Practice Category: Identity Safety
Situational cues can signal that a social identity one holds is either valued or devalued in a particular context. When the situation cues signal that one’s social identities are valued, they feel identity safety. If, however, the situation cues signal that one’s social identities are devalued, they experience identity threat, and one’s identity becomes strongly felt and psychologically central. Learning in environments that support identity safety is associated with higher rates of social belonging and better academic performance among college students. In this section you will find practice recommendations that can help promote identity safety, particularly among students from social groups that are underrepresented or marginalized in higher education.
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Supporting Financially Stressed Students
Recommendations for practices that can help support financially stressed students' learning, sense that they belong in college, and belief in their ability to succeed.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Self-Efficacy Trust and Fairness
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Addressing an Identity Threatening Incident
Guidance on a straightforward and practical approach for addressing identity-threatening incidents in a way that promotes students’ identity safety and social belonging, and builds connection and trust.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Social Connectedness Trust and Fairness
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Supporting Self-Efficacy by Integrating Self-Relevance and a Sense of Purpose into Your Course
Approaches to help students see their coursework as relevant to their own experiences and their future goals.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Self-Efficacy Social Connectedness
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Encouraging Connections in the Classroom
Approaches for encouraging connections between students and the instructional team, and among students.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Self-Efficacy Social Connectedness
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Policy Review: Creating Student-Centered Course Policies
A step-by-step guide for crafting course policies that promote equity and acknowledge and accommodate the lived experiences of diverse student populations; most effective when implemented prior to the start of the term/during course planning, and reiterated in early course messaging and during stressful times of the term.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Trust and Fairness
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Creating a Wise Feedback Framing Statement
Guidance on delivering critical feedback in a way that engenders trust, increases academic engagement, and helps close academic outcome gaps; most effective when implemented on all significant assignments or assessments.
Practice Categories: Growth Mindset Culture Identity Safety Self-Efficacy Social Connectedness Trust and Fairness
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Ensuring Classroom Identity Safety
Approaches for creating classroom learning environments where students from diverse identities feel welcome, valued, respected, and as though they are recognized as having the potential to succeed; most effective when implemented continuously throughout the term.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Social Connectedness Trust and Fairness
