Launching - Students as Partners

Students as Partners (SaP) is an initiative created by student leaders and staff to ensure students have a central role in co-creating improvements in their experience of curriculum, services, and their overall university experience.

The Students as Partners (SaP) approach fosters collaboration between staff actively seeking feedback to create an inclusive and holistic experience and the student population actively experiencing it.

SaP has been present in various forms across our university and is evolving with a more strategic focus. The reason?
We're dedicated to ensuring every student's voice and perspective is connected to shaping our academic culture and supporting staff to engage with students. We do this by collaborating with our student leaders, to bring about impactful and enriching current and future initiatives.

Our guiding principles are as follows:

• Empowered: Partnerships should value and prioritise students' lived experiences, ensuring their feedback is heard and acted upon, with clear roles and support for meaningful contributions.
• Inclusive: Partnerships focus on diverse, accessible opportunities for all students, removing barriers to improve participation and outcomes.
• Relevant: Student partnerships should be mutually beneficial, engaging students in meaningful projects that develop their skills and growth, with attention to their motivations and appropriate rewards.

We are now rolling out the university wide Student as Partners framework (SaPF) which guides staff in creating student partnerships, detailing their purpose, guiding principles, and engagement methods. The framework seeks to foster an enhanced sense of belonging, engagement, and employability for students, insightful feedback for staff decision-making, and a culture of partnership and student satisfaction for the university.

We are committed to assisting and guiding you in this partnership, whether through student representatives (program and faculty reps), projects like program reviews, focus groups, or advising on best practice initiatives.
Don’t forget, reach out to the Student as Partners Team if you have any questions or wish to discuss further!

Find more information on the new Student as Partners (SaP) website