Summaries from the Third Stakeholder Conference
Field Experiences/Internships/Mentoring
GCSU will be acknowledged as a national leader in enriching classroom learning through the field experiences, internships and coaching and mentoring opportunities that it provides for students.
Table 1 response: Develop professional versatility and ability to apply to the local, regional and global community.
1. Describe how this pillar builds upon existing institutional strengths and traditions.
- Business – interns (Disney, Robins – Co-op)
- Education
- GEM Program
- Service learning
- Music education
- Student teaching
- Internship music therapy
- Nursing
- Study Abroad
- Many programs campus-wide currently engage in these at some levels
- GEM
- GIVE Center activities
- SOAR - Central to a liberal arts education (saying=doing=action=growth)
- Some of these programs have brought significant recognition to the university and its mission (expertise from within=variety of program areas)
- Experiential transcripts
- GEM and other collaborative networks
- Study abroad
- The GIVE Center
- Undergraduate research
- Creative activities
- Performance
- Presentation
- Publication
- Internships
- Career Centers
2. What would we do to nurture this pillar so that it would enhance the quality and depth of the students' total collegiate learning experience here?
- Require uncommon implementation
- Develop relations with "suppliers" (school systems, businesses)
- University career office
- Offer a suite of programs (e.g. GEM, Cohort in education)
- Activities are learning-outcome based (teams, leadership)
- Encourage widespread buy-in across university
- Faculty – workloads, P&T (recognize field-based work)
- "Sell" importance to students
- Quality control
- Faculty development
- Program level flexibility
- Systems for assessment and accountability
- Internal and external benchmarking - Marketing
- Involvement and incentives (student, faculty and sponsors)
- Building internal and external relationships
- Find a new name for this group of activities (packaging)
- Resource needs (human, fiscal)
- Inventory existing programs, quality features, etc. Sharing
- Buy-in/Incentives
- Graduation requirements
- Funding
- Procedure training
3. What potential does this pillar have for bringing external recognition as an exemplary feature of the learning experience?
- Key issue: Integration – not simply subject-area knowledge
- Diversity – people skills
- Leadership – communication skills
- International experience - Makes our students more competitive
- We must demonstrate impact
- Career and interpersonal
- Public service
- Who am I?
- What can I do?
- What can I give back? - NONE style, accountability, quality and integrity, faculty buy-in
- Reputation building = contributes to existing claims – e.g.,. faculty-student ratios
- Potential to draw on the attractions of other pillars (glue)
- Exposure to external audiences (the chain reaction)
- Distinction among other liberal arts institutions
- Attraction to students and parents
- Impact on the larger community
- "Upon graduation our students are experienced in their disciplines, civically engaged and employable?"
Proposed Pillars of Distinction
