FOCI XXVIII Summary Report
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University
5-6 December 2025
by
İdil Ertuğan, Esra Gün Alayafi, Nesibe Bilgiç
Overview
On 5–6 December, we attended the 28th FOCI (Forum on Curricular Issues), hosted by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University. The forum brought together one or two representatives from state and foundation universities to discuss the theme “Students as Stakeholders in the Curriculum Development Process.” Discussions emphasized viewing students as active partners rather than passive recipients of education, highlighting the importance of continuous and meaningful student involvement throughout all stages of curriculum development. The forum’s interactive format encouraged the exchange of practical approaches and institutional experiences across diverse higher education contexts.
Day 1
On Day 1, Sinem Atamsoy delivered a presentation about MOCA (Meeting of Change Agents) emphasizing that learner voice has the potential to create change and provide improvement on a wide scale. Afterwards, participants engaged in small-group discussions. These sessions encouraged the exchange of ideas based on pre-reading materials, institutional perspectives, and emerging discussion points, with groups later sharing their insights with the wider forum.
Discussions focused on three main areas: the rationale and value of students as stakeholders in identifying gaps and contributing across all stages of curriculum development; strategies for ensuring student participation that is meaningful, representative, and sustainable; and practical steps for implementation within the curriculum. Key themes included improving feedback mechanisms beyond surveys, balancing student and teacher perspectives, supporting diverse voices, and ensuring transparency, institutional support, and alignment with Higher Education Council regulations.
Day 2
On the second day, groups finalized their reports and presented key discussion points:
Why Students Matter as Stakeholders
Students are the direct recipients of the curriculum, and curriculum decisions have a profound impact on their academic success, motivation, and future professional lives. For this reason, student perspectives provide valuable insights into whether curriculum objectives align with academic, professional, and real-life demands.
However, student involvement does not mean transferring full decision-making authority to students. Rather, students should be viewed as informants and contributors, whose lived experiences can highlight gaps, mismatches, or strengths in the curriculum. Their role is especially valuable at the micro level—such as feedback on materials, assessment load, pacing, and learning activities—while macro-level decisions must continue to align with institutional goals, academic standards, and Higher Education Council (HEC) regulations.
Scope and Balance of Student Involvement
An effective curriculum requires a balance between:
* student input,
* pedagogical integrity,
* institutional priorities, and
* regulatory frameworks.
Students can be involved at all stages of curriculum development—design, planning, delivery, and evaluation—but the extent and nature of their involvement should be context-sensitive. Early involvement may focus on consultative roles (e.g., identifying needs or preferences), while more experienced students or graduates may contribute to broader reflections through longitudinal feedback.
Importantly, involving students does not imply approving all student requests. Transparency about what can and cannot be changed is essential to avoid frustration and tokenism.
Challenges and Opportunities
Challenges
Several challenges emerge when involving students as stakeholders:
* Students may lack familiarity with curriculum concepts, pedagogical principles, or HEC regulations.
* Feedback can sometimes be contradictory, short-term focused, or influenced by personal bias.
* Excessive consultation may overwhelm both students and curriculum designers.
* Not all feedback can be implemented, which may lead to disappointment if expectations are unclear.
Opportunities
Despite these challenges, student involvement offers significant benefits:
* It fosters a sense of ownership, responsibility, and belonging.
* It increases motivation and trust between students and faculty.
* It supports the development of a more responsive and inclusive learning environment.
* It strengthens accountability when students see how their feedback informs decisions.
Ensuring Meaningful, Representative, and Sustainable Participation
To ensure participation is meaningful rather than symbolic, several principles should guide practice:
Representation
Feedback should come from diverse groups, including:
* newcomers,
* current (including repeating) students,
* international students, and
* graduates.
Balanced representation in terms of gender, nationality, and academic background is essential. Participation should be voluntary where possible, with teacher nomination as a backup when needed. Each student representative should have a vice-representative to ensure continuity.
Feedback Mechanisms
While surveys remain valuable, they should be complemented by:
* focus group meetings,
* forums,
* classroom-level quick feedback,
* piloting of materials,
* innovative methods such as PhotoVoice,
* internal MOCA and stakeholder meetings.
Feedback should be systematic, structured, and ongoing to help establish a feedback culture rather than one-off data collection.
Support and Preparation
Students should be supported through:
* orientation sessions explaining curriculum concepts and feedback processes,
* awareness-raising activities on how to give constructive, evidence-based feedback,
* clear guidelines on roles, responsibilities, and professional communication.
This preparation increases the reliability and usefulness of student input.
Transparency, Accountability, and Trust
For student participation to be meaningful, transparency is crucial. Students should be informed about:
* how feedback is analyzed,
* which suggestions are adopted or rejected,
* and the reasons behind these decisions.
Sharing meeting minutes, action points, and outcomes with all stakeholders reinforces trust and prevents perceptions of tokenism. Even small curriculum changes should be communicated to demonstrate that student voices matter.
Institutional Structures and Sustainability
To support long-term sustainability, institutional backing is essential. This includes:
* allocating time, tools, and resources,
* ensuring alignment with HEC regulations,
* maintaining pedagogical integrity,
* and balancing power dynamics among administrators, faculty, and students.
The establishment of a Student Curriculum Committee and an impartial Bridge Unit or advisory/quality unit can help mediate between student and teacher perspectives, ensure fairness, and maintain institutional standards.
AI-driven tools can further enhance sustainability by efficiently collecting, organizing, and analyzing large-scale feedback over time.
A Proposed Action Plan
1. Design and pilot student surveys before the academic year begins.
2. Select student representatives at the start of the semester.
3. Deliver orientation sessions to familiarize representatives with curriculum concepts and expectations.
4. Collect class-level feedback using digital tools (e.g., Mentimeter).
5. Hold regular meetings between curriculum unit members and student representatives, with documented minutes.
6. Expand access to schoolwide surveys via QR codes and digital platforms.
7. Discuss outcomes with department leadership.
8. Cross-check decisions with HEC regulations and institutional standards.
9. Communicate decisions and actions transparently to all stakeholders.
10. Gather follow-up feedback to evaluate the impact of implemented changes.
The next FOCI will be held in İstanbul Beykent University in May 2026. More information about the event can be found at: https://focionline.wordpress.com/