HomeBlogSignature Work How Inclusive Signature Work Impacts Studentsby Cici Salazar May 2, 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 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 In higher education, students are meant to turn what they learn into skills for their future careers. Signature work allows students to integrate their knowledge into solving real-world problems, according to the literature on this topic. Authors Elizabeth Jach and Teniell Trolian (2019) highlight that students will be more academically engaged, motivated, and prepared for the workforce if they learn how to apply their learning through signature work. Engaging students in internships and research projects can bridge the gap between knowledge and practical experience, helping them develop skills for their careers (McClellan, Kopko, and Gruber 2021). In addition, students from marginalized backgrounds find that high-impact practices are very transformative and can support their academic success (Kinzie et al. 2021). Building Agency and Bridging the Gap Signature work is about experiential and applied learning, which is often underfunded or inaccessible to marginalized students (Kinzie 2018). When universities provide financial support, mentorship, and inclusive opportunities, students gain access to resources and networks that may have otherwise been out of reach (Kinzie 2018). These experiences help level the playing field by equipping marginalized students with the skills, confidence, and connections needed to thrive in competitive job markets or graduate programs. Lab work is a common and effective form of experiential learning, providing students with the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts in real-world settings. In “Assessing Quality and Equity: Observations about the State of Signature Work,” Jillian Kinzie calls for institutions to prioritize equity by addressing these barriers and ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have access to high-quality signature work experience (Kinzie 2018 ). Through intentional assessment and implementation, Kinzie argues, signature work can become a powerful tool for advancing both academic excellence and educational equity. Signature work challenges students by placing them at the center of their educational journeys and giving them autonomy. They have the freedom to select topics that reflect their passions, personal stories, and the unique challenges faced by their communities. This empowerment cultivates a sense of agency, showing students that their voices and perspectives matter. By allowing students to explore subject areas that resonate with them deeply, signature work becomes not just an academic exercise but a platform for meaningful self-expression. As mentioned in my previous post, creating signature work through a research project in my senior seminar class gave me the autonomy to further explore BIPOC student experiences. This was a topic that was often discussed amongst students but rarely brought up to faculty and staff because students believed that their voices didn’t matter as much. Call to Action Students having the opportunity to develop and present their ideas helps cultivate a sense of agency and ownership over learned material. To continue empowering students and provide them with the opportunity to do signature work, institutions need to integrate it into their curriculum. Institutions must prioritize making opportunities inclusive and equitable to maximize the effectiveness of signature work. When institutions prioritize equity, they ensure that signature work becomes a transformative experience for all students. This means providing funding, mentorship programs, and intentional support systems that address the specific needs of marginalized students (Bryant 2021). By investing in inclusive signature work initiatives, higher education can become a powerful tool for equity and transformation, preparing students to lead and innovate in an increasingly complex world. References Bryant, Samantha Jo. 2021. “An Examination of High-Impact Strategies That Increase Success in Marginalized Student Groups.” Community College Enterprise 27 (2): 58-73. https://home.schoolcraft.edu/cce/27.2.58-73.pdf. Kinzie, Jillian. 2018. “Assessing Quality and Equity: Observations about the State of Signature Work.” Peer Review 20 (2): 30–33. https://dgmg81phhvh63.cloudfront.net/content/user-photos/Publications/Archives/Peer-Review/PR_SP18_Vol20No2.pdf. Kinzie, Jillian, Samantha Silberstein, Alexander C. McCormick, Robert M. Gonyea, and Brendan Dugan. 2021. “Centering Racially Minoritized Student Voices in High-Impact Practices.” Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 53 (4): 6–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2021.1930976. McClellan, Fletcher, Kyle Casimir Kopko, and Kayla L. Gruber. 2021. “High-Impact Practices and Their Effects: Implications for the Undergraduate Political Science Curriculum.” Journal of Political Science Education 17 (1): 674–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2020.1867562. 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. “How Signature Work Impacts Students.” Center for Engaged Learning (Blog). Elon University, May 2, 2025. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/how-inclusive-signature-work-impacts-students/.
