Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
A postsecondary Professional Learning Community (PLC) brings together a cross-functional group of educators (i.e., faculty, student affairs practitioners, academic affairs practitioners, central affairs administrators), to learn in community, imagine ways to improve practice, and implement change efforts. PASS PLCs seek to create spaces where educators can explore the concept of ecological validation and strategize ways to bolster support to at-promise students.
On this page, you’ll find resources for running PLCs in higher education settings and explore lessons learned through our collaboration with our University of Nebraska practitioner partners.
Webinars
This webinar features key findings from our three-year study involving professional learning communities (PLCs) designed to support at-promise students in postsecondary settings. Of particular interest, three University of Nebraska PLC participants join us to discuss their experiences and share lessons learned during the experience.
Articles
Creating systemic culture change and solving vexing problems on campus: The promise of professional learning communities in higher education.
Kezar, A., Corwin, Z.B, Hallett, R.E, Hypolite, L., & Nagbe, M. (2022).
Ongoing challenges in higher education require innovative thinking, but we have few structures in place to support learning to address these challenges. While we have standing groups (e.g., committees and councils) and episodic groups (e.g., task forces), few groups focus on learning together to improve practice across the campus. One exception is faculty learning communities, which are becoming more common as a way for instructors to come together and read about a pedagogical strategy, such as active learning, and work collectively to alter their approach to teaching.
Moving toward institutional culture change in higher education: An exploration into cross-functional professional learning communities
Kezar, A., Hallett, R. E., Corwin, Z. B. & Hypolite, L. (2024).
This article explores the implementation of cross-functional professional learning communities (PLCs) involving faculty, staff and administrators at three different institutional types – research, urban regional, and rural regional universities – with the goal of learning about and then implementing a culture change approach to support academic and psychosocial success for historically marginalized student groups. The action research-based study explores the research question: Do cross-functional PLCs help support institution-wide culture change? And if so, how?
Professional learning communities and culture change in higher education: Facilitators to learning ecological validation to support historically marginalized students.
Kezar, A., Hallett, R. E., Corwin, Z. B., Hypolite, L. I., Nagbe, M. N. (2025).
In this article, we explore how three campuses implemented professional learning communities (PLCs) in order to create institutional change in support of culture change (toward ecological validation) to support at-promise student success. The study explores the process of learning within the PLCs, examines facilitators of learning ecological validation, and discusses the viability of PLCs as a vehicle to undergo such learning in support of institutional culture change. The findings identify six conditions that support learning within PLCs in higher education settings aimed at culture change and these are distinctive from findings in the K-12 literature on PLCs.
Developing Shared Leadership Within Professional Learning Communities for Transformational Change Aimed at At-promise Student Success
Briefs
Ecological Validation
Considering college students as “at-promise.”
This brief advocates for using a strengths-based "at-promise" approach to describe and support marginalized students in higher education, moving away from deficit-oriented "at-risk" terminology. It highlights the dual focus of recognizing students' potential and institutional responsibility to remove barriers while fostering equitable and inclusive environments for success.
Who is an educator on your campus?
This brief redefines the role of an educator on college campuses, emphasizing that all faculty, staff, and administrators contribute to student learning and success. It advocates for a student-centered approach to interactions, policies, and practices, promoting collaboration and systemic cultural change to address students' multifaceted needs effectively.
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
Cross functional professional learning communities in higher education.
This brief provides an overview of how PLCs can be used in higher education. We discuss the origin of PLCs and compare them to other improvement processes in the higher education field. We then explain what a cross functional PLC is and why postsecondary institutions may benefit from using them. We end with some guiding questions to help campus stakeholders decide if this approach would be useful for your campus.
Ecological validation coordinating groups: Key processes related to campus-wide culture change.
This brief outlines key processes for Ecological Validation (EV) Coordinating Groups to drive campus-wide cultural change that improves outcomes for at-promise students. It emphasizes strategies like mapping student experiences, developing professional development initiatives, and fostering sustainable leadership networks to embed EV principles across institutional practices.
Developing Shared Leadership Within Professional Learning Communities for Transformational Change Aimed at At-promise Student Success
Activities
Creating a constellation of student support using ecological validation.
This activity brief outlines a step-by-step process for creating a "constellation of student support" using ecological validation principles to address systemic challenges in higher education. It emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, leveraging existing resources, and centering student success through proactive, holistic, and identity-conscious approaches.
Developing a summit or professional development event.
This activity brief offers a guide for planning summits or professional development events focused on promoting ecological validation and systemic cultural change in higher education. It includes strategies for defining event goals, engaging cross-functional participants, fostering collaboration, and utilizing data to measure impact and inform future efforts.
Improving communications to at-promise students: A validating approach-activity.
This activity brief provides an approach for helping institutions and programs rethink how to communicate essential information and engage students meaningfully. The activities are intended to stimulate educators to think about how they communicate with at-promise students.
Developing Shared Leadership Within Professional Learning Communities for Transformational Change Aimed at At-promise Student Success
Tools for Reflection
Assessing campus culture through an ecological validation lens.
This tool provides a framework for assessing the integration of ecological validation (EV) into campus cultures to support at-promise students. It offers tools and metrics for evaluating progress in areas such as outreach, cross-functional collaboration, leadership engagement, data use, and reflective practices, emphasizing the importance of sustainable, systemic change at institutional levels.
Reflection tool – Sustaining the work of the coordinating group.
This tool provides a framework for evaluating the ongoing impact of ecological validation efforts on campus culture. It guides the development of reports and presentations to campus leadership, highlights accomplishments, shares challenges, and outlines next steps for sustaining work on at-promise student support through continued learning, resource alignment, and engagement with institutional leadership.
Ecological validation reflection tool – Unit level.
This tool provides a framework on your individual approach to enacting the norms of ecological validation. It guides engagement with your colleagues within your professional unit. It also initiates and track progress made towards incorporating an ecological validation approach into your unit’s work.
Ecological validation reflection tool for educators – Individual level.
This tool uses guiding questions for individuals to reflect on how ecological validation informs your current approach to supporting students. It identifies a few steps you can take to strengthen your approach to supporting and centering students in your
individual practice.