Boucher attends COSSA Advocacy Day

Dr. Kathryn Boucher, associate professor in the College of Applied Behavioral Sciences, recently attended the second annual Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA)’s Social Science Advocacy Day.

The day spanned all of the social and behavioral sciences and included more than 60 academics/subject-matter experts from over 20 states to discuss ways that their fields can help the country recovery from the pandemic as well as how to tackle other major societal issues the country is grappling with.

Boucher, representing her discipline of social and personality psychology, was invited to attend the event after writing an impact vignette regarding how psychologically-attuned teaching practices can help reduce equity gaps:

Equity gaps in retention and graduation rates occur for first generation college students, students of color, and students with high financial stress. Social psychological research demonstrates that how students experience the classroom environment relates to their academic performance and persistence. When faculty utilize teaching practices that communicate their belief that all students can succeed and that they care about students’ belonging, students feel supported, trust their instructors, and are not worried about being treated as a stereotype. Attenuating equity gaps in students’ experiences can help more students continue through to graduation.

During the event, Boucher and a colleague from Notre Dame met with representatives from government across Indiana including Rep. Walorski and Senators Mike Braun and Todd Young.

Read more about the event HERE.