Everything you need to know about the SSLC

BSc Accounting & Finance student Benjamin Foster, and BSc International Management with Finance student Alessio Boggio-Chaibi, discuss what the SSLC is and the importance of the student voice at Warwick Business School.

During our second years at university, we have both become part of the WBS Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) as Chair and Vice-Chair. In this blog post we’d both love to tell you about the SSLC, what it does, and how you can get involved.

What is the SSLC?

The Student Staff Liaison Committee is a student-run committee that organises meetings to discuss student issues and queries (allowing students and staff to liaise with each other). The aims of these meetings are to represent the entire cohort’s views, to create meaningful change for students, and to improve the student experience overall.

The SSLC comprises of two chairs, and two-course representatives from each course (and year of study) each voted for by their peers. There are also three executive positions in addition to the chair roles; Secretary, Marketing Executive, and Communications Executive. The SSLC raises issues and feedback in our meetings, and works with staff to find viable solutions. Due to the fast changing nature of the university cohorts, the world, and education as a whole, different courses and cohorts face different issues each year.

Five main SSLC meetings are held throughout the year, with corresponding pre-meetings the week before. Pre-meetings are held by the chairs and secretary as a forum for course reps to raise the most pressing issues faced by students, and discuss possible solutions. The full SSLC meetings then follow, including staff/faculty members as well as course reps. Here, all the issues raised in the pre-meeting are presented to the staff members by the chairs and the students involved before being open for discussion by staff members and student representatives. These meetings allow staff to provide their perspectives of the issues raised so that a solution can be found.

What has the SSLC achieved in recent years?

Here are some of the achievements of the WBS SSLC:

• Installation of the kitchen in the UG Learning Space
• Installation of the Bloomberg Terminals in the IT Suite
• Additional study space on the ground floor atrium in WBS
• Filters for searches through my.wbs
• Updates to the A-Z page on my.wbs
• A reorganisation of study space in the UG Learning Space
• Increased priority notifications with key exam information
• Re-submission made possible
• Instagram account for the SSLC.

All these changes were made possible because of the valuable feedback provided by students at WBS and the staff members who help us make these improvements.

How do I get involved in the SSLC?

When it comes to applying to be part of the SSLC there are many different paths you can take. To apply for the position of SSLC Chair or Vice-Chair, you are asked to record a 2-minute video about why you want to hold that position.This video is then made available on my.wbs, allowing all WBS students to vote for the student they think best embodies the role (you do not need to be a part of the SSLC prior to running for the position of Chair or Vice-Chair, and anyone from any course at WBS can apply for these positions).

Chair and Vice-Chair elections are held at the end of the academic year, applying to hold these positions in the subsequent year. Another way to participate within the SSLC is as a course representative, if you wish to apply you have to write a short manifesto explaining why you would like to hold the position and then submit your manifesto on my.wbs. Anybody on your course, in your year, can then see your manifesto and use this to decide who they want to vote for.

One final way to participate in the SSLC is to communicate any issues you face with your SSLC representatives and chairs, students making sharing their voices with these members is how we get to hear about the problems that need solving within the business school.

To provide your feedback to the SSLC, you can do the following:

• Contact your course reps (a list is available on the my.wbs A-Z page under the heading 'SSLC'
• Use the small, black suggestion box in the UG Learning Space which is anonymous
• Message the SSLC via email (the Chair, Vice-Chair and SSLC representatives can be found through the A-Z page on my.wbs)
• If you see us on campus feel free to come over and say hi, we're always happy to help!

There are many reasons why you may want to be part of the SSLC, ranging from skills building (leadership, teamwork, communication, presentation, public speaking) to working with a diverse group of students and staff to improve the student experience at WBS - both of which being why we both decided to apply during our time at WBS.

To find out more about the SSLC, please follow our newly made Instagram page @wbssslc and keep an eye on the SSLC page through my.wbs, where we post minutes, summaries of meetings, and other important notices.

We hope that reading this has inspired some of you to apply for positions in the SSLC over the next academic year, please feel free to email the 2021-2022 Vice-Chair at benjamin.foster@warwick.ac.uk if you have any queries.