Led by the Center for Teaching, nine University of Iowa faculty members and nine undergraduate students are participating in Pedagogical Partnerships through our Students as Partners program this fall. The program matches each instructor with 1 to 2 undergraduate students who provide meaningful feedback and ideas about student learning experiences. With support from Center for Teaching staff, student partners are focused on supporting the professional development of faculty, helping them to achieve their goals for enhancing teaching and learning. By bringing together instructors and students as collaborative partners, this program fosters more welcoming, engaging, and accessible learning environments.
As we enter our third year of the Students as Partners program at Iowa, currently funded by a grant from the SCIENCE Collaborative, we continue to build our existing relationships with campus partners such as First Gen Hawks and expand our work in new courses and departments.
Lorena Perales, a fourth-year student on the pre-law track, is entering her third year as a student partner. Like most student partners, Perales is a first-generation college student – the first in her family to attend university.
“Coming into college as a first-gen student, I had to navigate college on my own and figure out what worked for me. Through this partnership, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how both students and professors fall into these routines, and how even small adjustments can create more effective learning environments. College is a major investment in every way, so it’s important that both students and instructors are able to truly benefit.”
Our faculty partners are also seeing the positive outcomes of pedagogical partnership. Alec B. Scranton, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, observes:
“For our first semester, first-year course in the College of Engineering, our student partner has provided an invaluable perspective on how we can best connect with and engage the students. In this early course, it is important to establish effective habits for active learning and participation that will serve the students throughout their time at Iowa. Our student partner has given us great ideas on how to best achieve this goal.”
As some of our student partners prepare to graduate and embark on further academic and professional journeys, they have reflected on how their role as a student partner has shaped them:
"As someone who hopes to become an academic physician, being a student partner has given me a meaningful glimpse into the power of pedagogy and course design. I’ve seen how even small changes—like the structure of a course site—can shape how students engage with their learning. This role has also helped me grow as a communicator, especially through outreach and conversations with people from a variety of disciplines. It’s made me realize how much insight students have—and how powerful it is when they’re given a platform to share it. I’ve become more confident in advocating for myself and others, and I carry that mindset into every space I’m in." – Harry Bui, B.S. in Science Studies, Class of 2025; M.P.H in Policy, Class of 2027.
We are looking forward to another great year of student-faculty partnerships! For more information on our Students as Partners program, visit our website. If you are interested in participating as a faculty partner, fill out this interest form. For more information, contact us at teaching@uiowa.edu