STUDENT’S PERCEPTIONS ABOUT STUDENTS’ REPRESENTATION IN UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

THE 2001 PRAGUE COMMUNIQUÉ EMPHASIZES THE NEED FOR STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE AND INFLUENCE THE ORGANIZATION AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENTS IN UNIVERSITIES AND THE FACT THAT “STUDENTS ARE FULL MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY”. ALTHOUGH AT LEAST FORMALLY, THE ASPECTS REGARDING STUDENT REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION HAVE BEEN REGULATED, SOME STUDIES SUG GEST THEIR ABSENCE FROM THE UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE (PERSSON, 1998; KAMPERIN, 2004; MENON, 2005). CONSEQUENTLY, EVEN IF THE FORMAL RIGHT OF REPRESENTATION IS ENSURED, ITS EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION IS “FAR FROM SATISFACTORY” (BERGAN, 2003). THE PRESENT STUDY E XPLORES THE PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS REGARDING THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE DECISION PROCESSES IN THEIR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. THE FOCAL POINTS ANALYZED REGARD: THE DEGREE OF VISIBILITY AND INVOLVEMENT OF STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES AND THEIR ROLE IN THE UNIVERSI TY, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES AND STUDENTS, IDENTIFYING THE MAJOR IMPROVEMENT DIRECTIONS IN THE REPRESENTATIVE -STUDENTS CONSULTATION PROCESS. RESULTS INDICATE THE POOR DEFINITION OF THE GOALS AND THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY TOWARDS THE STUDENTS IN THE DECISION PROCESSES IN THE UNIVERSITY, THE MAIN OBSTACLES IN MAINTAINING PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY. THE STUDENTS SIGNAL THE NEED FOR A MORE VISIBLE AND INTENSE ACTIVITY OF THE REPRESENTATIVES, THROUGH A BETTER PROMOTION OF THEIR OWN ACTIVITY AND A MOR E DIRECT AND OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH BOTH STUDENTS AND THE MANAGEMENT.

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