While the interpersonal relationship between the student and teacher is important for learning, the specific quality of the student-teacher relationship in higher education and its effects on learning remains understudied. Striving to enliven this area of study is the concept of the teaching alliance as understood through Jesuit tradition. The alliance defines the quality of the student-teacher relationship as the degree of shared agreement over the goals and tasks of a course, as well as the presence of a positive interpersonal bond. Through an Ignatian lens, this framework brings into focus themes in teaching that can bolster learning. This article offers an illustrative example in a graduate-level course for additional reflection upon the practical application of the alliance framework. It ends with pedagogical considerations and an agenda for further scholarship.