Using the Transformational Relationship Evaluation Scale (TRES) to Strengthen Community–Campus Partnerships

Academic Mentor | Haden Botkin
Community Partner | Community-Academic Scholars Program

Project Description
Community–campus partnerships can be powerful vehicles for learning, growth, and meaningful change for individuals, organizations, and communities. Realizing this potential, however, requires intentional attention to how partners set goals, share power, make decisions, and recognize one another as full co-creators in the work. Without structured reflection, partnerships may unintentionally reproduce imbalances or leave participants feeling unheard or undervalued.

This project centers on the use of the Transformational Relationship Evaluation Scale (TRES III) and its associated Reflection Framework, tools designed to support partners in collectively examining the quality of their collaboration and identifying concrete actions to strengthen their relationships. Through guided reflection, TRES helps partners explore questions of voice, equity, shared authority, and mutual benefit within community–campus partnerships.

Working within the Community-Academic Scholars (CAS) program, this project will use TRES in a real-world partnership context. A facilitated convening will bring together CAS faculty, staff, and community partners to reflect on partnership dynamics and to identify shared priorities and next steps. Insights from this process will inform future CAS partnership practices and contribute to ongoing efforts to deepen the quality and impact of community-engaged work.

Role of the Community-Academic Scholar
The Community-Academic Scholar will be centrally involved in all major stages of this project, including preparation, facilitation, reflection, and post-convening debriefing. Early in the summer, the scholar will engage in intensive training grounded in a train-the-trainer model to become well-versed in TRES and the associated Reflection Framework. This preparation will include guided study of literature on community–campus partnerships, critical reflection, and facilitation practices, with close mentoring and consultation throughout the process.

The scholar will have substantial and regular direct interaction with CAS faculty, staff, and community partners. Serving as the primary facilitator, the scholar will help lead a 1–2 day TRES convening, guiding participants through structured reflection, supporting dialogue across stakeholder groups, and helping create conditions for honest and collaborative engagement.

Following the convening, the scholar will continue working with select CAS partnerships to debrief their experiences and support partners in identifying actionable learning goals and next steps. The role also includes reflective synthesis and documentation of insights that may contribute to the ongoing development of a TRES facilitator guide. Through this work, the scholar will function as both a learner and a meaningful contributor to community-engaged scholarship.