Top picks for July 2024: New Student Voice Policy in action
This month, we spotlight the power of student voices in higher education and the new policy that puts student voice front and centre.
Explore our curated resources: UoA policies, recent research findings, and real-world examples of student voice initiatives from Auckland to Australia and beyond.
From the Policy Hub
Student Voice Policy and Guidelines
The University of Auckland’s new Student Voice Policy and Guidelines, effective from early July 2024, were developed in collaboration with student leaders. This initiative responds to Taumata Teitei’s vision, the Pastoral Care Code of Practice, and recent Academic Audit recommendations. The policy promotes active student engagement through relational pedagogies and continuous feedback, calling for teachers to create safe spaces for student input. It ensures Māori student voices are heard, recognising tauira as tangata whenua. The accompanying guidelines clarify concepts, highlight benefits of student engagement, and offer practical advice for creating inclusive learning environments and recruiting students for feedback. Together, they aim to foster a culture where every student’s voice shapes their educational experience.
Student Academic Complaints Statute and Procedures
Effective from 1 August 2024, this new statute ensures a fair and transparent process for resolving student concerns about teaching and learning. It emphasises the importance of student voice in addressing issues related to course delivery, assessment, and supervision. The accompanying procedures encourage informal dialogue between students and staff before escalating to formal complaints, providing clear steps for submitting and handling complaints. Up until 31 July 2024, refer to the current Statute.
Class Representation Policy and Guidelines
This policy and guidelines foster a productive partnership between staff and students. Class representatives, elected by students, play a crucial role, with teaching staff facilitating these elections at the beginning of each course. Class representatives act as a link between students, Auckland University Students’ Association (AUSA), and teachers, communicating regularly, attending student-faculty meetings, and completing a diary. Teachers should support their election and provide a platform for discussion and problem-solving. While course coordinators cannot supply class reps with the list of students on each course, they can post messages via Canvas on their behalf to help them reach out to students.
Student Survey Policy and Procedures
This policy ensures a well-coordinated approach to gathering student feedback. By managing surveys effectively, it helps avoid over-surveying and boosts response rates, while adhering to guidelines on voluntary participation, data privacy, and survey quality. Familiarise yourself with this policy to appreciate the value of student feedback in shaping the University’s priorities and improvements.
Student voice in action at UoA
AUSA Student Voice Conference 2024
Join the inaugural conference on 5 September, themed ‘Student voice as the drive to change and success.’ Open to all, it aims to enhance the student experience through collaboration and insight-sharing.
The Learning and Teaching Survey
The Academic Quality Office will conduct the annual Learning and Teaching Survey for all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students in mid-August. This confidential survey gathers feedback on overall student experience, informing university priorities. A new, entirely anonymous survey on generative AI use is planned for September. Promote both in your classes and watch for results from mid-October.
Research and resources from beyond the University of Auckland
Practising Student Voice in University Teaching and Learning: Three Anchoring Principles
This 2023 article offers practical strategies for integrating student voice into tertiary teaching. It provides actionable insights, from real-time polling to co-creating assessments, to enhance teaching and student outcomes, particularly benefiting underrepresented learners.
You said, we did – now what? Why student voice initiatives need a rethink
This LSE blog post by a PhD student and student voice advocate challenges the paradox of collecting individual student feedback. It questions whether our reliance on metrics truly captures student experiences or reinforces a consumer-focused model of education.
Student voice at TEACH HQ
Monash University’s guide goes beyond simple feedback, and, drawing on Healey, Flint, and Harrington’s (2016) model shows how student-staff partnerships can transform higher education. It offers practical strategies for implementing student voice in curriculum design, assessment, and governance.
Best Practices for Integrating Student Voices in SoTL
Watch this insightful video featuring experts Mick Healey, Sophia Abbot, and Alison Cook-Sather. Produced by Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning and ISSOTL, it offers practical advice on student-faculty partnerships in SoTL. Learn about building trust, setting boundaries, developing shared language, and seeking diverse voices to foster genuine partnerships and enhance learning experiences.
Student voice in higher education: The importance of distinguishing student representation and student partnership
This 2022 peer-reviewed article by academics from The University of Queensland and Deakin University examines critical distinctions between student representation and partnership. It explores concepts of responsibility and access, highlighting their differing impacts on democratic education and student engagement. The paper advocates for a nuanced understanding to foster inclusive student participation.
Five propositions for genuine students as partners practice
Kelly E. Matthews from University of Queensland presents five key propositions for effective Students as Partners practice, challenging traditional student-teacher roles. These guidelines aim to create meaningful experiences that disrupt power hierarchies and promote equity.
Student voice and agency for indigenous Māori students in higher education transitions
This 2019 study examines Māori students’ transitions into higher education in Aotearoa New Zealand, using Bourdieusian and Freirean frameworks. It highlights systemic challenges and racism, while revealing evolving identities. Engage with this research to discover how empowering Māori students to articulate their perspectives can transform educational environments and foster a more inclusive learning community.
How to honor student voices in higher ed spaces
This D2L podcast features student voice advocate Kiara Williams discussing the importance of honoring student voices in higher education. Although US-based, it offers universally relevant advice and practical strategies for ensuring student voices are heard and creating a culture that amplifies student perspectives.
Collaborative initiatives to foster student partnerships
Tertiary Student Voice
Posted as part of Kōrero Mātauranga | Education Conversation by The Ministry of Education, this resource page, created after Covid-19, provides insights into the 2019 public consultation work, including engagement discussion papers and collaborative initiatives like the ‘Partners in Decision-Making’ report. This report from the Ministry shares research, practices, resources, and practical approaches for tertiary providers and students to strengthen partnership in decision-making. It was developed based on extensive consultation and feedback from students and staff across our tertiary education sector.
‘Whiria Ngā Rau: Progressing from Student Voice to Partnerships’
Whiria Ngā Rau is a comprehensive framework developed by the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations, Te Mana Ākonga, Tauira Pasifika, and the National Disabled Students’ Association, with support from the Ministry of Education. It aims to foster student partnership and create a learner-centric education system. The booklet provides a detailed breakdown of the framework, rethinks the concept of ‘student voice,’ and includes insights from students on effective practices. This resource supports the Tertiary Education Strategy’s goal of placing learners at the centre of education. Keep it close and handy.
Student Voice Australasia
An international network fostering student engagement in tertiary decision-making. Founded in 2019 by Professor Sally Varnham, SVA supports collaboration across 28 Australian institutions using the STEP-UP Principles. Currently hosted by the University of Southern Queensland, it offers resources, training, and events to enhance student-staff partnerships. The website provides free resources including a toolkit, best practice examples, and research on student partnership benefits. SVA co-organises annual summit and symposium events, held this year at The University of Sydney and online.
Students as Partners programme – University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne has introduced a program where students volunteer to work in partnership with the Academic Skills team to improve resources and services supporting academic skills and English language, intercultural, and professional skills. As partners, students provide perspectives on current and future activities, participate in team decision-making, review and develop resources, and co-deliver workshops. Staff report enhanced trust, deeper understanding of the student experience, and increased motivation through these partnerships.
The concept of ‘student voice’ in higher education is evolving from simply listening to students to actively partnering with them. This shift reflects a growing understanding that students are not just consumers of education, but co-creators of knowledge. These initiatives demonstrate a shift towards a more inclusive, reciprocal approach to learning, akin to the Māori concept of ‘ako’, where educators and students learn from each other.