Student Partnership Agreement
Background
• QAA Chapter B5 – Expectation
– ‘Higher education providers take deliberate steps to engage all
students, individually and collectively, as partners in the assurance and
enhancement of their educational experience.’ (2012:6)
• NUS – A manifesto for Partnership
– 'Partnership means shared responsibility - for identifying the problem or
opportunity for improvement, for devising a solution, and - importantly for co-delivery of that solution. None of this can happen without dispute,
so the question becomes whether that dispute is occurring in good faith
on both sides and whether students and their representatives are enabled
to take a full and active part in that debate’ (2012:8).
• HEA Framework – A conceptual model
– ‘For partnership to be embedded and sustained beyond documents,
projects and initiatives, it needs to become part of the culture and ethos
of the institution. Developing strong partnership learning communities
which engage staff and students is key to this’ (2014:4)
• HEA Framework
The conceptual model
for students as partners
in learning and teaching
in Higher Education. It
describes four
overlapping areas in
which partnerships
among students, and
between students and
staff, in learning and
teaching may be
located.
(Healy, Flint and
Harrington, 2014)
SPA development
• Student Learning Partnerships/Student Representation Policy
Working Group set up
• Current literature and sector agenda used as a starting point
• Developed with diversity in mind – students, staff, campuses,
modes of study, programmes and communities.
• Replaces Student Representation Policy… but forms one strand of
an overarching ‘Student Engagement Enabling Plan’
Student Partnership Agreement
(SPA) (To be reviewed every 2 years)
Student
Engagement
Enabling
Plan
(SPA will contain appropriate details from the current
Student Representation Policy, also information to
include TNE, London/Dubai/Berlin Campus students)
Student Engagement Policy
Student Support and Guidance
Policy & Procedure
Student Attendance Policy
(this will remain separate mandatory requirement of all HEIs)
Education Enabling Plan
Research & Enterprise Enabling Plan
Global Reach Enabling Plan
Fit with current plans
• Directly aligned with
– UWS Corporate Strategy 2014-20
– Enabling Plans and School Operational Plans
– SAUWS Objectives 2015-16
• Also developed from
– Feedback from SAUWS Mass Membership Survey
– NSS Scores
– Elected Officer Manifesto’s pledges (2015-16)
Our Values for Partnership
• Equality – staff and students are treated equally
• Democracy – the right of every individual’s voice to count
• Mutual respect – this should be between:
• staff and students,
• amongst students themselves,
• staff across the organisation.
• Diversity – the experience of all individuals who engage with the
development and enhancement of UWS is valued and carries the same
status
• Collaboration – between staff and students and a spirit of recognition of
what can be learned from each other
• Sustainability – learning, knowledge and skills which continue to evolve
and maintain their relevance to societal needs
Targets for 2015-16
• Education…
– Assessment and Feedback
• Each Programme to evidence to APPC the Number of
students given feedback on formative and summative
assessments, including exams, by end of AY 2015-16.
The results will feed into future Feedback Campaigns.
– Academic Societies
• Each School will have at least 1 Academic Society by
end of AY 2015-16
Targets for 2015-16 (cont.)
• Student Welfare and Wellbeing…
• Run at least 1 proactive financial awareness campaign during
AY 2015-16
• Run at least 1 proactive wellbeing campaign during AY 201516
• Internationalisation…
• Provide at least 1 student led integration event each
Trimester for home and international students
• Provide at least 2 student led networking events for home
and international students as a means for sharing
experiences of study abroad.
• Each School to develop a plan of action to encouraging
students to study abroad
Achieving the SPA
• Utilisation of expertise and perspectives from the whole
learning and professional community will be critical to
the success of the agreement and its outcomes
• Scope for innovation and creativity with the use of
enhanced and capable technology given our geographical
spread and intentions to expand our global reach.
• SPA signed off by the UWS Principal and SAUWS
President
References
•
Higher Education Academy (2014) Framework for partnership in learning and teaching
in higher education. [Online] Available: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/studentspartners-framework-action [Accessed: 17 June 2015].
•
Healy. M, Flint. A and Harrington. K (2014) Engagement through partnership: students
as partners in learning and teaching in higher education. Cited in Higher Education
Academy (2014) Framework for partnership in learning and teaching in higher
education. [Online] Available: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/students-partnersframework-action [Accessed: 17 June 2015].
•
National Union of Students (2012) A Manifesto for Partnership. [Online] Available:
http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/campaigns/highereducation/partnership/a-manifestofor-partnerships/ [Accessed: 13 April 2015].
•
Quality Assurance Agency (2012) UK Quality Code for Higher Education, Part B: Assuring
and Enhancing Academic Quality, Chapter B5: Student Engagement. [Online] Available:
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Pages/Quality-Code-Chapter-B5.aspx [Accessed:
16 June 2015].