Postgraduate Academic Convenor

Sandro Eich chairs the Postgraduate Academic Representation system.

• [email protected]

About the Role

The Postgraduate Academic Officer represents postgraduate students’ interests in academic issues to the University and within the Students’ Association.

Specifically, the Postgraduate Academic Officer:

• Represents postgraduate students in academic matters.
• Line-manages the Postgraduate Presidents and PG Officers (Part-Time, Distance Learning and Commuting and International and EDI Officers (LGBTQ+, Disability, and BAME; one for each faculty)
• Trains the above presidents and officers and regularly update training for PG Course Representatives.
• Publicises PG Elections and answer queries.
• Updates the PG Academic section of the Association website.
• Is the postgraduate student member on the Academic Senate, Learning and Teaching Committee, Postgraduate Group, Postgraduate Research Committee, and Academic Monitoring Group.
• Attends PGT Forum and PGR Forum.
• Attends or delegate representatives to other committees and working groups as invited to represent postgraduate students.
• Sits on the Postgraduate Society committee, Education Executive Committee, Postgraduate Development Group, SAINTS+, and Students’ Representative Council (SRC).
• Attends the Education Committee and/or Undergraduate Academic Forum when requested
• Convenes and Chair the Postgraduate Academic Forum
• Updates Postgraduate Representatives on issues affecting the postgraduate community
• Writes emails to the whole postgraduate community to inform them of relevant updates.
• Liaises with the Provost’s Office about postgraduate academic issues.
• Liaises with the DoEd, School Presidents, other elected officers, and St Leonard’s College.
• Provides input into the design of PG Rep Training.
• Liaises with the Academic Representation Coordinator to produce resources for Reps and the PG community.

Note on Eligibility: Only postgraduate students matriculated for the full term of office may run for this role during the Association Elections.

Role Holders take office in June and serve until the following July. On average, the Postgraduate Academic Officer spends between 15 and 20 hours a week on their role.

About Me

I am a third-year PhD student in English, researching narratives of whistleblowing in contemporary non-fiction, fiction, and mass media. After studying for my BA and MA in English Studies, Comparative Studies, and Linguistics & Phonetics at the University of Cologne, I moved to St Andrews in 2020 to embark on my PhD journey. At the University of Cologne, I was a voting member of the Learning and Teaching Committee and have founded the Students' Association for Comparative Studies.

Across my different roles as a PhD researcher, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Library Assistant, and Postgraduate Academic Convenor, I am concerned with and advocate for the ability of people to express their ideas in a safe environment. Aiming at developing peoples' creative potential and empowering critical voices is part of my personal philosophy which will also be a huge part of my term as PG AC.

I represent postgraduate students at university level, line-manage the postgraduate class-representative system and ensure that matters concerning the postgraduate community will be heard and actively tackled by university management.  

In my work, I am particularly concerned with academic matters for which I sit on a plethora of university-wide committees. My goal for this year is to support the postgraduate officers and representatives as best as possible in their work concerning the cost-of-living crises, the St Andrews housing crises, or the implementation of additional mental health initiatives.  

Your PGT and PGR Reps are always your first point of contact, but I too am always available to talk to you about any academic concerns regarding postgraduate business. Please feel free to email me anytime: [email protected]. I am also more than happy to schedule a face-to-face meeting if that is something you require.

Previous holders

The position title was Postgraduate Convenor until 2016.