Become a Rep!

At USI we seek to improve education every day through standing up for students and ensuring they have strong representation nationally. Our member Students’ Unions work within their college setting to change things for students by working with college leadership. But we need you too!
 
Class Reps (or Course Reps as they are sometimes known!) work all across Ireland to improve the lives of students and to make sure their education is everything they wanted it to be. By running for election to be a Class Rep you are stepping up as a leader and representative and you can make an a real difference to college life and the rights of students.
 
Class Reps are a key liaison between academic staff and their classmates, they can sit on committees, raise issues informally and formally, survey student opinion, suggest changes, and work on exciting projects! They work with their Students’ Union to ensure the student voice is being heard and they can work on the issues that matter to them and their Class.
 
Here at USI we think Class Reps are the foundation of the national student movement. You are the grassroots that makes big things happen!
What are Academic Reps?

Academic Reps (sometimes called Class or Course Reps) represent their classmates and peers on the issues affecting them in their education, especially on academic issues like course material, online resources, or other things that arise during your programme of study!

They work with their lecturers and academic staff to bring up relevant issues and concerns, to try out new ideas, and make suggestions and plans for positive change in your course, Department, or even across the college.

Reps also work to bring issues to the Students’ Union when they might not have been resolved with staff. They can also get involved in all the great campaigns and initiatives the Students’ Union runs to engage students and to support them during their education. You might even have some ideas for the Students’ Union that they could work on!

Why does USI want you to consider running to be a Rep?

Reps are crucial to ensuring that the student voice is heard during your college experience. Over the years Reps have achieved lots of wins that have benefited students, in their own class, across their college, and even at a national level!

USI wouldn’t have achieved the big wins if it weren’t for all the hard work and dedication of thousands of Reps all across Ireland.

Without you, we couldn’t do the work that we do on fighting student loans, improving teaching and learning, campaigning on mental health, and raising all sorts of issues that affect the lives of our 374,000 members!

Reps can receive rewards and awards from their Students’ Union in recognition of all their efforts to represent students.

Here at USI we run the annual Student Achievement Awards Ireland (SAAI) towards the end of the academic year.

Could you be our next Academic Rep of the Year?

Visit this page later in the year to find out more!