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/

Fall 2026 Community of Practice

Cultivating “the Will and the Way” - Applications of Hope Theory in Higher Education

This CoP is designed for higher education professionals who want to deepen their use of evidence-based practices and explore how research can inform their work. Participants will examine C. R. Snyder’s Hope Theory as a research-based framework for helping individuals clarify meaningful goals, develop multiple pathways to achieve those goals, and sustain the motivation to keep moving forward. Through discussion, reflection, and shared learning, participants will identify practical applications of hope theory across advising, student success initiatives, curriculum design, and other educational settings. We will explore how intentionally cultivating hope can improve student success, persistence, and well-being while also strengthening our own professional practice and personal growth.