Background
Hull University Students’ Union (HUSU) has approximately 1200 volunteers across Sports and Society committee members, Course Representatives, Student Representatives and Student-Led Volunteering projects. Student volunteers are a mix of undergraduates and postgraduates and from a broad range of demographic backgrounds including age, nationality, ethnicity, gender and disability. HUSU’s approach to using the competency-based education framework was to use it in the context of student leadership and volunteering. The case study has been used to effectively develop a competency-based leadership framework for volunteers.
How did we develop & implement competence-based education?
HUSU hosted two workshops (May 2023 and October 2023) for student volunteers, elected Presidents (sabbatical officers) and students’ union staff in membership services to collaborate and discuss what makes an effective student leader/student rep/course rep. QAA project leaders facilitated the workshops.
Stakeholders:
- Presidents – President of Education 22-23/23-24
- Faculty Reps, Course Reps, Student Rep
- Student Opportunities Manager
- Societies Coordinator
- Volunteering Coordinator
- Student Voice and Influence Manager
- Director of Membership Services
Background on students at UoH already have an understanding of competency-based education, HUSU is attempting to mirror that framework in the student volunteering space.
Current training for Student Volunteers:
- Committee training (Sports and Societies)
- package of training i.e finances, leadership, risk assessment, president, event planning, socials, media training
- GDPR
- Signposting
- Student Rep Training
- Course Rep Training
- Student-Led Volunteering training
How Student Volunteer training could develop:
- Incorporate employability skills
- How volunteering can support students beyond University
- Skills log
An example that demonstrates competence-based education in practice
Impact on student experience:
Student volunteers gain transferable skills when participating in volunteering opportunities at HUSU.
Competency-based leadership in regard to volunteers at HUSU is defined as the skills gained as a Course Rep, Student Rep, and/or a committee member of a Sports Club or Society.
For example, the current role description of a Course Rep is as follows:
Standing Order 3005
STANDING ORDER GOVERNING COURSE REPRESENTATIVES
- Interpretation These Standing Orders shall be read in conjunction with the Articles, Bye Laws and other relevant Standing Orders of Hull University Students’ Union and joint Code of Practice (partnership with students) (hereafter collectively referred to as the Regulations) and shall be interpreted accordingly.
- Status of Representative
The Course Representative shall be responsible for representing the interests of students on their course at the University of Hull. The Course Representative is responsible to the Faculty Rep and President of Education - Appointment Course Representatives will be appointed by a self-nomination process in accordance and managed by Hull University Students’ Union regulations and the joint Code of Practice. The self-nomination process will be open online via the HUSU website (hulluniunion.com) during April/May of the preceding academic year, the start of Trimester 1 and the start of Trimester 2 for set periods of time.
- Duties Course Representatives shall carry out such duties and fulfil such obligations as arise consequent upon being appointed into post. In particular: a. Attend training held by Hull University Students’ Union; b. Attend Education Zone Open Meetings; c. Attend Student Staff Forums; d. Represent and support students on their course and act as a channel of communication between them, the Union and the University; e. Consult with the student body within their programme on academic issues; f. Represent the views of student body within their department or programme to Education Zone Open Meetings and Student Staff Forums; g. Feedback information to students within their programme; h. Campaign on educational issues. i. (Optional) Student Chair of Student-Staff Forums (SSF); i. The occupant of this role will be decided by a vote between Course Reps in attendance at the first SSF of the academic year.Ideally, there should be three or more reps available to hold a vote. In the incident of a tie (say there are two reps who both vote themselves), then the role of chair can be done in rotation from meeting to meeting. ii. The occupant will continue in this role until they: 1. Choose to vacate the role; 2. They miss two consecutive SSFs, at which point an election to decide a replacement will be called; 3. A vote of no confidence is raised against them by a member of the SSF and is supported by more than half of those in attendance.
- Internal The Course Representatives at subject/programme/course level shall be responsible for the following: a. A voting member of Education Zone Open Meetings; Any other committees, groups or responsibilities deemed necessary for the position.
- External The Course Representatives at subject/programme/course level shall represent Hull University Students’ Union to the University and be a voting member on either of the following University committees/ groups: a. Student Staff Forums; b. Any other groups deemed relevant.
In this example, students who participate as a Course Rep gain skills in representation, attending meetings and speaking on behalf of their peers. They also gain professional skills by providing feedback and discussing issues with their lecturers. The skills students gain from the volunteer experience can be logged on the employability module on HUSU’s Students’ Union Management System (SUMS) and can be printed out as a transcript at the end of their time as a volunteer.
Key opportunities and challenges in designing for competence based education
Opportunities
- Capacity to develop competency based leadership within Membership Services
- Review of Democratic processes provides an opportunity to incorporate competency based leadership within elected and appointed positions (Student Reps/Course Reps)
- Co-creation opportunity for Sports and Societies to implement competencies as part of their committee role descriptions
- When implemented, opportunities for students to gain targeted skills for future employment.
Challenges
- Communication to students regarding competencies and how to gain them through volunteering
- Tracking skills in a log – (SUMS)
- Recruitment to volunteer roles
- Re-vamping training to incorporate competencies
- Rewriting Standing Orders and role descriptions using competency language
- Delivery of training
- How to monitor changes/sustain change due to high turnover of staff and volunteers.
- Embedding the competencies into the volunteer culture
Overcoming the challenges
Start with staff and presidents to gain an understanding of competency-based leadership and the need for the change. Co-create with seasoned volunteers and staff to promote and help deliver training to new volunteers on how to track, record and understand competency-based leadership.
Evaluating impact
Once the competencies for student volunteering are implemented there will an evaluation process such as KPI monitoring through students logging their skills through SUMS.
As HUSU enters a period of democracy reform, competency-based leadership will be further refined and implemented into the volunteer experiences of Course Reps, Student Reps and committee members. This will be done by hosting further workshops with volunteers to develop the key themes and attributes of a rep as well as reviewing and updating the standing orders for Course Reps, Student Reps and committee members with the volunteers in those roles.
We would encourage other higher education institutions to adopt competence based approach because…
We would encourage other students’ union institutions to adopt a competency-based approach because it will encourage more students to get involved and gain practical skills for their future endeavours. Making more explicit links between the competences that students develop through their studies and through their volunteering should help them to better use and articulate these now and in the future.
Also developing the competencies with current and/or future volunteers ensures that students engaging in volunteering with the students’ union know that they have ownership of the skills they are gaining for future employment.
