Student experience is exactly what we need

Why is it so valuable to have a real story to tell and a genuine experience to share? To hold a unique perspective gained only by living and breathing student life every day?

Because lived experience – shaped by the inevitable intersections of your culture, identity, community and education – is worth so much more than assumptions and theoretical understanding.

Think of it like this: qualifications tell you what someone has learned but lived experience is what they’ve been through.

Students are at the heart of higher education in Australia, and their insights can contribute deeply to a national conversation about emerging risks, safety and wellbeing, quality of learning, equity and access.

TEQSA is expanding the student voices they engage, beyond elected student representatives.

The national higher education regulator is doing this by establishing a Student Advisory Panel, the members of which will reflect the depth and complexity of the higher education sector.

The perspectives and lived experiences of students will help TEQSA inform their work.

TEQSA is strongly encouraging students with diverse backgrounds, diverse experiences and from a range of higher education institutions to express their interest, including students who identify with one or more of these perspectives:

· students from regional and remote areas, or who are using a University Study Hub to undertake their studies

· Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

· international students

· first in family students

· students with lived experience of disability, mental health and/or neurodivergence

· LGBTQI+ students

· students over the age of 21 or have returned to study after a break of 7 years or more

· part-time students

· students undertaking course work or research.

A student’s lived experience matters even more when we’re talking about risks.

Students are the people dealing with applications, classes, assessments, fees and support services every day. You know what is working well within the sector, and where things could be better.

You experience the real impact of TEQSA’s work, and see how policies are put into practice every day.

Students are ‘on the ground’. Student perspectives are important in letting TEQSA know what matters most to students and provide valuable insight to TEQSA to inform their work.

If you’re interested in what happens ‘on the ground’ at your campus, and campuses across Australia, and making the quality of higher education better for everyone no matter where they study, consider expressing your interest in joining TEQSA’s Student Advisory Panel.

Submitting an expression of interest is easy, free and all online.