Engaged
Learning on
Campus
SMU’s Working QEP
The purpose of Engaged Learning: Beyond the
Classroom is to expand educational
opportunities in which students acquire or
deepen knowledge and competencies through
structured volunteer, research, and/or
internship experiences
Timeline
Phase II
2009
9
10
11
2010
12
Account Planning:
Research for
potential QEP
topics
1
2
3
4
Account Planning:
Explore current
examples of
Engaged Learning
5
6
7
8
9
10
Campaigns:
How to roll out
the QEP
11
12
Objectives
•
•
•
•
Explore current practices in engaged learning
Identify best practices and potential hurdles
Capture perspectives
Fulfill Learning Outcomes of ADV 4393 course
Methodologies
• Secondary Research
– Fall 2009 Account Planning Class
– Examples from other schools:
• Syracuse University
• University of Houston
• Rice University
• Primary Research
– Phases I - IV
Groups Studied
• Volunteer Programs
• Internships
• Undergraduate Research
Volunteer Programs
• Create leaders & active citizens
• Community engagement, initiatives, & global
projects
• Helps to develop the student both in and out
of the classroom
Volunteer Programs
Engineers Without Borders
–
–
–
Student volunteer organization
Open to all majors, not just Engineers
travel to developing countries to help improve
infrastructure deficiencies
Volunteer Programs
Engineers Without Borders
What’s Working?
•
•
Exposes students to socioeconomic conditions different from their
own experiences
Teach students to define and solve problems
Implications for QEP
•
•
Enlightens world view beyond affluent U.S.
Enables more critical perspective of global events portrayed by
media
Volunteer Programs
The Center for Academic Community Engagement (ACE)
•
•
•
Understand course material by working in the community and placing
in context
Expose students to ideas and situations not they have not
experienced
Live in ACE House for a year in and tutor children in poor area of
Dallas
What’s Working?
•
•
•
Volunteer group focuses on socially involved knowledge
Provides understanding about social issues faced by Dallas, the
region, and nation
Promotes teaching, knowledge, research, and develop sense of
“public good” in classroom
Volunteer Programs
Leadership and Community Involvement
•
•
SPARC: participation & community involvement &
ongoing service activities
LEAD: leadership education, activities, and
development
What’s Working?
•
•
•
Volunteer group focuses on socially involved knowledge
Provides understanding about social issues faced by
Dallas, the region, and nation
Promotes teaching, knowledge, research, and develop
sense of “public good” in classroom
Volunteer Programs
Implications for QEP
•
Engenders selflessness and sense of “the Greater Good”
•
Framing through academic studies provides social and
historical context for experiences
•
Graduates are more grounded
•
More aware of social responsibility to their community
and the world
Internship Programs
All of the internship programs strive to provide
students with real-life work experience to help
them apply what they are learning class to the
outside world and vice versa.
Internship Programs
Dedman Internships:
• Students can get credit if their internship relates
to their major
• Students observe how the professional world
connects to the classroom
• Students are able to gain valuable work
experience before graduation
• See how their major can be used in the future
Internship Programs
Engineering Internships
• Lyle School of Engineering Co-op Program began 1925
• 5-year program & offers eighteen months of work
experience.
• Allows students to build resumes & gain real experience
while still being in college.
• Program Goal: “to get you exposure and experience so you
can figure out what you want and don’t want to do when
you graduate.”
Internship Programs
Marketing Internships
• Program is still under development
• 100 hours of work time in one semester
• Counts for 1 Pass/Fail credit hour
• Must be related to marketing curriculum
• Expected to be around 25 internships when program is
fully established
• Wants to be as cohesive and prestigious as the Engineering
Internship program
Internship Programs
What’s Working?
• Allow students to gain practical industry experience
• Place students in their field of study
• Provides students with competitive advantage and beginnings
of a network
Implications for QEP
• Augment academic degrees with hands-on practical
experience
• Graduates are better prepared for the workplace
• Improves chances of landing jobs
Undergraduate Research
• Assistant Director in the Office of Leadership and
Community Development (Member of the QEP
Committee)
• Senior Lecturer and Director of the Center for
Academic Community Engagement
Undergraduate Research
ACE Fellowship Program
• (4) $2,500 annual Fellowships
• Funded by SMU
• The only research program (currently) tied to Social
Responsibility
What’s Working?
• Opportunity for deep exploration of subject matter
• Real social issues within a research framework
• Funding from SMU
What’s Not Working?
• Lack of resources/Lack of Funding
• Poor Communications
Hurdles for Implementing the QEP
• Skepticism:
– Doubtful of possibility of actual change
• Commitment from Top
– Need administration’s visible commitment for QEP to
work
• Provincialism
– Must demonstrate how the QEP will help everyone
Communication Priorities
Awareness and Assimilation of the QEP Message
• Constituents will accept the QEP linearly, similar to the purchase
funnel in marketing:
• Become aware of the QEP
– What is the acronym Q.E.P. stand for?
– What is it? (SMU’s SACS accreditation process)
– What is SMU’s specific QEP?
• Believe in it
– Why should they believe it’s true? (see next section)
• Actively support it
– Initiate positive viral communications, orally and through social media
– Take personal action to further the goals of Engaged Learning
Key Messaging
• Importance of QEP to SMU’s accreditation
• A considerable amount of SMU’s energy and resources
will be dedicated to this mission over the next 10 years
• This is a priority for the Administration, Staff and Faculty
at the University, and will continue to be so for the next
decade
• The QEP will benefit everyone at SMU
• Demonstrate to faculty how it will add value to them
individually and how they are critical in making this
happen
Getting the Word Out
• Engaged Learning provides unique
opportunities for students to receive a wellrounded education as well as valuable life
experiences that can be leveraged in the job
market.
Timeline
Phase III
2009
9
10
11
2010
12
Account Planning:
Research for
potential QEP
topics
1
2
3
4
Account Planning:
Explore current
examples of
Engaged Learning
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Campaigns:
How to roll out
the QEP
12