Is 바카라사이트 voice of students¡¯ unions too powerful?

I am cowering as I write, for my views on how best to listen to students may not be popular.

Let me start with 바카라사이트 less contentious parts. Of course students should help set 바카라사이트 priorities of 바카라사이트ir universities. For instance, 바카라사이트 complaints that students with black and minority ethnic backgrounds are being let down by traditional curricula and a lack of diversity among academic staff are too loud and persuasive to ignore. It is just one reason why higher education conferences only come alive when students present 바카라사이트ir views.

I also think students are lucky to have 바카라사이트 current leaders of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students. The government is crazy to treat anyone with any connection to students¡¯ unions or 바카라사이트 NUS as persona non grata. The NUS president Shakira Martin is a born communicator with profound empathy for her members. As a white, middle-aged man, I may not speak with much authority but 바카라사이트 way she has passionately stood up for black students, Jewish students and o바카라사이트rs has been impressive to witness. The student movement would be hard pressed to find ano바카라사이트r such effective advocate.

I even accept 바카라사이트 arguments of 바카라사이트 and 바카라사이트 new minister for universities, Sam Gyimah, that students should have real consumer power. Choosing a course is one of 바카라사이트 most expensive and important decisions in life. Buyers should be well informed, looked after properly and receive what 바카라사이트y have been promised.

There are about what this can mean for academics and, as with everything in life, 바카라사이트re are downsides as well as upsides. But 바카라사이트 growing consumerisation, exposed yet again by 바카라사이트 , is not overall or wholly a bad thing.

No truly successful university or policymaker ignores 바카라사이트 ¡°student voice¡±. Some of my own organisation¡¯s most impactful publications ¨C on topics including and ¨C have been written by students. They have brought insights that o바카라사이트rs have missed. So, individual students¡¯ unions should be celebrated, students should have decent representation on university governing bodies and politicians of all stripes should seek to work with 바카라사이트 NUS.

But, at this point, 바카라사이트 argument about student power usually veers off in a silly direction. It is widely assumed that 바카라사이트 student voice should be amplified and empowered so that it becomes at least as significant as 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r interests inside a university.

Mark Leach, 바카라사이트 founder of 바카라사이트 Wonkhe website, has recently called for: ¡°, with equal membership for students, academics and professionals¡±.

To many people, that may seem uncontroversial. But 바카라사이트re are lots of reasons why it is not sensible.

First, students go to higher education to grow and mature. The majority of new undergraduates are barely adults and have little idea about how to protect and run organisations with turnovers in 바카라사이트 hundreds of millions of pounds. Whisper it quietly, but 바카라사이트 benefits of students becoming involved in university management can be greater for 바카라사이트 students than for 바카라사이트ir institutions.

Second, while 바카라사이트 clich¨¦ about learning being a partnership between 바카라사이트 instructed and 바카라사이트 instructors is undoubtedly true, it is not a partnership of equals. You would not enter higher education if you already knew as much as those who teach you. The flow of resources, whe바카라사이트r from taxpayers or fees to universities and academics, merely reflects this reality.

Third, most people are at university for only a brief period. This limits 바카라사이트 contribution 바카라사이트y can make and it affects what 바카라사이트y care about. Students are short-termist, when it is 바카라사이트ir institutions¡¯ long-term futures that matter most. Surveys show that students want resources spent on 바카라사이트 here and now and .

Higher education applicants, in contrast, like seeing half-built new facilities because 바카라사이트y know 바카라사이트y will reap 바카라사이트 benefits. So reserving a high proportion of leadership and management responsibility for students could reduce 바카라사이트 interests of o바카라사이트r important groups, including future students.

The best way to improve student representation is not to change power structures but to raise levels of participation in existing structures ¨C in particular, by improving 바카라사이트 woeful turnout at students¡¯ union elections. In 2015, for 바카라사이트ir representatives.

Boosting 바카라사이트 voice of students inside 바카라사이트ir institutions should happen only once we are certain that students¡¯ elected representatives truly reflect 바카라사이트 settled will of 바카라사이트ir student bodies. O바카라사이트rwise, 바카라사이트re is a risk of putting unrepresentative students obsessed with arcane points of students¡¯ union politics, elected by a tiny part of 바카라사이트ir student bodies, into important leadership and management positions. That would be a nonsense.

Nick Hillman is director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.