The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has launched a major new report led by the University of Westminster, examining how universities across the UK capture, represent and act on the student voice.
The study forms part of a QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project and brings together sector-wide data alongside case studies of innovative practice. It highlights both the importance of student representation and the persistent challenges institutions face in making it effective, inclusive and impactful.
Drawing on a survey of 78 institutions, the report shows that student voice remains a sector priority, with all institutions surveyed having course-level student reps and 82% running programme or module feedback surveys. However, the findings also reveal significant variation in how universities structure and support these systems, from recruitment methods to training and rewards.
The report highlights a range of approaches that can be used to improve student engagement. For example, case studies from a variety of institutions show how building community, prioritising enjoyment and building psychological safety can strengthen participation across campus. It also showcased that initiatives such as funded student internships and digital recognition systems demonstrate how meaningful incentives can support deeper engagement.
The study also revealed the importance of scalability and resourcing. For example at the University of Westminster Students’ Union expanding support roles for course representatives has significantly improved engagement.
The study also revealed that social engagement of students needs to be backed up by appropriate levels of resource and support. For example, when it found that having only a single role responsible for managing more than 900 course reps was ineffective in promoting their engagement, the University of Westminster Students’ Union extended those responsibilities to three locally focused roles, and now it reports that this has significantly improved engagement.
A key message of the report is the need to move beyond viewing students as passive respondents to feedback exercises. Instead, it calls for institutions to treat students as active partners in shaping their educational experience. The findings emphasise that successful student voice systems depend on trust, collaboration and sustained institutional commitment, alongside inclusive practices that reflect the diversity of the student body.
Tom Lowe, Assistant Head of Finance and Accounting, said: “This sector report offers an up-to-date summary of current practice in student voice and academic representation. Importantly, the report adds data to sector discussions relating to changing practices in student representation, which is often seen as the foundation of student engagement at UK universities. As the cost of being a student in 2026 increases, gaining an understanding of how universities are empowering students to engage in educational developments is very useful.”
The report directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
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