High Impact Practices at the U of A

Alice Griffin

Participants at the 2021 HIP Discussions

For the last three years, U of A faculty, staff and students have gathered periodically to explore high impact practices on the U of A campus. In 2018, the campus community gathered for the "Are We HIP Enough?" Retreats. In 2019, a wellness component was added for the "Are We HIP and Well Enough?" Conference. 

"We get stuck in our 'silos' so often when short conversations with a like-minded group of people could solve problems. I wish I had these opportunities more," said Michelle Muzzillo, from University Recreation, after attending a HIP Event.

Due to the pandemic, the 2021 campus HIP event included a Virtual HIP Escape Room accompanied by a face-to-face discussion on high impact practices in the Union Ballroom. The HIP Escape room was created in collaboration with several faculty, staff and students under the leadership of Shanda Hood, teaching assistant professor in Mathematical Sciences.

"The virtual escape room was a mind blowing awesome. I want to know how to create something of this caliber. The training/education aspects of it could be used in so many ways," said Ben Micek, student development specialist in University Housing.

Eric Peltier, coordinator for Residence Education, was the first to complete the HIP Escape Room. The HIP Escape Room will remain open until Aug. 22, 2021. After that, all the videos will remain available on the U of A HIP video library.

The face-to-face event opened with inspirational remarks from Charles Robinson with approximately 80 students, faculty and staff in attendance on Friday, July 30, 2021. The members of the community gathered in round tables to discuss a variety of High Impact Educational Practices.

"I learn so much from those around me and how to incorporate these initiatives into my teaching. Because all the people at my tables were NOT faculty, I learned of ways to help my students beyond the classroom and to make them aware of the importance of these practices outside the classroom," Said Margaret Butcher, teaching assistant professor from the Department of Communications.

"I enjoyed the participatory nature of the event and learned a lot from both table leaders and others at my table. Thank you for putting this on; it was nice to be able to talk to people in person again!" said Andrea Allan, director of U of A Cares.

"I really appreciated the opportunity to get out of the office and have conversations surrounding supporting students. I have been here for over a year, and this is the first time I've been to something where I can meet others at the university!" said Rachel Kremer, graduate assistant in New Student and Family Programs and M.Ed. student in higher education.

Over the years, the events have been organized in collaboration of many campus stakeholders under the leadership of Brande Flack, director of Retention Programs, Center of Multicultural and Diversity Education, and Deborah Korth, teaching professor and director of ARSC Student Success. Sponsors include the Student Success Center; the ARSC Student Success Team; Center for Multicultural and Diversity Education; Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Teaching Faculty and Support Center; Teaching Innovation and Pedagogical Support; and many others.

"Getting together with a diverse group to just chat about students, teaching and academic processes is so invigorating. I wish we could do it more than once per year. I find it a support group that helps me 'un-focus' from my advising job and 're-focus' on serving students in a broader manner," said Deborah Henderson, academic counselor in the Boyer Center for Student Services.

According to AAC&U, the 11 High Impact Practices are First-Year Seminars, Common Intellectual Experiences, Learning Communities, Writing-Intensive Courses, Collaborative Assignments and Projects, Undergraduate Research, Diversity/Global Learning, ePortfolios, Service learning/Community-Based Learning, Internships, and Capstone Courses and Projects. Members of the campus community can still submit their work to be included in the U of A HIP Video Library. The form to receive HIP videos has been reactivated and will remain open all year. We hope you will continue to share new and exciting HIPs all year long!