Embracing Pedagogical Partnership

Through interactive sessions and practical examples, participants will discover how genuine, reciprocal collaboration can lead to more inclusive decision-making, improved student experiences, and responsive institutional policies.

This workshop is specifically designed for:

• Academic Teaching Staff
• Heads of Departments
• Academic Developers
• Student Success and Engagement Officers

Members of the broader academic community from public and private HEIs, including interested students, and representatives from HEA, NStEP, USI, and QQI, are also welcome to register their interest.

Workshop Structure

Participants will:

• Engage with diverse case studies illustrating successful partnership approaches in higher education.
• Hear and discuss six lightning talks highlighting innovative Irish practices in student-staff collaboration.
• Critically examine partnership principles and practices in detail.
• Collaboratively identify opportunities for integrating partnership practices within their own institutional contexts.
• Focus on practical implementation strategies alongside recognising and fostering the necessary cultural shift to enable authentic partnerships.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Articulate the core principles and benefits of student-staff partnerships in higher education.
• Analyse effective partnership models in policy development, student services, and academic practice.
• Identify barriers and enablers for developing student-staff partnerships within their institutions.
• Draft a preliminary action plan for initiating or enhancing partnership work in their own contexts.
• Reflect on the importance of power-sharing, trust-building, and inclusivity within successful partnerships.

Workshop Facilitator

Dr Alison Cook-Sather is Mary Katharine Woodworth Professor of Education at Bryn Mawr College and Director of the Teaching and Learning Institute at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges in Pennsylvania, USA. Internationally recognised for her pioneering work on student-faculty partnerships in teaching and learning, Cook-Sather has published over 100 articles and book chapters and authored or co-authored seven books, including Student-Faculty Partnerships in Higher Education: Theory and Practice. Her research focuses on creating structures that position students as co-creators of their educational experiences, helping institutions develop partnership approaches that foster engagement, belonging, and authentic collaboration between students and staff. Her work has informed policy and practice at institutions around the world, emphasising equity, inclusion, and the transformative potential of partnership in higher education.

Workshop Schedule

Session One: Embracing Pedagogical Partnership

• Time: 9.30am – 3.30pm (Lunch included)

• This interactive session will explore theories, innovative practices, and the essential mindset for successful partnerships. Participants will engage with international case studies and lightning talks from Irish practitioners.

• Submit a Lightning Talk: If interested in presenting a lightning talk, please submit your proposal via this link after completing your registration: Lightning Talk Application Form

Session Two: Writing Reflective Essays on Partnership (Optional)

• Time: 3.45pm – 5.30pm

• This follow-up session builds on Alison’s previous workshop with N-TUTORR and supports participants preparing reflective journal submissions. Open to all who register; slides from previous session provided if not previously attended.

Location

The ‘Carnegie Hub @ IADT‘ is situated within the historic Carnegie Library at the western end of George’s Street Lower in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin.

Directions:

• By DART: Disembark at Dún Laoghaire station. From there, it’s approximately a 5-minute walk: exit onto Marine Road, proceed west towards George’s Street Lower, and continue until you reach the Carnegie Library.​

• By Bus: Dublin Bus routes 7, 7a, E2 and L25 serve Dún Laoghaire. Alight at stops near George’s Street Lower; the library is a short walk from these stops.​

• By Car: From Dublin city center, drive south on the N11, take the exit for Dún Laoghaire, and follow signs to the town center. Parking is available in various locations around Dún Laoghaire, including public car parks and on-street parking near the library.​