Deepening partnership values to survive and thrive in the pandemic
Abstract
Abstract
In this paper we, a social work lecturer and undergraduate student, draw on The Higher Education Academy’s (2015) partnership values to reflect on how the coronavirus pandemic impacted on our student-staff partnership. The deepening sense of responsibility, plurality, reciprocity, inclusivity, honesty, trust courage, authenticity and empowerment enabled us to survive and thrive during a time of change and uncertainty. Focussing on the dissemination strand of our partnership work, we consider the threats imposed, and opportunities afforded to us, by university closure, lockdown, and social distancing measures. Our intentions to co-present our staff-student partnership work within the university were put on hold. However, as external events moved to online platforms, and our confidence and abilities grew, these became more accessible, taking us in directions we would not have considered otherwise. Whilst we recognise the challenges to some aspects of our work, we also acknowledge that the pandemic disrupted the traditional institutional hierarchies and boundaries that create distance between students and staff. This enabled more flexible ways of working to emerge, enhanced through technological advances and greater use of liminal spaces. We believe a continuation of these working practices has the potential to increase student engagement and widen participation in future, as well as strengthening the values on which student-staff partnerships depend.
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