CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Board of Trustees October 21, 2021 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – High Impact Practices to Improve Student Retention
A central strategy for improving student retention and overall success is the use of “high-impact” practices (HIPs) in teaching and research. HIPs engage students by providing richer more lasting, and more personal connections to subject matter. HIPs demand considerable investments of time and effort by students and often highlight “real-world” applications and relevance. The approach offers meaningful interactions between faculty and students and frequent and substantive feedback, as well as collaboration across disciplines and cultures. Examples of these practices include capstone courses and projects, study abroad, internships, community-based learning/service learning, undergraduate research, writing intensive coursework, common intellectual experiences, first year seminars, ePortfolios, and collaborative assignments and projects. CWU provides an excellent array of such opportunities but they are not necessarily organized in an intentional way nor are they accessible to all students. In order to improve graduation rates, enhance students’ sense of belonging, and ensure they are prepared for the workplace, universities must ensure that all students have access to more than one high-impact practice during their university careers. How can CWU scale HIPs so that more students can participate? How can we ensure that students from all backgrounds are able to participate in HIPs? Do we have appropriate learning outcomes around HIPs? In the year ahead, we will be working with faculty and student success to answer many of these questions.
Submitted:
Approved for Submittal to the Board
Michelle DenBeste
Jim Wohlpart
Provost/Vice President for Academic and Student Life
President
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