Through a liaison model of service delivery, the MacPherson Institute provides strategic, tailored support to each of McMaster’s six faculties and the Arts & Science program. Dedicated faculty liaisons collaborate closely with key individuals within the faculties to understand the distinct needs of instructors and students. Each year, strategic priorities are identified in partnership, and the MacPherson Institute reports on how its services and support align with these goals. Highlights of recent initiatives are outlined below.
Expandable List
- Invited new faculty to participate in February 2025 Instructional Skills Workshop
- Supported the conceptualization of interdisciplinary professional graduate programs in Nuclear Leadership and Planetary Health
- Consulted with Engineering staff on Universal Design for Learning and document remediation processes
- Shared the MacPherson Institute’s teaching-stream supports for faculty and post-docs
- Facilitated the annual Engineering Instructional Skills Workshop in July 2024
- Facilitated workshops on preparing an effective teaching portfolio and effective peer review of teaching portfolios
- Supported the conceptualization of interdisciplinary professional graduate programs in Nuclear Leadership and Planetary Health
- Established formal consultation process for faculty and staff on microcredentials and contributed to the program refinement process through review and feedback in the Faculty of Health Sciences Microcredential Creation process
- Participated in ongoing discussions about accessibility supports through advisory group for the Students with Disabilities in Health Professions and Beyond project
- Met with Wilson College to share information about the MacPherson Institute’s pedagogical supports and services
- Led series of conversations with instructors about unique needs of Humanities related to the Digital Learning Strategic Framework
- Provided pedagogical consultation on accelerated program models
- Provided support for the Office of Undergraduate Research to develop survey for collecting critical quality improvement data
- Engaged in conversations with the faculty about student engagement, motivation and attendance and shared resources for effective strategies and approaches
- Delivered customized TA workshops for effective teaching strategies
- Delivered two workshops on crafting quality test and exam questions in Avenue
- Supported the conceptualization of interdisciplinary professional graduate programs in Nuclear Leadership and Planetary Health
- Delivered a joint TA orientation for new and returning teaching assistants with Social Sciences’ Academic Department Managers with over 100 attendees
- Led workshops for nine departments on understanding and planning for challenges and opportunities of generative AI
- Contributed to School of Social Work annual retreat focusing on topics of ungrading and alternative assessments frameworks
- Facilitated retreat for Level 1 Social Science instructors
- Met with Wilson College to share information about the MacPherson Institute’s pedagogical supports and services
- Provided pedagogical support for the Graduate Excellence, Mentorship, and Supervision (GEMS) project
- Contributed to the design of a new Graduate Academic Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
- Helped finalize report on potential collaborative specialization in teaching and educational research