University of Limerick launched a new collaborative sounding board for the Student Engagement Form this April, ‘UL50 Student Voice in Action’.
The launch event saw UL students and faculty gather to discuss the plan for the UL50 panel, and their hopes for what it can achieve with 50 students part of the team.
Their role is to ensure that new programmes, services, and interventions are student-centred, inclusive, and responsive to their needs.
This initiative reflects the Forum’s commitment to meaningful, sustained engagement between students and the university community.
Professor Ronni Greenwood, Associate Vice President for Student Engagement, opened the event with her hopes for the UL50 panel.
“It’s great to see you all here because we put this together as we are really interested in mobilising different pathways to amplifying student voice.”
“We really want to ramp up student engagement and create different venues in which we can capture your opinions, your priorities, and what you see as most important in UL, to change, add, delete, in order to maximise student success.”
She went on to explain how important it is that UL students are heard, “We don’t want this to be an empty voice hearing exercise, where you tell us things and then we feel satisfied that you’ve used your voice.”
“We really want you to be a part of shaping new programs, services and initiatives all across the university so that we can make sure that our programmes and our services are student-centered, that they’re inclusive, and that they reflect what the students say that they need and want.”
Professor Greenwood noted that it is the students who know what is best for themselves, and how they want the panel to give their feedback on all things related to academic experience, well-being, sense of belonging, and everyday life.
She then went on to acknowledge how integral the UL50 panel will be in decision making for the university.
“As a member of UL50, we will ask you to give us feedback on new programs and co-curricular initiatives, to share your insights on student experience, everything from digital tools, to well-being supports.”
“Also, to work alongside forum-led groups on things like communications and campus services and engagement, and to take part in focus groups and surveys to help us shape university-wide decisions.”
UL50 has three upcoming events.
On Tuesday, April 14, the panel will join UL President Shane Kilcommins in the popular reading room in the library from 9.30-11.30am to discuss the new UL strategic plan.
Also on Tuesday, April 14, a focus group will take place on student communication preferences from 12.30-2pm in the grad attribution hub.
The spring student engagement Forum will then take place from 9.30am-1pm on Monday, April 27.