About NStEP
The National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP) was launched in April 2016 by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
NStEP aims to strengthen student engagement in decision-making across Irish higher education, supported by the Steps to Partnership framework. NStEP seeks to champion a strong culture of partnership between students and staff through practice-based projects, training and capacity building, as well as informing policy developments.
Student engagement is underpinned by the idea that students are partners and co-creators within a learning community, and NStEP aims to actively embed these principles within higher education. Involvement in NStEP requires a partnership between HEI staff and student representatives, with HEI leadership and Students’ Union leadership signing partnership agreements to participate.
Our Vision
To inform, guide and support an Irish higher education landscape that fosters student engagement and the building of meaningful staff-student partnerships within and beyond institutions.
Our Mission
To ensure value is placed on student engagement in Irish higher education through the development of the leadership capabilities of students and by supporting institutions and their staff to foster a culture of partnership with students.
In 2022, NStEP launched a new Strategy 2022 – 2025 that reflected on the achievements of previous Strategy 2019 – 2021, building on its success with planning to continue further embedding and enhancing student engagement practice across the higher education sector.
To achieve the aspirations of both students and staff, the Strategy sets out 3 Strategic Priorities for 2022 – 2025, which are:
- Strengthening the value of student engagement at the National level
- Developing the leadership capabilities of students in Irish higher education
- Supporting staff and students to create and sustain meaningful partnerships across the sector
History of NStEP
Click the images below to enlarge and see our story!
