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Enhancing Student Participation in Higher Education Governance: A European Perspective

Discover the crucial role of students in shaping higher education governance in Europe - from formal provisions to actual practices. Explore the challenges and opportunities for increased student influence. Key issues: equal opportunities, student rights, quality education.

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Enhancing Student Participation in Higher Education Governance: A European Perspective

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  1. COUNCIL OF EUROPE Directorate of School, Out-Of-School And Higher Education, Higher Education and Research Division and PEOPLES’ FRIENDSHIP UNIVERSITY OF RUSSIA INTERNATIONALSEMINAR MAKING THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA A REALITY: THE ROLE OF STUDENTS

  2. Student Participation in Higher Education Governance Annika Persson Pontén Deputy Director Division for Higher Education Ministry of Education, Research and Culture Sweden

  3. The Social Dimension of Higher Education “Everyone who has the possibility to profit from higher education should be able to enter and complete higher education” Rationale 1, Promotion of equal opportunities 2, Creates prospects for development of our societies 3, Enhances the quality of higher education

  4. Crucial issues for a strong Social Dimension • Equal opportunities for access and participation • Actions to widen access and participation • A secure financial situation for the student • Quality study environment • Ensure successful completion of studies • Increased actual student influence on higher education

  5. Student Participation in the Governance of Higher Education in Europe • Two Council of Europe surveys • Formal provisions for student participation • Other provisions • Actual practices • 2003 Report – 48 (36) countriesQuestionnaire (students, academics & ministry rep.) • 2004 Report – 7 of these countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and UkraineQuestionnaire & official country reports

  6. Main results • Formal provisions largely in place • Legal mechanism for participation at the institutional level in all countries • Legal mechanism for participation also to a large extent at faculty level • Legal mechanisms for participation at national level and department level not as common • Student have voting rights in the governance bodies • Protocols and decisions from university governance meetings not always made public

  7. Main results • Regulations concerning how student representatives should be elected in a majority of the countries • Student representatives elected through direct election in most countries • Candidates are presented through non-political organizations or individually • Political student organizations not legal in about half of the countries • In general possible to find candidates to fill positions • Generally low participation in student elections • Division of powers in student org. not always clear • Student evaluations of courses and programmes required in half of the countries

  8. Main results • Issues where students have the strongest influence:Social and environmental issues at the institutions • Issues where students have the weakest influence:Budget mattersCriteria for admission of students • Level where students have the strongest influence:Institutional/faculty level • Level where students have the weakest influence:National level • Positive attitude towards increased student influence

  9. Challenges ahead • Two levels of governance need special consideration:National levelDepartment level • Relation between formal provisions and actual practices • The role of student organizations • Low participation in student elections • Dissemination of information on student rights

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