This term, I have focused on strengthening connections within the school and supporting society initiatives. Through meeting with the Chair of the PsycSoc society Charlotte they shared their goals for the year, including hosting study sessions (with a request for room availability) and improving how they promote their activities. The school has provided some support for these activities to help boost student engagement as strengthening the society community has been a key focus for this academic year. Stage 2 students provided strong feedback at the start of the year surrounding timetables and workshop group allocations, which led to discussions with relevant staff members. I escalated concerns to the appropriate staff, and an email was sent to Stage 2 students to apologize and clarify the situation. I also encouraged efforts to improve communication across the school by setting up dedicated stage group chats for psychology students run on a suitable platform and by course reps. 

Both me and the course reps have focused on improving the feedback process itself within semester 1 through being consistent with updates from rep meetings and setting up anonymous feedback google forms. It was shown that some issues raised during meetings could have been addressed earlier if students had clearer pathways for sharing concerns resulting in forms for students to fill out with anonymous concerns. Moving forward, we’re looking at working more closely with staff and ensuring feedback is passed on in a timely way, particularly when it directly affects degrees. I have also attended meetings discussing ideas to improve Discovery Weeks, I shared that many students expressed interests in more practical, course-based experiences which could make these weeks more valuable as that is something lacking within degree courses. 

One key item I raised at the Faculty Teaching Learning Quality Committee is the issue some students had with the new library entrance system. It was stated that neurodivergent students or those with hidden barriers to learning have struggled with remembering their cards, lost them or have now used their only temporary access pass. This has been taken to be discussed further to see if there is a more accessible way to enter the library.

Looking ahead, priorities for semester 2 include making sure feedback is given to staff more frequently, enhancing Discovery Weeks with more practical experiences and establishing effective group chats. Supporting society activities and improving feedback channels outside formal meetings will also still be a focus.