Governance CPD Student Governor is a two part programme.
Day 1 of the Student Governor programme, delivered in partnership with the University of London, is designed to equip newly-appointed Student Governors with the essential knowledge and skills needed to excel in their first term on the governing body.
During this immersive programme, participants will be introduced to the role and expectations of a Student Governor, acquire a comprehensive understanding of the structure and responsibilities of a governing body and learn valuable strategies to effectively manage conflicts of interest while making a meaningful impact.
Day 2 allows student governors to reflect on their year to date, provide further skills development and network mapping as well as preparing them for their end of year handover.
The event will build on the day one event in September and provide participants with a space to reflect and share their experience as well as look forward to how they can maximise their impact in the second half of the year.
For returning Student Governors there is a dedicated strand of activity and content specifically crafted to enhance your second year. Take advantage of expert facilitation and invaluable advice as you reflect on your previous year’s experiences and discover new ways to maximize your contribution.
Who is this event for?
This program will benefit both novice and seasoned Student Governors, as well as individuals supporting and collaborating with them.
Learning Outcomes
Student Governor 1
- Be equipped with the essential knowledge and skills to excel in your first term as a governor.
- Understand your role as a student governor and as a member of the governing body.
- Gain knowledge on the structure and responsibilities of a governing body and learn strategies to manage conflicts of interest.
Student Governor 2
- To provide a shared space to reflect and share on experiences as a governor to date and how to maximise impact in the second half of the year.
- Develop further skills and network mapping to prepare for end of year handover.
- Participate in action learning sets to find support and challenge for peers and take learning back on key challenges faced to your own institution.
Booking Information
Student Governor 1
Date: 9 September 2026
Delivery: In person (Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU)
We are pleased to offer a 5% early booking discount on bookings made before 31 August 2026:
Member Ticket: £375 and Member Early Booking: £355
Non-Member Ticket: £475 and Non-Member Early Booking: £500
Student Governor 2
Date: 20 January 2027
Delivery: In person (London)
We are pleased to offer a 5% early booking discount on bookings made before 30 September 2026:
Member Ticket: £375 and Member Early Booking: £355
Non-Member Ticket: £475 and Non-Member Early Booking: £500
Student Governor 1 & 2
Date: 9 September 2026 and 20 January 2027
Delivery: In person (London)
We are pleased to offer a 5% early booking discount on bookings made before 31 August 2026:
Member Ticket: £725 and Member Early Booking: £690
Non-Member Ticket: £965 and Non-Member Early Booking: £915
Agenda – Student Governor 1
09:30 Registration and Networking
10:00 Welcome and Introduction – Aaron Porter, Associate Director (Governance), Advance HE
10:15 What’s Going on in Higher Education Policy – Sharanya Sivarajah, Community and Policy Officer, Wonkhe SUs
11:00 How Governance Works in Higher Education
11:45 Break
12:00 How has HE Sector and its Governance Evolved? – Mike Ratcliffe, Interim Academic Registrar, Canterbury Christ Church University
12:45 How HE Finances Work – Gavan Conlon, Partner, London Economics
13:30 Networking Lunch
14:30 Can Student Governors Lead Institutional Change? – Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor, Wonkhe
15:30 Fibchester In-Tray Exercise
16:30 Feedback in Plenary
17:00 Close
Delivery
This event will be delivered in-person, with joining instructions sent out by the Governance team two weeks before the day of the event.
Along with the joining instructions and links delegates will receive a copy of the programme, with finalised timings, topics, and speakers.
The conference will be delivered as as a series of presentations, breakout discussions and panels, with time after each for questions and comments.
Speakers
Speakers and presenters include regulators, university and students’ union leaders, along with governance professionals from both inside and outside the HE sector.
Aaron Porter
Associate Director (Governance)
Aaron leads on Advance HE governance activity through the delivery of our national Governor Development Programme which engages with around 900 governors across the UK on an annual basis. He has extensive experience leading reviews of over 25 governing boards. Aaron was previously President of the National Union of Students (NUS) and also chair of trustees for the organisation.
Sharanya Sivarajah
Community and Policy Officer
Sharanya is Wonkhe’s SUs Community and Policy Officer. Before moving into staff roles, she spent two terms as a sabbatical officer at Royal Holloway SU – first as Vice President Education, then as SU President. Sharanya holds a BSc in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Royal Holloway.
Mike Ratcliffe
Interim Academic Registrar
Mike has held senior administrative roles in seven very different English universities; leading functions in student administration, quality assurance and academic governance. He has an interest in the regulation of the HE sector and was Specialist Advisor to the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee for their inquiry into the Office for Students. He writes about HE matters and has appeared on the WonkHE podcast with a series of short pieces about the ‘Hidden History of HE’.
Gavan Conlon
Partner
Dr Gavan Conlon is a Partner at London Economics and co-head of the Education and Labour Markets practice and an expert in education and labour market economics. London Economics is one of Europe’s leading specialist policy and economics consultancies.
Jim Dickinson
Associate Editor Wonkhe
Jim Dickinson is an Associate Editor at Wonkhe where he takes a particular interest in students, governance and higher education regulation and leads on work with students’ unions.
