The impact of institutional culture, policy and process on student engagement in university decision-making

ABSTRACT

There is a strong focus on the importance of student engagement in higher education, with increasing attention on how students can participate in their university’s decision-making processes. Yet, although the concept appears to be almost universally accepted, it is rarely problematised. This has led some commentators to conclude that student engagement lacks theoretical clarity. Consequently, an increasing number of authors have sought to address this. This paper adds to those efforts by proposing a model for student engagement that recognises the importance of institutional action in facilitating different types of participation. These are aligned with expectations for student activity, but the key message is that the university shapes its students’ engagement. This reinforces arguments that engagement needs to be cognisant of the power dynamics of higher education. In line with this, the paper borrows from debates around public participation to enhance understanding of student engagement in institutional governance.

KEYWORDS:

• Student engagement
• student participation
• co-production
• representation
• university governance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributors

Philip Carey is Associate Dean Education for the Faculty of Education, Health & Community in Liverpool John Moores University. He is a passionate advocate for student engagement and in 2015, Phil was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in recognition of his commitment to enhancing the student experience.