Communities of Practice

The Office of the Provost, Academic Affairs, the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CET&L), and the Graduate College invite all full-time graduate student instructors of record or Teaching Assistants from any college to apply to be part of UC’s Community of Practice to Improve Student Experience. UC is partnering with the Student Experience Project (SEP), a national effort to foster positive classroom environments to improve students’ achievement and persistence to pilot this Community of Practice that allows graduate students to share experiences and practices with peers as they apply strategies and use data to enhance their students’ classroom experiences.

The Community of Practice will meet in person on the Clifton campus on Wednesday, August 20, and Friday, December 5. Additionally, members will meet online twice a month on Friday afternoons and complete additional course activities on their own for the months of September through November. Please see the full schedule to ensure your availability before applying to be part of the community.

Graduate Students who participate in the Community of Practice will be able to:

• Understand and apply evidence-based strategies to enhance students’ experience.
• Develop and revise syllabi to promote students’ sense of belonging and self-efficacy.
• Provide students with feedback that enhances their motivation in the face of academic challenges.
• Deepen connections with other UC graduate students committed to student success.

In addition, graduate students who successfully engage with the Community of Practice and complete all deliverables by December 31, 2025 will receive a $500 stipend.

Over a decade of research in social psychology indicates that learning mindsets play a role in students’ persistence and achievement; these mindsets are not fixed, but are shaped by messages students receive from society, from daily interactions and observations, and from their experiences in school. The SEP aims to foster a positive learning environment in the classroom and increase a student’s likelihood of persevering through academic challenges to graduation. Data from the SEP collected in 2020 - 2021 demonstrates that when student experiences in the classroom improve over the course of the term, their likelihood of earning an A or B in the course increased, and their likelihood of earning a D, F, or W (formally withdrawing from the course) decreased.

As part of the Student Experience Project, UC is launching a community of practice for graduate students interested in collaborating with peers on campus to implement evidence-based teaching practices to improve student experience. Practices include revising syllabi, reviewing and revising course policies, utilizing new grading and feedback processes, and other evidence-based approaches that increase sense of belonging, convey a growth mindset, and foster institutional trust. Graduate students who are teaching will have the opportunity to get frequent student feedback about their classroom experiences using Ascend, a survey tool that helps faculty reflect on and improve their teaching practices. By participating in the Community of Practice, graduate students will build expertise in teaching practices that improve student success for students of all backgrounds.

As part of participation in the Community of Practice, graduate students will: 

• Revise course syllabi to include messaging and language proven to increase sense of belonging and growth mindset among students. 
• Utilize approaches to giving critical feedback in a way that engenders trust, increases academic engagement, and helps close academic outcome gaps. 
• Implement practices to establish trust and norms for positive interactions.
• Survey students 3 times throughout the term using Ascend (if teaching). 

Summer

• Complete Syllabus Module (online)
• Saturday, August 16: Deliverable due online, Submit Revised Course Syllabus & Reflection

August

• Wednesday, August 20: Cohort Kickoff Meeting, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM (in person, Clifton Campus, lunch provided, bring a copy of your revised course syllabus)
• Monday, August 25: First Day of Fall Semester

September

• Friday, September 12: Meeting 1, "Growth Mindset Culture Workshop," 1:00-2:30 PM (online)
• Friday, September 26: Meeting 2, "Reflection, Discussion & Implementation," 1:00-2:00 PM (online)
• Administer Ascend Survey 1
• Tuesday, September 30: Deliverable due online, Feedback on Partner’s Course Syllabus & Reflection

October

• Friday, October 10: Meeting 3, "Wise Feedback Workshop," 1:00-2:30 PM (online)
• Friday, October 24: Meeting 4, "Reflection, Discussion & Implementation," 1:00-2:00 PM (online)
• Administer Ascend Survey 2
• Friday, October 31: Deliverable due online, 2-3 Examples of Revised Feedback & Reflection

November

• Friday, November 7: Meeting 5, "Establishing Trust & Norms for Positive Interactions Workshop," 1:00-2:30 PM (online)
• Friday November 21: Meeting 6, "Reflection, Discussion & Implementation," 1:00-2:00 PM (online)
• Administer Ascend Survey 3
• Sunday, November 30: Deliverable due online, Inventory of Course Practices that Establish Trust/Positive Interactions & Reflection

December 

• Friday December 5: Final Meeting, 12:00–2:00 PM (in person, Clifton Campus, lunch provided)
• Wednesday December 31: Deliverable due online, Final Reflection & Implementation Plan (Due Online: st)

Fill out the Application for UC's Community of Practice to Improve Student Experience by Friday, April 25, 2025, end of day. The application has 9 questions and should take you 5-10 minutes to complete. You will be asked to login to the form using your UC credentials. 

Feel free to direct questions to community co-facilitator, Dr. Rose Marie Ward (wardrm@ucmail.uc.edu), Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate College.