Student Engagement

Engagement occurs when students translate and apply their learning within and beyond the classroom into transformative experiences and practices that impact their professional and personal lives. For example, Student Engagement can occur in the following learning experiences:

  • Original and collaborative advanced laboratory and field research;

  • Creative performances, artistic endeavors, and productions;

  • Internships and externships;

  • Practicums and preceptorships;

  • Study abroad experiences;

  • Service learning projects--community-based activities to address critical needs; and,

  • Student-centered co-curricular activities that build on classroom learning.

Students may complete more than one engagement experience by registering for a course or non-credit experience that has a different Engagement Activity and Competency. There is no limit on the number of student engagement courses or non-credit experiences that a student may take.

Core Outcomes of an Engaged Learning Experience

Student engagement courses or non-credit experiences are distinguished from other learning experiences by the fact that they focus on the following:

  1. Engagement Activities--develop professional and personal skills. Each engagement experience must focus on one of the following: community partnership, creative expression, discovery, entrepreneurship, intercultural exploration, leadership, or professional development.

  2. Engagement Competencies--are the lenses through which students focus their Activity to develop an appreciation for and an understanding of that area. Each engagement experience must focus on one of the following: civic and community responsibility, diversity and identity, global and intercultural comprehension, innovation and creativity, inter-disciplinarity, professionalism, or sustainability.

  3. Engagement Professional & Personal Skills--are outcomes that can be assessed in relation to any engaged learning experience. Examples include reflection and application (required of all engagement experiences), communication, collaboration/teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, project management, academic and non-academic career preparedness. Other skills may be identified by the student's department or college.

A credit-based or non-credit curricular engaged learning experience must focus on one Activity and one Competency. In addition, it is recommended that each experience contributes to the development of specific professional and personal skills.

Graduating with an Engaged Learning Experience

To graduate with an "Engaged Learning Experience" notation on the academic transcript, students must successfully complete (1) at least one credit-based engagement course at the 300 or 400-level, or (2) a non-credit engagement experience that has been approved by the University Office of Student Engagement. Note: If the upper division course is assigned a regular grade, the student must achieve a C grade or higher to graduate with this notation.

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