Embedding Students as Partners in Quality Assurance Processes: Evolution of the ASER Facilitator Role

Abstract

Taken from the position of partnership as a relational, values-driven process during which students and staff work together in mutually beneficial ways, this case study explores how students can authentically engage as partners in annual quality assurance within a university. The role of ASER Facilitator (Annual Student Experience Review Facilitator) was created to introduce partnership formally to the action and development plans for departments with low student satisfaction. ASER facilitators are recruited from another department and help student representatives and departmental staff to work together and create dialogue about expectations, experiences and solutions to areas of concern arising out of key data sets like the National Student Survey. The case study looks at how the role has evolved over three years and explores how some of the challenges relating to timeframes and the building of relationships have been mitigated during that evolution. Crucially, the study also includes reflections from the perspective of a student who has worked as both ASER Facilitator and Student Fellow through UCL ChangeMakers, to give insight into what the role feels like to a student and where more support is needed for students undertaking the ASER Facilitator role in the future.