Presentations 3.5 - Student Services from a Management Perspective
Management & Leadership
Joeri Van den Brande, Director Student Services at Erasmus College Brussels
Student Services Under Pressure: Safeguarding Equity, Well-Being and Access
Student services in Flemish higher education institutions operate within a strong legal framework designed to reduce barriers to access and ensure equitable participation. They provide a broad range of universal and selective support—including housing, catering, social and psychological guidance, mobility services, and student engagement—thus playing a foundational role in creating inclusive higher education environments. Student services significantly contribute to student well‑being, community building, participatory governance, and the development of integrated institutional support systems.
In recent years, student well‑being has become a key policy priority, reinforced by government initiatives. Students increasingly expect campuses to be safe, supportive and socially engaging spaces. Student services are uniquely positioned to meet these expectations through preventive and curative care, accessible communication and the creation of inclusive physical and social learning environments.
However, this distinctive service model faces growing pressure. Institutions are confronted with rising catering costs, a structural shortage of affordable student housing, increasing demand for psychological support, higher study‑related expenses and rapidly evolving needs among Generation Z students. Persistent underfunding intensifies these challenges and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable groups.
This contribution argues for renewed policy attention and investment to ensure sustainable and equitable student support across the Flemish higher education landscape.
Dr Koenraad Keignaert & Thomas Marquenie, Head of Department, Student Affairs & Support at University of Antwerp: The designed Student Life Experience
An actual application of an Institutional Product-Service System
The presentation addresses the following questions:
1/ How can S³ be conceptualized as an integrated Product Service System (PSS) aligned with institutional educational goals?
2/ Which design methods help institutions to better understand their students‘ lived experiences across both academic and non-academic domains? How can staff and students be meaningfully involved as co-designers of SLX?
3/ Which insights can be derived from applying this approach within an institutional context, and how are these transferable to other higher education settings?
We further illustrate how the Department of Student Affairs & Services treats SLX projects as parts of a comprehensive ecosystem. We apply complementary practices:
– systemic, context-aware project framing,
– embedding student needs through co-creation and research,
– iterative innovation and testing of interventions.
We will bring the case study of our brand new sports facility.
Dr Birgit Schreiber, President of the International Association for Student Affairs and Sercices
Strengthening Student Affairs in Europe and Beyond: Professionalisation, Leadership, and Institutional Change
Across Europe and beyond, student services are under growing pressure to do more with less, often prioritising compliance and management over vision, leadership, and transformative impact. This paper argues that if students and institutions are to focus fully on their academic and social impact, student services must be empowered to thrive, and this requires a fundamental rethinking of how we professionalise the student affairs practitioners and leaders.
The presentation introduces the framework of our IASAS professionalisation programme, designed to embolden, fortify, and strengthen the student affairs profession. Rather than centring technical management alone, the programme prioritises leadership development, strategic visioning, and the ability to steer institutional change. It draws on deep knowledge of student development to shape learning and living environments that benefit not only students, but also institutions, civic life, and the broader public good.
Grounded in the ideals of social justice, public responsibility, inclusive and bold internationalisation, the programme positions student affairs professionals as cultural and institutional change agents. The paper highlights why such professionalisation is essential for high-quality student affairs practice in Europe and beyond, and how it can contribute to more equitable, responsive, and student-centred higher education systems.
Jérémie Dupont, Data analyst – Crous de Lille
From rental pressure to decision-making: actionable tools and indicators to guide CEOs’ strategic choices