilitate partnership working between the university and Arts SU to provide students, course reps and course teams with tools to enable easier communication. 

Arts SU recommendation: Review UAL’s Annual Course Monitoring, Enhancement Plan and/or External Examiners processes to consider not just how feedback from students has been considered but how its outcomes have subsequently been shared back to students. 

UAL response: Academic Registrar to review processes and include requirement to report the methods by which feedback has been communicated to students and the effectiveness of these methods. 

Read more about our Conversations with Students research.