Works In Progress Luncheon

In honor of First-Generation Week (Nov. 7-11), the Provost’s Office will be hosting a special Works-In-Progress event on Thursday, Nov. 10, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Ely Room at Wyndham Alumnae House, where Jennifer Skirkanich will speak on “Breaking Down Barriers and Building Up Pathways to Success: Evidence-Based Pedagogical Practices to Enhance Inclusion.” See below for more on what Jen will be discussing. Lunch will be provided.

Self-efficacy, a sense of belonging and good self-regulated learning practices are critical to success in higher education, yet each student arrives in our classrooms with different personal experiences in all of these domains. For students who are the first in their family to attend college, a lack of support in these areas can present a complex barrier in their pathway to success. Understanding how to create more inclusive learning environments for our students can improve student success and retention. This talk will examine some of the evidence-based inclusive pedagogical practices that have been shown to improve student outcomes, and will provide the basis for a discussion about what works well in our own classrooms. Skirkanich will also discuss her research on student self-efficacy, STEM identity and sense of belonging in the STEM in the Liberal Arts Program.