Outline

Overview

This OLE aims to give students theoretical and practical underpinning for their leadership aspirations and provide students with the opportunity to develop and practise relevant skills. The curriculum includes provision of foundational areas to support and inform study into leadership skills, the opportunity to broadly apply leadership skills and a strong focus on personal development and communication. The UoS comprises of a core 0 CP UoS called Student Leadership: Core and a 2 CP UoS called Student Leadership: Representation whereby the focus is on leadership in representative scenarios such as committees, networking groups and education organisations. Students wishing to extend their leadership knowledge can undertake related Student Leadership OLEs in Community Engagement and Peer Mentoring, each of 2 credits points, to scaffold student achievement.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Health Sciences
Credit points	2
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Melanie Keep, melanie.keep@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Presentation	Presentation Video Students to submit a one minute video (or equivalent) on why they would like to be a student representative.	0%	Week 02 Due date: 05 Mar 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 19 Mar 2026	1 minute (or equivalent)	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	Online Quiz online quiz	0%	Week 07 Due date: 15 Apr 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 29 Apr 2026	30 questions	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Student Rep Plan written assignment	0%	Week 13 Due date: 28 May 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 12 Jun 2026	2 pages or equivalent	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= early feedback task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Assessment 1: Presentation Video. Week 2. You will prepare a 1 minute video on why you would like to become a student representative, to be written by you, not AI or another person.

Assessment 2: Online Quiz. Week 4: Online quiz of 30 questions about concepts of this Unit of Study, to be answered by you, not AI or another person.

Assessment 3: Student Rep Plan. Week 13: You will identify a community within the University and create a plan for how you will identify issues, raise these issues to the university and report back to the community. You will also reflect on challenges they may face in this process and how you might mitigate or address them.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas. You must follow Uni Guidelines on how to use AI and state which part/s of the assessment is/are their own and which part/s were AI-generated.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy (Schedule 1).

Result name	Mark range	Description
Satisfied requirements	50 - 100	The learning outcomes of the unit of study have been met to a satisfactory standard.
Failed requirements	0 - 49	The learning outcomes of the unit of study have not been met to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Written work submitted after 23:59 on the due date without an approved extension will be considered late. Please ensure you give yourself enough time to account for unexpected hold-ups or technical difficulties. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they submit the correct file to the correct portal. Any resubmitted documents uploaded after the due date/time will be considered a late submissions. Penalties for late submission will follow University policy.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes
Ongoing	There are no scheduled lectures for this OLE as all resources are provided online. However, in completing the modules, students need to be mindful of assessment due dates and prepare accordingly.	Self-directed learning (20 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: There are no specific attendance requirements or face to face classes timetabled for this UoS as all materials and associated interactions are provided through Canvas.
Required materials: Online/distance education units of study have the following computer requirements - desktop computer or laptop (not tablet), webcam and microphone (built-in or external), connection to network with sufficient internet speed (at least 3Mbps download speed and 3Mbps upload).

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 2 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 40-50 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. critically reflect on the purpose of higher education and the reasons for being a student representative
LO2. explore the reasons for becoming a student representative, and reflect on the experiences of some University of Sydney student representatives
LO3. understand the skills needed for effective representation
LO4. identify the benefits and challenges of student representation
LO5. explore the activities involved in being a student representative
LO6. critically reflect on the ethical dimensions of participating in student representation
LO7. work through some common scenarios you may encounter as a student representative.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Thank you to the 2025 cohort for providing feedback on your experiences. Students asked for more assessment variety so that they could use a range of skills. This is reflected in the different modes of assessment (quiz, video and written submission) in 2026. To increase connection between students and teachers, drop-in sessions will also be held throughout the semester.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

OLET1405: Student Leadership: Representation

Semester 1, 2026 [Online] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links