The University student representative elections will be held on Thursday. Johann Agius speaks to Paul Caruana Turner, a student representative at the Faculty of Laws.
Last year, some major changes to the Law course for first-year students encouraged Paul Caruana Turner to get involved and contest for the student representative elections.
“I felt it was important for someone from our year to be on the faculty board so that our representative would have a say in the decisions being made regarding the course and voice the concerns of those directly affected by the decisions they were taking,” he explained.
Having already experienced University life, Turner felt he was a valid candidate capable of protecting the interests of his fellow colleagues.
Student representatives’ main responsibility is to attend their respective faculty board meetings, during which representatives can make suggestions based on the issues or difficulties presented to them by the students.
Turner highlights the importance of giving feedback, meaning representatives should constantly inform students on decisions being made by their faculty, and any changes to University procedures.
As a representative in the Faculty of Laws, Turner was also involved in two particular problems that cropped up in the past scholastic year. He helped to arrange a new first sitting for the Legal History exam, which a large number of first-year students had failed due to circumstances beyond their control. In the end, a good number of these students passed to second year.
He also played a part in settling the legal studies issue.
“I felt it was my duty, given that the decision had implications on future law students who I will also represent, since my term runs until February 2015,” he says.
Among the things representatives elected on Thursday should keep in mind while carrying out their duties, Turner mentions effective communication of ideas, respect towards the opinions of others and standing by what one believes in.
“One should not think of one’s faculty as operating in isolation of other faculties,” adds Turner.
“You can learn a lot just by consulting with representatives from other faculties and finding out what they are doing.”
Just as in any other election, University students should do their duty and vote for their faculty’s representatives, especially as they will be working closely with students themselves in the coming months.
Listening to students’ suggestions and complaints and communicating them well to faculty boards is not a task to be taken lightly by representatives, but in the long run, it serves as an enriching and inspiring experience for anyone who takes it on.