Faculty and staff development that is inquiry driven and equity focused contributes to a culture which honors the strengths and experiences of Latine/a/o students. A continuous improvement process will encourage innovation and improve practice, results used to increase knowledge and catalyze wide-scale, institutional change.

Through existing and expanded engagement in equity, inclusion, and “servingness,” professional development programs, Ventura College staff participate in comprehensive equity-minded professional development designed to develop a welcoming, inclusive, and identity affirming campus environment where historically marginalized students, particularly Latine/a/o students feel seen, heard, and a sense of belonging. Project S:AIL professional development programs expand existing faculty and staff professional development efforts to include a DEI-focused certification program to provide opportunities for faculty and staff to learn the most significant high-impact, evidence-based practices that have been shown to increase student outcomes, especially for Latine/a/o and other historically marginalized students.

Project S:AI(Learning) in STEM: Instills a sense of purpose through connection of course content to student goals, resulting in demonstrated persistence & STEM course success.(Yeager, et. al, 2014)

  • Research conducted across all disciplines indicates that the faculty behaviors and characteristics that have a significant effect on student engagement include active and collaborative learning techniques, communicating high expectations to students, course-related student-faculty interactions, and an emphasis on enriching educational experiences.2 Educational equity scholars argue that the effectiveness of HSIs depend on the institution’s ability to both improve academic and affective outcomes for Latine/a/o students and provide a positive, culturally engaging campus inclusive of Latine/a/o students’ strengths and needs.

For information about all Ventura College professional development programs, visit the VC Professional Development website here.

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1. Yeager, D. S., Henderson, M. D., Paunesku, D., Walton, G. M., D'Mello, S., Spitzer, B. J., & Duckworth, A. L. (2014). Boring but important: a self-transcendent purpose for learning fosters academic self-regulation. Journal of personality and social psychology, 107(4), 559.

2. Umbach, P. D., & Wawrzynski, M. R. (2005). Faculty do matter: The role of college faculty in student learning and engagement. Research in Higher education, 46(2), 153-184.