Partnership as Student Power: Democracy and Governance in a Neoliberal University

Abstract

In the wake of Flinders University’s radical organisational restructure, we reflect on what guided the decisions and process, namely a neoliberal understanding and framing of higher education and corporal, top-down managerial systems. We explore this current climate of the neoliberal university and argue that student power is once again needed to shift the conception of university ‘success’ back into a democratic form of governance. However, rather than student power constituting of a traditional 1970s form of picketing protests, we argue that a model of working within current structures is prudent. Partnership with students initiatives provide unexpected hope for student participation in rebuilding the conception of the democratic university as a public good, but also highlight the relevance of student ‘activism’ in 2019.

University Governance, Radicalism and the Market Economy: Where Student Power Gave Way to Economics and Educative Possibility to the Corporate University

“…Opening what exists in our university, beyond just having students present, and moving into a new space where representative structures work, cycle through, expose multiple perspectives, go along with training and payment for work done, draws a hopeful future for the plurality of voices desperately needed in our university systems. Drawing into a conversation about the avenues ahead of students, Dyane raised that student partnership, recent 'students as partners' movements in governance abound our institution (Cornelius-Bell & Bell, 2020), could actually be, a weak avenue forward and that conversations with students about involvement in strategic and organisational governance could pose as a real future for higher education participation at Flinders: Posing university governance, legislature, and policy as the nexus of radical change in the university sector almost seems silly, particularly as these spaces are seen as completely hegemonically controlled by corporate managers. Even amongst academic staff I interviewed, conversations about where the power lies in the institution became questions of governanceand my interviews included no explicit questions on governance.…”

“…These conversations about students' involvement in the structure, content and delivery of their courses has direct lineage to the student power movements of the 1960s (Cockburn, 1969;Cornelius-Bell & Bell, 2020;Jones, 1969). With real support, students might face the hegemonic might of the governance machinery in universities, speak back against the 'God professors' (Forsyth, 2014) or against the vice chancellor as 'CEO-Dictator' (Bonnell, 2016).…”

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“…Its brushes against neoliberal capitalism, its degeneration into managerialism and its embrace of political corruption at the highest levels place it in increasing jeopardy (Ball, 2012;Brabazon, 2020;Connell, 2019;Giroux, 2014;Marginson, 2011). The tenuous connection between higher education and its students needs is waning and requires novel approaches to fix the issues facing late capitalist society (Afonso, 2013;Cornelius-Bell & Bell, 2020;Rao et al, 2021;Slaughter & Leslie, 1997). In particular, academic pathways for the humanities and social sciences where students are stretched and have the ability to communicate across discipline bounds are at serious risk in a climate of output measurement, KPIs and increasing pressure for funding (Brabazon, 2016b;Brett, 2021;Cornelius-Bell & Bell, 2020).…”

“…The tenuous connection between higher education and its students needs is waning and requires novel approaches to fix the issues facing late capitalist society (Afonso, 2013;Cornelius-Bell & Bell, 2020;Rao et al, 2021;Slaughter & Leslie, 1997). In particular, academic pathways for the humanities and social sciences where students are stretched and have the ability to communicate across discipline bounds are at serious risk in a climate of output measurement, KPIs and increasing pressure for funding (Brabazon, 2016b;Brett, 2021;Cornelius-Bell & Bell, 2020). Doctoral education is on dangerous ground with students and academics increasingly exploited and their roles redefined, there is a serious need for opportunities to enhance, stretch and communicate.…”

University Governance, Radicalism and the Market Economy: Where student power gave way to economics and educative possibility to the corporate university

“…Opening what exists in our university, beyond just having students present, and moving into a new space where representative structures work, cycle through, expose multiple perspectives, go along with training and payment for work done, draws a hopeful future for the plurality of voices desperately needed in our university systems. Drawing into a conversation about the avenues ahead of students, Dyane raised that student partnership, recent 'students as partners' movements in governance abound our institution(Cornelius-Bell & Bell, 2020), could actually be, a weak avenue forward and that conversations with students about involvement in strategic and organisational governance could pose as a real future for higher education participation at Flinders:…”