STUDENT SUCCESS: The Role of Student Representation Oisín Hassan USI Deputy President and Vice President for Academic Affairs @USI_Education / @oisinh1 academicaffairs@usi.ie Intro to me I’d like to thank the QQI, HEA and the other named partners for the I’ve been tasked with setting out the scene for today’s conference. I’ve chosen to do that through lense of the 10 Principles of Student Engagement (they are on your tables). The Principles were developed as a core component of the HEA’s Working Group Report on Enhancing Student Engagement in Decision-Making.

Who are USI? Founded in 1959, representing 374000+ students cross-border Bilateral Agreement of 1974 with NUS UK - now known as the Trilateral Agreement (NUS-USI Northern Ireland) Work to defend, uphold, and improve the rights of students Work across national organisations and agencies to represent our members Train Sabbatical/Student Officers in member Unions Campaigns and activism across many issues Lobbying and policy advocacy to politicians and decision-makers In 2014 the groundwork began to develop a new sense of the student within their own education and institution. Ultimately, in 2016 after the Working Group had concluded, the Report on Enhancing Student Engagement in Decision-Making was published. The Report laid out 10 principles, that were propelled by 3 Drivers for Student Engagement - those were the HEI as a site of democratic citizenship, the HEI as a learning community, and the HEI as a critical institution.

STUDENT PARTNERSHIP I offer you this explanation. 3 interlinked concepts, but distinct concepts. How now can we realise the potential we have created?

Engaging students in a systematic approach ultimately builds their capacity to act as partners. It is from an engaged student partnership model that student centred approaches emerge and are fostered within education. Student Engagement builds Student Partnership capacity, fostering a culture of Student Centredness. I offer you this explanation. 3 interlinked concepts, but distinct concepts. How now can we realise the potential we have created?

The role of USI in student success? Seat on the National Access Plan Steering Group USI advocates for ‘access’ to education, but access does not just stop being an issue when you walk through the door of college. Issue of retention and drop-out We work on this issue internationally - you are members of the European Students’ Union! Consider those 3 Drivers - students as democratic citizens are therefore considered equal, constituent parts of the institution with a role to play in its evolution, students as part of a learning community, where knowledge is not merely imparted and absorbed, but shaped and created by the reactions, views, and contributions of those who come to learn, and students as part of a process of self-evaluation and critique, rather those who criticise without constructive input. That model of students as consumers is actively dismantled by a process capacity building with students, raising them up to active participants in the processes of the institution, in the learning it fosters, and in the decisions it takes.

Why do we talk about Student Success? National Access Plan commitment to non-completion, tracking experiences, and progression of ‘target groups’ Examine pre-entry activity, including pathways and transition Access, retention, and completion all monitored aspects of institutional performance by the Higher Education Authority National Forum and USI research - Why Students Leave (2015) and Reaching Out (2016) Student Success Working Group Focus groups to explore the concept co-chaired by the National Forum and USI in 2016 Consider those 3 Drivers - students as democratic citizens are therefore considered equal, constituent parts of the institution with a role to play in its evolution, students as part of a learning community, where knowledge is not merely imparted and absorbed, but shaped and created by the reactions, views, and contributions of those who come to learn, and students as part of a process of self-evaluation and critique, rather those who criticise without constructive input. That model of students as consumers is actively dismantled by a process capacity building with students, raising them up to active participants in the processes of the institution, in the learning it fosters, and in the decisions it takes.

“Dropping out is not necessarily an indication of the individual student’s failure, but high drop-out rates may well indicate that the education system is not meeting the needs of students.” (OECD, 2008, p. 94). Consider those 3 Drivers - students as democratic citizens are therefore considered equal, constituent parts of the institution with a role to play in its evolution, students as part of a learning community, where knowledge is not merely imparted and absorbed, but shaped and created by the reactions, views, and contributions of those who come to learn, and students as part of a process of self-evaluation and critique, rather those who criticise without constructive input. That model of students as consumers is actively dismantled by a process capacity building with students, raising them up to active participants in the processes of the institution, in the learning it fosters, and in the decisions it takes.

What happened next…. HEA System Performance Framework 2018 - 2020 "All HEIs will have a Student Success Strategy in place by 2020 which will embed whole-of-HEI approaches to institutional access strategies.” Consider those 3 Drivers - students as democratic citizens are therefore considered equal, constituent parts of the institution with a role to play in its evolution, students as part of a learning community, where knowledge is not merely imparted and absorbed, but shaped and created by the reactions, views, and contributions of those who come to learn, and students as part of a process of self-evaluation and critique, rather those who criticise without constructive input. That model of students as consumers is actively dismantled by a process capacity building with students, raising them up to active participants in the processes of the institution, in the learning it fosters, and in the decisions it takes.

How do we work towards Student Success? Work with the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning The Forum’s new strategy embeds student success as the outcome of all it’s enhancement activity Aim to develop guidelines on creating Student Success Strategies Crucially, we have resisted defining student success. Consider those 3 Drivers - students as democratic citizens are therefore considered equal, constituent parts of the institution with a role to play in its evolution, students as part of a learning community, where knowledge is not merely imparted and absorbed, but shaped and created by the reactions, views, and contributions of those who come to learn, and students as part of a process of self-evaluation and critique, rather those who criticise without constructive input. That model of students as consumers is actively dismantled by a process capacity building with students, raising them up to active participants in the processes of the institution, in the learning it fosters, and in the decisions it takes.

“Student success is everybody’s business.” Consider those 3 Drivers - students as democratic citizens are therefore considered equal, constituent parts of the institution with a role to play in its evolution, students as part of a learning community, where knowledge is not merely imparted and absorbed, but shaped and created by the reactions, views, and contributions of those who come to learn, and students as part of a process of self-evaluation and critique, rather those who criticise without constructive input. That model of students as consumers is actively dismantled by a process capacity building with students, raising them up to active participants in the processes of the institution, in the learning it fosters, and in the decisions it takes.

STUDENT SUCCESS: The Role of Student Representation Katie Deegan MSU VP Education / Deputy President @USI_Education / @oisinh1 academicaffairs@usi.ie Intro to me I’d like to thank the QQI, HEA and the other named partners for the I’ve been tasked with setting out the scene for today’s conference. I’ve chosen to do that through lense of the 10 Principles of Student Engagement (they are on your tables). The Principles were developed as a core component of the HEA’s Working Group Report on Enhancing Student Engagement in Decision-Making.

10 PRINCIPLES OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Consider those 3 Drivers - students as democratic citizens are therefore considered equal, constituent parts of the institution with a role to play in its evolution, students as part of a learning community, where knowledge is not merely imparted and absorbed, but shaped and created by the reactions, views, and contributions of those who come to learn, and students as part of a process of self-evaluation and critique, rather those who criticise without constructive input. That model of students as consumers is actively dismantled by a process capacity building with students, raising them up to active participants in the processes of the institution, in the learning it fosters, and in the decisions it takes.

10 PRINCIPLES OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Democracy Student as partner Inclusivity and diversity Transparency Students as co-creators Collegiality and parity of esteem Professionalism and support Feedback and feedback loop Self-criticism and enhancement Consistency Consider those 3 Drivers - students as democratic citizens are therefore considered equal, constituent parts of the institution with a role to play in its evolution, students as part of a learning community, where knowledge is not merely imparted and absorbed, but shaped and created by the reactions, views, and contributions of those who come to learn, and students as part of a process of self-evaluation and critique, rather those who criticise without constructive input. That model of students as consumers is actively dismantled by a process capacity building with students, raising them up to active participants in the processes of the institution, in the learning it fosters, and in the decisions it takes.

Consider those 3 Drivers - students as democratic citizens are therefore considered equal, constituent parts of the institution with a role to play in its evolution, students as part of a learning community, where knowledge is not merely imparted and absorbed, but shaped and created by the reactions, views, and contributions of those who come to learn, and students as part of a process of self-evaluation and critique, rather those who criticise without constructive input. That model of students as consumers is actively dismantled by a process capacity building with students, raising them up to active participants in the processes of the institution, in the learning it fosters, and in the decisions it takes.