George-K. Charonis ESU Academic Affairs Committee 2010-11 george@esu-online

1. Student Participation in Higher Education GovernanceHigher Education Management in the Western BalkansSarajevo – 6 April 2011 George-K. Charonis ESU Academic Affairs Committee 2010-11 george@esu-online.org

2. Overview of key topics • The Bologna Process and student participation • Pillars of student representation • Differing views of students • Stages of student participation • Conditions for an enabling environment for student representation • Budapest Declaration

3. The European Students’ Union • Umbrella organisation of 45 National Unions of Students from 38 countries • Founded in 1982 as WESIB (Western European Students’ Information Bureau); 1989: Name change to ESIB (more diverse membership) 2007: 25th anniversary and name change to the European Students’ Union (ESU) • Represents 11 million students across Europe • Mission: to represent and promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at a European level to key HE stakeholders including the EU, Bologna Follow Up Group, Council of Europe, UNESCO

4. The Bologna Process and student participation • No mention in original Bologna Declaration (1999) • Prague Communiqué (2001) • Students as full members of HE community • Students should participate in and influence the organisation of content of education in HE • Berlin Communiqué (2003) • Students as full partners in HE governance

5. The Bologna Process and student participation • Bergen Communiqué (2005) • Full participation of staff and students in Bologna reforms • London Communiqué (2007) – no mention • Leuven Communiqué (2009) • Full participation of staff and students in Bologna reforms

6. The Bologna Process and student participation: the student perspective • Formal provisions exists across Europe – but are they realised in practice? • Students form minority of HEI governing bodies • Massification of HE • Increasingly diverse student body: pros and cons • ‘New manageriliasm’ • Modernisation of HE agenda • Increasing commercialiasation of HE, view of students as consumer • Inclusion of more stakeholders – student voice diluted

7. The Bologna Process and student participation: the student perspective • All countries participating in the BP allow for students to organise some form of representation and become part of the HE setting, but this is as far as similarities go. (ESU BAFL 2010) • Students are not regarded as equal partners by higher education institutions and other stakeholders, creating a major obstacle to greater, and meaningful, student participation (ESU BWSE 2009) Student percentage in HEI decision-making bodies (BAFL)

8. The four pillars of student representation Student Representation Openness Represen-tativeness Demo- cracy Indepen-dence

10. Differing views of students • Differing views of students lead to • Different provisions regarding the degree of intensity of participation • Reconsiderations of those provisions that count as an ‘enabling environment’ for student participation Klemenčič, Manja (2011) “Internationalisation, differentiation and implications for student governance in Europe”. Keynote speech from 21st European Students’ Convention

11. The four stages (inetnsity) of student participation Access to information Consultation Dialogue Partnership

12. Conditions for an enabling environment for student representation • Institutional adherence to fundamental democratic principles • Clear and extensive formal provisions defining the terms of student participation for all levels and domains of institutional governance • Full and continuous recognition of student representation as free and independent with respect to aims, decisions and activities • Long-term institutional support and resources for a sustainable student representation (and for continuous training of student representatives) • Political will for actual (not only formalistic) continuous student involvement Klemenčič, Manja (2011) “Internationalisation, differentiation and implications for student governance in Europe”. Keynote speech from 21st European Students’ Convention

13. Budapest Declaration • Most recent ESU position on student participation in HE governance (21st European Student Convention, Feb 2011) • Students as main actors in HE • Role of HE as a public good • Inclusion of students key in preparing active citizens in democratic societies • Increasing view of students as consumers, ‘new managerialism’ detrimental to HE • Achieving all four stages of student participation • Upholding principals (pillars) for student representation

14. Budapest Declaration • Participation of students on all matters concerning HE governance (not just academic), e.g. recruitment of teaching staff and institutional leaders, finances etc.. • Participation without negative consequences (e.g. on educational performance) • Genuine student participation (i.e. non-tokenistic) Full declaration available online at: http://www.esu-online.org/news/article/6001/44/

15. Students at the heart of learning: Student Centered Learning • Joint ESU-EI project: Time for SCL (T4SCL) project. 2009-2010 • (Five) Parameters of SCL: • Innovative teaching • Learning outcomes • Credit transfer • Flexibility • Students in curriculum design • SCL Toolkit (broadly based on parameters), available at: http://www.esu-online.org/publications

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