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Partnerships proactively seek diverse representation that reflects the university’s student cohort, ensuring opportunities are accessible to all students, regardless of background. Partnership opportunities should consciously identify and remove barriers to student participation such as financial, time, and confidence constraints that could limit the diversity of input and quality of outcomes.

Partnership opportunities acknowledge that a student’s lived experience provides a different but equally valuable contribution. Clearly defining this value ensures student feedback and input is positioned as both genuinely valued and prioritised. Partnerships should only occur if student voice is listened to, acted upon, and outcomes fed back. Appropriate role description, onboarding and ongoing support seeks to ensure student partners are positioned to provide high quality input.

Student partnerships should have value and benefit to both the university and students. For student partners, this means contributing to projects seeking to enhance the student experience that are meaningful and they care about. In addition, partnership participation should enhance student partner’s skills, knowledge, and growth personally and professionally. To support this, student’s motivations and expectations should be understood and consideration of reward and recognition made.

The initial phase aims to inform students, laying the groundwork for collaboration. Its primary goal is one-way communication, sharing crucial information, updates, and insights to create awareness and prepare for interactive partnership in later stages.Ìý

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• Social media posts
• Email notifications
• Student news
• Physical installationsÌý

Ready to inform? Student Communications

The "Students as Consultants" strategy involves students actively contributing their insights to shape outcomes and decisions, going beyond mere feedback. This approach showcases staff commitment to understanding and appreciating students' perspectives, making it ideal for those new to student partnerships. It serves as a foundational step, empowering staff to gather valuable insights and fostering collaboration to enhance the student experience.

Examples:

• Surveys (e.g. ‘share your voice’/‘help us improve’)
• Ad hoc feedback (e.g. via whiteboards, MS forms)
• Interactive social media posts - online polls or voting exercises
• Event support volunteers

Ready to consult? Student Communications

Support with volunteers? Volunteer

Genuine partnerships go beyond involvement, involving students in co-designing, actively contributing their expertise, and collaborating on projects. In this approach, students take on specific roles, engaging in activities that shape outcomes.

When students are co-creators, they have the authority to make decisions and actively influence future initiatives. In these collaborative approaches, students don't just participate; they actively co-create, co-design, and co-deliver.

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• Focus groups
• Forums (face to face or online)
• Committee participation
• Community of Practice attendance
• Learning support – review of support services
• Review of content
• In curriculum support
• Partnering with students to assist staff in conducting focus groups, interviews, or surveys, moving beyond a consultancy role

Ready to co-design? Review here.

Further support: Contact the Students as Partners Team.

Students actively collaborate, sharing ownership and decision-making throughout projects. This partnership between staff and students involves joint delivery, facilitation, and decision-making, emphasising genuine collaboration where students are considered true partners.

"Students as Co-leaders" is a meaningful form of student partnership, involving partners from the project's start, with shared visions and voices heard and acted upon. Both parties contribute expertise to co-create and design for success.

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• Learning support - content development and review
• Co-creation, co-design and co-deliver (in- curriculum design, cocreation of learning resources, assessment pieces and rubrics, review panels)
• UX workshops / testing
• Policy development and review
• In curriculum support
• Co-research
• Decision making and implementation
• Events and workshops

Ready to Partner? Review our project.

Further support: Contact the Students as Partners Team.

Students take the lead in initiatives that matter to them, having a say in the decision-making process. This empowerment extends to student clubs and Student Representative Councils (SRCs), where students shape and make final decisions. This approach gives students ownership and responsibility, enhancing their leadership skills and ensuring initiatives align with their passions and priorities for a more meaningful student experience.

Example: Clubs, SRC