ACUE Research Insights
Explore the research that underpins ACUE’s evidence-based practices–comprehensive studies showing measurable improvements in teaching and learning outcomes.
Case Studies
Improved Student Grades
Texas A&M System faculty who completed ACUE certification courses saw students’ average grades rise from 2.69 at baseline to 2.86 the following year, with significantly greater gains than in comparison sections.
Research Reports
The Impact of the ACUE Certification on Student
Outcomes in the Texas A&M University System
March 2025
ACUE certification leads to significant and sustained improvements in student outcomes across the Texas A&M System.
March 2025
The Impact of the ACUE Certification on Student Outcomes in the Texas A&M University System
ACUE certification leads to significant and sustained improvements in student outcomes across the Texas A&M System.
September 2023
Impacts of Faculty Development on Faculty’s Mindsets and Self-Efficacy: Summary of Findings from the ACUE Faculty Mindset Research Project
This paper summarizes our findings from the ACUE Faculty Mindset Research Project, a study on comprehensive faculty development courses developed and offered by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).
March 2023
Positive Average Effect of ACUE-Certified Faculty on Student Course Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis
A meta-analysis of 11 evaluations shows a significant, positive average effect of ACUE certification on students’ academic outcomes.
September 2022
Improving Performance at the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College: The Effect of ACUE Faculty on Passing and DFW Rates
ACUE certification was associated with positive impacts on grades, passing, and DFW rates, with larger impacts for Black and Hispanic/Latino students.
September 2022
Success Factors: Policies & Practices That Inspire Faculty & Strengthen Training
What motivates faculty to engage and persist in professional development offerings to strengthen their teaching? For the past 5 years, ACUE has annually analyzed the institutional, programmatic, and individual characteristics of more than 16,000 faculty across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada as associated with their participation in ACUE certification programs.
August 2022
STUDENT EVALUATIONS OF TEACHING: BEST PRACTICES
This brief explains the growing importance of student evaluations of teaching, outlines best practices to reduce bias and improve clarity, and introduces ACUE’s bias-free survey now used across hundreds of institutions.
February 2022
First Year and Beyond: Higher Retention Rate Among First-Year Students Taught by ACUE Faculty at the University of Southern Mississippi
First-year students who took at least one course taught by an ACUE faculty member were more likely to return to USM in the subsequent academic year.
July 2021
Cumulative Academic Impact of Students Having Multiple Course Experiences With Instructors Who Have Completed One or More ACUE Microcredential Courses
The current study examines the potential for cumulative impacts using a data set of all courses taken between fall 2015 and spring 2020 by the 24,277 students at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) who took at least one course during that time period with an instructor who completed their ACUE credential by summer 2019 or one of the identified match instructors.
July 2021
GATEWAY TO GAINS: Improved Grades, Passing and DFW rates in Gateway Courses Taught by ACUE Faculty at the University of Southern Mississippi
This is the first evaluation to examine the impact of ACUE faculty who take ACUE microcredential courses. We focus on faculty and students at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), which was one of the earliest partnering institutions to offer ACUE microcredential courses to faculty.
July 2021
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Better Subsequent Course Grades and DFW Rates After Taking Gateway Courses With ACUE Faculty at the University of Southern Mississippi
This evaluation found significantly better subsequent course grades and DFW rates for students who took gateway courses with ACUE faculty when compared to students who took gateway courses with non-ACUE faculty.
July 2021
Cumulative Academic Impact of Students Having Multiple Course Experiences With Instructors Who Have Completed One or More ACUE Microcredential Courses
Students have better academic outcomes when they take more courses with ACUE instructors.
March 2021
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Improved Grades in Sections Taught by ACUE Faculty at Purdue University Northwest in the Year After They Earned Their Credential
This evaluation examines the impact of the ACUE course on student course outcomes at Purdue University Northwest (PNW). PNW is a metropolitan university with two campuses in Northwest Indiana. It serves approximately 9,300 undergraduate and graduate students.
October 2021
LASTING IMPACT: IMPROVED GRADES AT TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY
This evaluation examines the impact of the ACUE course on student course outcomes at Texas Woman’s University (TWU), a mid-sized public co-educational university that grants degrees from bachelor’s through doctorates. TWU is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with two additional branch campuses in Dallas and Houston.
September 2020
Faculty Engagement, Learning, and Implementation: 2018-2019 Nationwide Findings
This paper presents nationwide findings on the faculty impact of ACUE’s Course in Effective Teaching Practices using two overlapping samples.
May 2020
ADVANCING ACADEMIC EQUITY AT BROWARD COLLEGE: Improved Course Completion and Passing, Particularly Among Pell-eligible and Black Students
At Broward College, ACUE-credentialed faculty significantly improved student completion and pass rates. These gains narrowed or closed key equity gaps across multiple cohorts, demonstrating ACUE’s impact at a diverse, access-focused institution.
August 2019
STRONG INSTRUCTION,
SUSTAINED: Higher Student Evaluations and Grades at the University of Nevada, Reno
At the University of Nevada, Reno, courses taught by ACUE-credentialed faculty earned higher student evaluation scores over time—improvements not seen in matched courses—and maintained stable grades while comparison sections declined. These findings highlight the lasting impact of ACUE-trained faculty at a large R1 institution.
July 2019
A Study of ACUE Professional Development at Rutgers University-Newark
The evaluation measured impact in terms of faculty learning and implementation of evidence-based instructional practices, as well as student course completion rates, grades, perceptions of classroom practices, and overall impressions of the course and instructor.
May 2019
Better in Texas! Impact of ACUE-Credentialed Faculty on Student Course Completion
This evaluation examines course completion and grades for students taught by ACUE-credentialed faculty compared to matched faculty, before and during the year faculty earned their credential.
Februrary 2019
IMPROVED LEARNING AT DEMOCRACY’S COLLEGE:
Findings from Miami Dade College, Part B
An evaluation at Miami Dade College found that courses taught by faculty earning their ACUE credential showed significant gains in student outcomes. Average course grades rose from 2.84 to 3.03 in a single semester—an improvement not seen in comparison courses.
January 2019
GRADES UP: Quality Teaching at the Heart of Student Success in San Francisco
At City College of San Francisco, courses taught by ACUE-credentialed faculty saw higher average grades and improved student perceptions compared to both matched sections and the prior year.
December 2018
Teaching Makes the Difference: Higher Student Success Rates at Delta State University
Course sections taught by ACUE-credentialed faculty saw higher success rates and lower DFW rates compared to matched sections, alongside notable gains in students’ growth mindset and perceptions of instruction.
February 2018
Connecting the Dots: A Proposed Accountability Method for Evaluating the Efficacy of Faculty Development and Its Impact on Student Outcomes
This paper presents an accountability method developed by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) to evaluate the impact of faculty development on teaching practices and student outcomes.
The Essentials of College Instruction ACUE’s Course in Effective Teaching Practice
A comprehensive bibliography.
Research Team
Elizabeth Lawner, PhD
Senior Director, Research
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Paloma Benavides, PhD
Senior Research Associate
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Sarah V Diehl, L.P.D.
Senior Project Manager
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