Understanding perceptions of the student experience: Dot voting to identify perceived risks to equality of opportunity, a practice-based case study

England’s higher education providers have embraced opportunities to develop Access and Participation Plans in response to regulatory requirement. How best to engage students meaningfully in this activity was carefully considered by an East-Midlands university, with advice from the respective students’ union “don’t use focus groups”. This practice-based case study presents the rationale for ensuring student voice impactfully informs access and participation planning, and how one provider sought to engage students, staff and governors in an equitable approach to understanding perceptions of the student experience, to inform intervention and evaluation design and delivery.