Overview of the student participation in higher education governance

1. Overview of the student participation in higher education governance Regional Meeting of Ministers of Education on the Implementation of the European Higher Education Area 17 – 18 October 2013 Yerevan

2. How it all started...

3. How do we understand it today? • Students’ formal and informal ability to influence decisions made in the context of a higher education institution or a public authority • Four different levels of intensity: • Access to information • Consultation • (Structured) dialogue • Partnership

4. As the EHEA was developing... • Prague communiqué in 2001 • Berlin communiqué in 2003 • Bergen communiqué in 2005 • London communiqué in 2007 • Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve communiqué in 2009

5. ESIB  ESU • Students’ Rights Charter 2008: • All students have the right to organise themselves freely in legally recognised entities. Students must not suffer academic, financial or legal consequences from such involvement. • All students have the right to co-governance in all decision making bodies and fora relevant to their education directly or through democration representation.

6. ESIB  ESU • Students’ Rights Charter 2008: • Students have the right to be informed about all higher education affairs in a transparent manner. • All students have the right to have their opinion considered as that of a stakeholder on equal footing in higher education. • All students have the right to freely express themselves and this should not be limited to academic matters.

7. Where are we now? • Council of Europe study from 2003 (A. Persson) • Bologna with Student Eyes 2012 (ESU) • _____________________ (fill in the blank)

8. Bologna Process  EHEA • New managerialism • De-politicisation and professionalisation of the student movement • Massification and diversification of student body • Diversification of involved stakeholders • Weakening formal, strengthening informal participation • Economic crisis = budget cuts • Customers or partners?

9. Back to the roots?

10. Can it be any different? • If student organisations would: • Further encourage student participation • Assure representativeness, democratic procedures and continuity • Provide efficient transfer of knowledge • Provide sufficient information to fellow students • Encourage diversity among their own structures

11. Can it be any different? • If higher education institutions would: • Dedicate to assurance of full student representation through long term institutional support and resources • Provide financial, logistical and other means for a welcoming environment • Transparent procedures • Accept common ownership of the academic community and shared responsibilities • Make results of student participation visible • Never threathen freedom of expression and student actions

12. Can it be any different? • If we would all work hard towards the following principles: • Students are full members of the academic community • Student participation is a continuous process • Student participation needs to be implemented in all decision making mechanisms at all levels in all issues and this implementation requires monitoring • National policies and legislative frameworks are necessary but not sufficient • Students are partners and not consumers

13. Thank you for your attention! Milica Popovic milica.popovic@gmail.com