In fall 2022, three ATI members each received a $7,250 honorarium to tackle research on key topics of academic equity with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Gray Foundation.
Among them, Muhlenberg College focused on experiential learning opportunities, high-impact practices that we know can improve student learning outcomes and increase retention and graduation rates. However, lower-income students are less likely to take advantage of these opportunities. With its honoraria, Muhlenberg assessed the most substantial barriers to student participation in these high-impact experiential learning opportunities.
While students cited multiple barriers, Muhlenberg cited the most common obstacle was the lack of effective institutional communication about such opportunities.