Transforming the Educational Experience with High Impact Practices

High Impact Practices (HIPs) are widely tested and have demonstrated impact for students from a wide range of backgrounds (Kuh, 2008), including as an effective way to increase student retention among undergraduates (Kuh, 2009). High impact practices "require students to communicate with classmates and professors about meaningful topics; expose students to diverse ideas and people of different backgrounds; provide students with regular assessments of their work; enable students to apply their knowledge within and beyond the classroom walls; and possess a powerful potential to change the course of students' lives" (Kilgo, Sheets, & Pascarella, 2015. p. 511). As such, High Impact Practices are often touted as the elixir for quality educational experiences. Institutions offer opportunities for students to engage in HIPs, and may encourage or even require participation, but many do not engage faculty and students in planning and execution of these programs. Amplifying faculty, and especially student voices in this conversation gives voice to the unheard in higher education, and creates opportunities for more meaningful change. This poster will use NSSE and FSSE data to highlight the current state of High Impact Practices at a research institution, focusing on student and faculty perspectives, and facilitate creative discussion (using post-it commentary) about how students and faculty can be engaged in this change process.