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
- 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.
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 |
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 |
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
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