Leadership from Arcadia University’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring (CTLM) along with their graduate student fellow co-authored an article titled “From Beginning to Beginning: Fostering Vulnerability as a Force for Dismantling Teaching & Learning Hierarchies” in the journal Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education.

The article is written by and based upon research conducted by Leigh Ferrier ’22, ’25M, a student in the Creative Writing MFA and English MA dual degree program; Daniel Pieczkolon, adjunct professor of English; and Dr. Ellen Skilton, faculty director of the CTLM and professor of Education. It explores how co-creating learning with faculty and students and embracing vulnerability in educational settings can disrupt traditional power dynamics, creating a more inclusive and transformative learning environment.

The essay centers on the CTLM’s Student Pedagogical Consultant (SPC) program, where students and faculty work as partners to redesign classroom practices. This partnership model differs from the typical teaching assistant role by emphasizing collaboration, where both students and faculty contribute fully to the development of teaching and learning strategies. Through the SPC program, participants engage in various activities such as implementing anti-racist approaches, piloting inclusive syllabi, and fostering honest classroom discussions.

The authors argue that vulnerability, transparency, and openness from both faculty and students are essential to dismantling traditional educational hierarchies. By creating non-hierarchical learning environments, students feel more empowered, and faculty are encouraged to continuously reflect on and improve their teaching methods. This cyclical process of engagement, reflection, and re-engagement, the authors conclude, generates a sense of aliveness in learning that is transformative and sustainable. You can learn more about the program here.
Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education (TLTHE) is published three times a year, working to elevate dialogue around collaboration between faculty and students and successful pedagogies that have arisen from that. Check out the full publication here.