ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP

Abstract

The aim of this survey was to learn how SFL (School of Foreign Languages) staff felt about a new project called Academic Partnership (AP). In addition, to find out how they felt about collaborative work and the notion of working with other staff on a volunteer basis to exchange information and experiences. Along with the survey, a power-point presentation introducing the AP and the aims and objectives were also sent. In this paper, AP is defined not as mentoring,. but as a collaborative, mutually beneficial partnership between two colleagues who voluntarily work together for an aim. That is, the two colleagues collaborate for a specific aim and where the process of information exchange between the two colleagues contributes to the professional development of both parties. Why was there a need for such a project in the first place? At last year's Workshop Festival 2012, most workshop presenters were partners who were collaborating due to their PhD. Programs, while others were working together due to working in the same teaching teams, but there was one pair that you could not see the connection other than pure self-interest by the partners wanting to work together and to exchange experiences and know how on a particular field. The survey questionnaire was made up of eight questions in which respondents indicated their opinions regarding the AP. The number of respondents' to the survey were 82. However, only 72 of the respondents managed to complete the whole survey. Although this is considered a low response from SFL staff, which number nearly 170, it still provided interesting insights as to what respondents felt about such a new project. To sum up, the survey revealed that the School of Foreign Languages staff were very keen and motivated to share and exchange their teaching experiences with each other, but timing and workload commitments prevented them from being more proactive in their professional developments.