Feedback is an important way in which you can let the University know how you feel about your experience at UCD.  It helps the University to identify opportunities to improve and enhance what we do and plays an important role in our quality evaluation processes.  There are a variety of ways you can provide feedback to the University, including through formal survey mechanisms or through liaising with student representatives, such as your class reps, so that they can represent your views or concerns at relevant school or progamme meetings and other staff /student fora.

UCD Student Feedback: UCD operates a confidential, online student feedback system to allow students give their feedback on modules (Module Feedback Survey) and teaching (Lecturer Teaching Survey). The system introduced in 2024 also facilitates your lecturers to 'close the feedback loop' with you by providing a response to the anonymised feedback provided by the whole class. You can find out more here:  https://www.ucd.ie/studentfeedback/students/

Other annual surveys include:

• The Start of Term Survey 
•  StudentSurvey.ie 
• (opens in a new window)Annual Commuter Survey

The UCD Student Charter commits the University to working in partnership with the Students’ Union to ensure that students are represented at all levels of your University and support procedures and protocols that allow students to make positive suggestions for improvements to ensure effective governance and management of academic, administrative and social activity.

Students are represented on many of the University’s senior committees by (opens in a new window)Students Union Sabbatical Officers and other elected student representatives such as the (opens in a new window)College Officers. This includes the University’s most senior academic and institutional governing bodies: Academic Council, Governing Authority and many of the University Management Team subcommittees.

Class Reps
There are around 270 seats available, and any UCD student can run to represent their class. As a class rep you will do things like; attend student council meetings,  represent your classmates by providing feedback to schools or programmes on issues raised and running social media channels for your class. You also might get involved in organising events and raising money for charity. For more information see: (opens in a new window)https://www.ucdsu.ie 

Student Representation and Partnership Agreement

Following a review of the University’s approaches to student representation a Student Representation and Partnership Agreement  was developed with the Students’ Union. The agreement expands and strengthens the University’s commitment to student partnership outlined in the Student Charter and sets out a shared vision for student representation and partnership. 

The agreement includes sections on the principles of the UCD Student Partnership and outlines responsibilities of both the University and the SU in relation to Student Representation. Schedules to the Agreement provide information on opportunities for student participation.

Student Partnership Forum

The Student Partnership Forum provides a framework to advance, support and operationalise the student partnership as outlined in the Agreement. Membership of the Forum includes academic and professional staff, SU officers and SU class representatives as well as student leaders drawn from those undertaking a variety of student leadership roles such as peer mentors and student ambassadors

Functions of the Student Partnership Forum include:

• Discussing and agreeing on opportunities to work together towards the development of an annual plan of agreed priority projects or objectives.
• Maintaining oversight of progress against the plan and monitor outcomes.
• Act as a consultative forum for discussion on emergent issues or evolving University proposals impacting students.
• To maintain oversight of the Agreement to ensure that obligations under the Agreement are met.

Joining the Forum

Supporting Student Representatives (For Staff)

Feedback from student committee members highlighted the benefit of induction activities and other supports. Students who had experienced an induction noted that they felt more confident in participating in committee discussions. The following guide should be used by committee chairs and secretaries to help ensure students are appropriately equipped to make positive contributions to the work of the committee.

• Good Practice Guidance for Committee Chairs and Committee Support Staff