The Student Experience Project (SEP) was a ground-breaking study that brought together networks of practitioners, instructors, and institutional leaders from six large public universities with an ambitious goal: to transform their institutions into more equitable learning environments by applying evidence-based practices to create growth mindset cultures in college classrooms. The results were striking. After three terms of implementation, nearly 300 instructors piloted the resources, and over 30,000 of their students provided feedback. Students, particularly Black, Latina, and Native American women experiencing financial stress, reported significantly better classroom experiences. These improved experiences translated directly into better grades and reduced rates of students earning a D, F, or withdrawing from courses. Faculty reported not only increased engagement from their students, but their own greater sense of belonging at their institutions and job satisfaction.

How can meaningful change in higher education not only last, but also scale?

Four years after the SEP officially ended, all six participating universities continue to use these evidence-based teaching practices, and many have spread them across their campuses. They have trained hundreds of additional faculty and graduate students, integrated SEP principles into strategic frameworks, and seen faculty fundamentally shift how they think about teaching. This paper explores how the SEP is a model for creating, sustaining, and scaling growth mindset classroom cultures to transform institutions for the long term.

In order to better understand how the six campuses have sustained and scaled their programs, and what conditions are needed to support the transformation, EA conducted a follow-up study with faculty and institutional leaders. Through focus groups and interviews, we uncovered three critical insights about what contributes to institutional transformation:

• Strong support for early adopters builds a stable foundation for future scale. 
• Creating faculty growth mindset cultures are essential for continuing engagement and sustainability. 
• A continuous improvement approach—paired with practices that can be adapted to changing environments—supports long term scale and impact. 

Based on these key insights, we offer actionable recommendations for institutions ready to create lasting change: starting with classroom culture, building supportive faculty communities, and formalizing recognition systems that sustain engagement over time. Read the full white paper to learn how institutions can create equitable learning environments that endure.