AIBU to take Christmas off re: university course rep?

[PeteSwotatoes]

I'm a mature student and was one of three elected course reps. The nature of my degree is that the students are very high-achieving and perfectionist.

I have worked my arse off all semester in order to resolve queries. Not a day has gone by when I haven't spoken to a student via email, in person or on FB. A lot of the queries they ask are about the same things, even though I make an effort to send out mass emails about things that are relevant to everyone.

I even stood up (was practically weeing myself) at a big meeting with the Pro Vice Chancellor at the end of term and said that my cohort is a bit stressed/anxious and maybe the faculty could do more.

I sent out info on academic support, pastoral support, counselling etc.

And I've just had a message on Facebook from a girl saying our learning objectives are too vague and can I get more detailed ones from the faculty.

Now, to my late-twenties eyes, they are totally reasonable, but the younger generation seem to be spoon-fed more than I was at school, therefore they expect a lot more.

Frankly I just want Christmas to revise my own work and chill with my family, rather than effectively playing mum to 250 students. WIBU to take a few days off and not answer things?

I suspect that many of the student queries would be answered if they bothered to read the Student Handbook - they probably just can't be @rsed!

I was a clinical supervisor for a Speech and Language Therapy course at a University, and I can promise you that answers to at least 90% of their questions were in the handbook.

But yu are right. Students now expect to be spoon-fed and aren't prepared to look for information for themselves (one of the things a university course is actually designed to teach them to do).

Take a Christmas break - you need it as much as anyone.

That sounds like an absolute nightmare OP. Can you set up an FAQ section somewhere and send back a generic email linking to it every time someone sends you a stupid question?

Yes all the learning objectives are in the handbooks! Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who actually looks things up.

It sounds like you are doing far more than any of the reps do where I work. Yes kids are more spoonfed now, but university is meant to be the place where they learn to stand on their own two feet. By doing so much you are enabling them to keep being spoonfed. They need to start dealing with tutors themselves, if only to improve their employability - because there won't be any spoonfeeding after uni.

And for next semester to compose a stock phrase to explain that your role of student rep is to direct them to the appropriate support for their particular situation and that in this case that will be their personal academic tutor/module convenor/head of department/student services/delete as appropriate.

This.

We often find that students use a sympathetic student rep to solve individual problems which they need to take some responsibility for in contacting the tutor.

Our staff-student liaison committee looks at structural stuff, is consulted over curriculum changes, and is a sounding board for overall satisfaction about the programme as a whole. But the student reps are not there to be the go-betweens between students & staff.

At my place, student reps get pretty good training from the student union. Can you get some training to help you establish fair boundaries?

At my place, student reps get pretty good training from the student union.

I have a nice contact there, she's new to the role but very enthusiastic. Unfortunately, her boundaries are piss poor and she often replies to emails at silly hours of the night. She comes over as a workaholic, albeit a well-meaning and very pleasant one.

However, she has advised me to be firmer with students. I am not a firm person whatsoever, and I have been struggling to put it into practice.

It sounds as if you are doing too much. I would definitely take Christmas off. I would also talk to the university about clearer role descriptions. IF you do answer questions then I would just copy and paste a link to the relevant part of the assessment guide. So if the question was 'what is the word limit' then rather than say 'it is 2000 words' give them the link to the webpage or say 'it is at the bottom of page 6'. Then they have to go and look it up anyway so next time they might think 'I might as well look it up myself'.

As others have said you should absolutely take a few weeks off.

I would also be a bit firmer in general. If anyone asks you a question which has been answered via a mass email you should just reply that the information has already been sent out by email. If they ask you a question which should be directed towards a tutor don't act as an intermediary. Just respond that their tutor should be able to answer their query.

I have a certain amount of sympathy with those who are anxious students, I was probably one too, but part of the university experience involves becoming an independent learner.

I'd definitely take the stance that you're only a student rep during term time, so absolutely don't do anything over Christmas.

Agree with pps as well that you need to reduce what you're doing - when I was a rep our role was just to give views of other students at student-staff committee meetings. If people are sending you queries that could be answered by contacting a tutor/reading the handbook then point them towards that and they should soon get the message. I really think you're role should just be seeking and listening to feedback on various aspects of the course and feeding those back to staff at the appropriate times.