Capstones as a high-impact practice are intended to provide students with the opportunity to integrate their learning across the undergraduate experience, often applying their knowledge to solve problems or ask questions while promoting student agency (Ketcham, Weaver, Moore, and Felten,…

I have been thinking about mentoring in some fashion from my earliest days as an athlete. I was motivated to impress teachers and coaches, listening and practicing skill-improvement that I internalized as self-improvement for much of my childhood. My skills…

Hopefully Extreme’s 1990 “More than Words” is starting to percolate in your head. Although you may not attach this song to inclusion and equity in higher education, the message of these lyrics is basically: Your actions are more meaningful than…

We can thank George Kuh and colleagues at the Association of American Colleges & Universities for initially proposing the idea of “high-impact practices” (HIPs) as exemplar components of a college student’s learning experience in the AA&U publication, High-Impact Educational Practices: What…

Although day-to-day life for college students is far from normal, right now, faculty and staff can continue to help the class of 2024 pursue a journey of self-discovery. How can students make the most of their experience?  Educational scholars George…

What is the value of an undergraduate education? Scholars, politicians, and families have debated that question for decades. Research consistently demonstrates the economic payoff of earning a degree, but is that enough to make college “worth it” for students? In…

(Understanding HIPs through a Theoretical Model – Part 2) In my previous post, I started deconstructing the idea of high impact practices (HIPs), with the goal of articulating a definition that would be useful to researchers and teachers. To do…

After a week of rain, my two sons and I pulled out the picnic blanket, rounded up board games, and headed outside for much needed sun and play. The days of pandemic virtual learning are long; we all needed a…

As the next Center for Engaged Learning Scholar, I wanted to write my first post on something that we might take for granted – the definition of a High-Impact Practice (HIP). If you find yourself reading this blog, then you…