- Kevin Sanders
- Jul 12
- 4 min read
July 12, 2025
Read Time - 4 minutes
“If you want to know how the shoe fits, ask the person who’s wearing it — not the one who made it.”
— African proverb A few years ago, our faculty committee on student wellness launched what we believed students needed: workshops on time management, yoga sessions, and expanded access to counseling. It was thoughtful and well-intended.
But by the end of the first semester, student engagement was low. We were all scratching our heads as to why until a student shared this with a faculty member: “I would go, but that’s the only time I have to eat between classes.”
Ah.
The support was there.
But the margin to use it wasn’t.
We didn’t account for students’ time, energy, or lived reality.
And no faculty committee would have spotted that on its own.
Only a student could.
When Committees Help — and When They Don’t
This isn’t an argument against faculty committees. They’re crucial — and they’re essential for collegial wisdom, shared governance, and policy alignment.
But they’re not always the right first move.
Why?
Because faculty bring institutional memory — not always lived experience.
So when you’re trying to understand:
Why students aren’t engaging
Why a student initiative isn’t working
Why enrollment or retention is slipping
Your committee can offer insight.
But students can offer proof.
When to Ask Students First
If the outcome affects student behavior, start with student voices.
Bring them in when:
You’re diagnosing a behavior problem
Why aren’t students going to events? Using the lab? Choosing this elective?
Start with the people not doing the thing, not the people planning it.
You’re designing something for student experience
New advising structure? Student support initiative?
Your committee may be full of experts — but your students are the end users.
You’re seeing a sharp drop in participation or engagement
Students vote with their feet. If you see a pattern, don’t assume the cause.
Ask first. Interpret later.
You’ve gotten vague or contradictory feedback
When the committee is going in circles or lands on a fuzzy consensus, bring in the people closest to the impact.
The research backs this up.
A study by Nous Group found that while 44% of universities ranked co-design with students as one of the most effective ways to improve student experience, only 5% are actually doing it.In other words: most institutions plan for students —But the real breakthroughs happen when students help design the solutions themselves.
5 Simple Ways to Hear Students Without a Survey
You don’t need a research team. Just a few intentional habits.
1. “No Agenda” Roundtables
Once a semester, invite a small, diverse group of students to lunch or coffee.
Say: “What’s working well?” or “What would you like to see change?”
Then listen — don’t correct, explain, or redirect. (If this is a new practice, consider starting a student council that you can meet with periodically)
2. Add Students to Committees (Fully)
Put 1–2 students on curriculum or experience committees — not as tokens, but full participants. Invite their perspective early in the process, not at the end.
3. Shadow Their Week
Follow a student’s full experience: classes, exams, advising, dining, support.
Even half a day can be eye-opening.
4. Ask This One Question
“What’s something harder than it should be right now?”
Use it in advising meetings, hallway chats, or at the end of class.
The answers will be revealing.
5. Visit Your Core Classes and Poll the Room
Ask the faculty teaching your required courses — the ones that reach nearly every major — to take 3 minutes at the end of class and run a quick, anonymous check-in.
It could be a one-question Google Form or a single open-ended prompt.
The Bottom Line
As academic leaders, we build systems with care, thought, and good intent.
But the real measure of those systems isn’t how they look on paper —
It’s how they work for the people living inside them.
So before you schedule another meeting, launch the next initiative, or roll out that policy…
Ask the students first.
Not because it’s polite.
Because it’s effective.
That’s what smarter leadership looks like.
Try This Before Friday
Ask a 3rd or 4th year student:
“What’s something that’s harder than it should be right now?”
Then write it down. Don’t fix it yet — just listen and learn.
Audit one agenda item:
Look at your meeting agendas and ask: Would students already know the answer?
If yes, talk to two before the meeting.
Walk a student hallway:
10 minutes. Watch what they navigate. No clipboard, no agenda — just pay attention. 👥 Ready to Help Others?
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