Ulster University's Belfast campus showcases an institution that truly values student engagement through partnership. From the moment you enter the campus, it's evident that students' needs and aspirations are at the centre of the design. The vibrant atmosphere and diverse learning spaces promote collaboration and informal interactions, while the digital infrastructure prepares students for connected learning and working. The artwork and open spaces for student expression showcase the University's commitment to fostering creativity, hearing student voices and civic responsibility to the local community.
The student voice was invaluable when planning and evaluating new pedagogies, technologies or learning spaces (formal/informal and physical/digital) at Ulster University. This gave us the evidence-base for change on the new Belfast campus and across the institution. In addition, our student learning partners’ scheme removed hierarchies, empowering our students to enable this change in partnership with our staff during the transition to the new campus. This has been transformational."Richard Beggs, Senior Lecturer in HE Practice, Ulster University
The Framework
It is almost a decade since the original Student Engagement Through Partnership Framework was published, advocating collaborative relationships between staff and students. The Framework marked a transformation in sector understanding of the value of partnership and challenged traditional staff-student hierarchies. There is now the expectation that students will have formal or informal roles and responsibilities in subject review, course or programme validation, review and revalidation and governance. However, student consultation or feedback does not imply partnership. The foundation for successful partnerships continues to be open communication, reciprocal learning, constructive dialogue, trust and agency, enabling participants to collaborate effectively and achieve common goals.
At Queen Mary's students are involved with a range of enhancement projects involving curriculum design, creating learning resources and developing effective learning environments. Students and educators agree that co-creation invites flourishing through greater belonging, engagement and connection. There is a joy from engaging in meaningful work and creating better learning experiences or developing the curriculum."Ana Cabral, Max Addo, Louise Younie, Janet De Wilde, Emily Salines and Marianne Melsen, Queen Mary Academy
The literature review undertaken to update the framework demonstrated the growth in partnership working, revealing benefits for both student partners and the wider student community. Indeed, partnership working for ‘student engagement leading to improvements (SE7)’ was characteristic of gold-rated provision in the 2023 TEF (TEF 2023: Patterns of Excellence, Advance HE in press).
Embedding complex issues like sustainability, internationalisation and inclusivity into the curriculum can challenge educators. Embracing a partnership approach models a growth mindset for students and creates a space for innovative solutions through collaborative brainstorming and problem-solving.
Student voice and partnership are essential for putting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into practice. Students who have choice and voice in their learning are more engaged, and it helps staff provide a quality student experience every time. More importantly, ESD is about challenging the problems we face as a society, and we cannot do that without empowering our students in the safe space of learning, so they know they can speak out and take action as they go out into the world."Dr Kieran Higgins, Queens University Belfast
Extra-curricular
Partnerships now extend beyond the academic domain, as students actively engage in various projects that impact their student experience or are important to their values. Examples from across the sector have demonstrated the pivotal role students have played in sustainability initiatives and support to address external challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrating the power of student-led initiatives in driving meaningful change.
By participating in partnership projects, students gain invaluable experience in communication, teamwork and project management, boosting their employability skills. Recruitment and partnership approaches should be targeted and flexible addressing any barriers to participation to ensure that student partners are representative of the student population and that all students can benefit from partnership opportunities. However, there are also benefits for all students, not just those who have a direct role in partnership projects. A culture of partnership across an institution can not only help students develop their sense of belonging to an institution, it also shows students that their views, opinions and experiences matter to the institution.
I hope this Framework helps staff and students continue to develop their partnership practice. Although partnership working presents challenges, prioritising it allows institutions to cultivate a culture of partnership that benefits the entire community.
Students as Co-creators Learning and Teaching Symposium
In planning the Advance HE Students as Co-creators Learning and Teaching Symposium we wanted to model approaches for student partnership. By actively involving students in shaping the symposium's themes and inviting their participation in panel discussions and blog reflections the event provided valuable opportunities for students. By focusing the symposium on the students’ perspectives on learning, teaching and assessment practices, participants could appreciate the impact of educational policies and practices on the student experience. Look out for the call in 2025 and encourage your students to contribute.