High-impact practices for learning and leadership: O’Neill’s commitment to excellence in undergraduate education

A note by R.J. Woodring, Associate Dean for Educational Programs, and Andrea Need, Director of Undergraduate Academic Affairs

How do you know if you are getting a good education? What is a good education? How does the college experience deepen learning and prepare students for a meaningful life?

Ready for the world ahead

At the O’Neill School, our mission is to prepare students to become leaders for the greater good. We aim to equip our students with the knowledge and skills they need to have successful careers and make a significant impact in diverse settings around the globe.

Another way to describe this goal is through the concept of world readiness. In a new report, authors from the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities charge educators to focus on world readiness by “empowering students for citizenship, life, and work throughout their lifetimes.”

To this end, we’ve intentionally designed our undergraduate curriculum and programming to incorporate high impact practices that ensure our students graduate ready to face the world ahead.

What are high impact practices?

High-impact practices are components of education that typically demand that students devote considerable time and effort to their tasks and interact with faculty and peers about substantive matters over extended periods of time. The phrase, coined by noted education scholar George Kuh, is used by researchers to describe the hallmarks of excellence in undergraduate education. Although demanding, these practices are positively correlated with student success.

High-impact practices embedded in O’Neill’s curriculum include:

• Common Intellectual Experiences: Our core curriculum fosters shared learning experiences that encourage students to think critically, explore diverse perspectives, and build a sense of community.
• Diversity and Global Learning: We believe in the power of diversity to enrich learning. Our programs incorporate global perspectives, helping students become culturally competent and globally aware.
• Collaborative Assignments: Teamwork and collaboration are vital in the real world. O’Neill students engage in collaborative assignments that mirror the demands of the modern workplace.
• Internships: Internships are at the heart of our commitment to high-impact practices. They provide students with real-world experiences that bridge the gap between theory and practice.

O’Neill students can participate in additional high-impact practices:

• Learning Communities: Our Civic Leaders Center brings together students who share common interests, developing connections with their peers and faculty members, fostering a sense of belonging, and providing a strong support system.
• Undergraduate Research: Our undergraduates actively participate in meaningful research projects that align with their interests and career goals, including through the O’Neill Honors Program.
• Service Learning/Community Based Learning: We bring the classroom into the community. Through community partnerships such as our Indiana Leadership Program, students apply academic concepts to real-world situations.
• Capstone Projects: Honors students complete a thesis alongside a faculty advisor. Other O’Neill students may take courses that require culminating projects which offer them opportunities to integrate and apply what they’ve learned.

Our commitment to educational excellence

To demonstrate our commitment to high-quality education, we’ll be sharing stories that illustrate how we incorporate high-impact practices at the O’Neill School—and the ways those practices equip our students not just to succeed, but to thrive.

Check this space regularly for updated content in this series throughout the semester.