National Student Forum
The National Student Forum (NSF) was set up by Government in Feb 2008 to give a greater voice to students on Higher Education courses across England. The Forum provides Government and other policymaking agencies with direct access to a diverse range of students, ensuring that the student voice is heard at a national policymaking level.
The Forum’s remit is to:
- advise Government on the reasonable expectations of students as consumer of the higher education system;
- provide a student perspective on emerging policy areas, feeding views to policy makers (DIUS Ministers, officials and partner organisations);
- help evaluate the impact of existing policy on students;
- initiate discussion on areas of potential policy development
- produce an annual report for ministerial review and response.
The NSF consists of students and sabbatical officers drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, who undertake the role in a voluntary capacity.
At the beginning of the year, the Forum sets priority areas for discussion, and works with policymaking organisations to develop recommendations that will improve the student experience across these areas. Each year, the Forum produces an annual report outlining the key recommendations, to which Government is required to produce a formal response.
Visit the NSF website and find out more about its work and members
Download a copy of the Forum's Annual Report for 2008 (PDF 6,020KB)
Government response to National Student Forum report
In January 2009, the Government produced its formal response to the Forum's first annual report. The response recognises the relevance of the Forum's recommendations and the innovative forward-thinking that produced them. Many of the recommendations are for areas where there are existing, though insufficiently widespread, measures already in place, and the Forum's report will help to drive these forward and spread best practice around the whole HE sector.
Download a copy of the Government response to the Forum's Annual Report for 2008 (PDF 284KB)
Student listening blog
In January 2009, the Department launched the student listening blog. It gives students, and those with an interest in the student experience, the chance to read and see what students are saying during Ministers' visits to universities.
