Policies & procedures for studentsStudent Representation

Strathclyde recognises students as partners in shaping their learning experience. Through Strath Reps, you can make change and have your voice heard.

How student representation works

Strath Reps are student volunteers who act as the voice for their fellow students.

They gather feedback from students, attend Staff-Student Liaison Committees (SSLC), raise issues with University staff, and collaboratively work on solutions to improve students’ University experiences.

As Reps, students get to make real change, develop key transferable skills, get recognition and discounts as a volunteer, and have access to exclusive training and support.

At Strathclyde, every student has access to several reps:

At Programme/Department level

  • At least one student represents your programme, year group, or module at your department’s Staff-Student Liaison Committees – where they can raise issues on topics such as assessments, timetabling, classrooms, equipment, and anything else affecting the experience on the course.

At Faculty level

  • There is one faculty rep per level (undergraduate/postgraduate taught/postgraduate research) and per faculty (Humanities and Social Sciences/Engineering/Business/Science), with twelve faculty reps in total
  • These reps are elected by the student groups they represent through Strath Union, where they attend Student Parliament and Education Committee alongside the Education President and vote on issues important to students
  • They also attend committee meetings like Faculty Academic Committee and can raise issues that are important to students across different departments – like study spaces, ways of assessment, access to resources and support, and more.

University-wide

  • Strath Union exists to represent your needs and interests, so that you have the best possible University experience. Each year, all students elect five students who take a year out of their studies and become full-time Student Presidents.
  • These are the Union President, Activities President, Education President, Inclusion President, and Sports President, all focusing on specific areas important to students and student life
  • The Student Presidents work with senior staff from across the University to make change, run campaigns focused on improving the student experience, and run Strath Union - Students also elect Women’s, Race, Disability, and LGBTQ+ Equality Officers as well as an International Students’ Officer – these officers campaign to make sure that all students regardless of their identity have a great experience at Strathclyde

Student frequently asked questions

For departments using StrathReps elections (in StrathApp) for January intake programmes (2022/23):

  • Nominations: Monday 16 January 12:00 to Wednesday 25 January 12:00
  • Elections: Thursday 26 January 12:00 to Friday 27 January 12:00

  • All Undergraduate and Post-Graduate Taught programmes in Science and Engineering
  • All Post-Graduate Taught programmes in Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) and all Undergraduate programmes other than the BA (Hons) HaSS 

Strath Reps gather and communicate feedback from you about your Programme or Module. They can then deal with this feedback appropriately, such as raising it with university staff or at Staff Student Liaison Committees (SSLCs). They can then report back to the class about the progress or improvements made. 

Once your programme’s or module’s Rep is appointed or elected, their details should be on Myplace or they may also send an email to students. If you’re unsure of who your rep is, contact your Programme lead or administrator.  

To contact your Faculty Rep, you can find their emails listed on the Strath Union Faculty Rep page. 

Reps are selected individually by each programme or department and you will receive information on how to put yourself forward by them – typically between weeks 0-2 at the start of the academic year.  


You might just need to put your name forward or give a short explanation of why you’d like to be a rep – if there are more volunteers than available spaces, the class will usually vote on who they want representing them.  

Other than some exceptions, a maximum of 5 slots will be allocated to each year of a programme, based on the number of students:

  • 0 to 49 students: 2 Programme Representatives 
  • 50 to 99 students: 3 Programme Representatives
  • 100 to 149 students: 4 Programme Representatives
  • 150+ students: 5 Programme Representatives

Being a Rep is a fantastic way to get involved and make your mark during your time at Strathclyde. It can help make your CV stand out and helps you develop skills employers are looking for, such as diplomacy and communicating with different stakeholders, managing time commitments, thinking constructively, and leadership.


You will also gain volunteer benefits at Strath Union, such as a 10% discount, full training, ongoing support, and volunteer awards. You will also be helping your peers to enhance their student experience by representing their voice.