Student Representatives have an important part to play in the SGSSS by representing the interests of social science PhD students at their own institutions and making their voices heard. Being a Rep is a great way to engage with students from other universities, interact with a range of professionals and academics at SGSSS events and meetings, and acquire skills that will enhance employability. Below, Associate Director of Student Experience, Emmanuelle Tulle, welcomes your new Reps for 2019.
We had a few vacancies for SGSSS Student Reps coming up at the end of 2018. A few reps came to the end of their tenure in Autumn 2018 and others wanted to step down to concentrate on other things.
Our last rounds of adverts for SGSSS Student Reps has enabled us to fill vacancies at Edinburgh, Glasgow, RGU, St Andrews and Stirling. To help induct our new reps in to the workings of SGSSS and help them fulfil their role, we invited them to meet with the Directorate and our colleagues in Professional Services based at 23 Buccleuch Place. As a wee incentive we provided lunch!
We explained what the governance of SGSSS is, who the various partners and stakeholders are and how Student Reps fit within this fairly complex structure. We discussed the various ways in which reps can get involved:
- Representing the interests of Social Science PhD students in their own HEI and making their voices heard
- Attending SGSSS Student Rep meetings twice yearly
- Sitting on the Supervisory Board and the Pathways Convenors’ Group.
- Getting involved with the organisation of the Student-led Symposium
- Getting involved in ad hoc activities or information gathering exercises that crop up now and then
- Liaising with us in the SGSSS Team and Directorate to ask questions, seek clarification on things that we do or suggest improvements to what we provide.
Do make a point to make contact with your rep. They will be featured in subsequent newsletters so you’ll be able to discover what makes them tick by reading their answers to our questionnaire. In the meantime, you can find their names and contact details on the SGSSS website.
Do drop our newest recruit a line: Chris Gray (Stirling), Yang Yang (St Andrews), Stephen Isa (RGU), Fanni Gyurko (partnering Rhi Humphrey at Glasgow), Fabio Battaglia and Negar Ebrahimi (both at Edinburgh).
Do remember: the reps are there to provide you with a voice on SGSSS and to help ensure we make your experience as a PhD student fruitful and as enjoyable as can be expected. So whether your rep is newly in post or more experienced, do get in touch with them.
We still have vacancies for Strathclyde, SRUC and Napier. We’re also going to have a vacancy at Queen Margaret when the current rep – Maria Dokovova – puts the finishing touches to her PhD in the coming months (very exciting!). So please watch out for the ad and do consider applying. Being a rep is a good way to engage with students from other universities, interacting with a range of professionals and academics and acquiring skills that will enhance employability. It’s also a good way to contribute to making the student experience more pleasurable.
