high-impact practices

Definition

Educational activities like undergraduate research, internships, and capstones shown to improve student outcomes, according to studies that somehow always recommend doing more expensive things. Evidence-based resource drains.

Example Usage

The university's strategic plan emphasizes expanding high-impact practices, despite already overextended faculty and zero additional funding.

Origin

Popularized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities in the 2000s

Fun Fact

High-impact practices genuinely work, but they're called 'high-impact' partly because they're resource-intensive—impact cuts both ways.

Source: AAC&U research and undergraduate education assessment

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