Several research studies advocate for the development of student-faculty partnership models to reshape the roles of students and faculty members within the academic community (Cook-Sather et al., 2014).

Building on this premise, the current study investigates the readiness of students and faculty in implementing such an approach within two distinct European contexts: Italy and Romania. The analysis was driven by two key research questions: What are the thoughts and beliefs of students and faculty on student-faculty partnerships? What conditions do students and faculty require to participate in such programs?

Student Voice (MacBeath et al., 2004) and student-faculty partnership programs (Cook-Sather et al., 2014) arise from a fundamental shift in perspective on the role of students in the educational process. These models recognize students as active participants in their learning, not merely as recipients of knowledge, with valuable insights and contributions to offer (Cook-Sather, 2013). These contributions are seen not only as a resource for the institutions to which students belong (Rudduck et al., 1996) but also as a means of strengthening collaboration between students and faculty (Grion & Dettori, 2015). This shift refocuses the model of educational change and improvement, emphasizing students as active partners in dialogue and action with faculty rather than as passive subjects of instruction (Cook-Sather, 2022).

The benefits of this approach are numerous. For example, encouraging students to contribute to their learning fosters a sense of responsibility for reflecting on their educational experiences and promotes the development of critical thinking skills (Cook-Sather, 2010). Such shared responsibility transforms the learning environment into one of collaboration, rather than unilateral instruction, leading to research conducted with students, rather than on them (Fielding & Bragg, 2003). Furthermore, active engagement in this process cultivates a sense of belonging to a democratic community within the institution, which extends to broader societal engagement (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006).

A seminal example of student-faculty pedagogical partnerships is the Students as Learners and Teachers (SaLT) program, established in 2006 at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia. Defined by Cook-Sather and colleagues (2014), such programs are "collaborative and reciprocal processes through which all participants have the opportunity to contribute equally to curricular or pedagogical conceptualization, decision-making, implementation, investigation, or analysis." Created by Professor Alison Cook-Sather, the program pairs faculty members with undergraduate students to explore and improve pedagogical practices collaboratively (Cook-Sather, 2008; Lesnick & Cook-Sather, 2010). The program's success has led to its adoption by over 30 institutions globally. As Cook-Sather emphasizes, "Student-faculty partnerships position students as informants, participants, and change agents in collaboration with faculty members" (Cook-Sather, 2022).

The academic community is composed of various stakeholders who contribute in unique ways, leveraging their distinct expertise. When this expertise is appropriately acknowledged, it enhances the quality of higher education. Similarly, students should be recognized as equal and complementary partners within the academic community. The focus should thus shift to viewing the academic community as a cohesive unit, with all members collaborating toward shared values and objectives (Cook-Sather, 2022).

In the international context of the UNITA European alliance (https://univ-unita.eu/Sites/), which frames this study, students’ roles must be seen as crucial and complementary to other academic figures in order to comprehensively define the pedagogical identity of the consortium.

To explore this issue, the study adopted a qualitative approach, aiming to delve deeper into the topic with an initial sample of participants. This involved conducting four focus group sessions with students and faculty members from two partner institutions within the UNITA alliance: the University of Turin (UNITO), Italy, and the West University of Timișoara (UVT), Romania. The study focused on these two institutions initially due to the novelty of the topic. The initial findings will serve as a foundation for expanding the analysis to include all member institutions in the future. The selection of UNITO and UVT was motivated by practical considerations, particularly the nature of the PhD program this study is included in, which is co-tutored by these two universities. The study specifically engaged first-year students from both institutions. This group was chosen because they would not only participate in the program's early stages but would also be able to observe its evolution and the subsequent changes in teaching and learning practices. Faculty members were included without specific selection criteria regarding their academic rank. To ensure diversity across disciplinary fields, participants were recruited from a range of departments, including international studies, political science, languages, economics, educational sciences, law, informatics, pharmacy, psychology, arts, chemistry, and music. Participants were recruited on a voluntary basis through invitations distributed within the selected departments at UNITO and UVT. This recruitment process resulted in four focus group sessions: three conducted online in Timișoara and one in person in Torino. The total number of participants included 11 students (3 from Torino and 8 from Timișoara) and 12 faculty members (3 from Torino and 9 from Timișoara). Due to the linguistic diversity of the participants from the two countries, all focus group sessions were conducted in English to ensure equal participation opportunities.

Data analysis from the focus groups revealed several points of continuity between Italian and Romanian participants. Both groups expressed a potential readiness among their higher education institutions to implement such models, citing benefits such as improved communication, reciprocal awareness, neutrality, diversity of perspectives, and interdisciplinary collaboration. However, potential challenges such as psychological barriers to communication, trust issues, power dynamics, misalignment of disciplines, and time constraints were identified as obstacles to the effective development of partnerships. Participants agreed as well that certain conditions must be met for successful involvement in similar initiatives. These include having a clear organizational structure for the program, a well-established training program across various stages, and the clear definition of collaboration and interaction dynamics. In conclusion, the focus group discussions indicated that institutions may be ready to implement these models in practice, drawing on existing best practices where a shift in perspective regarding student engagement has already begun. The data and observed dynamics within the groups underscored the importance of training both students and faculty members in their new positions. Raising awareness and building competence in these roles is critical to fostering effective collaboration in student-faculty partnerships (Cook-Sather et al., 2014).

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