Students are central to the mission of any higher education institution, and they are experts in what it means to be a student in the contexts that they inhabit. Nevertheless, they tend to hold relatively little power or influence when it comes to shaping the direction of their departments or institutions. In this talk, I argue that genuine partnership with students is essential for enacting meaningful change in higher education. Not only can such partnerships lead to healthier, more inclusive academic cultures, but they also benefit the students themselves by developing their disciplinary identity, sense of belonging, leadership skills, and overall well-being. I’ll discuss several examples from my work as a student and as a researcher to illustrate these ideas and provide models for implementing them in other contexts.
