Virtual Partnerships: The Good, The Bad, and Future Implications

The pivot to remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted all aspects of university programming. This was the case for the Student Partners Program (SPP) at McMaster University, which provides students with opportunities to partner with faculty and staff on teaching- and learning-related projects. There is a dearth of literature that speaks to best practices for virtual partnerships. Our research therefore sought to appraise the pivot to remote partnership that occurred during this time. As part of a larger research project looking at the influence that institutional policies and practices have on the daily interactions between students and staff participating in Students as Partners programming, this research employed an Institutional Ethnography (IE) approach. We surveyed and interviewed students, faculty, and staff who participated in the virtual delivery of the Student Partners Program in the Summer semester of 2020, the Winter semester of 2021, and the Summer semester of 2021. Results elucidate what worked well (“the good”) and what could be improved upon (“the bad”) should the Student Partners Program need to continue to be offered virtually, or should stakeholders desire to continue with virtual partnerships. We conclude with practice recommendations for engaging in equitable and democratic virtual partnerships.