New research identifies diverse approaches to student representation

A new study has found a broad range of student representation practices across British universities, identifying the higher education sector's shared challenges and the key principles which underpin the most effective approaches.

The QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project (CEP) has surveyed student voice practices across 78 institutions and has included a set of ten case studies delving deeper into specific student representation initiatives.

The project found:

• Strategies to engage the student voice continue to be significant priorities for higher education, with all those surveyed practising programme-level representation, 62.23 per cent practising school/faculty-level representation, and 82.05 per cent conducting programme or module level feedback surveys.
• The number of representatives per programme was typically between two and five, with often two in each year group. The ratio of programme representatives to students can generally be anywhere between 1:20 and 1:50.
• Five respondents reported that they had no Students' Union sabbatical officers. The rest most commonly had between one and six sabbatical officers. One outlier had 17.
• The majority of programme representatives (84.61 per cent) perform their roles on a voluntary basis, without financial rewards. Certificates were provided by 28 institutions and a further 12 provided additional incentives such as bursaries (in one case), academic credit (in two) and vouchers (in seven).
• Course representatives most frequently give 10-20 hours of their time per academic year (at 23 of the providers surveyed). A commitment of 20-30 hours was reported by 15 respondents. Ten reported fewer than 10 hours, three around 40 hours, and four more than 50 hours.
• Different strategies have developed to address different contexts. Core themes include the importance of institutional support, phased approaches, rewards and recognition schemes, and opportunities for continual review and enhancement. Planning, resourcing, communication, collaboration and inclusion are crucial to the success of initiatives designed to enhance student representation practices.

Project lead, Tom Lowe, Assistant Head of Finance & Accounting at the University of Westminster, said: "Authenticity, trust and relationship-building are vital – showing that you're in this for the long term, that you're serious about it, that you're actively listening, and that you're willing to meet students where they are, not just where you want them to be. The amplification and empowerment of student voices, in all their diversity, is clearly crucial to the ongoing sustainability of providers across the sector. Those providers which will be most successful in the long term will be those which understand that students are not simply customers to be acknowledged but partners in our shared learning journeys."

Steph Tindall, Head of UK & International Membership Delivery at QAA, added: "This is a highly timely report – as our sector renews its emphasis on enhancing the value of higher education in the face of extraordinary challenges and through effective partnerships with students. We very much hope that these findings will offer providers valuable, practical insights into best practices in this key aspect of our work, the engagement and empowerment of the student voice."

The Audit of Student Representation and Voice Practices Project was conducted in partnership with colleagues from University College London, Arden University, the University of Greenwich, the University of the Highlands and Islands, and Birmingham Newman University. Case studies focused on initiatives run by the University of Manchester Students' Union, the University of Southampton, Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Warwick Students' Union, the University of Nottingham Students' Union, the University of Westminster Students' Union, the University of Portsmouth Students' Union, Anglia Ruskin University, Sheffield Hallam University Students' Union, the University of Leeds and Huddersfield Students' Union.

Tom Lowe talks more about the findings of the project in a new QAA blog.