Clear and Collaborative Communication how Cardiff Metropolitan University embeds true partnership working

Abstract

To enable the student voice to be heard, a strong partnership is required between the Students’ Union and the institution, ensuring that the Union remains independent enough to continue to challenge the institution while also working collaboratively with it. At Cardiff Metropolitan University, the institution and the Union have been working towards the same aim: enhancing the student experience and making sure that the student voice is heard, valued and acted upon. In order to encompass all aspects of student experience, voice and engagement, much collaboration between the University and the Union has been required. This case study will identify the issues faced, which led to the need for clear and collaborative communication and for solutions to be put in place as a result. This study addresses how the student partnership model proposed by Matthews (2017) has been used to inform both the intra-institution approaches to working in partnership and collaborations between students and staff.