The Student Design Corps (SDC), a new UDI Initiative, is a task force with a mission to identify both current and potential opportunities and challenges for integrating student voices into the higher education ecosystem. They strive to empower students by actively engaging them in the co-design process of higher education experiences in all conceivable ways. By bringing their unique expertise and perspective to the design process, this team tackles the most pressing design challenges in the ongoing transformation of higher education, placing the central focus on student voice and incorporating students’ perspectives and insights at every step.
The Student Design Corps (SDC) was tasked with a 12-week design challenge divided into three phases (grounding, exploring, and prototyping). This task provided them with valuable opportunities to conceptualize and bring to life a product, receiving full support from UDI (University Design Institute) and its collaborative partners. As individuals who fulfill the roles of learners, experiencers, thinkers, and designers, the team members of the SDC embody an interdisciplinary approach and forward-thinking mindset when addressing the challenges in higher education regarding student voice. They embark on a broad exploration, ranging from the conceptual inquiries of the purposes and false assumptions of higher education to practical investigations aimed at empowering students to actively shape their own educational experiences, such as curriculum development and faculty-student communication. By delving into these questions, the SDC aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the factors and root causes that affect student voice in higher education, approaching the matter systematically, strategically, and pragmatically.