Barbara Hardy, 3rd Year Academic Representative
Prior to becoming a student of the Law School, Barbara spent 25 years working as a civil servant – first for the Department of Health, where she supported the development of government policy on healthcare delivery, then as Chief Executive of two public sector regeneration companies in London. Now the third year Academic Representative for the Law School, Barbara is keen to help students get their voices heard – and to celebrate all that is good about the school, particularly the relationship between staff and students.
How would you summarise your role as an Academic Representative?
The role of an Academic Representative is to be a conduit for fellow students wanting to share their thoughts, ideas and concerns about the Law School in a way that takes away the personal and emotive. We have a distinct role to play in helping with quality assurance and enhancement related to students’ learning experience.
How often do Academic Representatives meet with Law School staff?
We meet bi-monthly – October, December, February and in April. Students can contribute to these meetings through their reps. In the December meeting we are working with academic colleagues in the Law School to look at how students can work with the school to ensure the relevance of our curricula, increase student satisfaction, and develop a strong academic community.
In addition to being an ear on the ground, how else do you support students to get their voices heard?
We have a number of plans for this year which all the Academic Reps in the Law School are developing together – the first being a series of ‘surgery’ sessions where we will be available to students who want to come and talk to us individually or with others about their academic issues and suggestions. We will then take these, anonymized, to the Staff Student Liaison Committee meetings. These will be promoted in the next few weeks so students should look out for posters appearing in the undergrad and postgrad common rooms. We also work closely with the Student Union and we are currently encouraging students to ‘have your say’ on the Student Union’s Big Review student survey.
What is the most important issue you are working on with the Law School at the moment?
Both subject tutor and personal tutor time. Some students would like more opportunities for feedback. We are currently discussing the current policy and seeing if this can be improved. There are a number of ways that students can get feedback, including the recent introduction of office hours which is very helpful. The school’s Education Director, Patrick Capps is planning a student session on the issue of feedback in the New Year.
How do you think your experience outside of academic study has helped you in your role as a student and as an Academic Representative?
My reasons for studying law are probably very different than those of most students. I had a career, a family and a life before university – and have come here because I wanted an intellectual challenge and I am fascinated by the law generally. I can hopefully see things from a different perspective, which often helps me take on the role of a moderator who is able to appreciate the issues facing both students and their tutors.
There are also many parallels to be made with the public sector. A lot of change has taken place in the NHS which has affected patients’ expectations. Similarly increased fees for students has seen relationships change between students and universities – as a result their expectations have changed too. Students want value for money and a quality service. And this is why the role of Academic Representative is so important. We want to make sure students get a quality education whilst balancing those expectations. We all still need to work hard, to listen and be inspired by our lecturers and tutors and to do all we can to be the best we can be in our studies.
What is your vision for the future role of Academic Representatives?
I think it’s really important that as well as providing a channel for students to input on issues they are concerned about, that we don’t forget to celebrate all that it great about the School. The University of Bristol Law School is one of the best in the UK and we are very fortunate to be taught by individuals who are having a significant impact in their field. And whilst the rise in tuition fees has no doubt impacted on the relationship between students and universities, now we’re 2-3 years on, and tuition fees are becoming more broadly accepted as the norm, there is a return to a more healthy collaboration – and an increased celebration of the wonderful, rich and incredibly rewarding relationship we can build with our lecturers and tutors.