Applied and
Experiential
Learning Within
SUNY
OpInform 2015
Applied and Experiential Learning
What is Applied Learning?
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Applied Learning refers to a hands-on, “real world”
approach where students learn by doing.
 It is SUNY’s goal to give every student the opportunity
to partake in at least one Applied Learning experience
before they graduate.
 Includes internships and cooperative educational
placements (co-ops), clinical placements, service and
civic engagements, study abroad, student research,
living-learning communities, and more.
 Many SUNYs have organized these opportunities
under one “umbrella” on campus, such as Potsdam’s
new Center for Applied Learning.
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Applied and Experiential Learning
Each Year...
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Over 20,000 SUNY students take part in clinical
placements
21,000 students engage in internships
1,740 students participate in co-ops
30,000 students are involved in a formal servicelearning program for credit, while tens of thousands
are involved in community service and other volunteer
opportunities
Thousands of students take part in research activities
Applied and Experiential Learning
Internships
▪ On-campus, off-campus; in the college community or
the student’s hometown, or around the world!
▪ During the school year or during breaks
▪ For-credit and sometimes paid
▪ Students who do internships...improve problem-solving
skills, improve classroom performance, have higher
retention rates, increase self-confidence, persist in their
studies, earn more money in their chosen field...
Applied and Experiential Learning
Examples of SUNY Internships
▪ Child Talent and Production intern at Sesame Street
(Fredonia)
▪ Criminal investigation internship with Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (Canton)
▪ Wine marketing internship in “Finger Lakes Wine
Country” (Tompkins Cortland CC)
▪ Sports Management internship with Staten Island
Yankees (Farmingdale)
▪ NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratories) (Oswego)
▪ Ernst & Young (Albany)
Applied and Experiential Learning
Co-Ops
▪ Professional experience as an employee during
undergraduate program
▪ Paid experience, usually same length or often longer
than the academic semester
▪ Earn income that does not count against federal
financial aid
▪ Students who do co-ops...graduate with less debt, often
receive job offers from co-op employer, earn higher
salary than non-co-op students, have confidence their
degree is relevant in current job market...
Applied and Experiential Learning
Examples of SUNY Co-Ops
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Security Mutual Life Insurance Company (Broome CC)
Welch-Allyn and Wegmans (Oswego)
IBM (Plattsburgh)
Big 4 Accounting Firms
SEAS Experiential Learning Program for Engineering Students
(University at Buffalo)
▪ In the 2012-2013 academic year, the following SUNYs offered
co-ops: SUNY Cobleskill, Columbia-Greene CC, Erie CC,
Monroe CC, SUNY Oswego, Stony Brook University, SUNY
Plattsburgh, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Fulton-Montgomery
CC, Jamestown CC, Suffolk County CC, Morrisville State,
University at Buffalo
Applied and Experiential Learning
Study Abroad
▪ College-sponsored travel to destinations around the world
▪ Innovative programs to fit any schedule & budget: academic
year, semester-long, winter or summer break, or one to two
week programs!
▪ Pay SUNY tuition; room and board typically similar or
sometimes less than your home campus; program fees vary.
▪ Over 1,000 programs SUNY-wide in over 60 different
countries.
▪ National Student Exchange – Study away in the U.S.!
▪ Students that study abroad...gain a new, global perspective,
make life-long memories, earn higher GPAs, get jobs at a
higher rate, see the world!
Applied and Experiential Learning
Examples of SUNY Study Abroad Opportunities
▪ Coral reef and biology study abroad program in
Honduras (Purchase)
▪ Everything from Agriculture to Technology Education at
University of Queensland in Australia (Various SUNYs)
▪ Marine biology in the Bahamas (Brockport)
▪ Three-week course in Prague, Berlin and Netherlands
(Geneseo)
▪ Two-week program to hike the Inca Trail to Machu
Picchu, Peru (Oswego)
▪ Semester programs in Argentina, China, France, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Mexico at various colleges…too many to
list! And any SUNY student can study abroad through
any other SUNY program!
Applied and Experiential Learning
Research
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Research can include actual research with faculty, field
experience, and entrepreneurial ventures
Increased collaboration throughout SUNY campuses
for faculty, student, and industry experts
Encourages students to explore an area of interest
with a faculty member or research specific class
Many Honors Colleges/Programs or certain LivingLearning Communities have research components
SUNY accounts for more than $1 Billion in total
research activity
Applied and Experiential Learning
SUNY Student Research Opportunities
Endangered fishes program (Cobleskill)
 Undergraduate Research Office (Buffalo State)
 Weather patterns between tropics and the U.S. (Albany)
 Small Business Development Center (Corning CC)
 Geological trips abroad (Geneseo)
 Student and faculty grants for research activity (Oneonta)
 DNA discovery (Plattsburgh)
 Coral reef research in Honduras (Purchase)
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Applied and Experiential Learning
Clinical/Field/Practicum Experiences
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Applying classroom theory in real world settings
Often are required, for credit, and/or built directly into program
May involve applying and/or being accepted to a placement site
Enables students to:
‒ Gain Vital Work Experience
‒ Develop Professional Contacts
‒ Enhance Resume While Studying
‒ Practice Skill Sets
▪ Currently 20,000 SUNY students enrolled in clinical placements
Applied and Experiential Learning
Examples of Clinical/Field/Practicum Experiences
▪ House Building Project for Applied Tech Majors (Alfred State)
▪ Simulation and Practice Center for Nursing (Binghamton)
▪ U.S. Coast Guard Licensing and On-Campus Training Ship
(Maritime)
▪ Controlled Environment Center for Renewable Energy,
Aquaculture, and Horticulture Students (Morrisville)
▪ 120-240 Hours of Required Public Justice Field Work
(Oswego)
▪ 1st Semester Classroom Experience and After School Program
(Plattsburgh)
▪ Organic Farm and 17,000 Square Foot Culinary Center Supporting
Four Majors (Tompkins Cortland CC)
Applied and Experiential Learning
Living Learning Communities
▪ LLC’s create intentional links between academics, living
on campus, and extracurricular interests
▪ Many benefits including:
Living with students who share similar interests
Convenient, natural study groups
Targeted academic enrichment
▪ The more experiences students share with their peers
and faculty, the more satisfied students are with the
college experience and the better they perform in their
academics
Applied and Experiential Learning
LLC Examples
▪ Yellow Ribbon LLC available to first-year veterans, family
member of current military personnel, and ROTC (Brockport)
▪ World of Fitness and Well-Being – focus on balancing
academic success with a healthy active lifestyle; coursework,
activities, and community services focus on exercise, nutrition
and the cultural forces that shape our understanding of work
and food (Albany)
▪ Veterinary Science Living and Learning Environment –
students live with resident assistants and peer mentors who
are in the same major; access to a peer mentor room stocked
with additional resources and participation in related trips
and activities (Delhi)
Applied and Experiential Learning
Community Engagement/Service
▪ Each campus within the State University of New York makes
many diverse contributions to its nearby region. When these
contributions are gathered together, we are better able to
appreciate the enormous impact of SUNY on each of our
communities.
▪ The multitude of community engagement and service
opportunities help students to identify what they are most
passionate about and translate that passion into action.
Action creates leaders, equipped to make a positive
difference in the world.
▪ Community Engagement and Service includes volunteerism,
community projects, cultural immersion,
advocacy, and political involvement.
Applied and Experiential Learning
Community Engagement/Service
▪ Annual Days of Service (UB, Oneonta)
▪ Weekly Community Soup Kitchens (Canton)
▪ Hurricane Sandy Relief trips/projects (Delhi, Binghamton,
Ulster CC)
▪ Annual Relay for Life events (Fredonia)
▪ Habitat for Humanity (Rockland CC)
▪ CALL – Community Action Learning and Leadership Program is
a first-year experience requiring 50 hours of community
service (Old Westbury)
▪ Community Service Peer Leader Program (Buffalo State)
▪ Centers for increasing opportunity and awareness for Civic
Engagement (Cortland, Alfred)
Applied and Experiential Learning
Student Panel
Applied and Experiential Learning
Thank You!
Questions?