Student-staff Partnership at the University of York

Building a student-staff partnership framework

The University of York is committed to embedding student-staff partnerships in learning, teaching and assessment, as well as institutional policy and service development. As part of this commitment, a working group made up of academics, professional service staff, student officers and staff from YUSU, has been tasked with co-constructing a student-staff partnership framework for the University. A core aspect of this group’s work has been the co-construction of a ‘Statement of Approach’ on student-staff partnerships, which has been significantly influenced by student interns working with the Inclusive Education Team. The Statement of Approach outlines what the University understands student-staff partnership to mean and why it believes it is a fundamental component of empowering and inclusive education at York.

Statement of Approach

Defining student-staff partnership

Co-construction and students as partners: staff and students working collaboratively, as partners, in the development of all areas of the University. We will involve students in the co-construction of policies and services at the University, as well all aspects of learning, teaching and assessment. We will promote a diverse range of partnership approaches across the University, including students working as pedagogical partners, student internships and other paid roles, where students collaborate as partners in educational research and evaluation, disciplinary research and on wider student experience projects. In a learning and teaching context, this includes embedding co-construction into both curriculum design and pedagogical approaches. Key areas to consider developing co-construction with students include programme design, module design, learning and teaching approaches and assessments.

Why Student-staff partnerships are important to the University of York

Aligned with the University Strategy and the University’s commitment to partnership in the Access and Participation Plan (APP), our approach to student-staff partnership is committed to opening opportunities for the co-development of innovative pedagogies and curricula that foreground inclusive practice, employability and skills development, sustainability, interdisciplinarity and internationalism.

Providing an education that empowers

• Student-staff partnerships are mutually empowering, bringing students and staff together to co-create and take shared responsibility for learning, teaching and Assessment.
• We generate a much richer understanding of learning, teaching and assessment when we bring together what students know - about their learning experiences - with what staff know.

Closing gaps in continuation, progression and awards across the diversity of our student cohorts

• Student-staff partnerships play an important role in co-constructing and delivering degrees that are flexible, innovative and value diverse experiences, skills and forms of knowledge.
• Research evidence suggests that student-staff partnerships foster deeper learning and academic engagement; greater understanding of staff and teaching process; and build confidence, sense of belonging and employability skills.