Abstract

Growing student numbers necessitate new strategies for student empowerment. Giving 100 students a sense of ownership and agency is challenging, but to give this to cohorts of 340+ requires new approaches and innovative application. To achieve student empowerment on this scale, we have adopted and combined methods, all focused around a single concept – student staff partnership.
We have used partnership to enhance student feedback to programme teams, and assessment feedback for students, to design changes to the curriculum, build additional student support and to create a strong academic community. Our partnership process means that empowerment is not only cascaded from academics and student representatives to the wider student body, but the student body also empower each other, the student representatives, and the academic team. A peer-to-peer approach reinforces that tripartite relationship as well as strengthening the link between students and staff.
There have been false starts and challenges along the way, and a steep learning curve for all. One of the most important realisations has been the need for constant reflection and development as new cohorts of students arrive and need to be welcomed into our community, with each year group bringing their own distinct expectations and experiences. There will never be a point where we don’t need to be actively engaged in this. The continued energy and enthusiasm required has caused us to reconsider how important key teaching and learning roles are, and to focus on developing our relationship with the Students’ Union.
Good NSS scores (especially for student voice), and commendations from our accrediting body and our internal review processes are bonuses but not the reason we are committed to this approach. Success for us is working in an environment where we can see the students develop the agency, dynamism and self-efficacy that come with empowerment.