New Issue of ELTHE Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ELTHE), a peer-reviewed journal of the Society for Experiential Education, offers open access to research, commentary, and reflective scholarship that advances experiential learning across higher education contexts.

All ELTHE issues are available free to read online. Readers can explore the current issue and past volumes at https://journals.calstate.edu/elthe.

The December 2025 issue brings together contributions that examine access, mentorship, scale, and purpose in experiential learning. Across varied institutional contexts, the authors engage questions about how experiential learning is designed, supported, and sustained with integrity.

In This Issue

High-Impact Practices in the First Year Access and Quality for Underserved Students | Kevin Wenger

This study examines who participates in high-impact practices during the first year of college and who does not. Drawing on national survey data, the article explores barriers in access for underserved students and considers how experiences of quality differ when participation occurs.

Structure Matters Mentored Research Experiences and Their Impact on Black Students in STEM | Kawana Johnson

Focusing on undergraduate research in STEM, this article explores how structured mentorship shapes Black students’ sense of belonging and professional identity. The findings highlight the role of intentional design in supporting persistence within environments where representation may be limited.

More is Better the Association of Multiple Experiential Learning Courses and Graduation Rate Among College Students | Anita Carol Swayze, Jim K. Rost, Janet McCormick 

This quantitative study investigates the relationship between participation in multiple experiential learning courses and student graduation outcomes. The authors contribute evidence relevant to ongoing conversations about scale, sustainability, and institutional commitment.

Raising the Stakes Consequential Learning Practices in College Communication Courses | Robert Stevenson, Graham H. Duncan

This extended conference abstract examines consequential learning practices that place students in authentic community contexts. The authors invite readers to reconsider assessment, feedback, and stakes in experiential course design.

Calling for New Scholarly Inquiry the Imperative for Research on Faith-Based Approaches to Experiential Learning | Patrick M. Green

This piece explores experiential learning within faith-based higher education contexts, drawing on long-standing practice at his Jesuit institution and its influence on how experiential learning is designed and delivered there. The author proposes a set of principles and calls for deeper scholarly inquiry into how mission, values, and experiential learning intersect.

From the Editor

As this issue comes to a close, Editor Amy Cicchino invites readers to reflect on the questions that shape the current conversation in experiential learning:

• How do we ensure access to experiential learning for all students?
• What kinds of mentorship and feedback encourage belonging and persistence?
• How do we scale experiential learning without losing impact and integrity?

These questions surface across the articles in this issue and point toward areas for continued inquiry and practice.

In her Editor’s Note, Amy Cicchino encourages readers to engage these contributions as part of an ongoing scholarly conversation. Rather than offering definitive answers, the issue opens space to think carefully about how experiential learning is designed, supported, and sustained across institutional contexts.

ELTHE remains a shared space for scholars and practitioners to think together about experiential learning across disciplines, roles, and institutional contexts.

Readers interested in contributing to future issues can learn more about upcoming calls for proposals on the ELTHE website, including submission timelines and guidelines for authors. Past issues of the journal are also freely available, offering a growing archive of scholarship that reflects the evolution of experiential learning in higher education. 

Explore current and past issues and find information about upcoming calls at https://journals.calstate.edu/elthe.