Students as Partners (SaP) Resource Page

Definition: Students as Partners in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, or simply Students as Partners (SaP), is a pedagogical approach that has been embraced recently by many higher education institutions primarily in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. SaP implies students and faculty/academic staff working in collaboration, as partners, to improve teaching and learning experiences (Mercer-Mapstone et al., 2017). Healey et al. describe SaP as “a relationship in which all involved – students, academics, professional services staff, senior managers, students’ unions, and so on – are actively engaged in and stand to gain from the process of learning and working together”(2014, p. 12). Considerable attention has been given to the terms “partner” and “partnership,” especially considering the traditionally unequal relationship that develops between faculty and students, a relationship in which faculty assume the role of experts who take on the responsibility of sharing their expertise with students. (Taken from webpage of the Center for Engaged Learning at Elon College). The webpage provides: (a) a complete definition, (b) what makes it a high-impact practice? (c) good practices in high-impact Students as Partners, (d) embedded and emerging questions for research, practice, and theory, (e) key scholarship, (f) related blog posts, (g) model programs, and (g) featured resources.

<International Journal of Students as Partners> (website) he International Journal for Students as Partners (IJSaP) is a new journal about learning and teaching together in higher education. IJSaP explores new perspectives, practices, and policies regarding how students and staff (used here and subsequently to refer to academic staff/faculty, professional staff, and other stakeholders) are working in partnership to enhance learning and teaching in higher education. Shared responsibility for teaching and learning is the underlying premise of students as partners, and IJSaP is produced using a student-staff partnership approach. IJSaP is designed to appeal to a wide audience of readers and potential authors in the higher education community. It aims to publish high quality research articles, case studies, reflective essays, reviews and opinion pieces from around the world. Contributions written collaboratively by students and staff are particularly encouraged, although single and other co-authored pieces are also acceptable. All submissions go through a rigorous review process involving both staff and students who are trained and supported as reviewers.

A note from David Arendale. During my recent trip to Australia in October 2019, I attended the National Centre for Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) and Peer Learning Conference. I listened to presentations by professional staff members and student peer leaders from across Australian higher education institutions. I learned how “peer learning” has expanded more holistically beyond academic support programs into student orientation, mental health outreach, and many other areas critical for students to succeed academically, personally, and professionally. I began to hear more about “students as partners” (SaP) as a distinct theoretical framework for expanding peer learning into multiple dimensions and treating students — both participants as well as student leaders — as full partners in creation or and delivery of the peer learning programs and as equal partners with the professional staff and the faculty members. I discovered SaP had originated in Australia, Canada, and the U.K. and just recently expanded to a few institutions in the U.S. Obviously, my surprising discovery of SaP was due to not getting outside of my own comfort zone and both reading and traveling more widely. And listening more closely to my students. I will maintain this web page to identify what I am learning about SaP. All I can say at this point it is as though a veil has been lifted from my eyes and I see the possibilities for transformation. For now, I am in the learner mode and will reserve more comment when I better understand SaP.