(310) It Takes a Village: A Community of Equity Champion Instructors Improving Student Academic Outcomes

Objective : The Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities’ Student Experience Project (SEP) was a national collaboration between university leaders, faculty, researchers, and educational organizations aimed at transforming higher education by creating equitable learning environments to improve student academic outcomes

Methods: The University of Toledo (UToledo), one of 6 participating universities in the SEP, created a community of Equity Champions that included instructors from every level of teaching. During weekly, virtual meetings, they dialogued on issues of race, equity, and systemic barriers to student success. Their work focused on improving learning conditions across five social-psychological constructs: Social Belonging, Institutional Growth Mindset, Identity Safety, Trust and Fairness, Self-Efficacy. The Ascend Survey Tool was used to assess students’ experiences at multiple points in the semester. An overall Student Experience score was generated from the composite score of the constructs. These scores were then paired with student grades

Results: Instructors reported that engaging within the supportive community of peers while equipped with practical, straightforward resources for course implementation was one of the greatest benefits gained. Remarkably, students who reported high Student Experiences were 50% less likely to receive grades of D, F, or Withdraw. Fewer students in Equity Champion courses earned these grades when compared to UToledo historical averages for the same courses taught by the same instructors. Moreover, an additional 10% of students from structurally disadvantaged racial identities received As and Bs compared to these same historical averages

Conclusions: Semester long communities of practice (CoP) provide instructors with the support and tools needed to promote equitable learning environments. This directly impacts student retention and degree completion. Participants also benefited from the deeper connections to their students and peers.