HIPS in the States
Over 200 higher education professionals gathered at HIPs in the States National Conference to discuss improving the definitions, implementation, tracking, equity, and assessment of high-impact practices.
High Impact Practices (HIPs) are purposeful processes that colleges and universities deploy to improve student success. HIP experiences include internships, undergraduate research, employment, service learning, and co-curricular activities specifically designed to
- Expend significant personal intellectual energy and time on enriching activities during the freshman and senior years; one focused on a course of study and the other on career preparation.
- Provide targeted, regular, and purposeful feedback by specially trained student affairs professionals or faculty.
- Deliver clearly stated learning outcomes that are consistently assessed.
During this year's HIPs in the States National Conference, Dr. George Kuh and Samyr Qureshi, CEO of Knack introduced Educational Purposeful Peer Interactions or EPPI’s.
EPPI’s occur when student tutors evolve and transition to learning partners. This happens when the student tutor develops a high level of technical AND essential workplace skills such as communication, critical thinking, influence, and teamwork. EPPI’s challenges traditional notions of student tutoring.
Also noteworthy, purposeful peer interaction mirrors one of the major outcomes from the Florida Consortium’s College to Career project. Faculty analyzed the benefits of Learning Assistants in large gateway courses. Florida Consortium institution, FIU improved its six year graduation rates steadily since implementing Learning Assistants. Learning Assistants model and mentor underclassmen and many have opted to pursue the professoriate which may present longer term benefits to the academy.
To date, over twenty Learning Assistant programs have been launched at the University of Central Florida and University of South Florida. In some courses DFW rates were reduced by nearly 50%. Ultimately students leave these courses better prepared for more complex academic challenges.
During HIPs in the States National Conference, Dr. Michael Preston, Executive Director of the Florida Consortium challenged the notion that High Impact Practices solely benefit students. He suggested that student/peer led processes can help faculty learn and develop new skills as well. As metropolitan universities grow, direct service to students becomes harder but faculty and staff development via student led programs provides a way to reach more students. For example, College to Career initiatives such as the Transfer Success Network, Active Learning Summit, and the Sunshine Teaching and Learning Conference all provided faculty development that aids in student success. In each case best practices were shared and faculty deployed new skills once they got to their home campus.
In closing, the Florida Consortium intends to publish the impact of Learning Assistants and faculty development as High Impact Practice in the coming years. In the meantime, please review these HIPS resources:
Scaling Student Success with Dr. Paul Dosal
Scaling Student Success with Dr. Paul Dosal
Connecting Campuses Together with Michael Preston
Connecting Campuses Together with Michael Preston
A Critical Analysis of HIPs with Dr. Shaun Harper
A Critical Analysis of HIPs with Dr. Shaun Harper
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