Communities of Practice

The SSTAR Lab team seeks to engage the broader campus community in regular dialogue on important topics in higher education. In the lab's early stages, we hosted topic-based conversations on the "First Friday" of select months, using current literature, research, or online discourse to guide the discussion. The latest iteration of this work transforms these efforts to elevate professional development and ongoing learning among colleagues through communities of practice.

What is a Community of Practice?

Communities of practice (CoP) bring colleagues together around common interests to work toward a shared goal of learning. A CoP is not a committee, working group, or task force! Rather, a CoP includes educators and practitioners in higher education who come together to leverage each other's expertise, exchange knowledge and ideas, and serve as interdependent resources to strengthen their professional practice.

Interested in learning more about CoPs?

Wenger, E. (2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems.Organization, 7(2), 225-246.
Wenger-Trayner, E., & Wenger-Trayner, B. (2015). An introduction to communities of practice: A brief overview of the concept and its uses.https://www.wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/

Spring 2026 Community of Practice

Measuring Impact: How Data Tells a Story

This CoP is designed for higher education professionals who want to strengthen their assessment and data-informed decision-making skills. Participants will learn to navigate and interpret institutional and student data, apply practical approaches to evaluate programs and initiatives, and connect their daily work to broader retention goals. The CoP will demystify data analysis in an accessible, supportive environment so staff can build confidence and ownership in their unit’s assessment efforts.