This is according to by the National Union of Students and Universities UK, which found that although student charters - introduced in England three years ago - have been widely adopted by higher education providers, more can be done to ensure that they encourage students to adopt what the union describes as ¡°active and engaged learning behaviours¡± that will contribute to their success.

¡°Engagement with the charter should be built into key stages in staff and student lifecycles such as student induction, staff development, interactions with personal tutors,¡± Building a Framework for Partnership with Students says.

¡°Specific programmes will create new opportunities and spaces for staff and students to engage in dialogue about learning and the enhancement of learning.¡±

Megan Dunn, NUS vice-president for higher education, said the charters were important ¡°because students have a right to know how they will learn, how they will be supported and what they need to do themselves to reach their potential¡±.

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¡°The best learning environments are those where students are challenged to contribute as partners as well as being supported with high quality teaching and learning provision,¡± she said.

Janet Beer, Universities UK deputy chair and vice-chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, said she was ¡°delighted¡± universities ¡°have embraced charters so comprehensively¡±.

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¡°Charters provide an excellent opportunity to?increase understanding of how students and institutions can work together to ensure the best possible student experience,¡± she added.

But she said the report demonstrated that student charters needed ¡°to be seen as living documents, catalysts for on-going discussion and engagement with students¡±.

chris.parr@tesglobal.com