Higher Education Governing Boards: Student Board Members

It is a common practice worldwide to have students represented in the governance of higher education: both in the higher education institutions and often also in the national (or regional or national) higher education governance. This entry first discusses the practices of involving students as members in the institutional and national governing boards. Next, it addresses arguments in favor of student involvement and the key controversies concerning student involvement in higher education governance.

Before proceeding with this discussion, a few definitions are necessary. Here, governance of higher education refers to the structures and processes of decision-making on the direction of the institutions or systems and overseeing their operations. Governance arrangements vary significantly across institutions and countries. Some institutions have only one governing body that is either ...