Students' Association

Roles in Our Students’ Association 

BCSA offers students lots of opportunities to get involved. Our team is formed of the following roles: 

• Students President 
• 2 Vice Presidents  
• Class Representatives 

At the beginning of each academic year, we recruit Class Reps from all classes across the College. This role allows you to help resolve class-based issues; help direct students to the correct type of support for them; bring issues that your class may have with the College to the BCSA who can help you create change at College; and work to improve the student experience at Borders College. 

Student President and Vice President roles are elected positions. Each year we run elections to fill these positions and those who are elected work together to run the Students’ Association and represent college students.  

We also offer students voluntary ways to get involved in your Students’ Association. You could be passionate about raising awareness for an important issue or want to get involved in arranging sporting events on your campus etc., we can support you to get involved in a range of voluntary roles. 

Speak to a team member of BCSA or email us at bcsa@borderscollege.ac.uk to find out more! 

BCSA can help you set up a club or group that you would like to host at Borders College. Clubs are a great way to connect with other students and build a strong College community. We can meet with you to help plan what your group will involve, plan your schedule, set up rules, help with creating advertising, and provide some funding to support the creation of your idea.

Even if you do not know what group you would like to start we can meet with you to brainstorm ideas. Contact us via email to arrange a meeting: bcsa@borderscollege.ac.uk.

Our main role is to ensure that student voices are represented and listened to by Borders College. Our college should listen to and reflect the ideas of students and we help support students to be involved in the decision making process.

Throughout the year, BCSA members sit on a number of committees to allow student voices to influence change. These committees help govern different areas of work that all influence the experience of students. Ultimately, sitting on these committees and representing student voices helps improve student experience.

One way in which we ensure that the College listens to student voices is through the Student Experience Committee. The Student Experience Committee is a student-led group that discusses the student experience and agrees on actions to improve the lives and learning of students at Borders College. The committee is chaired by the Student President or a member of the BCSA Executive Team. Student officers and representatives, and College managers attend SEC meetings. The SEC meets three times a year to share the work of the BCSA and share student voices with College leaders.

If you would like to get involved in decision making at Borders College then please get in touch.

Throughout the year BCSA plans events for students to participate in. At the beginning of the academic year we meet with other support staff to plan activities around our awareness calendar.

Some of our activities:

• Planning Freshers Week at the beginning of term and planning Re-Freshers events after returning from the Christmas break.
• Hosting stalls to share freebies with students throughout the year.
• Inviting external organisations onto campus to share what support is available to students in their local communities.
• Organising sporting events and group activities.
• Working with students to coordinate what you would like to see on campus.

We are always keen to host different types of events and activities for students to get involved in, email us with your ideas!

Although BCSA representatives are not trained to deliver wellbeing, welfare or financial advice, we can help find the correct support for you. We work closely with the Borders College Support Services team who can be found on campus and online to help you have a successful time at College by helping you access the appropriate support.

A BCSA team member can also be available to support you through tough conversations so you are not going through it alone.

Food poverty is a growing issue for students as the cost of living continues to increase. To help support students who may be struggling BCSA run a Campus Pantry which is available to all Borders College students. If you are struggling to access food, having financial difficulties, or just need a helping hand while studying you can access this space. 

This can be found in the Students’ Association Office on our Galashiels Campus. Please visit for access to the Pantry or speak with a staff member who will support you accessing the Campus Pantry.  

The Campus Pantry offers short-term food support. We can signpost you to Student Support or food banks in your local area for long-term support or to discuss other support available to you. 

For more information, please contact bcsa@borderscollege.ac.uk