Abstract
The rise in UK university fees has prompted significant investment in the student experience, with increased emphasis on an agenda that promotes student engagement and partnership. Who sets this agenda and who are the stakeholders? This paper introduces emerging research on the topic of agenda setting in higher education, using a case study from a UK institution which is extremely diverse in its student profile and has several off-campus partnerships, both within the UK and internationally. Preliminary research focusses on how both on and off-campus students identify with the institution, it assesses their involvement in setting the student experience and engagement agenda and how they transition into higher education. This paper considers the impact of the terminology used in the UK higher education sector to describe the role of students. It presents a new perspective on partnership by raising important questions about the potential of higher education professionals to empower students to be at the heart of setting their own learning agenda.