The Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation & Excellence in Teaching is excited to announce the 2nd Annual 2025 Students as Partners Community Forum (SaPCF). The SaPCF will be a one-day virtual event that will feature a diverse range of activities including panel discussions, interactive workshops, and networking sessions. We invite and welcome students, educators (staff/instructors/faculty/administrators) and educational developers to share experiences and insights related to student-faculty partnerships from their own contexts. The event will be hosted on April 22nd and will be held virtually in Zoom events.
The overall aims of the SaPCF include:
- Facilitate working in partnership within and across institutions by sharing principles of partnerships and how they can be adopted to support students as partners initiatives
- Empower student voices
- Enhance knowledge and understanding of the ethos of students working in partnership with staff, faculty and instructors across Canadian institutions
- Recognize and celebrate achievements in students as partners initiatives across different institutions
- Build the Student Partner Program network and opportunities for national connection
We invite proposals for showcasing students as partners research or scholarly projects that explore one or more of the students as partners conceptual model topic areas (Healey, 2016) below from individuals or teams of scholars:
- Learning, teaching and assessment;
- Curriculum design and pedagogic consultancy;
- Subject-based research and inquire;
- Scholarship of teaching and learning
We welcome submissions to either showcase noteworthy aspects of your institutional program OR provide concise project-level updates related to your project involving students as partners. Submissions should be written and/or delivered in partnership.
Proposals can take the form of the following 2 types of participation:
1.Ignite the Conversation: Showcasing Your Students as Partners Project Showcase (10 mins + 5 min questions):
These spotlight sessions are intended to provide an opportunity for presenters to share the driving forces and inspiration that brought their Students as Partners projects to life. Share how you worked in partnership, celebrating the successes and candidly exploring areas for growth and enhancement. This isn’t just about showcasing your work; it’s an exhilarating exchange of innovative ideas that will ignite spirited discussions among fellow event attendees. Our goal is to ignite inspiration and spark meaningful conversations. We hope these sessions serve as a catalyst for collaboration, fostering dynamic dialogue among institutions committed to the Students as Partners approach.
2. Journeys of Partnership Discussions: Exploring the Power of Student-Faculty Partnerships (30 mins + 10 mins for questions):
We invite proposals for discussions that critically explore the broader principles, challenges, and evolving practices of student-faculty partnerships. These sessions are intended to foster rich conversations that move beyond individual projects to consider the bigger picture of partnership work in higher education. Presenters should bring together diverse perspectives—including students, educators, and staff—to reflect on the complexities of collaboration, the structures that support or hinder partnership, and the transformative potential of co-creation. Rather than focusing on specific partnership projects, these discussions should examine overarching themes, shared experiences, and key lessons that can inform and strengthen partnership culture across institutions. Discussions may take various formats, such as facilitated dialogues, interactive panels, or reflective case-based explorations. Proposals might explore themes such as:
- Expanding and sustaining partnerships across the university
- Embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles in partnership work
- Navigating partnership transitions: dissemination, ownership, and long-term impact
We encourage submissions that invite audience engagement and critical reflection on how partnerships can continue to evolve in meaningful and sustainable ways.
Call for Proposals closes on March 7, 2025, at 5:00pm EST.
Key Dates & Deadlines
- 18 February 2025: Call for Proposals Opens
- 7 March 2025: Call for Proposals Due
Reviewer phase (Mar. 10-Mar. 21)
- 21 March 2025: Reviewer decisions shared with proposals
- 17 March 2025: Registration opens
- Registration: Register now via Zoom Events
- 22 April 2025: Community Forum virtual event held on Zoom events
Please direct any questions about the event to mi_sap@mcmaster.ca