Additional Resources

High Impact Practices or HIPs are effective educational practices that promote:

  • Active student engagement
  • Deep integrative learning
  • Gains across a range of desired outcomes
  • Grades, persistence, student satisfaction, graduation

Although much of the research on High Impact Practices has been related to academic led initiatives in the curriculum and co-curriculum, HIPs are also achieved through co-curricular program initiatives led by student affairs practitioners.  HIPs in student affairs vary in terms of the type of initiative, as well as in scope.  Examples may include the following: a program with a four-year/year/semester cohort model, student employee training and service, peer education, week-long immersion experiences, key leadership positions, participation in Student Affairs courses, etc.

Student Affairs strives to offer high quality, high impact opportunities to foster students' learning and success. Toward achieving this goal we invite our departments to submit appropriate programs to be designated as High Impact Practices. To determine whether a program might be appropriate for HIP designation, refer to Key Elements of HIPs (Related Files). If you would like to submit a program to be designated as a High Impact Practice, please fill out the Application (Related Files). When a department submits an application for a program to be designated as an HIP, the Student Affairs Assessment Council will apply a Rubric (Related Files) to determine whether the program is eligible. To be eligible, the program must score a 3 in all categories.

NOTE: By definition, High Impact Practices promote deep, integrative learning and a range of learning or developmental outcomes. As such, not all programs can or would be expected to qualify as HIPs.

The following programs and/or learning opportunities have applied for and been designated as a High Impact Practice in Student Affairs:

  • Delta Advocates
  • Resident Advisors
  • Residence Hall Association Executive Board
  • Sister Talk
  • New Student and Family Program Fellows
  • Orientation Leaders and Returners
  • Tar Heel Beginning Co-Chairs
  • Honor System Leadership
  • Career Peers
Assessment GlossaryDownload
Assessment, What Every Student Affairs Professional Should KnowDownload
Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student LearningDownload
Culture of Evidence RubricDownload
Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education Listserv
Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL)
Sharing and printing options: