INTRODUCTION
Building and sustaining impactful partnerships is critical to students’ learning outside the classroom.
THIS RESOURCE INCLUDES INFORMATION ON:
- Ethical partnerships
- Practical steps for building partnerships
- The 5 Rs of quality partnership development
ETHICAL PARTNERSHIPS DELIBERATELY, “SAFEGUARD LEARNERS’ INTERESTS, BUILD TRUST AND MUTUAL RESPECT, REGULATE THEMSELVES, AND MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS THAT BENEFIT EVERYONE INVOLVED
(BLOOM ET AL., 2016, PG. 118)
Ethical Partnerships
Student learning experiences are facilitated in partnerships between the student, the higher education institution, and the organization where the experience will take place, including:
- Industry
- Businesses
- Healthcare facilities
- Educational institutions
- Government organizations
- Professional organizations
- Non-profit organizations
According to the Conference Board of Canada (2016) partnerships between post-secondary institutions and business/community organizations are most effective when they mutually benefit both parties.
THIS RESOURCE INCLUDES INFORMATION ON:
- Ethical partnerships
- Practical steps for building partnerships
- The 5 Rs of quality partnership development
8-Steps for Building Partnerships
The following eight steps are recommended as a starting point to building ethical partnerships with organizations external to the University.
Building partnerships is an ongoing process. It is not uncommon to have to reach out to numerous prospective partners in order to find an appropriate fit. Importantly, the partnership development process must be considered as a long-term and ongoing discussion, recognizing that the needs of all parties are constantly evolving over time (Soikie, 2018).
WHAT IF THE PARTNER SAYS NO?
- Probe.
- Offer solutions.
- Ask for referral to someone else, or refer them to someone else.
- Continue to nurture the relationship. You never know what opportunities may exist in the future (Soikie, 2018).
5 R’s of Quality Parntership Developement
5 QUALITY CRITERIA TO CONSIDER
Summary
- Ethical partnerships are mutually beneficial.
- There are 8 steps for partnership development.
- Building partnerships should be considered as a long-term process.
- The 5 Rs of quality partnerships include relevance, respect, reciprocity, regulation, and recognition.
References and Acknowledgements
REFERENCES
Bloom, M., MacLaine, C., Muzyka, D. F., & Stuckey, J. (2016). Partnering for performance: Enhancing partnerships between post‑secondary education and business. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada.
Butin, D. (2010). Service-learning in theory and practice: The future of community engagement in higher education. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Seifer, S. (2002). From placement site to partnership: the promise of servicelearning. Journal of Nursing Education, 41(10), 431-432.
Soikie, S. (2018). Relationship building for integrated learning. Work-integrated learning Symposium, University of Toronto Scarborough. Toronto, ON, November 2.
Stewart, J. (2013). Create a good partnership in eight steps. Michigan State University Extension. Retrieved online: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/create_a_good_partnership_in_eight_steps
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
These modules are grounded in A Practical Guide for Work-integrated Learning, funded by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO).
CONTACT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Ashley Stirling
University of Toronto
Email: ashley.stirling@utoronto.ca
Powerpoint Version
A Powerpoint version of the content provided in each resource section is available for individuals wishing to use this material for local professional development programming.
The resource is licensed for re-use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License” using the following citation:
Stirling, A. (2019). Building Partnerships. Presented at the Experiential Learning Hub. Retrieved from https://experientiallearning.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/plan-and-implement/course-and-program-development-resources/building-partnerships/