The University of Adelaide is committed to working in genuine partnership with students to ensure the high quality and continuous enhancement and innovation of our curriculum, learning and teaching, and wider student experience. Informed by recent work on student partnership including the model put forward Healey et al. (2014), Varnham’s (2017) STEP-UP principles (2017), and Matthews’ (2017) propositions for practice - and through participation in the Student Voice Australia 2019 pilot project - we seek to develop an integrated, whole-university approach. To this end, we have established a partnership and co-creation values framework agreed at institutional level. This presentation discusses examples of partnership initiatives managed centrally and illustrates how our partnership values and principles are expressed and applied in different contexts including: student representation in governance including in formal academic program and school review; student-led innovation in Peer Assisted Study Sessions; co-creation in learning design and learning resources for curriculum development. As our work advances, we are aware that there remains considerable opportunity to further strengthen the culture of student partnership at the University. We will reflect on successful outcomes and challenges arising from our experience, and outline next steps in our journey.
Healey, M. et al. (2014). Engagement through partnership: students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education. York: Higher Education Academy.
Matthews, K. E. (2017). Five Propositions for Genuine Students as Partners Practice. International Journal for Students as Partners 1 (2).
Varnham, S. (2016). Creating a National Framework for Student Partnership in University Decision-Making and Governance. Australian Government Department of Education and Training.