The Classroom Practices Library is a collection of evidence-based, field-tested resource guides outlining practical approaches that instructors can use in their courses to: promote engagement, increase equity in students’ experiences of their learning environments, and support academic success. This library was developed by EA, with feedback and collaboration from partners, through the Student Experience Project, and can be used as a standalone resource, or in combination with other SEP tools.

Using an evidence-based approach to syllabus development and messaging, instructors can help ensure that students’ earliest experiences in their courses promote a sense of belonging that will support engagement and growth throughout the term. This online module consists of a number of recorded videos to demonstrate practical tips for developing syllabi, as well as activities that will help instructors apply these concepts to their own syllabi. The Syllabus Revision Module was created by EA, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU) as part of the Student Experience Project. We thank our SEP University Partners and Peer Learning Network colleagues who piloted this toolkit and provided feedback for its refinement.

‘How You Say It Matters: A Toolkit for Improving Communications about Academic Standing’ is a free resource available on the edX platform for colleges and universities to help them design probation notification materials that are attuned to students' experiences and concerns. Ongoing research indicates that psychologically attuned language can help students feel more supported by their school and empowered to reach out for help.

The Social-Belonging Intervention is available to four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. through the Project for Education Research that Scales (PERTS). This online program allows schools to easily deliver a standard version of the Social-Belonging Intervention to incoming first-year students, helping buffer against threats to their sense of belonging in the transition to college. 

The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus placed unprecedented strain on colleges and universities, as educators and administrators everywhere worked to support students through this global pandemic. We provided these resources to help instructors and administrators support their students during times of crisis. While these resources were initially created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the principles and recommendations included throughout can be applied to other periods of uncertainty or transition.