The Inclusive-learning@York team brings together academic and professional services staff and students to develop projects and initiatives related to inclusive learning, teaching and assessment, student partnerships, and community and belonging. Co-construction and partnership working are key principles underpinning the team's approach. The team has embedded this approach in the design and delivery of all its projects, through the involvement of paid student partners and through a strong emphasis on collaboration with academic and professional services teams across the university. This collaborative approach and commitment to co-construction has also led to innovative partnership working with the students’ unions, for example in the development of student-led learning communities during Covid.
Another example is the team’s commitment to authentic student partnership approaches as part of the criteria for the learning and teaching fund, which places collaboration at the heart of funded learning and teaching enhancement projects. The Inclusive-learning@York team has developed an inclusive learning, teaching and assessment toolkit with case studies of good practice and a set of reflective questions, co-constructed with staff and students. These reflective questions are used by the team to support work with academic departments, encouraging a reflective approach to inclusive practice. The team works with academic staff to explore inclusive learning, teaching and assessment pedagogies and practices, including a focus on decolonising and diversifying the curriculum.
The team collaborated with students, students’ union colleagues, academic and professional services staff to create a Statement of Approach for the university on decolonising and diversifying the curriculum. Using co-construction principles, the team has worked to ensure that marginalised voices within the curriculum are considered, and that the statement of approach reflects the principles and approaches that colleagues want to see adopted at the university. The Inclusive-learning@York team’s commitment to student partnerships is evident in the involvement of students as paid members of the team, through internships for specific projects and as placement year students. In 2021/22, for example, the team worked with 100 students in paid partnership roles.