Why you should be on an SSLC!

When I first arrived at Warwick in September I heard about this fantastic opportunity to be a part of an SSLC. This blog is my attempt at convincing you to join one too when you arrive at Warwick!

What is an SSLC?

SSLC Stands for Staff and Student Liaison Committee. Each department has one, or multiple and they are essentially a group of students and academic conveynor(s), which act as a bridge between these two groups to ensure proper communication and improvement across the department. The PAIS SSLC has met around once a month this year, meaning that it is a great, low commitment opportunity! There is also the chance to run for the SSLC chair or secretary within the group, which provides an extra bit of responsibility if that is what you are looking for.

3 Reasons why you should run for a spot!

It is a great way to provoke change

As politics students in particular we should care deeply about structures and how we can provoke positive change within them. Being a part of an SSLC is politics in action! I have loved my time in meetings, discussing so many important issues and gaining student feedback. One of my favourite parts of being part of the committee this year has been ensuring the department actually hear about concerns. Unlike in secondary school when I would just complain to my friends or have our ideas shot down in a school council meeting, the staff who attend SSLC meetings listen to our feedback and although they cannot always help, will ensure that we have an answer to why things are the way they are or pass our feedback on to the wider university.

It is a fab way to talk to people in different year groups

SSLCs are made up of students from several different year groups. As a first year, this is a great way to chat to people you may not otherwise do. As well as this, as a fresher I was seeing things from a very different perspective to those in older year groups. Sixth form was very fresh in my mind so it was easier to compare to my previous educational experiences to now. However, the older students had a few more years under their belt so were much better at understanding the departments history because they had lived through it. Talking to older students also means you can get proper advice when you need about different aspects of your degree, as they too have been through it themselves.

It is great practice for the workplace

Many jobs in the field of politics, as well as jobs in most other fields, require teamwork and deliberation skills. The SSLC is a great representation of that. Moreover, one amazing thing you get as being a part of the SSLC is learning how to think as an innovator. We always discuss new ideas on how we will brilliantly change the department. Industries are forever changing nowadays, with some that do not even exist yet, so this is a great thing to have on your CV and make you stand out!