HomeBlogStudent Voices History of Signature Work by Cici SalazarApril 25, 2025 Share: Section NavigationSkip section navigationIn this sectionBlog Home AI and Engaged Learning Assessment of Learning Capstone Experiences CEL News CEL Retrospectives CEL Reviews Collaborative Projects and Assignments Community-Based Learning Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity ePortfolio Feedback First-Year Experiences Global Learning Health Sciences High Impact Practices Immersive Learning Internships Learning Communities Mentoring Relationships Online Education Place-Based Learning Professional and Continuing Education Publishing SoTL Reflection and Metacognition Relationships Residential Learning Communities Service-Learning Signature Work Student Leadership Student-Faculty Partnership Studying EL Supporting Neurodivergent and Physically Disabled Students Undergraduate Research Work-Integrated Learning Writing Transfer in and beyond the University Style Guide for Posts to the Center for Engaged Learning Blog Previous posts in this series have introduced “signature work” and explored the variety of engaged learning activities that could be classified as signature work. In this post, I look at the history of signature work and reflect on its impact on my own education. The Development of Signature Work Signature work emerged from efforts to transform higher education into a more integrative, student-centered experience that prepares individuals for the complexities of the modern world (Egan, Kneas, and Reder 2018). The idea of signature work gained attention through the efforts of organizations like the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U 2015; Egan, Kneas, and Reder 2018) In its Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative, the AAC&U identified signature work as a key strategy to help students connect their academic knowledge with real-world challenges (Egan, Kneas, and Reder 2018). As signature work developed, its defining characteristics became clear: signature work emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, and applied problem-solving. It typically involves students working on projects tied to real-world issues and requires the integration and application of what they have learned across their academic journey. The implementation of signature work has evolved to include various formats, such as senior capstone experiences, collaborative research, internships, and community-based learning. The Personal Impact of Signature Work Cici Salazar standing with findings from her research on “Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Student Experiences at a Predominately White Institution (PWI)”. Elon University has integrated signature work in different ways throughout all disciplines. As an undergraduate student at the university, I engaged in a core capstone, a disciplinary senior seminar, and undergraduate research. The research conducted as part of my senior seminar for my undergraduate sociology major impacted me so much that it is the reason I am pursuing my master’s degree in higher education. The senior seminar course was designed to provide students with a unique opportunity to engage deeply in independent research. I focused my research on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Student Experiences at a Predominately White Institution (PWI). This topic was a way to give a voice to all the BIPOC students at Elon to share their experiences while remaining anonymous. It was my way of contributing to a larger discussion about equity, inclusion, and belonging on college campuses. My senior seminar was impactful because of the support from my professor and classmates. They made me less intimidated about conducting and sharing research for the first time. Looking back, my senior seminar was more than just a class—it was an experience that shaped my identity and purpose. Officially designated high-impact practices (HIPs) share defining characteristics that make them transformative learning experiences, when done well. Signature work also can be impactful for students. Although it is not officially recognized as a high-impact practice, higher education scholars and practitioners should continue researching the effects of signature work to showcase its ability to shape students’ experiences. Moving Forward Although signature work is not officially a high-impact practice recognized by the AAC&U, it often features elements of other established HIPs such as undergraduate research, internships, and capstones (Egan, Kneas, and Reder 2018). Signature work gives students more agency and autonomy, unlike some HIPs that have a predetermined structure set in place. Recognizing signature work as an official HIP could validate its impactful role in fostering student success and making education more meaningful for students of all backgrounds. References Association of American Colleges and Universities. 2015. “The LEAP Challenge: Education for a World of Unscripted Problems.” Liberal Education 101 (1/2): 16–21. https://dgmg81phhvh63.cloudfront.net/content/magazines/Archive/LE_WISP15_Vol101No1-2.pdf. Egan, Mike, Kristi Kneas, and Michael Reder. 2018. “Defining and Framing Signature Work on Your Campus.” Peer Review 20 (2): 8–11. https://dgmg81phhvh63.cloudfront.net/content/user-photos/Publications/Archives/Peer-Review/PR_SP18_Vol20No2.pdf. About the Author Cici Salazar is a student in the Master of Arts in Higher Education program at Elon where she’s also the Graduate Apprentice for the First-Generation Student Support Services office. How to Cite this Post Cici Salazar. 2025. “The History of Signature Work” Center for Engaged Learning (Blog). Elon University, April 25, 2025. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/history-of-signature-work.
