Student Experience Project

Deadlines

Proposal deadline: Friday, July 21, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.

Number of Awards & Amount: One-time incentive of $1,500

Apply here: Student Experience Project Application

The SEP Project at UTSA

The divisions of Student Success, Undergraduate Studies and Academic Innovation are proud to be part of the Student Experience Project (SEP), a national, multi-institution effort that brings together university leaders, faculty, researchers, and education organizations.

Our commitment lies in implementing innovative, research-based practices to foster equitable learning environments, increase degree attainment, and enhance student success. Through SEP, we focus on cultivating a sense of belonging, promoting growth mindset, and fostering learning mindsets to improve classroom performance and persistence to degree completion.

Through fostering community and a sense of belonging on campus, SEP aims to create a future of higher education where all students, especially those who face barriers, feel supported to overcome academic challenges and graduate successfully. UTSA joined the SEP program in Spring 2023. During that semester, a few faculty engaged their students and explored student-centered teaching practices that promoted a sense of belonging and helped students develop self-confidence.

Proposal Instructions and Format

SEP Timeline
  • Submit your application by Friday, July 21 at 11:59pm
  • Faculty selected to participate to the SEP project will be notified by the end of July.
  • The program will start the first week of August and will end in December 2023.
Commitment

Faculty selected to participate in the program will complete several activities in synchronous or asynchronous modality. Please explore the calendar of activities below.


Date Activity Modality

Week of August 7, 2023

Workshop 1 Topic: Orientation to the SEP Program and Establishing a Growth Mindset Culture

Hybrid

Week of August 14, 2023

Workshop 2 Topic: Syllabus Revision and Policy Review

Hybrid

Week of August 14, 2023

 

Syllabus Review Exercise

Asynchronous

Week of August 28, 2023

PERTS* Survey 1: Administer the first survey to students
PERTS is a non-profit institute that partners with UTSA in this initiative to improve student outcomes by applying research-based practices. Surveys will be administered through their portal.

Asynchronous

Week of September 4, 2023

Cohort Discussion 1

Hybrid

Week of September 4, 2023

Course Demographics Report Exercise

Asynchronous

Week of September 11, 2023

Workshop 3 Topic: Wise Feedback

Hybrid

Week of September 25, 2023

PERTS Survey 2: Administer the second survey to students

Asynchronous

Week of October 2, 2023

Cohort Discussion 2

Hybrid

Week of October 16, 2023

PERTS Survey 3: Administer the third survey to students

Asynchronous

Week of October 23, 2023

Cohort Discussion 3

Hybrid

Week of October 30, 2023

Workshop 4 Topic: Ensuring Identity Safety in the Classroom

Hybrid

Week of November 13, 2023

PERTS Survey 4: Administer the fourth survey to students

Asynchronous

Week of November 20, 2023

Cohort Discussion 4

Hybrid

Week of December 4, 2023

Submission of Implementation Plan and Reflection

Asynchronous

 

Evidence-based strategies/practices will be selected and implemented throughout the Fall semester.

Week of December 11, 2023

Submission of Faculty Reflection Exercise

Asynchronous

Brief faculty reflections will be completed throughout the Fall semester.

UTSA SEP Leadership

The UTSA SEP team is composed of:

  • Tammy Wyatt, Vice Provost for Student Success
  • Amy Buechler-Steubing, Senior Director, Student Success Strategic Planning & Director, Student Success Initiatives
  • Mark Appleford, Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Melissa Vito, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation
  • Marcela Ramirez, Associate Vice Provost of Teaching, Learning and Digital Transformation
  • Claudia Arcolin, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Experiences
  • Kelsey Mattingly, Institutional Research Analyst
  • Mark Leung, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business and Professor of Management Science
  • Chad Mahood, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Communication

Apply for the SEP

To apply, click here and complete this form by July 21 at 11:59 p.m.

Testimonials

“Research clearly demonstrates that having positive experiences of community, belonging, and support on campus and in the classroom increases student persistence and degree completion. We are excited to be part of APLU’s Student Experience Project and to develop UTSA’s community-of-practice faculty professional development model grounded in growth mindset and designed to build a sense of belonging within the classroom for students of all backgrounds and across all disciplines.”

Dr. Tammy Wyatt
Vice Provost for Student Success

“I teach online courses, and it is important to me that my students feel connected to me and each other, and feel like they belong in the class and can succeed. Using the PERTS Survey was very easy in my class, and students who participated gave me valuable insight on how they felt about their ability to do well in the class. The responses also gave me good ideas on how I can improve to connect students to each other in the class to provide academic support.”

Dr. Terri Matiella
Assistant Dean for Innovative Instruction and Assessment, College of Sciences
Assistant Chair, Department of Integrative Biology
Professor of Instruction, Department of Integrative Biology