Celebrating 10 Years of Leadership in Teaching and Learning at McMaster

Reflecting on what makes teaching at McMaster unique, Nancy Fenton, former associate director at the MacPherson Institute, highlighted the importance of community and leadership, ideas that formed the foundation of the Leadership in Teaching and Learning (LTL) Fellowship program, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary on June 11.  

“McMaster University is a special place with a culture that embraces and nourishes learning and innovation,” said Fenton. “The LTL program was developed in response to the need for Faculty champions who were leaders and mentors to their peers and strong advocates for continued improvement in teaching and learning.”  

Over 30 current and former Fellows attended the event to share highlights from their research projects, reflect on their experiences in the program and connect with colleagues from McMaster’s teaching and learning community.  

Since its launch in 2016, 72 Fellows have helped to lead change, engage in research on teaching and learning, and support communities within the Faculties to provide mentorship and leadership in teaching and learning.  

Research highlights confidence-building opportunities

Partially funded by the Paul MacPherson Teaching Fellowship Trust, the LTL program provides faculty with $15,000 over two years to support a teaching and learning research project.  

In July 2025, Kris Knorr, educational developer at the MacPherson Institute and Lily Bauman, research assistant and student partner, began studying the program to better understand how it cultivates leadership in teaching and learning at the institution.  

“One of the themes that came up often in the interview data was that Fellows felt their confidence in both research and leadership had developed throughout the fellowship,” said Knorr, who currently leads the program. “Many reported feeling uneasy or like an ‘imposter’ as teaching and learning researchers, but through the Fellowship they developed confidence, and began to be seen as pedagogical experts within their departments and Faculties.”  

The research also identified key themes from the past decade including opportunities to build connections, recognition as educational leaders, positive impacts on career trajectories, and the value of funding and institutional support provided by the MacPherson Institute.  

Participation in the program can be both challenging and rewarding. The anniversary event offered an opportunity to share these experiences and celebrate the impact of bringing pedagogical innovation back to students, departments and colleagues.

“What each of you did was not easy,” said Lori Goff, director of the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching. “It meant stepping out of the relative safety of your own classroom and into a community where you were expected to lead. Leadership in teaching is not a title—it is a practice. And it starts with the courage to grow.”

Looking ahead

Research on the LTL program’s first 10 years will continue to be analyzed, with findings shared over the coming year. Knorr believes this work will build on what has been effective and identify opportunities to further strengthen support for future Fellows.  

“In the coming decade, we hope the program will continue to foster confidence in both research and leadership and contribute to the development of a strong, connected community of educational leaders at McMaster.”  

—- 

Visit the MacPherson Institute’s program page for more information about the Leadership in Teaching and Learning Fellowship.