GRANTS |
Innovation and Incubator Grants from the University System of Georgia |
High Impact Practices (HIPs) Endeavor Tag Alignment Initiative
Project Overview:
The ENDEAVOR Tag Initiative is a framework designed to help students personalize, internalize, and later articulate their transformation beyond a credential. This initiative enables students to describe the skills they have gained throughout their college experience beyond their degree. By effectively framing and describing these competencies, students will gain a competitive advantage when entering the workforce, as they will be able to communicate their college experience in a way that resonates with employers.
The College of Coastal Georgia (CCGA) is committed to ensuring that all ENDEAVOR Tags for high-impact practices (HIPs) in the classroom are utilized and disseminated throughout each program. The ENDEAVOR Tags have become the leading method for ensuring HIPs are integrated into each course at CCGA. This project will create an outline of each program concentration in the Department of Health Science to align appropriate ENDEAVOR Tags with each course, ensuring the utilization of all five Tags throughout the Exercise Science and Health Promotion concentrations.
Each course’s learning outcomes will be reviewed to align with an appropriate Tag that exemplifies the necessary high-impact practice. After the completion of the alignment by leadership individuals in the department, each course will be reviewed to ensure that an appropriate assignment is improved to align with the specific Tag that has been placed in the course. This project will help students develop essential skills that will prepare them to adapt to a changing world as lifelong learners.
The Five Competencies of the ENDEAVOR Tag Initiative:
1. Professionalism & Personal Responsibility Professionalism entails developing and adhering to a strong work ethic, maintaining effective work habits, and striving for excellence in all aspects of college, work, and life. Students will be expected to demonstrate respect, integrity, perseverance, and personal accountability, including the ability to recognize and learn from their mistakes.
2. Collaboration & Teamwork Collaboration is the process of working jointly with others toward the achievement of a common goal. Students will engage with partners representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. They will also develop the ability to negotiate and manage conflict within a team structure.
3. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Critical thinking is a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion. Problem-solving is the process of designing, evaluating, and implementing a strategy to answer an open-ended question or achieve a desired goal. Students will apply these skills in various scenarios to enhance their problem-solving capabilities.
4. Social Awareness & Contribution Social awareness involves recognizing and acting on one’s responsibility to society, including the College community, and engaging diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work. Students will be encouraged to contribute to society in meaningful ways and demonstrate ethical reasoning and behavior.
5. Written, Oral, & Digital Communication Written communication will involve the development and expression of ideas across multiple genres and styles, integrating text, data, and images where necessary. Oral communication will include prepared, purposeful presentations designed to increase knowledge, foster understanding, or promote change in the listeners’ attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors. Digital communication will focus on conveying information and telling stories through online or audiovisual media.
Project Structure
This initiative will be carried out in a phased approach:
• Phase 1: Curriculum Mapping – Departmental leadership conducted a detailed review of course learning outcomes to determine appropriate HIP alignment.
• Phase 2: Tag Implementation & Faculty Training – Endeavor Tags have been systematically integrated into courses, ensuring that all five HIPs are represented within the selected programs. Faculty training will be developed and completed to provide a consistent framework for implementation.
• Phase 3: Assignment Development & Enhancement – Course assignments will be added or revised to fully reflect and support the designated HIPs, enhancing experiential learning opportunities.
• Phase 4: Evaluation & Dissemination – The project team will assess the effectiveness of these integrations and share best practices with faculty across the institution to support broader adoption.
Project Description:
The ENDEAVOR Tag Initiative aligns closely with the University System of Georgia’s (USG) mission to foster a well-educated workforce prepared for a global, technological society. Specifically, it supports USG Goal 1, which seeks to increase degree completion by leveraging data-driven student success strategies and high-impact practices (HIPs). By systematically integrating ENDEAVOR Tags into Health Science courses, this project ensures that students gain key competencies—professionalism, collaboration, critical thinking, social awareness, and communication—which are critical for their careers and lifelong learning.
At the College of Coastal Georgia (CCGA), this project advances Strategic Goal 2: Driving Student Success and Promoting Timely Degree Completion by embedding structured, experiential learning opportunities into coursework. This initiative enhances student retention and success by ensuring every student in the Health Science Department engages in high-impact practices that support workforce readiness. It also aligns with Strategic Goal 5: Engaging Students in a Rich Academic and Co-Curricular Experience, by implementing interdisciplinary and experiential learning that bridges academic knowledge with practical skills.
The project will impact 150 to 200 students annually by refining course assignments, embedding structured skill development, and creating clear pathways for students to articulate their competencies to employers. Faculty will benefit from professional development opportunities and structured resources to integrate HIPs effectively, fostering an engaging and cohesive learning environment.
Currently, the Health Science Department lacks a standardized approach to embed HIPs across all courses. While some courses incorporate high-impact learning experiences, there is no consistent framework ensuring students develop essential skills in every program concentration course. This inconsistency results in gaps where students may not receive adequate exposure to teamwork, critical thinking, or professional development before graduation.
By aligning ENDEAVOR Tags with each course’s learning outcomes, this project will:
• Ensure that all five competencies—Professionalism, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Social Awareness, and Communication—are fully integrated into the curriculum.
• Standardize HIP implementation across the Exercise Science and Health Promotion concentrations, reducing inconsistencies in student experiences.
• Improve assignment design to ensure each course incorporates experiential learning opportunities that develop career-ready skills.
This project not only strengthens CCGA’s commitment to student success and workforce preparedness but also ensures faculty have the necessary tools and structured framework to effectively integrate HIPs into their teaching. Ultimately, the High Impact Practices (HIPs) Endeavor Tag Alignment Initiative will create a cohesive, skills-based educational experience that enhances employability and lifelong learning for all students in the Health Science Department.
Project Outcomes:
To support the strategic integration of high-impact practices (HIPs) within coursework at the College of Coastal Georgia (CCGA), a suite of deliverables will be developed. These resources will serve as guidance tools for faculty, academic leaders, and external institutions, ensuring that ENDEAVOR Tags are effectively embedded in courses and that students can engage with, reflect on, and articulate their learning experiences.
These deliverables will be designed for scalability, adaptability, and ease of implementation, allowing for widespread adoption both within CCGA and at peer institutions.
Deliverable 1: ENDEAVOR Tag Curriculum Mapping Guide
Purpose:
This guide ensures that all courses in the Health Science Department are aligned with the five ENDEAVOR Tags and incorporate high-impact practices (HIPs). It provides a structured framework for mapping course learning outcomes to appropriate Tags, ensuring students gain essential competencies through coursework.
Key Components:
• Course Learning Outcomes Review & Tag Alignment
o Aligns each course with at least one of the five ENDEAVOR Tags to ensure students engage in meaningful, skills-based learning.
• Program-wide HIPs Mapping Across Courses
o Provides a structured outline ensuring all students participate in experiential learning across both Health Science programs.
• Finalized HIPs Integration Framework
o Standardizes the application of ENDEAVOR Tags across courses, ensuring consistency in implementation and assessment.
• Assignment Alignment & Enhancement
o Guides faculty on refining assignments to reflect HIP integration, ensuring meaningful student engagement with course material.
• Assessment & Data Collection Guidelines
o Establishes protocols for measuring student learning outcomes and faculty feedback to track effectiveness and inform future improvements.
Deliverable 2: Faculty Implementation Guide
Purpose:
This guide serves as a resource for faculty to effectively integrate ENDEAVOR Tags into their coursework. It provides practical steps, instructional resources, and assessment strategies to enhance student learning through HIPs-aligned assignments.
Key Components:
• Step-by-Step Instructions for HIP Integration
o Outlines clear strategies for embedding ENDEAVOR Tags into course syllabi, assignments, and the learning management system (LMS).
• Instructional Resources & Best Practices
o Provides faculty with templates, examples, and tools for effective implementation of HIP-aligned activities.
• Faculty Training & Development
o Details training sessions and workshops to support faculty in understanding and applying HIP strategies.
• Assignment Development & Peer Review Process
o Offers a structured approach for faculty to refine assignments and collaborate through peer evaluations to enhance learning experiences.
• Evaluation & Feedback Mechanisms
o Establishes a process for assessing student engagement, gathering faculty insights, and continuously improving HIP implementation.
• Final Reporting & Future Expansion
o Guides faculty on documenting best practices, presenting findings, and advocating for broader institutional adoption of HIPSs strategies.
To ensure the lasting impact of the ENDEAVOR Tag Initiative beyond the grant period, the College of Coastal Georgia (CCGA) will focus on embedding the initiative into its institutional culture. This will be achieved through a combination of strategic adoption, faculty engagement, and integration into academic practices. The integration of HIPSs will be ensured through regular curriculum reviews and updated faculty resources, such as toolkits and assessment guidelines. This will make HIPS integration a routine part of course design, ensuring continued alignment with the ENDEAVOR Tag system.
CCGA will prioritize high-impact practices (HIPs) in its long-term strategic planning, ensuring that HIPSs are incorporated into accreditation processes and institutional assessments. The initiative will be supported through the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), offering faculty ongoing professional development on how to integrate ENDEAVOR Tags into their courses. New courses will require HIPs alignment, embedding these practices into future curricula.
Faculty engagement will be critical for the initiative's success. CCGA will continue offering professional development workshops and peer mentoring programs to help faculty integrate HIPs. Additionally, faculty will be incentivized through teaching awards and stipends for their involvement. Communities of practice will also be encouraged to support collaboration and the sharing of best practices, promoting ongoing faculty ownership.
To sustain the initiative, strong leadership will be essential for maintaining the initiative. The President and Provost will publicly endorse the ENDEAVOR Tag Initiative, ensuring it remains a priority at the institutional level. Through ongoing leadership and commitment, the initiative will continue to thrive, making HIPs a lasting part of CCGA’s academic framework.
