Triangle
home Introduction and strategic aim Risks to equality of opportunity Objectives Intervention strategies
Whole provider approach Student consultation Evaluation of the plan Provision of information to students
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Student consultation and co-creation of the plan

Students have been pivotal stakeholders in the development of the University of Nottingham's (UoN) access and participation plan (APP). Student voice has been a cornerstone of APP advancements.

For example, paid student focus groups were conducted to inform the development of this plan. These focus groups involved 68 students from diverse backgrounds across UoN. The primary objective was to understand students' lived experiences, identify prevailing risks to equality of opportunity, and gather their perspectives on mechanisms to mitigate these risks. Subsequently, this information was analysed alongside data to understand whether the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register (EORR) risks identified were supported or if there were new and emerging areas for UoN to address.

This information was taken and formed the basis of student-staff co-creation workshop sessions, with students paid for their expertise and time. These workshops delved into root causes and co-created solutions to the identified risks. Through this collaborative process, students were empowered to draw upon their lived experiences and contribute to the development of intervention strategies.

This approach garnered positive feedback from both staff and students, fostering insights into new perspectives, cultivating working relationships, and facilitating the formulation of comprehensive interventions aimed at addressing underlying issues.

Presentations and workshops were also conducted with the Widening Participation Student Advisory Panel, concentrating on enhancing UoN's communication and engagement strategies for implementing the APP and improving its accessibility to all students.


Students partnering in the delivery of the plan

Student involvement in monitoring, evaluating, and delivering the access and participation plan is multi-faceted. Student Union representatives (usually Sabbatical Officers) are members of both the APP Steering Group and the APP Delivery Team and are thereby able to contribute to the development and operationalisation of the plan.

Student involvement in the evaluation and delivery of the APP manifests in three key avenues:

  1. Students as Change Agents (SACA)
  2. Widening Participation Advisory Panel
  3. Students as Co-creators

The SACA programme, initiated in 2014/15, aims to place students at the forefront of UoN initiatives. By engaging students in staff-student co-creation projects, this initiative has successfully centred students in numerous activities most notably curriculum transformation projects, thereby promoting equality of opportunity.

The Widening Participation Advisory Student Panel, established in 2019, comprises of undergraduate and postgraduate students from all five faculties, along with a Student Union representative. This panel is inclusive of students from Office for Students' (OfS) defined underrepresented groups, engages in consultations and co-development activities throughout the year, contributing to significant initiatives such as UoN's new personal tutoring model and Parent and Carers Support Plan.

Our model of co-creation enables student leaders to be actively involved in shaping support programmes. For instance, the Black Sports Collective was formed following research into the lived experiences of Black students in Sport at UoN. The Collective supports the implementation of an action plan and the fostering of a strong community and various avenues of support among Black students at UoN. While staff support exists, the Collective is student-led, with over 300 students currently participating.

 

Evaluation of the plan