How to a get an activity HEARable

If the activity that you participate in or run is currently not on our list of eligible activities, but you believe it should be, then this is the process you need to follow.

1. Check if your activity is eligible using the eligibility criteria below

2. If it is, apply online using the HEAR Activity Validation Guidance Notes

3. A member of the Skills and Enterprise Team in the Careers Service will be in touch to discuss your application and provide feedback

4. If the activity is considered eligible for the HEAR it will be processed in the termly Validation Committee Meeting. You will be asked to provide a short presentation about your activity and to answer questions about how it runs

Eligibility Criteria

1. The activity must correspond to one of the three categories identified in the national HEAR implementation guidance hear.ac.uk, namely:

   • Additional Awards (accredited performance outside the academic curriculum, e.g. co-curricular modules/courses/training programmes or structured award/certificate programmes);
   • Additional Recognised Activities (unaccredited activities which represent achievement and/or learning);
   • University, Professional and Departmental Prizes (both academic and non-academic).

2. The activity must not be a formal part of a student’s degree or a taught postgraduate programme or be credit bearing.

3. The activity must not be formal employment, with the exception of the following types of University/Students’ Union activities at Goldsmiths:

   • ambassadorial roles, student community leader roles and student representation roles
   • programme related roles
   • research-related roles
   • teaching-related roles
   • sports coaching
   • or employment experience that is part of a University-recognised programme.

4. The activity must have run its full cycle at least once in the form in which it is being proposed on this document and must be an ongoing activity, not a one off.

5. The activity must be open to all full programme undergraduate or postgraduate taught students at the University or all students within a specific academic cohort in accordance with our Equal Opportunities Policy. Exceptions are made for certain representative roles which may be restricted to ensure democratic representation of the student population as a whole, for example Women’s Officer. The process for accessing the activity must be transparent.

6. An activity must be verified in accordance with an agreed set of criteria that outlines the process for completing the activity in terms of objective and quantifiable outcomes.

7. The activity must be overseen and verified by a member of staff, or an officer of the Students’ Union, or a trusted external agency. The activity verifier is responsible for:

   • Providing information to students about the activity and the opportunity to gain recognition on their HEAR for their participation
   • Verifying that the students have completed the criteria
   • Submitting details of students who have requested the activity is recorded on their HEAR to the HEAR Coordinator within the agreed timeframe.
   • Update the HEAR Coordinator of any change to the activity, activity verifier (contact details or role change).

8. Activities which are validated in an academic year will be added to the list of recognised activities in the following academic year. Students will not be able to verify new activities retrospectively.