|
|
 |
Overview The Office of Experiential Learning, in Undergraduate Studies, instructs and promotes applied learning courses, facilitates the development of quality experiential learning courses through collaboration with and training for faculty campus-wide, and partners with employers and community partners locally, nationally and internationally to help them access talented students and assist in the educational process. Each year, over 20,000 students at UCF participate in experiential learning in co-op, internships, and service-learning courses. This participation assists students to gain practical experience and apply what they learn to real-world problems, learning outcomes identified by the Association of American College and Universities as essential for graduate success. Experiential Learning collaborates with academic and student development departments on campus to provide integrated programs so that all constituencies can benefit from participation. With this approach, the academic and development needs of students, the instructional and research needs of faculty, and the workforce competency needs of employers can all be met. Our ultimate educational goal is to ensure that all students have access to and include experiential learning courses in their academic programs to gain the relevant academic and professional skills they need to be work-ready and engaged citizens upon graduation. Experiential Learning has been supported by UCF since the opening of the university in 1968. The department began as a small co-op program and over many years has become accredited and one of the largest and most diverse programs in the country. In 1995, the department began supporting internships as well and in 2003 added service-learning to create a comprehensive, centralized department to promote and facilitate quality experiential learning courses at UCF. The Office of Experiential Learning at UCF has been recognized for excellence by the National Society for Experiential Education, receiving their “Program of the Year” award for innovation, institutional commitment, quality, and collaboration. The department also contributed to UCF’s overall recognition for engagement, winning the “Engaged Campus Award” from Florida Campus Compact and gaining the Carnegie Foundation designations for both “Curricular Engagement” and “Outreach and Partnerships” in 2008. Continuing support and growth for experiential learning is consistent with this overarching emphasis on partnerships and engagement that has been an essential part of the culture of the university since its inception. Read Next:
|
|
|||||
 |
|||||
|