Relationships matter: Moving relationship-rich experiences from the periphery to the center of undergraduate education

Wednesday 3 July: Conference day one, 9:30am – 10:30am keynote

Venue

Presenter

Professor Peter Felten
Executive Director of the Center for Engaged Learning, Elon University

Overview

Decades of research documents the transformative power of relationship-rich learning and teaching in higher education. However, many students – including, in my national context, ‘new majority’ students in the United States – do not routinely experience educationally meaningful relationships with peers and academic staff. Drawing on nearly four hundred interviews with students and academic staff at U.S. universities and colleges, this interactive session will explore the primary factors that enable deep relational learning for students in diverse contexts. We will consider how pedagogical practices, institutional programs, and ‘mentoring moments’ can make our institutions into places of ‘relentless welcome’, deep learning, and whanaungatanga for all of our students.

Presentation topic

Keynote