Student voice in the reorganization processes of higher education institutions in Ukraine

The article examines the participation of students in the reorganization processes of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ukraine, which, despite regulatory guarantees, remains mainly formal or symbolic. The problem of insufficient institutionalization of the student voice is becoming particularly relevant against the backdrop of a large-scale restructuring of the HEI network in Ukraine. The paper uses the method of case analysis of examples of reorganizations of Ukrainian HEIs using content analysis of documents, interviews, observations, focus groups, and analysis of public discourse. The results showed that most reorganization processes are carried out without meaningful involvement of the student community, which creates risks of protest mobilization, loss of academic identity and a decrease in the quality of communication between stakeholders. In some cases, student initiatives had a decisive influence on the course of the process and its consequences. Mostly, practice shows that students mostly act not as equal participants in reorganizations, but as passive objects of change. This contradicts the principles and approaches of modern governance in the field of education declared in the laws of Ukraine and speeches of the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (participation, transparency, accountability, rule of law, consensus orientation, fairness and inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency). It was found that the limited or absence of mechanisms for effective participation of the student community negatively affects the perception of the legitimacy of changes, generates protest sentiments and increases distrust in administrative procedures on the part of public authorities and HEI management. Based on the analysis, a conceptual model of student-centered reorganization of HEIs is proposed, which involves the active participation of students in strategic planning, decision-making and monitoring of changes in HEI reorganizations. The article justifies the need to transition from declarative participation of students to their partnership in managing higher education transformations. The proposed conclusions can be used to improve educational policy in the context of optimizing the HEI network.