A cohort of 23 faculty participated in a community of practice (CoP) last semester as a part of the university’s engagement with the Student Experience Project. The Graduation and Retention Network (GARNET) and CTE partnered with faculty facilitators, Charlie Pierce and Sarah Carroll, to design and facilitate three CoP meetings to help instructors examine students’ learning experiences and collaborate on instructional strategies that support key learning conditions. During CoP meetings, participants reviewed formative student feedback and worked collectively to address factors such as students’ self-efficacy and social connectedness in their courses.
The Student Experience Project (SEP) is a national initiative aimed at improving student outcomes by helping institutions and faculty more intentionally shape how students experience their learning environments. Associate Professor Brett Robertson from the College of Information and Communications is working closely with campus partners to assess the impact of SEP at USC.
Faculty members engaged in reflection, dialogue, and shared problem-solving. The CoP model emphasized peer learning, allowing participants to exchange ideas, receive feedback on instructional approaches, and consider how small changes in course design and communication can meaningfully impact students’ learning conditions.
Professor and Department Chair Juan Caicedo from the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing participated in the fall CoP, commenting, “I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to apply SEP practices in my classroom. These practices have been easy to implement because they do not change the way I teach, and they have been designed considering the challenges faced by higher educational professors. SEP practices help me tell students that I have high expectations in my class, and that I and USC are committed to their success.”
Faculty demonstrated a commitment to a growth mindset by incorporating practices such as wise feedback statements when communicating expectations and assessment wrappers to help students reflect and build confidence before exams. Low-effort strategies like these can have a meaningful impact on student learning. Upon completion of the fall CoP, all 23 faculty participants were recognized and awarded certificates acknowledging their sustained engagement and contributions to the program.
Fall SEP Community of Practice Faculty Participants
Center for Teaching Excellence
- Mitchell Herring, Instructional Designer
College of Education
- Fatih Ari, Assistant Professor
- Hengtao Tang, Associate Professor
College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
- Michael Watson, Interim Associate Chair
College of Information and Communications
- Denise McGill, Associate Professor
Darla Moore School of Business
- Sarah Carroll, Clinical Associate Professor
- Stephen Slice, Senior Lecturer
McCausland College of Arts and Sciences
- Steven Derochers, Senior Instructor
- William Franklin, Director of the W. G. Belser Arboretum & Instructional Faculty
- Katherine Goldberg, Clinical Associate Professor, Director of USC Public Heritage Lab
- Will McGuffey, Instructor
- Caleb McWhorter, Instructor
- Chris Portwood, Instructor
- Ronda Sanders, Senior Instructor
- Charles Schumpert, Instructional Faculty and Lab Coordinator
- Gabriel Staton, Instructor
- Amanda Zeigler, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing
- Juan Caicedo, Professor and Department Chair
- Melih Calamak, Instructor
- Sean Higgins, Instructor
- Charlie Pierce, Associate Professor
Palmetto College Columbia
- Shelley Jones, Associate Professor
School of Music
- Kunio Hara, Associate Professor
GARNET and the CTE are continuing to support the program this spring alongside returning faculty facilitator Sarah Carroll and new faculty facilitator Kunio Hara. Faculty interested in joining the CoP can complete an interest form on GARNET’s website: Student Experience Project Interest Form