CITL - Gracie Rossie: Undergraduate Research

Meet Your 2025 High Impact Practices (HIPs) Ambassadors

A high impact practice is a pedagogical approach which requires an investment of time and energy over an extended period that has unusually positive effects on student engagement in educationally purposeful behavior (Kuh, 2010). High impact practices are evidence-based teaching and learning practices that have been widely tested and shown to be beneficial for college students (Kuh, 2008).

Characteristics of high-impact activities include: setting appropriately high expectations of students; interaction with faculty and peers about substantive matters; experiences with diversity; frequent feedback; reflection and integrative learning; real-world applications; and demonstrated competence.

Meet Your 2025 HIP Ambassadors:

Gracie Rossie from Walters State Community College

Name: Gracie Rossie

Institution: Walters State Community College

Email: gracie.rossie@ws.edu

Office Number: 865-774-5807

Degrees earned and institution(s): Associate of Arts- Northeast State Community; College Bachelors of Arts- King University; Masters of Science- Radford University

How long have you worked at your institution? Two years as an adjunct and then eight years as full-time faculty.

What is your teaching/research focus area(s)? English/ Composition/ Literature

What do you appreciate most about the HIP(s) that you have infused into the courses you teach?

I appreciate that the inclusion of HIPs increases students’ intrinsic motivation for gaining knowledge in their courses. Students participating in courses with HIPs have more buy-in for the course and their overall learning goals.

Gracie Rossie is your HIP Ambassador for Undergraduate Research

Minimum Definition of Practice-

Undergraduate research is an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student in collaboration with a faculty member that makes a unique intellectual, scholarly, or creative contribution to the discipline, and for which the student receives academic credit either through a course or independent study. The student's contribution may be part of a new or ongoing faculty research project (adapted from CUR).

More information here (scroll down and click on to expand the topic.)

Getting Started with HIPs

A high impact practice is a pedagogical approach which requires an investment of time and energy over an extended period that has unusually positive effects on student engagement in educationally purposeful behavior (Kuh, 2010). High impact practices are evidence-based teaching and learning practices that have been widely tested and shown to be beneficial for college students (Kuh, 2008). Characteristics of high-impact activities include: setting appropriately high expectations of students; interaction with faculty and peers about substantive matters; experiences with diversity; frequent feedback; reflection and integrative learning; real-world applications; and demonstrated competence.

Want to learn more?

You can request that Dr. Heidi Leming come and present at your campus for in-service or other even.
View "Work Smarter, Not Harder: Simplifying HIPs" presentation (47 minutes)
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