Hearing Voices: Listening to Students' Views in Collaborative Partnerships

Ian Willcock – February 2016

Our Collaborative PartnershipsAn overview…

• 8,315 students in 2014-15.• 33 different partnerships.• 5 different types of collaboration.• Based in UK and 10 other countries.• Student numbers range from over

3,000 to 26.

Our regulations and proceduresInstitutional approaches…

• Programme development and management

• Quality assurance• Student-led involvement• Collaborative partnership guidelines• Link Tutors

Programme managementrequired student input…

• Programme revalidation• Changes to programmes• Programme Committees• Contact with tutors and programme

leaders

Quality assurancestudents' voices as part of the evidence…

• Module Feedback• Annual Monitoring and Evaluation

Report– Must comment on student feedback– Must be considered at a programme

committee• Meeting External Examiners

Student-led engagementlistening directly to students…

• Student reps• School-based student rep support• Students' Union• Student consultative meetings

Collaborative partnership regs ways to work with partners…

• As for UK programmes, plus…• Collaborative Working Handbook:

– Dedicated meeting with students:"The purpose of these meetings is to strengthen the relationship with the students at the partner, to gain feedback from students on their learning experience and student support processes, and to provide an opportunity for students to ask questions and register concerns."

– Students must be able to contact LT directly.

Link Tutorspersonalisation of the institutional relationship…

• Seen as, "key to the success of collaborative arrangements".

• Must ensure equivalence of student experience

• Set of required monitoring and reporting tasks

• Should establish strong professional relationships.

TOA - a case studya context for listening…

• Medium-sized private design school.• Collaborative Partners since 2009.• Offer 3 UH undergraduate degrees.• 133 students on UH programmes.

Listening at TOAoverlaying formal structures with informal processes…

• From students to partner• Formal mechanisms.

– LT Meeting with students– Staff development

• Informal– Email contact with students– Meetings with staff

Ensuring students mattereffecting change in different aspects of experience…

• Not just about the curriculum!• Wider experience

– Social life– Wifi, toilets

• L&T– IAD Workload– GD progression

Listening to Voiceshow (effectively) are we engaging students…

• Regulations emphasise students’ views as part of all UH programme management.

• Multiple formal and required student-led mechanisms.

• The Link Tutor relationship overlays this network at partners with informal, amplifying, adaptable processes.

Thank You!i.willcock@herts.ac.uk