Student partnership is gaining momentum in Australia. Many institutions are now developing processes to work together with their students, from within learning and teaching to institutional governance, direction and strategy. Increasing research abroad and now in Australia has led to a developing body of evidence directed at what is authentic student engagement leading to partnership, how may it be achieved and why is it desirable. Importantly, it indicates that that student involvement in decision-making is of value to institutions for the enhancement of quality and the student experience; and for students in their professional development.[1]
The Student Voice Australia Pilot (SVA) is currently working with ten tertiary institutions to build and implement practices to facilitate systematic student involvement in institutional decision-making and governance. Jointly funded through an agreement between ten participating institutions and supported by TEQSA and the national student bodies, it aims to increase an understanding of partnership and embed approaches to student engagement in the participant institutions and across the sector. Student Voice Australia also works to build capacity around the Principles for Student Engagement for Australian Tertiary Institutions (STEPUP for Quality Enhancement) developed through a sector-wide collaboration undertaken by Australian Senior Learning and Teaching Fellow, Professor Sally Varnham.
The presenters for this session are Kate Walsh (Project Manager, Student Voice Australia) and Angela Griffin (SRC President, UNSW). We invite conference participants (staff and students) to join us in a discussion to unpack key themes emerging from the SVA pilot evaluation and to consider a way forward towards developing and sustaining an ethos of student partnership as ‘the way things are done’ in the tertiary education sector in Australia.