Relationship-Rich Education
Relationships with and among students improves their learning, skill development, sense of belonging, graduation rates and helps to reduce barriers for marginalized or overwhelmed students. This webpage shares Peter Felten’s work on the positive impact of relationships in higher education, as well as practical strategies and Carleton-specific resources for instructors.
In this video, Felten introduces relationship-rich education:
What is Relationship-Rich Education?
Felten and Lambert’s work emphasizes the positive impact of relationships in higher education between and among students, staff and instructors. Even (and especially) time-pressed instructors with large classes can foster meaningful relationships and interactions, resulting in powerful and long-lasting effects for students.
The four guiding principles of relationship-rich education are:
- All students must experience genuine welcome and deep care.
- Relationships are a powerful means to inspire all students to learn.
- All students must develop webs of significant relationships.
- All students need meaningful relationships to help them—and to challenge them—to explore the big questions of their lives.
Why is Relationship-Rich Education Important?
We are all connected and what we do matters. Every student deserves to experience powerful human interactions; these can ignite a ‘fire of passion’ about specific topics, disciplines and their own capabilities.
Why is it important to put conscious attention on relationships within higher education?
Meaningful relationships in higher education can also enhance the four teaching and learning directions in Carleton’s Future of Teaching and Learning initiative: empowering, collaborative, flexible and sustainable.
Peer-to-peer, student-faculty and student-staff relationships facilitate a sense of belonging for all involved, deepen students’ learning and leadership abilities, improve retention and graduation rates, and help students to develop important skills such as critical thinking and communication skills.
Encouraging significant relationships in education helps to reduce barriers for marginalized or overwhelmed students, and to introduce new and first-generation students to university traditions, ‘codes’, expectations and culture. (Felten & Lambert, 2020, p. 5)
Meet Peter Felten, PhD: Peter brought his expertise to Carleton as a Fulbright Canada Distinguished Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in 2022-23, and co-authored Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College with Leo M. Lambert.
He is a professor of history, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning and assistant provost for teaching and learning at Elon University. Peter has written extensively about undergraduate education, including six books, and has served as president of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL).