Class Representative Manual
A Manual for the Class Representatives
University of Toronto Engineering Society

Last Revision: April 30, 2026

Contents

For a list of all Bylaws and Policies, see the index.

For Candidates Summary and Structure Manual of Responsibilities

For Candidates #

0.0 # Role Summary

  1. 0.0.1 # Class Representatives are elected to represent each year of each discipline in academic matters and Faculty governance, to spread information to their cohort, and sometimes to assist their respective Discipline Club in running social and other events.

0.1 # General Responsibilities

  1. 0.1.1 # Class Representatives negotiate course issues with instructors on behalf of their class, and escalate such issues to their Discipline Club, their Department, and/or the Engineering Society if necessary.
  2. 0.1.2 # Class Representatives spread information from course instructors, their Discipline Club, and the Engineering Society to their cohort.
  3. 0.1.3 # Class Representatives have the option to become voting members of Faculty Council, the highest decision-making body in the Faculty.
  4. 0.1.4 # Class Representatives have the option to run social events for their cohort, and/or help their Discipline Club or the Engineering Society run events.
  5. 0.1.5 # Class Representatives have other responsibilities listed in Chapter 2 of this Manual.

0.2 # Required Qualifications

  1. 0.2.1 # Class Representatives must be sufficiently well-connected with (and well-regarded by) their class to win their election, to be able to legitimately speak on their behalf, to be trusted with course complaints, and to disseminate information to them.

0.3 # Useful Qualifications

  1. 0.3.1 # Class Representatives should have a strong sense of justice and a desire to make things right and stand up for their class.
  2. 0.3.2 # Positive relationships with course instructors and Department leaders, or the capacity and ability to form and maintain such relationships, are an asset.
  3. 0.3.3 # Strong negotiation skills, an ability to come up with compromises, a silver tongue, and other diplomatic skills can all be assets.

0.4 # Role Takeaways

  1. 0.4.1 # A Class Representative missing qualifications listed in section 0.4 may gain them by exercising the role.
  2. 0.4.2 # The Class Representative role is extremely useful experience for a prospective candidate for Vice President, Academic to have.

Summary and Structure #

1.0 # Role Summary

  1. 1.0.1 # Class Representatives are elected representatives of each year of each discipline who speak on behalf of their class in academic matters and Faculty governance, spread information to their cohort, and in certain cases assist their respective Discipline Clubs in running social or other events.

1.1 # Transition

  1. 1.1.1 # Class Representatives shall transition their successors as described in the Transition Policy.
  2. 1.1.2 # Class Representative Transition Reports shall focus especially on outstanding course issues which were not resolved and should be paid attention in subsequent years.

1.2 # Executive Structure

  1. 1.2.1 # Class Representatives do not have authority to officially hire executives. However, certain cohorts have more than one Class Representative who may allocate tasks between each other.

1.3 # Executive Responsibilities

  1. 1.3.1 # All responsibilities of the role fall on the Class Representatives.

1.4 # Reporting Structure

  1. 1.4.1 # Class Representatives are overseen directly by their Discipline Club Academic Director (or equivalent).
  2. 1.4.2 # Class Representatives are overseen indirectly by the Vice President, Academic.

Manual of Responsibilities #

2.0 # Ongoing Responsibilities

  1. 2.0.1 # Class Representatives receive all complaints about course issues from students, and contact instructors and/or course coordinators on behalf of their class to ask for them to be resolved. Common requests from Class Representatives include:
    1. 2.0.1.a # class-wide deadline extensions
    2. 2.0.1.b # test/quiz rescheduling
    3. 2.0.1.c # grade adjustments to compensate for unanticipated unfairness
  2. 2.0.2 # Class Representatives draw the attention of the class to announcements from course instructors regarding accommodations for course issues.
  3. 2.0.3 # Class Representatives regularly meet with their Discipline Club Academic Director (or equivalent) and other Class Representatives in the same discipline, to report on course issues and seek advice.
  4. 2.0.4 # Class Representatives regularly meet with the VP Academic and/or the Reactive component of the Academic Advocacy Committee, to report on course issues and seek advice.
  5. 2.0.5 # Class Representatives regularly attend Departmental student-staff meetings, to report on minor course issues, escalate course issues when the coordinator is unwilling or unable to resolve them, and be consulted by the Department on curriculum and other matters.
  6. 2.0.6 # Class Representatives occasionally spread messages to their class from and at the request of their Discipline Club or the Engineering Society, in whatever manner they judge most effective.
  7. 2.0.7 # Class Representatives may be given the opportunity by their Discipline Club or the Engineering Society to help run events.
  8. 2.0.8 # Class Representatives may choose to organize events for their class, and can discuss a budget for such events with their Discipline Club.

2.1 # Time-fixed Responsibilities

  1. 2.1.1 # At the start of each semester, as soon as syllabi are available, Class Representatives:
    1. 2.1.1.a # review the syllabi of all courses in which their class is enrolled;
    2. 2.1.1.b # find issues arising from interactions between different scheduled assessments/deadlines;
    3. 2.1.1.c # solicit similar issues for elective courses in which other class members are enrolled; and
    4. 2.1.1.d # raise the issues as soon as possible with the relevant course coordinators.
  2. 2.1.2 # In September of their term, Class Representatives inform the VP Academic whether they would like to serve as a voting student representative on Faculty Council that year.
  3. 2.1.3 # In October, December, February, and April of their term, Class Representatives who opt into Faculty Council service:
    1. 2.1.3.a # receive and review the Faculty Council agenda for the respective month;
    2. 2.1.3.b # attend pre-Faculty Council meetings hosted by the VP Academic; and
    3. 2.1.3.c # attend Faculty Council and execute the VP Academic's strategy for student advocacy at the meeting, as applicable.