Your Syllabus Matters: Creating a Sense of Belonging on Day 1
Start Date
8-16-2023 12:00 PM
Description
The pandemic shown a light on the importance of students having a sense of belonging, which research shows is an important indicator of student success. However, our syllabi can unintentionally signal “you don't belong” to some of our students. In this presentation, we will discuss ways we can change our course syllabi to better serve as a welcome mat for students, particularly first-generation and historically minoritized students. Relying on the work done in the Student Experience Project, participants will learn about evidence-based changes they can make to their syllabi, with particular focus on “low-lift” changes that can be made in just minutes, to better help students start course with a sense of belonging and self-efficacy. In particular, we will focus on ways the syllabus can more effectively communicate care, a growth mindset, and information about resources. In addition, we will identify small changes that can be made to better value diversity. For faculty who are interested in doing more than these "low-lift" changes, we will introduce them to the Student Experience Project's First-Day Toolkit so they can do a deeper dive on their own.
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Your Syllabus Matters: Creating a Sense of Belonging on Day 1
The pandemic shown a light on the importance of students having a sense of belonging, which research shows is an important indicator of student success. However, our syllabi can unintentionally signal “you don't belong” to some of our students. In this presentation, we will discuss ways we can change our course syllabi to better serve as a welcome mat for students, particularly first-generation and historically minoritized students. Relying on the work done in the Student Experience Project, participants will learn about evidence-based changes they can make to their syllabi, with particular focus on “low-lift” changes that can be made in just minutes, to better help students start course with a sense of belonging and self-efficacy. In particular, we will focus on ways the syllabus can more effectively communicate care, a growth mindset, and information about resources. In addition, we will identify small changes that can be made to better value diversity. For faculty who are interested in doing more than these "low-lift" changes, we will introduce them to the Student Experience Project's First-Day Toolkit so they can do a deeper dive on their own.