Our Guiding Purpose: We are guided by the academic success of all students. Ultimately, the measures of our success are improvements in students’ persistence, achievement, and graduation rates—particularly students who are the first in their families to go to college and those from groups historically under‐served in higher education. 

Dear colleagues and friends,

As many of you know, the challenges facing higher education continue to intensify. Yet in response, we're witnessing remarkable examples of solidarity emerging across institutions. The Big Ten Academic Alliance is creating a "mutual defense compact" to protect academic freedom, while nearly 500 college presidents have joined the AAC&U's "Call for Constructive Engagement" affirming institutional autonomy. Most recently, AAUP chapters nationwide stood together to condemn federal attacks on Columbia University, recognizing that an assault on one institution's academic freedom threatens us all.

These acts of collective resistance remind us that transformation happens when we recognize and amplify each voice in our community. This principle came alive in our recent workshop with Sunshine Campbell. Through examining how our perceptions of competence shape participation, we discovered practical strategies for ensuring equitable groupwork in the classroom. Like the institutional statements of solidarity, these classroom practices affirm our commitment to creating spaces where all members can fully participate and thrive. The full recording in our Slack space reveals practical strategies for 'assigning competence' to ensure all voices contribute to learning.

As we close this academic year with the Drexel University Climate Justice Pedagogy Incubator, we're reminded that justice work requires both immediate action and long-term vision. This workshop bridges us to next year's exciting lineup, where we'll explore trauma-informed pedagogy, teaching Palestine, ethics of AI use, and human-centered meeting design - all tools for creating more just and inclusive learning environments. Each of these opportunities represents another thread in our collective fabric of solidarity and renewal.

In times of challenge, let's remember that sustaining ourselves is not separate from sustaining our movement - it is essential to our continued principled persistence. The strength of our community lies in our willingness to hold space for each other - to step forward when others need rest, to share resources when others face scarcity, and to stand together in principled persistence. In this spirit, we continue creating spaces that honor our shared commitment to improving undergraduate education for all students.

In solidarity,
JuliA Metzker
Director
Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education

The Washington Center was pleased to partner with the Washington Learning Communities Consortium (WLCC) to host the 2025 Integrative Learning Curriculum Planning Retreat at Rainbow Lodge in North Bend, Washington on April 24-25.

Over 44 learning community practitioners attended, representing nine institutions. The gathering featured optional workshops on team teaching, assignment design, and guided pathways balanced with free time for teams to plan and explore the beautiful surroundings. The first day ended with a learning community coordinators meeting followed by a community bonfire.

Teams reported out on progress in the final session, ranging from drafting new assignments to building partnerships around integrated curriculum. 

The WLCC steering committee and the Washington Center staff is already looking ahead and making plans for next year. Stay tuned for dates and details!

Comments from Participants:

I had a wonderful time getting to know my colleagues in a beautiful setting. It was a time for team building and growth in that respect. 

I would say my experience at this retreat was phenomenal even though I could only attend one day. The staff, participants, and session leaders were all welcoming and warm. 

It was relaxing and probably just what I needed at the end of an academic year in April. I understand why it was a "retreat" and not a seminar, workshop, or institute, and I appreciate that and the opportunity it provided now more. 

The work of the Washington Center is only possible through the vibrant community of higher education professionals who collaborate with and support our team in many ways. When we all work together, we can make a difference for student success. If you'd like to learn more about opportunities to contribute, we'd love to hear from you! 

The Washington Center Collaborative is a space for higher education faculty, scholars, practitioners, and administrators to come together and discuss emergent issues of importance to our collective work educating and supporting students. The Collaborative consists of free virtual workshops, a newsletter, and a slack space.

Wednesday, May 28 | 12:30-2 PM ET | 9:30-11 AM PT

Facilitated by Magdalena Maczynska, Drexel University | Casey Hanna, SUNY Binghamton | Cassidy Joyce, Drexel Univeristy

[REGISTER]

Meet the faculty-student team behind the Drexel University Climate Justice Pedagogy Incubator: a transdisciplinary learning community designed to foster relationships, resource-sharing, and collaborations around climate justice education. We empower faculty with the knowledge, connections, and cultural humility needed to develop responsive and reciprocal environmentally focused classrooms, courses, and curricula that contribute meaningfully to community- engaged climate justice education initiatives.