SPP: Frequently Asked Questions

Students can participate in the SPP in two ways: they can propose a project or they can be hired to a faculty/staff-proposed project. Projects run in either the Fall/Winter term (September-April) or the Spring/Summer term (May-August). The hours that students will be expected to contribute vary from project to project, but will generally fall between 5-10 hours a week. Students are paid for their work throughout the duration of their project (see Admin and Compensation section for details regarding pay).  

Any McMaster student is eligible to submit their own teaching and learning project for inclusion in the Student Partner Program. Please note that while students are able and encouraged to take the lead on projects they submit, for administrative reasons students submitting projects for consideration must do so in collaboration with a faculty or staff member. If you need assistance identifying a faculty or staff partners, MacPherson Institute staff may be able to help (see the Admin and Compensation section for details).  

Any McMaster student is eligible to be a Student Partner. Undergraduate students who graduate in April are eligible to work on projects funded in the Spring-Summer terms (May-August). Students who worked on a project previous can extend their contract on the same project even if they graduated. If you are interested in applying as a Student Partner, ensure to read project descriptions carefully as some projects indicate preferences for students with specific backgrounds, skills, and/or education levels. For more detailed information, see FAQ: Student Partner applications.

Students may also submit projects in collaboration with a faculty/staff member at McMaster University. The SPP cannot advertise student-proposed projects to potential faculty partners. Instead, interested students might consider approaching a faculty/staff member and seeing if that they member would be interested in working with them on the project should it be accepted for the SPP. If you are a student with a project idea and are unsure to whom you should reach out, please connect with SPP staff (mi_sap@mcmaster.ca) who may be able to suggest faculty and staff who would be a good fit for your project idea.

Any McMaster student, faculty, or staff member can apply for an SPP grant. Please note that student project leads will require funds to be transferred through their faculty or staff partner’s departmental account.  

 Once projects have been reviewed and successful applicants have been notified, applications for Student Partners will open on the MacPherson website (in March for the Summer term and July for the fall/winter term). A brief description of each project will be listed, and students will be able to apply for up to three projects using a form linked on the Student Partner Program website. 

Student Partner applications will be sent to the corresponding project teams, and they will arrange interviews or further meetings as they see fit. Project teams will hire student partners directly. Successful Student Partner applicants will be notified by the end of April (for the summer term) and the end of August (for the fall/winter term). 

Once students are selected through the program, it is the responsibility of the faculty or staff partner’s department to issue offer letters and register payroll through MOSAIC, as well as to conduct other relevant administrative duties. 

Current rates of compensation for student partners are as follows: 

• Undergraduate student partners: $17/hour ($19.50 when fringe benefits added) 
• Graduate student partners: $21/hour ($23 when fringe benefits added) 

Student partners should be expected to be paid on a biweekly basis (once every two weeks). 

For students interested in applying for an SPP grant with their own project, please be advised that due to administrative reasons, grant money may only be transferred to a faculty or staff member. For this reason, students are required to apply with a faculty or staff partner to assist in manage finances. 

If students have trouble finding a faculty or staff lead, the MacPherson Institute may be able to assist. Please contact us via email at mi_sap@mcmaster.ca if you require assistance with finding a faculty/staff partner. 

Student partnerships in education are broad, but here are some selected project types. For guidance or questions, reach out to our team at mi_sap@mcmaster.ca  

• Collaborative Resource Development: Engage students in creating and refining teaching materials. 
• Collaborative Reading List Development: Partner with students to select relevant course literature. 
• Student-Led Teaching Evaluation: Incorporate student feedback in assessing instructional methods. 
• Co-designed Assessment Criteria: Develop grading standards in collaboration with students. 
• Educational Research Partnerships: Involve students in studies on learning and teaching practices. 
• Discipline-Specific Research Collaboration: Engage students in field-related research projects. 
• Curriculum Development Consultation: Seek student input on course content and structure. 
• Peer-Assisted Learning Programs: Implement student-led academic support initiatives. 
• Student Experience Enhancement: Collaborate with students to improve overall educational quality.