An interview with Renee Boucher, Co-director of Student Engagement at Western Sydney University

What is your current role at Western Sydney University?

 

I have been involved in the higher education sector for several years and have recently had the opportunity to share the leadership of the Student Engagement team, alongside two of my colleagues. Together we have developed a shared vision for Student Engagement which will we hope will enhance our students’ experience at Western.

In your shared vision for student engagement, where do you feel Students as Partners is represented?

One of the key pieces of work we have undertaken in establishing our shared vision for Student Engagement has been around defining guiding principles which can underpin our initiatives. 

We identified 3 guiding principles which capture the ethos of our teams, whilst informing the design and decision making of diverse programs:

                Foster Meaningful Relationships

                Build and Promote Inclusivity

                Empower Students

Successful partnerships require meaningful relationships and an inclusive approach however SaP is clearly focussed on empowering students.

 

What are your thoughts on how Students as Partners aligns with Peer Mentoring?

Student Engagement delivers a range of peer programs which contribute to a positive student experience. These include PASS, MATES, LEAD, SRC, Sports, Chaplaincy Soup Kitchens. PASS, MATES, LEAD, SRC, Sports, Chaplaincy Soup Kitchens.  We have over 1,000 student employees and volunteers who work and volunteer to deliver programs to their peers.

That being said, not all peer roles equate to SaP. Some programs, such as PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) provide a foundation for students to work within, as staff provide structure and support, while students are responsible for the design and delivery of sessions for their peers. This format builds and promotes inclusivity as it opens opportunities to build similar skillsets to SaP – such as motivation, confidence, employability and belonging.

While peer programs can build the skills needed for students to fully engage as partners, genuine SaP opportunities go beyond peer involvement in delivery. In the context of SaP students share responsibilities with staff and act as partners in design, creation and delivery of projects.

 

How have you seen SaP developing recently?

We’re beginning to see a growing interest and openness to SaP from both staff and students. To move forward together, staff need to understand SaP and have the opportunity to explore the skills and concepts that will best enable them to work in this space.  I think one of the wonderful things about SaP is that it allows you to let go of your expectations and be a bit more open to where projects might go.  We all know the learning landscape is rapidly changing; engaging students as partners means that you’re going to have up to date experiences to inform projects as well as innovative ideas and fresh approaches.

From an inclusive perspective, I feel we need to provide opportunities for student to engage at different levels. There is often a larger time investment needed from students for more complex SaP based projects so it may not be feasible for all students. 

 

What are some SaP projects you have been involved with at your university?

Last year we reviewed current training for the PASS Program and added a new SaP stream to our LEAD program, called LEAD Beyond. In both these projects we followed a design thinking approach that engaged student leaders as co-creators. 

For PASS the students worked in small groups on different aspects of the training and resources, redeveloping these for the training of new leaders.  Our PASS training was presented by these students last week and it was so powerful as they were responsible for not only developing the materials but then sharing their knowledge by presenting them to the new leaders.

The LEAD Beyond students ran various projects for their peers in 2019, including a student led conference last year which again was designed and presented by students.  In both examples the students who attended benefited from the level of engagement and experience the SaP leaders brought to the project. In addition the student partners developed their own skills and confidence.

 

What do you see as the benefits for students engaging in the SaP opportunities

SaP involvement provides students with the opportunity to enhance employability skills such as communication, negotiation, time management and critical thinking, via hands on learning experiences. Equally important, being involved as a student partner contributes to a strong sense of belonging and ownership to the university.  Our students tell us, they didn’t truly feel like they belonged until they gave back, until they contributed to the University, which is a powerful insight into the value of SaP initiatives and the strength of the student community.

 

Benefits for staff in SaP

There are immense benefits for staff from working in partnership with students. It challenges you to reflect on your current practice and exposes you to new ideas and perspectives.  Ultimately, this results in better outcomes for students and a rewarding work experience for staff.

Staff also have the opportunity and responsibility to equip the students with skills to have an effective voice in the partnership.

 

Benefits for the University

Western Sydney University strives to be student centred.  SaP provides an opportunity to implement this approach by engaging students in decision making and co-creation.  The University is gaining student feedback and experience directly which helps shape projects delivered to students by students.  It is building and reinforcing the University’s reputation as a student-centred experience as those students become great advocates amongst their peers and the broader community. 

 

How does being involved in mentoring or SaP show benefits for student beyond university life.

Last year we had a project with PASS Leader Alumni.  We interviewed them in their current roles and asked how they were using skills they had developed in PASS within their workplace.  It was a great project that clearly showed how the diverse skills they had gained through PASS had continued to help them outside the university context. We interviewed a doctor who was a former PASS leader and she spoke about using redirection to gauge the understanding of family members and an engineer who spoke about how important collaboration and communication were in his job. These narratives, alongside many others, have been used in the recruitment of new leaders to showcase and build awareness of the benefits and transferable skills students develop through these roles. These are similar skills that we also see developed through SaP projects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interviewed by Robyn Mortimer – Peer Programs Coordinator, Deakin University