NSO: Student Collective
The National Student Ombudsman is establishing a Student Collective. The collective will allow the NSO to receive authentic student voice feedback and insights, aligning with our commitment to elevating students' voices and experiences.
What will the group do?
The members of the Student Collective will apply their perspectives and lived experiences to shape future learnings and bring to the surface current challenges impacting student complaint-handling processes. Members may be invited to contribute through workshops, meetings or written responses.
Who can join?
The collective will represent intersecting experiences from higher education students, including cohorts who experience harm, experience a higher likelihood of negative impact, and/or are not well-heard. Expressions of interest are welcome from students with lived experience connection to:
- people with a disability
- culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
- international students
- gender-based violence (including those impacted by gender-based violence and those with insights on prevention and response strategies)
- First Nations
- gender or sexually diverse.
Students may identify with more than one community. The collective aims to represent a diverse student experience within these groups, including undergraduate, postgraduate, on campus, hybrid and online study modes, metropolitan and regional students, as well as representation across different higher education providers.
What to expect?
Students will opt in to participate in ad hoc meetings or tasks aligned with their experience and availability. The overall time commitment is not expected to exceed 15 hours per year, with no minimum engagement.
The Collective will not have any involvement in operational matters, such as NSO services, complaint processes, or investigation outcomes.
Any applicable compensation for participation will be in accordance with the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s Community Stakeholders Paid Participation Policy (PPP).
Applications close: Friday 17 April 2026
Further information on the Student Collective and how to apply