The National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP), which currently works to support staff and students to foster a culture of partnership across 23 Irish Higher Education Institutions, is delighted to launch a call for more HEIs to join the programme in 2019/2020!
The National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP) was launched in March 2016 by the programme partners, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the Higher Education Authority (HEA), and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). The 2016 pilot involved five higher education institutions – NCI, WIT, NUIG, LyIT, and CIT. Subsequently the programme grew to include 23 higher education institutions across the public and private sectors.
NStEP supports student engagement in Irish Higher Education Institutions, seeking to champion a strong culture of student and staff partnership through practice-based activities and informing policy developments.
Student engagement is underpinned by the idea that students are partners and co-creators, and NStEP aims to actively embed these principles within Higher Education through its work. Involvement in NStEP requires a partnership between HEI staff and student representatives, with HEI leadership and Students’ Union leadership signing partnership agreements to participate.
The work of NStEP is shaped by three strategic priorities, which are:
- Strengthening the value placed on student engagement
- Developing the leadership capabilities of students across Ireland
- Supporting institutions and staff across the sector to foster a culture of partnership
Why join NStEP?
NStEP operates a national student training programme, led by Student Trainers (all full-time students), who come to your campus to train your Class Reps to engage actively in the quality assurance and enhancement of their education, building their capacity to close the feedback loop and to work constructively towards change.
Once your institution has joined NStEP, we will work with you to develop an institutional analysis workshop that helps you to self-assess current engagement practices, bringing staff and students together to examine the barriers and enablers to student engagement in your institution. The programme offers ongoing institutional support to develop institutional strategies for staff-student partnership.
The programme also seeks to foster a sense of value and commitment to student engagement nationally, developing our national network events to allow for sharing of practice and ideas across the sector, while creating resources and policy guidance on effective ways to embed the ethos and principles of student engagement.
As NStEP prepares to launch it’s new Strategic Plan, we’re delighted to welcome higher education institutions that have not previously participated to join the programme and work with us to enhance student engagement across Irish Higher Education.
Expressions of Interest
NStEP will be in touch with institutions and Students’ Unions across the country in due course, but in the mean time, if you would like to make any inquiries about this call, please do not hesitate to email nstep@usi.ie or call 0860460526.
You can find a full list of NStEP participating colleges here.