University launches first Scottish Student Partnership Agreement

The University of the Highlands and Islands has become the first university in Scotland to launch a new Student Partnership Agreement.

The document sets out how students and staff can work together to improve the student experience.

Areas which the university and its students will focus on this year include finalising and implementing a social experience policy and extending the activities and resources used to promote student mental health.

The agreement was signed by university principal and vice-chancellor, James Fraser, and University of the Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (UHISA) president, Rachel Parker, on Monday (15 July).

The document was developed in light of recommendations in the Post-16 Education Green Paper which advocated all Scottish universities to have a Student Partnership Agreement with their student association. The government hoped the agreements would highlight how students can influence the life of their university and set out areas which staff and students can work on together to improve the student experience.

Dr Iain Morrison, the University of the Highlands and Islands’ dean of students, who helped to develop the agreements at a national level, said: “We welcomed the prompting from the Scottish Government to clearly articulate the ways students can influence the working of our university. The Scottish university experience is built on partnership with our students, unlike a more consumerist model found elsewhere in the UK. We look forward to working closely with UHISA on a range of important projects.”

UHISA president, Rachel Parker, added: “The student partnership agreement emphasises the importance the university places on its students and their experience by ensuring staff work with the Students’ Association to enhance the areas students feel most strongly about. As president of UHISA, this is an exciting opportunity to develop key areas of the student experience over the year, knowing our efforts will be fully supported and further enhanced by the university, allowing us to make a bigger impact by working in partnership.”

Media contact

Susan Szymborski
Communications officer
01463 279222
susan.szymborski@uhi.ac.uk