Creating Sense of Community: Engaging Every Student Through Connection and Conversation

Mott Community College’s innovator led a collegewide initiative to transform traditional office hours into inclusive, student-centered engagement spaces that foster connection, belonging, and academic success. Through her community of practice, she introduced strategies that reimagine office hours as proactive engagement opportunities rather than reactive academic support. Her approach emphasizes creating welcoming environments, incorporating informal elements such as refreshments, and encouraging authentic conversation between faculty and students. Faculty participants collaboratively assessed current practices, developed new engagement strategies, and implemented actionable plans to increase student participation. This innovation has scaled across the institution, inspiring faculty to adopt flexible in-person and virtual formats, rebrand office hours, and integrate mentorship and career conversations. The result is a cultural shift toward deeper student-faculty relationships, increased utilization of support resources, and improved student retention and success.

Innovator

• Beth Thompson, Chair, Nursing