Student participation in university governance: the opinions of professors and students

This article focuses on analysing student participation in university governance, with the specific aims of identifying the main obstacles to student participation and offering proposals of how to better facilitate student involvement in the functioning of the university. From student questionnaires...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Planas Lladó, Anna, Soler Masó, Pere, Fullana Noell, Judit, Pallisera, Maria, Vilà Suñé, Montserrat
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2011
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10256/11909
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10256/11909
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Ensenyament universitari
Education, Higher
Estudiants universitaris
College students
Universitats
Universities and colleges
Description
Summary:This article focuses on analysing student participation in university governance, with the specific aims of identifying the main obstacles to student participation and offering proposals of how to better facilitate student involvement in the functioning of the university. From student questionnaires, teaching staff interviews and student discussion groups we obtained information regarding the major obstacles to student participation. The methodology employed in this research allows us to compare and contrast the opinions and perceptions of students and teaching staff. Significant differences are identified that highlight the main ways for facilitating change in student participation in the university. The required changes should not only relate to improving the means by which students are informed about ways of participating, but also influence how universities structure participatory processes, the role of the teaching staff and, specifically, the role of coordinators of those managing bodies closest to the students