Pedagogical Interest Groups (PIGs)
Institution:
Indiana University Northwest
State:
Indiana
Academic Level:
Baccalaureate
Issue Area:
Retention
Program Focus:
Faculty Training, First Year Support
Key Personnel:
Mark Hoyert
Contact Info:
mhoyert@iu.edu | 219.980.6731
Overview
Indiana University Northwest (IU Northwest) is a comprehensive state university committed to serving its diverse student body, which is made up of nearly 30% Latine and 20% African-American students. As a Hispanic-Serving and Minority-Serving Institution, IU Northwest launched Pedagogical Interest Groups (PIGs) to address institutional achievement gaps. These evolving faculty and staff communities of practice explore pedagogical and curricular literature to find techniques relevant to their student body, particularly Latine students. By analyzing and implementing modern, evidence-based and culturally-informed pedagogies, faculty enhance their teaching practices. The ultimate goal is for Latine, and all, students to master course content, earn higher grades, and achieve higher retention and graduation rates.
Program Description
The first Pedagogical Interest Group at IU Northwest met in January 2016 to improve student success, addressing a 21.2% graduation rate for Latine students. At that time, many Latine students faced high DFW rates and nearly half left within the first year. PIGs identified and implemented effective pedagogies and procedures, introducing summer bridge programs, first-year seminars, cohort models, and redesigned curricula. These efforts targeted the struggles of Latine students, leading to improved learning, grades, retention, and graduation rates. As interventions revealed deeper insights into student needs, they were integrated into the curricula. Consequently, IU Northwest evolved from an Emerging HSI with 17% Latine students in 2015 to having 28% Latine students as their experiences and retention improved.
Outcome
Indiana University Northwest found that students in the PIGs program achieve higher retention and graduation rates compared to the all student rates. The program's focus on faculty development and culturally responsive teaching practices significantly improves academic outcomes for Latine students. Currently, the PIGs program serves 30% Latine students.
Retention Rates: From 2015 to 2022, the retention rate of Latine students from the first year to the second year increased from 61.6% to 75.8%, while the overall retention rate increased from 64.6% to 68.1%.
Graduation Rates: The six-year graduation rate for Latine students increased from 21.2% in 2015 to 38.4% in the most recent cohort. The overall six-year graduation rate increased from 21.5% to 37.9% during the same period.
Course Success Rates: In redesigned courses, Latine students' DFW rates decreased from 35.5% in 2015 to 27.7% in 2023, and the mean GPA increased from 2.20 to 2.57. For all students, the DFW rate decreased from 31.6% to 25.6%, and the mean GPA increased from 2.41 to 2.65.
