Being a Class Representative allows you to become spokesperson for your class within the Institute. The class rep is the first point of contact for all Institute authorities with your class. The Class Reps are collectively responsible for deciding the policy of the Student Union. The class reps also hold the elected full-time and part-time officers to account.
What you stand to gain by becoming a Class Rep:
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Leadership skills: Your classmates may look to you for leadership on issues that face your class such as, issues with timetables etc.
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Negotiations skills: You may be required to negotiate with your department head or a lecturer on matters such as re-arranging a class or extending an assignment deadline etc.
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Advocacy skills: This means that you will learn to speak on behalf of your classmates at a number of different levels, i.e. class rep meetings, course boards, etc.
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Organisation Skills: As class rep you will be responsible for the organisation of class parties, trips away, and that kind of thing. Class outings such as these are crucial to developing a group spirit among your class and ensuring that nobody is left out.
Class Rep recruitment
Ideally every class in the college should have a Class Rep. If a class has over 40 students then that class is entitled to have 2 elected Class Reps. Recruitment will be held after Freshers week where Class Reps have to become officially registered with the Student Union. Remember the most popular person in the class is not always the best person to be Class Rep. It is the person that will be in college every day and have the hard work in them to fight for your problems and organise your parties.
For more information about becoming a Class Repsentative see WITSU.ie