Student Partners Program Resources

This document is intended as a guide to follow during the first meeting of your partnership. The points listed are not exhaustive but are intended to get you started. 

First Meeting Checklist 

Dr. Antonio Dos Santos of the MacPherson Institute has conversations with student, staff, and faculty guests about the “Students as Partners” model for pedagogical research. Each episode features a special guest interview accompanied by a SaP project profile. 

Listen on Spotify here 

Conference funding is available to McMaster students who are currently in a Student Partners project. Additionally, applicants must be partners with a McMaster faculty or staff partner who supports the application request for funding (this will normally be the project lead). Students must complete the Professional Development application form to qualify for funding.  

Application Criteria: 

• Applicants must be current McMaster students who have taken part in the Student Partner Program and must demonstrate how the conference will advance or support their Student Partners project. 
• Applications from undergraduate student partners will be prioritized. 
• Applicants cannot hold more than one professional development award per fiscal year (May 1 – April 30). 
• Application for funding must not exceed $500 (except under exceptional circumstances which should be clearly articulated in the application) 
• Applications to attend local or national conferences are preferred 
• Note: The pool of available funding is limited, and MacPherson Institute would like to maximize the number of professional development opportunities it can provide to Student Partners each fiscal year. 
• Applicants must be partnered with a McMaster faculty or staff partner who supports the application/request for funding. McMaster faculty or staff partner will need to sign off on the application for funding. 
• Applications to attend teaching and learning and/or educational-related conference are preferred, and accepted abstract should focus on enhancing the overall practice and/or understanding of teaching and learning within the McMaster context. 
• Applicants should demonstrate that they have tried to secure funding in other ways. 

Applications should be emailed to mi_sap@mcmaster.ca. Applications should normally be submitted at least FOUR weeks prior to the conference. Applicants can expect a TWO-week response time. 

Click here to view Application Form 

Navigating power dynamics in a student partnership represents a real challenge. While efforts are made to prevent staff and faculty from dominating partnerships, it’s crucial to balance guidance with giving students the autonomy to direct their efforts. Establishing effective, collaborative relationships with well-defined roles and responsibilities is essential, enabling members to seek guidance comfortably when needed. 

There is no one way to prevent issues from arising, there are steps teams can take and resources available to help mitigate power imbalance. The following is a short list you can run through as a team during those first few meetings. As conflicts or disagreements arise, refer to this list. If you seeking to make your partnership and work more equitable, please visit the McMaster Equity and Inclusion Office for more information.  

• During your first meeting it is a good idea to set expectations as a team. 
• What does a successful partnership look like for each member 
• Set team ground rules, policies and ensure that everyone is working with the same core values 
• Set and define roles through conversation 
• How will project decisions be made 
• How will personal and professional goals be reached, and which should be included 
• Embrace multiple mindsets or perspectives. Disagreements and differences will happen and can lead to great outcomes. 

Interested in learning more about partnership? Feel free to explore these curated resources. 

Cook-Sather, A., Bahti, M., & Ntem, A. (2019). Pedagogical partnerships: A how-to guide for faculty, students and academic developers in higher education.  

Diallo, Carol L. “How Participating in Pedagogical Partnership Helped Me Grow as a Person and as a Student,” Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education: Iss. 26 (2019), https://repository.brynmawr.edu/tlthe/vol1/iss26/7  

Elon University Center for Engaged Learning. (2013). Best Practices for Integrating Student Voices in SoTL. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11OuxzmTGso   

Gourlay, G., & Korpan, C. (2018). Genuine students as partners: How a Teaching Assistant Consultant program put students as partners into practice. International Journal for Students As Partners, 2(2), 106-114. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v2i2.3567   

MacPherson Institute. (2017) Perceptions of Student Partnerships – Experiences [web video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aC3yv6RFOM   

Mejia, Yeidaly “Carrying Partnership Skills Beyond Formal Partnerships: When Conflicts Grow into Connections,” Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education: Iss. 26 (2019), https://repository.brynmawr.edu/tlthe/vol1/iss26/6   

Mercer-Mapstone, L. & Abbot, S. (2020). The Power of partnership: Students, staff and faculty revolutionizing higher education.