Engaged Learning: Beyond the Classroom

1. Engaged Learning: Beyond the Classroom Creating knowledge through experiential learning activities.

2. SMU’s QEP • Vision: SMU Students will build on their formal classroom education through participation in experiential learning activities. • Mission: SMU's QEP will provide opportunities for students by designing and providing an institutional framework to foster experiential learning opportunities through which students will utilize, test, and build on their formal classroom education.

3. SMU’s QEP Focus • All SMU undergraduate students will be encouraged (required) to participate in an approved Experiential Learning activity prior to graduation.

4. SMU’s QEP Student Outcomes Each student participating in an Experiential Learning activity will: • Evaluate questions relevant to global (outside SMU) issues • Enhance his understanding of community engagement and advocacy. Here community refers to any subset of the population outside the SMU community. • Acquire real world experience with researchers, clinicians, practitioners, organizations and/or businesses. • Through a curricular or co-curricular experiential learning activity, participate in and/or develop interdisciplinary projects that connect schools and link faculty, staff and students to the DFW area or the broader world.

5. EL @ SMU - Implementation • Assumptions: • Student must be willing. • Student must reflect on the experience. • Activity must require reflective analysis at end. • Implementation must be flexible, adaptable, and allow any type of experience. • Each activity must meet certain standards. • Activity must be overseen by faculty/mentor.

6. EL Activity Definition • Location: • Where: Outside SMU premises • How many hours: ???? • Hours: • Total activity hours including on campus and off. • Equivalent to one course?? • Reflective Component: • Follow AAE (http://www.aee.org/ ) • Interaction with mentor?

7. Implementation Components • Personnel: • EL Director • EL Advisory Board • EL Community Partners • EL Mentors • Processes: • EL Grants Program • EL Activity Approval Process • SMU Research Day • SMU EL Publication • EL Awards • EL Curricular Components • Faculty Incentives

8. EL Director • In charge of all EL activities. • Reports to Provost. • Credentials: • Terminal degree + Experience • Hire Spring 2011 • EL Director may have a faculty member assistant – on leave from a department to assist and serve as mentor for some activities.

9. EL Director Startup Activities • Define requirements for EL project – time/reflective component • Define credentials for mentors • Define process to approve new EL projects/courses • Define process for approving EL participation by student • Define requirements for departmental distinction • Define faculty incentives package • Develop approaches for annual EL recognition including annual undergraduate research day with awards for students • Define EL grants program process

10. EL Director Ongoing Activities • Approve credential of mentors • Each semester: • Receive/review/approve EL special projects requests • Each Spring semester: • Oversee Research Day • Oversee Publication • Determine Awards • Work with UC Board to approve new EL courses • Work with Advisory Board • Word with Community Partners

11. EL Mentors • Any faculty member (tenure track, non-tenure track, research, full time, part time, adjunct, …) automatically qualifies as mentor. • Need not be faculty member • Graduate student may serve as mentor • Requirements for mentor must be well defined. • Each project MUST have a mentor to oversee it. • Mentors must be approved by EL Director

12. EL Grants Program • Modeled after programs at both BYU and Franklin & Marshall College • Faculty, staff, and students can apply to obtain funding to implement an EL activity. • The activity must be approved in the process. • Provide matching funds to external undergraduate research grants

13. EL Activity Approval Process • Students, faculty, staff can apply for a new activity at least one semester prior to the activity. • Ongoing • One Time • Any curricular activities approved by the UC would be automatically included if they meet the requirements.