Student voice in higher education : the importance of distinguishing student representation and student partnership

• Published in: Higher education Vol. 85; no. 3; pp. 555 - 570
• Main Authors: Matthews, K. E., Dollinger, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-03-2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Advocacy; Appreciation; Citizenship; Collaboration; Colleges & universities; Discourses; Education; Evaluation; Higher Education; Learning; Management; Partnerships in Education; Pedagogy; Positioning; Quality control; Representation; Student attitudes; Student College Relationship; Student Empowerment; Student Government; Student Participation; Student participation in administration; Student partnerships; Student representatives; Student unions; Students as partners (SaP); Teaching; Universities and colleges; University students; Australia; Student partnership; Student representation; Students as partners; Higher education; Student voice
• ISSN: 0018-1560; 1573-174X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10734-022-00851-7

Student representation and student partnership differ and the difference matters. To further scholarly understanding of, and appreciation for, the important difference between the two, we examine these two commonly evoked conceptions
for student voice in higher education. We draw on two points of difference - responsibility and access - to illuminate conceptualisations and discourses of each in the current literature. In doing so, we clarify the unique contributions
of each, shaped by differing contexts of interaction, and articulate issues arising by confounding and conflating partnership and representation in the name of student voice. Advancing an argument for an ecosystem of student
participation grounded in student voice, we warn of the harm in positioning student partners as speaking for other students and the risk of diminishing the importance of elected student representation systems in favour of staff selected
student partner models of student representation. [Author abstract]