An International Perspective on Student R epresentation

1. African Minds Symposium and Authors’ Workshop “Student representation in Higher Education Governance in Africa” Capetown, South Africa, 21 August 2014 An International Perspective on Student Representation Manja Klemenčič Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Harvard University

2. Topics addressed I Definitions- student representative associations- differences between student representation, student activism, student movementsII Student representation on national/regional level in democracies- a typology of national student associations- a typology of national systems of student representation- a typology of national systems of student interest intermediationIII Student representation in institutional governance- a typology of student representative bodies within higher education institutions- a typology of institutional systems of student representation- autonomy of student representative associations- legitimacy of student representative associationsIV Theories of change of student representation in higher education governance

3. I Definition of student representative associations Student representative associations – student unions, councils, guilds, bodies, parliaments, governments – are those whose primary aim is to represent and defend the interests of the collective student body. They organize, aggregate and intermediate student interests, provide services for students and organize student activities. They operate on different levels of HE governance: from the sub-institutional, institutional, regional, national to supranational level.Why we study them? - students the primary constituency in HE, crucial for understanding HE governance (Luescher-Mamashela 2013; Klemenčič 2012)- historical presence and extensive activity (Klemenčič 2012; 2014)- interest groups crucial to understanding functioning of advanced democracies (Eising 2008)- the role of interest groups in policy processes increasing (Falkner 2000; Beyers et al. 2008)

4. I Differentiating between between student representation, student activism and student movements Student representation – student membership in collective organizations within higher education institutions and national systems, organized for the purpose of representing the interests of students; formal and typically institutionalized form of student organizing. Student activism – student mobilization in protests or other social movements with a particular grievance of student, higher education or broader societal relevance; participation of individual students, groups of students and/or student organisations in a group action which is typically loose, non-hierarchical and not institutionalized. Student movement – is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of students, to represent student interests and campaign for better study conditions and social welfare conditions of students.

5. II Student Representation on the National (and/or Regional) Level 1. How students as collective body are organised at the level of national higher education governance, i.e. in relation to the government, parliament and higher education stakeholders? – a spectrum between two ideal organizationaltypes of national (regional) student associations2. How student interests are aggregated, articulated and intermediated into public policy making? – different types of national systems of student representation and national systems of student interest intermediation3. How can we explain change in organisations and systems of student representation at national level?

10. III Student Representation in Institutional Governance 1. How are students organised into representative student bodies in higher education institutions?2. How are student representatives involved in institutional governance?3. How autonomous are student representative bodies at higher education institutions? Are student representative bodies perceived legitimate?4. How can we explain change in organisations and systems of student representation within university governance?

15. IV Theories of change What changes: - organizational culture, structures, practices (professionalisation)- systems of student representation and interest intermediation- influence on decision making (positional power, symbolic capital, …)Theoretical frameworks for studying change in student representation:- Rationalist: interested actors take advantage of changing opportunity structures and follow resource dependencies (resource dependency theory)- Constructivist: socialisation and social learning- Neo-institutionalist: structural embeddednessin existing institutions, practices and traditions mediates and conditions the impact of external drivers- Cultural: power relations, attitudes to authority, public attitudes to students- Diffusion: diffusion of ideas through international collaboration, developmental aid, the role of supranational structures and processes, international organisations, donor agencies

16. Thank you! Contact: manjaklemencic@fas.harvard.edu References: KLEMENČIČ, M. (2014). Student power in a global perspective and contemporary trends in student organising. Studies in Higher Education 39(3) 2014: 396-411. KLEMENČIČ, M. (2012). Student Representation in Western Europe: introduction to the special issue. European Journal of Higher Education 2(1) 2012: 2-19.