Meeting Abstract
High-impact educational practices (HIPs), including undergraduate research, service-learning, study abroad and community engagement, produce successful students with the critical thinking skills, communication proficiency, and the ability to solve complex problems. Yet, growing the number of HIP opportunities at an institution, especially a large institution, remains a challenge. Here we review a model that embeds faculty-selected, peer HIP Coaches, as a resource for the students in undergraduate courses. Coaches receive a small scholarship in exchange for 30 hours of assistance and their role in each course was determined by the faculty mentor to best match each unique course agenda. A pilot in 2015 with 4 faculty, 8 coaches and 250 students, was successful. In the spring 2018 semester, the model grew to include 21 faculty, 37 coaches, and 1111 undergraduates. Everyone wins with this model – faculty can maximize HIP student learning and success, peer coaches receive leadership experience, and the undergraduates in the course receive needed and wanted high-impact experiences that positively impact their lives and livelihoods.
