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ASSETT is pleased to continue our Students as Partners program! During fall 2024, faculty and student partners will attend a seminar, engage with topics around student and faculty partnerships, and work interdependently on a student-centered project. The call for faculty participation is open through December 31, 2024 (there will be a separate call for interested students). 

What is Students as Partners

Students as Partners is a collaborative pedagogical approach that pairs faculty and students to improve teaching and learning. Bovill, Cook-Sather and Felten define student-faculty partnership as a “reciprocal process through which all participants have the opportunity to contribute equally, although not necessarily in the same ways, to curricular or pedagogical conceptualization, decision-making, implementation, investigation, or analysis” (2014, p. 6-7). 

In spring 2024, ASSETT launched its inaugural Students as Partners pilot program. This pilot partnered an equity-minded undergraduate student with a faculty member who sought to improve their teaching and their student’s learning. Through this one-semester partnership, pairs worked together to incorporate the student perspective into a course, assignment, or project design. Each pair determined how frequently they met and what the expectations were for each meeting. They also met as a large cohort throughout the semester to engage in pedagogical discussions and community building.

Program Compensation & Commitment

Faculty participants receive a $500 professional development award. Student partners will be compensated as an hourly employee for the hours they contribute to their project. 

A cohort of up to 5 pairs will be invited to participate. We will meet 4 times throughout the semester as a cohort for 1.5 hours. The schedule will be determined by the participant's availability and preference for in-person or synchronously on Zoom. Pairs will be expected to meet and work outside of the cohort meetings.  In addition to meeting with their student partner, faculty will also be expected to work on course or project development that results from the partnership work.

If you have already identified a student you would like to partner with, please indicate this on the application form.  If not, ASSETT will provide you with a student partner.

Program Goals

The goals of this program are to:

• Improve teaching and learning through a shared partnership.
• Challenge deeply held beliefs about the traditional roles of teachers and learners.
• Provide spaces for equity-seeking individuals to improve teaching and learning. 

Interested faculty should be reassured that the purpose of engaging students as partners is not to cede “power” to students nor is it to invite students to tell them what they are doing “wrong.”  Rather it is a dialogic process where faculty (who are subject matter experts) and students (who are experts at being learners) work together interdependently, bringing their strengths to create a student-centric product.

No one partnership is the same, as the nature of each project differs from its objectives and outcomes. The Students as Partners framework encourages each project to have its own personality, objectives, and outcomes - with the goal of the final product being more student-focused. 

Who Should Apply?

Ideal candidates have a desire to create an inclusive and equitable educational experience for their students, increase engagement in their classrooms, and engage with a diverse community of scholars. We also seek candidates who have an interest and commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. If this is you (or who you want to be), we encourage you to ! 

How to Apply?

To apply, no later than December 31, 2024. Further details and instructions will come soon.

Questions about the program or the application process may be directed to Jacie Moriyama, ASSETT’s Student Initiatives Program Manager or Rebecca Lee, ASSETT’s Student Initiatives Coordinator.