SEP Resource Hub
The Student Experience Project (SEP) is committed to transforming the college student experience and creating welcoming learning environments through innovative, evidence-based practices that increase degree attainment.
The SEP’s approach to student experience is grounded in decades of social psychology research. This research demonstrates that when learning environments promote social belonging and communicate that instructors have a growth mindset about intelligence, students are more likely to take advantage of campus resources to support their success, persist through challenges, and achieve their full academic potential. The SEP draws on this social belonging and learning mindset research to develop practical approaches campuses can use to bolster student engagement, improve academic outcomes for students from all backgrounds, and support student success.
Results from the SEP demonstrate that improvements in students’ experiences across the semester were highly correlated with better academic outcomes.
Together, the six institutions in the SEP cohort engaged over 350 faculty, staff, and administrators in testing, implementing, and scaling innovative practices that transform the college student experience into one in which every student can access the support and resources they need to succeed. Members of our SEP community have generously documented what they have learned from this process to share with the broader higher education community. This SEP Resource Hub contains resources and stories to equip higher education institutions with tools to improve the student experience. You can find resources for a variety of purposes below.
These resources are designed primarily for campus leadership, administrators, and staff to utilize SEP practices in their daily work, including ways to engage faculty to improve the student experience in the classroom. Instructors looking for practices to utilize in their own classrooms will find many resources within the “Supportive Instructor and Course Interactions” category.
Affirming Academic & Social Supports
Destigmatizing academic difficulty and encouraging use of student supports, such as early alerts and advising.
Supportive Instructor & Course Interactions
Preparing instructors to communicate high standards and their role to help all students succeed, and conveying that students from all background are welcome and valued in the classroom.
Welcoming Department & Campus Climate
Increasing institutional capacity to create learning environments where students from all backgrounds feel welcome, respected, and able to succeed.
Student-Centered Institutional Structures & Policies
Incentivizing and rewarding focus on improved student outcomes and making visible commitments to prioritize student experience.
The SEP is grateful to the following individuals for their work on developing the SEP Resource Hub: Denise Bartell, Dina Blum, Samantha Levine, Dave Paunesku, Krysti Ryan, David Swidler, Theresa Todd, Chaghig Walker, and Karen Zeribi.
For a list of references cited throughout the SEP Resource Hub, please click here.
