In response to the challenges faced by colleges through regionalisation/mergers/federations, NUS and sparqs are pleased to announce their new project, Partnerships for Change: Supporting the Student Voice through Regionalisation.
Many of you will already know that as colleges merge, federate and change to meet the needs of the future there is a huge amount of work involved in ensuring students and their interests are at the heart of decision making.
This project will mean that we can offer colleges in depth support throughout this process, ensuring students are able to shape the future of colleges and helping develop effective structures and processes to ensure students can effectively shape and influence college life and the student experience at all levels across the region.
Support will be offered through a key regional contact who will be a member of staff from NUS or sparqs. They will be contacting you shortly, if they have not already done so. In the meantime feel free to contact them with any questions or comments you may have.
Through your regional contact you will be able to access a range of help and support including:
- Establishing action plans and timelines for student engagement in the regionalisation process.
- Help with membership and participation with shadow or partnership boards.
- Establishing regular and effective communication with college decision makers and student officers at other colleges within your region.
- Developing and facilitating activities to gather student opinion on the changes happening in your college and other colleges in your region.
- Providing detailed help and support with reviewing your representative structures and developing strategic plans for stronger more effective students associations and associated structures.
As part of the project we will be setting up a dedicated area on our website but in the meantime check out http://www.sparqs.ac.uk/section.php?cat=104 for more information including the details of your regional contact.
Given the importance of this work there will be several events to help keep you informed, develop your skills and knowledge and learn from each other. Supporting College Student Governors on 29th and 30th June is an event for new student officers and will be important in developing understanding of officers’ roles during regionalisation. If your new officers are elected please encourage them to register at: http://www.sparqs.ac.uk/events/ There will be further events in October for officers not elected yet but it is important to get as many officers along in June as possible.
We look forward to working with you at this challenging but interesting time. If we can get this work right we can help make our colleges fit for the future with students central to the change.