Resolution on the Definitions of Applied and Engaged Learning at The College at Brockport, State University of New York:
WHEREAS The College at Brockport has a rich academic tradition of engaging students in higher education through long-established and newly-identified high impact pedagogical practices, including both curricular and co-curricular applied learning activities; and
WHEREAS the College recognizes Engagement as one of its core values, fundamental to its mission; and
WHEREAS the new College Strategic Plan, “Building a Better Brockport,” demonstrates our commitment to excellence in Student learning and life experience, partly cultivated through engaged and high impact learning practices, and increasingly concerted and transformative Community Engagement, as two of our four strategic goals; and
WHEREAS the new College Strategic Operational Plan defines institutional strategies and measures for continued development of pedagogical excellence, purposeful collaboration across departments and divisions within the College and between the College and local, regional/state, national and global communities, for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources; and
WHEREAS the College recognizes that community engagement, including applied learning, offers this public institution the opportunity to contribute to the public good by combining the resources of the College with those of other public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity, enhance curriculum, teaching and learning, prepare educated and engaged citizens, strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility, and address critical societal concerns; and
WHEREAS the College has devoted significant resources to recent College-wide internal and external research, reporting, coordination, and communication around applied and other engaged learning opportunities (through such initiatives as the Institute for Engaged Learning, the Engaged Learning Steering Committee and its Subcommittees on Service Learning, Internships, and Research and Creative Activity, the Provost’s Strategic Planning Taskforce on Experiential Learning, the President’s Strategic Planning Subcommittee on Engagement, and so forth); and
WHEREAS this research has resulted in recognition of the need for more coordinated cross-divisional collaboration and support, resources, reporting, and recognition for engaged and applied learning efforts across the College; and
WHEREAS this coordination is contingent on more coherent College-wide definitions, policies, and procedures for the implementation of engaged and applied learning; and
WHEREAS the subsequent SUNY University Faculty Senate Resolution on the Implementation of Applied Learning , passed on October 22, 2016, recognizes that “the SUNY Applied learning initiative requires each campus to determine which applied learning experiences are approved based on the SUNY Applied Learning criteria, and whether or not applied learning will be a graduation requirement,” and “recommends to campus governance bodies that each campus develop and adopt policies to ensure that:
- Academic faculty retain responsibility for the curriculum, for assessing student learning outcomes, and for assigning grades in applied learning activities as for other degree requirements;
- The campus-level determination of what meets the applied learning mandate be made through the normal campus and governance curricular processes; and
- The certification of an activity or course as meeting the applied learning requirement also follows the normal campus and governance curricular processes,” and “asks the Chancellor to direct Presidents and Chief Academic Officers to ensure that faculty governance processes are followed in the consideration and approval of all these applied learning activities; ” and
WHEREAS the Final Report of the Provost’s Strategic Planning Taskforce on Experiential Learning, referring to extensive and expanding scholarship on “experiential,” “engaged,” “applied” and “high impact” learning, thus, concluded that “all credit-bearing, approved applied learning experiences that are either optional or required for a degree program at The College at Brockport are required to have faculty oversight regardless of what administrative office manages the activity;”
BE IT RESOLVED that the College Senate, representing faculty and professional staff directly involved in engaged and applied learning efforts at the College, endorses the following definitions of Engaged and Applied Student Learning Opportunities including Service Learning, Civic Engagement, Community Service, Creative Works, Research, Directed and Independent Study, Entrepreneurship, Practicums, Field Study, Internships, Clinical Placements, Formal Leadership Experiences, Teaching Assistantships, and Student Employment, aligning these definitions with the State University of New York’s Applied Learning definitions of SUNY Discovers, SUNY Works, and SUNY Serves:
Engaged Learning is a mechanism by which we can develop meaningful educational experiences that are high impact in that they increase a student’s chance for success. Often, but not always directly associated with one’s academic major, the skills learned are transferable to many aspects of life, including civic responsibility, global awareness and career readiness. The following definitions of specific Engaged and Applied Learning opportunities for students at Brockport are aligned with the SUNY Applied Learning Initiative (https://www.suny.edu/applied-learning/). Whereas Engaged Student Learning may incorporate some or all of the appended “High Impact Practices,” in order to be approved as Applied Learning, the activity must adhere to the applied learning criteria outlined by SUNY’s Applied Learning Committee:
- that the activity is structured, intentional and authentic,
- that the activity requires preparation, orientation and training,
- that there will be monitoring and opportunity for continuous improvement,
- that reflection is embedded in the activity, and 5) that the activity be accompanied by assessment and evaluation.
Whereas all approved Applied Learning activities are instances of Engaged Learning, Engaged Learning Activities that lack one or more of the learning criteria outlined by SUNY’s Applied Learning Committee (for instance, the embedded student reflection on the experience), do not constitute SUNY-approved Applied Learning Activities.
Service Learning (SUNY Serves)
A credit-bearing education strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience and strengthen communities.
Civic Engagement (SUNY Serves)
A teaching and learning focus on educating students as global citizens. Classes or programs include meaningful civic education and activities for social good. Classes and programs have components of reflection and engagement. Civic engagement is a subset of service learning activities and many campuses lump them together in offices of service learning and civic engagement.
Community Service (SUNY Serves)
Volunteerism and community service performed by students for community benefit. This service can be, but is not necessarily integrated with a particular program of study. This may include structured projects (days of service), smaller group projects, fund-raising events, or individual volunteerism, which is acknowledged by the campus. We have an Office for Community Development that coordinates service activities. MyBrockport, a co-curricular transcript software, is currently being used to track student service hours.
Creative Works (SUNY Discovers)
A capstone, senior project, performance, or other creative work that occurs as a culminating experience for a student in an accredited class or program. Performances, writings, art and other experiences may fit this category of applied learning at Brockport.
Research (SUNY Discovers)
Mentored, self-directed work that enables students to make an original, intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline by exploring an issue of interest to them and communicating the results to others.
Undergraduate Research (SUNY Discovers)
An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline. A reason why this is listed separate from “research” is because SUNY will also be monitoring graduate-level research activities.
Entrepreneurship (program, class, project) (SUNY Discovers)
Students in an entrepreneurship program develop a broad-based entrepreneurial skill relevant to any organization start-up, established, and for and non-for-profit agency, organization, community or industry. Entrepreneurship involves consistently thinking and acting in ways designed to uncover new opportunities that are then applied to provide value.
Practicum (SUNY Discovers)
A period of practical experience undertaken in academic, professional or community settings/agencies/organizations as part of an academic course. This approach is grounded in application and practice of theoretical /technical concepts skills and cultural competency relevant to the course or to a profession. At Brockport, when we think of practicum, the education program immediately comes to mind. Practicums are field experiences that allow a student to observe and document how working professionals perform their job duties, with students participating “to a limited extent” under the supervision of faculty or site-staff. Shadowing experiences would be a great example.
Field Study (SUNY Discovers)
Collection of information outside of an experimental or lab setting. This type of data collection is most often conducted in natural settings or environments and can be designed in a variety of ways for various disciplines. May be mentored, self-directed work or comprise a full-course. The projects include inquiry, design, intervention, discovery and application.
International and Domestic Travel/Exchange (SUNY Discovers)
An instructional program delivered in either an overseas location or domestic location. Often the program is delivered as a semester-long or intercession sequence of courses, the content of which is enhanced by the location of instruction, by distinctive historic or cultural features available in the location, or by a unique approach to the subject matter that is specific to the locale. Exchanges are often conducted by individual students traveling independently to a location that has been pre-approved by their home institution, and where they determine their specific course of study in collaboration with home and host institution faculty. While we have an education abroad office, we do not have a “home” for domestic study.
Internship - Credit-Bearing/Non-Credit Bearing (SUNY Works)
A form of applied or experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in professional or community settings. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers/community partners the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent. At The College at Brockport, credit-bearing internships are offered both by departments and Career Services. Eagle Connect is currently being used to connect students with opportunities.
Clinical Placements (SUNY Works)
Students rotate through a variety of health care agencies with faculty supervision on the health care field process, with individual patients or groups reflecting diverse settings, across the lifespan. Emphasis is on mastering theoretical concepts, improving skill competency, and developing clinical reasoning skills with a focus on evidence-based practice. At Brockport, several majors require clinical experiences, and for some, this is regulated by accrediting bodies. There tends to be strict regulations on number of hours spent. Great care is spent in identifying new clinical placement partners.
Formal Leadership Experience (SUNY Works)
In 2010, the University Faculty Senate published a report on best practices in student leadership, and Brockport’s Leadership Development Program was listed as one of the model programs. The model programs adhered to the Council for Advancement of Higher Education Standards (CAS) for leadership programs. There is a potential for other types of leadership experiences (through clubs & organization and student government leadership, peer mentoring, resident assistant experiences) to be counted here if the current leadership development model can be scaled in a manner that provides opportunities for growth and reflection on the part of students.
Teaching Assistants (SUNY Works)
Teaching Assistants may be considered a Practicum based on the above definitions.
Student Employment (SUNY Works)
On-campus student employees benefit developmentally and academically from their engagement in the work of the College. Student employees receive formal and informal training that facilitates competency development in a number of areas including communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership. Over 2,300 College at Brockport students hold on-campus employment positions each year, earning over 2.9 million dollars collectively. Additionally, on-campus employment at The College at Brockport provides opportunities for mentoring, career exploration, and community engagement. The student employee program could provide a meaningful engaged learning experience with additional training of supervisors and a shift in how the purpose of the work engaged in is envisioned.
Directed/Independent Study (SUNY Discovers/Works/Serves)
May be construed as any of the above subtypes of engaged learning activities. The Honors College specifically lists this as an engaged learning experience that they track as a requirement.