ERIC Number: EJ1399674
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-3108
EISSN: EISSN-1460-7018
'You're in the Wrong Seat': Exploring the Manifestation of Power in Higher Education Governance through the Lens of Student Governors
Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, v27 n4 p150-159 2023
Students who serve on the governing body of UK and Irish higher education institutions often report challenges due to a perceived power dynamic. This study explored the perspectives of power among current and former student governors (n = 14). This research highlighted the importance of power and its role in determining the influence (or lack of) held by various governing body members. With limited experience of the corporate environment, students hold less power than other governors, particularly external members, and senior managers whose capital is better aligned to these spaces. Though student governors seek empowerment from other members, this research highlights an overreliance on personal relationships at the expense of building an institutional culture that values student governors and commits to supporting their engagement through training and mentoring. Several practical recommendations are proposed -- highlighting how governing body chairs, other governors and university staff can support students to overcome established power dynamics.
Descriptors: Power Structure, Governance, Higher Education, Student Participation, College Students, Foreign Countries, Influences, Student Empowerment, Educational Administration
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ireland; United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A