This was our session where we talked about why we want to engage students in projects and we focused on a workshop we had run with students exploring with them their views around a few questions. We first provided some background with activities that already exist such as involving students with sessions on the MA Academic Practice Programme such as the SSPT module, the involvement of students on approval and review panels and the student voice award.

We then discussed some of the student feedback. In terms of student suggestions for educational development for staff we shared some of their ideas which included academics being encouraged to undertake sabbaticals to engage with their professional background and teaching development not just research, more peer reviews which enabled students to see that academics wanted to develop, more staff undertaking the teaching programme and development for undertaking the personal tutor roles and communication. Students suggestions to get them more engaged included incentives but not just paying but mentoring by academics, having an annual induction to their programme and education activities and a survey that asked about their expectations at the beginning of the year as well as the evaluations.

We concluded with discussion of things we wish to engage in during the next year such as continued development of the student voice award scheme, a student advisory group and a one year appointment of a post for student education engagement in LEaD.