In the Efficient, Flexible Learner Journeys section of the post 16 review the paper identifies an intention to develop Student Partnership Agreements (SPAs): http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/09/15103949/3
The paper refers to wanting “learners to have a strong voice in shaping their experience” and sets out the desire to “strengthen current arrangements, including the profile of student unions”. It acknowledges the current emphasis of student engagement within the current quality arrangements and sees SPAs as a way of taking this work further.
sparqs has welcomed the proposal, reflecting as it does, on work which has already been explored during the updating of the quality arrangements for colleges and HEIs.
SPAs present opportunities to reflect the distinctive nature of the relationship Scottish institutions have with their students and student representative bodies. If embraced properly, they offer an opportunity to cement the excellent work we have done within Scotland over the last eight years to ensure students are central to assuring and enhancing the quality of education across colleges and HEIs. They also provide an opportunity to begin to monitor the impact the way we work with students is having on the student experience. The concept is to set out something that is more progressive than charters – less consumerist, more practical and in keeping with the philosophy of how we work in Scotland.
In working with the various bodies developing the concept of SPAs, sparqs is exploring what these agreements might look like. Some emerging aspects they are likely to include are:
- How the institution will work with its students’ association to ensure students are central to governance, decision making, quality assurance and enhancement.
- What issues and programmes of work the students’ association and institution will work on over the coming year to improve the student experience.
- How the institution and its students’ association will work with the student body to ensure as wide a range of students as possible are involved in shaping the student experience.
- What the students should see in terms of improvements to the learning experience as a result of the work of the students’ association and the institution and what they will be working on in the future.
- How students can use the systems available to make sure their voice is heard, play their part in shaping developments and voice concerns or complaints if things go wrong.
SPAs could cover main sections which would set out a way of working over a period of time plus sections, especially around programmes of work, which would be updated annually.
In developing SPAs sparqs is proposing to support the sector to ensure that the process of developing agreements is practical and that they have an impact. We hope to support a pilot group of institutions in developing agreements and use this pilot to inform the development of guidance/policy at a government level, before rolling out further support and sharing of practice in full scale development. sparqs will also work with QAA and Education Scotland to explore how SPAs will fit into the quality arrangements.
To find out more, please contact Eve Lewis, Head of sparqs, at eve.lewis@sparqs.ac.uk
