2026 Student Voice Summit
& Student Voice Symposium Resource Hub
All materials are available to access by registered attendees of SVA’s 2026 Student Summit and/or Symposium.
For non-member attendees- these resources will be accessible until 30 January 2027.
After this time, the resources will be available to member institutions via our members portal.
TRUST, SAFETY AND PARTICIPATION IN TIMES OF CHANGE
The 7th Annual SVA Student Voice Symposium and the Student Summit showcases the transformative impact of student voice across the sector.
As the education sector continues to evolve, students’ sense of safety, trust and belonging is foundational to meaningful participation. This year’s theme explores how student voice is enabled—or constrained— examining the conditions that enable students to speak up, feel heard and help shape decisions across systems, institutions, communities and individual experiences.
Our theme invites us to rethink systems, policies and relationships, so students are not just consulted, but actively shape the conversation, culture and future of education.
For full abstracts, please download our programs. Not all sessions were recorded.
Student Summit | Wednesday 6 October, 2026
Lightning Talks
Stream #1
Beyond Representation: Building Communities Where Students belong (UniSC)
How institutions build environments that support psychological safety, belonging and meaningful student voice (La Trobe University)
Stewardship over surveillance: a student-centred approach to academic integrity (UniSQ)
Stream #2
Jumping Through the Portal: Co-creating the Digital Landscape (UNE Student Council)
Chicken or the Egg: Student Voices, Safety and Belonging (UoW)
Amplifying Student Voice: How Murdoch Builds Trust and Psychological Safety through Peer-Led Student Wellbeing Initiatives (Murdoch University)
Stream #3
Beyond fitting in, how students and leaders can actively foster participation (Griffith)
One University, Two Campuses, Multiple Cohorts: Exploring Diverse Student Voices (UoW)
Fares Fair: Taking Student Advocacy from University to Government (Graduate Student Association, University of Melbourne)
Roundtable Chats – World Café Style
Roundtable discussions led by our themes:
Sector-Wide: Building Trust and Safety Across a Changing Sector
Institution-Wide: Creating Cultures Where Students Feel Safe to Participate
Cohort-Specific: Belonging, Safety and Voice for Diverse Cohorts
Individual Experience: Feeling Safe to Speak, Lead and Belong
These sessions were designed as world cafe workshops in person only- so were not recorded. Thank you to all who contributed!
*not recorded
Symposium | Thursday 7 October, 2026
Insight Session A
Insight Session B
Posters
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Working Group
These events are co-designed and delivered by our valuable SVA Members. Thank you to the members of our working group for their contributions:
Belinda Brear, SVA Coordinator
Marina Ivancic, SRC Governance Manager, UC
Alek Van Hummel, SRC and Council Member, UC
Rebecca Morris, Inclusion Manager, UC
Simone Chitsinde, SRC President, UC
Francesca Harrison, SVA Student Partner
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