Student Partners Program
We are pleased to announce that the Call for Projects is now open for Summer 2021.
Application Deadline: Sunday, January 31, 2021.
Apply here: SPP Project Call – Summer 2021
Overview
The Student Partners Program (SPP) provides undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to participate as partners with faculty, instructors and staff on projects that contribute to the enhancement of teaching and learning at McMaster.
The SSP was developed in 2013 in collaboration with the Arts & Science program. Since then the MacPherson Institute has engaged with students who are interested in pedagogical research and innovation by providing opportunities to contribute to activities such as: design and development of new courses, creation of resources for faculty and students, and collaboration with staff and faculty partners on research projects related to teaching and learning.
Several students have also co-authored research articles and conference presentations related to their work, co-facilitated at our International Institute on Students as Partners, or served as reviewers or co-editors for the International Journal for Students as Partners, which is housed at McMaster.
Funding
The Student Partner’s Program operates on an award-based model. Funds awarded and distributed up to a maximum of $2000 per project (to fund Student Partner hours). Project funds are transferred to the project lead and are held in departmental accounts.
Hiring
Student hiring is completed by the faculty/staff partner’s department. Student Partners are hired two times a year—typically in May and September.
Call for submissions
The MacPherson Institute continues to issue Calls for Projects, review submissions against SPP criteria and advertise projects to students.
Learn more: Student Partners Program Grant Terms – Summer 2021.
Information Box Group

Interested in Getting Involved?
For more information about becoming involved, please see the Student Partners Program Guidebook.

Engaging Students as Partners in Learning and Teaching
Peter Felten discusses the importance of student engagement in learning.

"Students as Partners"
A video featuring Mick Healey, The Humboldt Distinguished Scholar in Research Based Learning.
Student Partners Program Network Events
The MacPherson institute has expanded its program of events to support students and faculty who are engaged in partnership work across campus. The program continues to offer specific support to projects funded through the Student Partners Program, such as research skills, project meetings, and an annual symposium. Through the expanded program, MacPherson will be offering events to the wider McMaster community who have an interest in the research and practice of partnerships in teaching and learning. New events will include journal groups to discuss the scholarship of partnership, project development workshops, an expert speaker series, and support for publishing work in this area.
Student Partner Project Awards
Expandable List
Lori Goff | Triangulating document analyses with perception data to better understand institutional teaching cultures |
Pat Clancy | Improving the first year Physics experience: A comparative study of Introductory Physics courses for students in Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering |
Emunah Woolf | Politicizing Self-Advocacy to Address Disabled Students’ Experiences of Ableism |
Janice Chaplin | Creating a Social Work Practice Lab |
Allison Leanage | The Effectiveness of the Social Statistics Course in the Social Sciences |
Allison Leanage | Online Courses and Mental Health in Post-Secondary Education |
Alise de Bie | Service user approaches to educator development: Enhancing equity/accessibility through zine-based pedagogy |
Cheryl Fenn | Fundamentals of Math |
Cheryl Fenn | Social Inquiry |
Sarrah Lal | Innovation simulator: Enabling learners to engage with industry and health professionals to advance innovative projects |
Fei Geng | Engineering labs reinvented through experiential learning: Enhancing student outcomes through the flipping of virtual laboratories |
Robert Fleisig | Making Teaching Portfolio Conversations Easier |
Behrouz Bakhtiari | Examination in the Age of Wearable Technologies |
Kyle Ansilio | MacChangers – Research Study |
Veronica Rodriguez Moncalvo | Online Delivery of the SIS Teaching Assistant Development Program |
Catherine Grise | Enhancing tutorial teaching and learning in English and Cultural Studies |
Jennie Vengris | Improving preparation for Social Work field education |
Kim Dej & Lori Goff | Advancing changes to student evaluations of teaching |
Kyle Ansilio | MacChangers: Program design |
Chia-Yu Lin, Kelly Nisbet & Chelsea Whitwell | Your abstract has been accepted – now what? Creating an educational repertoire of contemporary and practical resource on presentation skill development |
Stephen Mattucci | Integrating reflection into 1st year Engineering |
Rebecca Taylor & Stephanie Verkoeyen | Indigenous education guide for McMaster educators |
Stephen Mattucci | A module approach to high-demand curriculum in Engineering |
Andrea Cole | Graduate student supervision at McMaster University: Survey analysis and knowledge mobilization |
Allison Van | Masters in public policy seminar development |
Alise de Bie | Mad student peer support and community organizing on campus: Documenting the work of the Hamilton mad students’ collective from 2012-2016 |
Lisa Dyce | Changing conceptions of quality in Ontario Universities |
Sarrah Lal | Innovation simulator: Enabling learners to engage with industry and health professionals to advance innovative projects |
Olga Perkovic | Extending the OER by discipline guide for McMaster |
Mark Busser | Developing open resources on time management and stress management skills |
George Dragomir & Sarah Symons | Pedagogical interventions and evaluation: Perspectives on communication with students |
Lori Goff | Analyzing strategic documents to better understand institutional cultures |
Behrouz Bakhtiari | Examination in the age of wearable technologies |
Jennifer Williams & Dr. Krista Howarth | Investigating the perceptions of medical school students and faculty on development and implementation of a physical activity curriculum at McMaster University’s medical school |
Catharine Munn | Professor Hippo-on-Campus: Student mental health education program for educators and navigators |
Sarah Symons | Assisting Level I science students in determining honours program preferences |
Mary Vaccaro | Advancing the study of social policy in social work education |
Sean Park | Advancing designerly ways of knowing: Building campus wide capacity for design thinking *this project is being funded through the LTL program |