In chapter 4 of Pedagogical Partnerships: A How-To Guide for Faculty, Students, and Academic Developers in Higher Education, we note that pedagogical partnership demands real and deep commitment and requires time and work to succeed. Engaging fully in the orientation sessions offered to student partners, as noted in chapter 5, can help ground and make real the ideas and approaches described in the guidelines and afford student partners an opportunity to learn from one another about pedagogical partnership work.

Below are sample orientations for student partners from the SaLT program and from the Tigers as Partners Program at Trinity University.

SaLT Program Orientation for New and Experienced Student Consultants

Purposes: Build community; explore hopes, aspirations, and concerns; and share concrete, practical advice and questions

Introductions (10 mins)

• Welcome
• Facilitator introduces self, reminds participants of purposes, and provides an overview of the orientation
• Who is in the room and what do people bring to this work
• Everyone say your name, your partner’s course title, one hope you have, and one concern you have
• Everyone listen carefully to the introductions, and even take note of them, as you will draw on what others say during the next activity

Carousel and Discussion (25 mins)

• Carousel activity (15 mins)
  • Form two concentric circles with the same number of people in each and with everyone on outside circle facing in and everyone on inside circle facing out, so everyone is face to face with one other person
  • Choose a hope or concern someone named during the introductions and talk about that
  • Introduce yourself then discuss the hope or concern for two minutes
  • Rotate three or four times
• Discussion as a whole group (10 mins)
  • What insights did you gain and what questions were raised?

Sharing scenarios (25 mins)

• Offer a scenario in observation or in consultation with your faculty partner
• Everyone share suggestions for how to manage it

BREAK

Specific questions (30 mins)

• Everyone take 2-3 minutes and write down questions you have
• All new consultants write questions you have about this new role and set of responsibilities that you would like answers to from experienced student consultants
• [All experienced student consultants, write out questions that you wish you had had answered when you first took on the role or that you still have]
• Depending how many people are there, small groups first or not
• Open discussion

Check in about logistics

Aspirations (20 mins)

• Take a few minutes and write down your aspirations for your work in the SaLT program this semester; be prepared to share something from this list
• Share

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Tigers as Partner Program at Trinity University

Orientation for All New Student Consultants

(Sophia Abbot, Fellow for Collaborative Programs)

Community building (15 mins)

Carousel

1. Talk about a class that surprised you.
2. Talk about a time you felt your voice/perspective was deeply valued
3. Talk about a teacher who inspires you.
4. What concerns or fears do you have about this work?
5. What strengths do you bring?

Introductions (10 mins)

Facilitator briefly talks about the development of this program. Then: name, major, one thing that made you happy over break

Establishment of expertise (20 mins)

Group discussion about Burke 2013

Burke, Hayley. 2013. “Legitimizing Student Expertise in Student-Faculty Partnerships.” Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education, 10. https://repository.brynmawr.edu/tlthe/vol1/iss10/6.

• What surprised you in the article?
• What excited/engaged you?
• What did you disagree with or feel uncertain about?

Skill building: one way to give feedback on syllabi/assignments (30 mins)

Paired read-aloud of syllabi

• Based on the syllabus, what is your perception of the course? What is the tone of the syllabus? How is it inviting or off-putting? What would you learn as a student? What do you need clarification on? How much time or effort do you think you would spend on this course compared to others? (5 min each, switch, repeat — 20 min. total)
• Reflecting together: how did you notice things about the course differently or similarly to when you typically review a syllabus? What was narrating your experience like? (10 min)

Break (15 mins)

Skill building: how to take observation notes (15 mins)

Looking at observation techniques

• Show sample observation notes (in Time, Observation, Reflection form)
• Show mapping sample

Logistical organizing (10 mins)

Review timesheet access, submission, etc. for pay

Written reflections (10 mins)

Take 10 minutes to freewrite:

1. Write an affirmation for your syllabus partner (be prepared to share).
2. Write a fear or concern you still have (for yourself).
3. Write out anything still on your mind (for yourself).

Affirmations (5 mins)

Share #1, from above, read-around.

Final thoughts/questions (10 mins)