ABSTRACT
This chapter explores student representation and unionism in contemporary universities and discusses how these processes have shifted from collective practices towards more individualised forms of student representation. While outlining the development of student representation in higher education governance, it engages with the themes related to students’ union work, representative roles and student satisfaction surveys and evaluations. The chapter starts by problematising the notions of representation and unionism as they are embedded in the discourses of student voice and satisfaction. It then moves on to problematise the shift towards professionalisation of student representation in marketised higher education. The chapter concludes by exploring a selection of key representational practices related to the work of students’ unions and higher education governance structures.
