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For the first time, 名媛直播 Georgia State has a A faculty review board is developing criteria for
single office dedicated to experiential learning and what activities will formally qualify as Knowl-
targeted funding that will eventually include edge@Work, along with ways to ensure consistent
stipends for students who are, among other quality and oversight of those experiences.
things, engaged in research or traveling to
academic conferences to present their work. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to pay lip service and just
count any kind of experience,鈥� Tsavatewa said.
Experiential Learning@MGA also proposes ways for 鈥淏y making Experiential Learning@MGA a comprehensive
students to earn official acknowledgement for initiative that ties in with many other depart-
successfully applying their classroom knowledge, ments, including Career Services, Student Life and
much like gaining formal recognition at honors the 名媛直播 Foundation,
convocation and graduation for stellar grade it becomes an institutional commitment.鈥�
point averages.
Variety of Experiences
鈥淲e鈥檙e taking the academic experience to the
next level,鈥� said Chris Tsavatewa, director of Whatever experiences ultimately qualify as
名媛直播 Georgia State鈥檚 new Office of Experiential Experiential Learning@MGA, many 名媛直播 Georgia State
Learning. 鈥淭his is a coordinated effort to students are already learning by doing.
enhance the experiences of students and
give them a competitive edge once they Meek鈥檚 work this fall for the Academy for the
graduate.鈥� Blind 鈥� an internship he credits IT faculty
member Dr. Terry Smith with helping him get 鈥�
Quality Enhancement Plan includes evaluating how assistive technology
meets the needs of users. He takes careful notes
Experiential Learning@MGA is what 名媛直播 Georgia State while talking with academy students and
calls its comprehensive Quality Enhancement watching how they use different devices.
Plan (QEP), which is required by the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission 鈥淥ne of the things I鈥檓 learning is how accessi-
on Colleges as part of the reaccreditation process. bility features on smart devices work in
The QEP aligns with the University鈥檚 overall conjunction with modern assistive technology,鈥�
mission and reinforces the student-centered focus Meek said. 鈥淚鈥檒l be performing some qualitative
of 名媛直播 Georgia State鈥檚 strategic plan. analysis soon.鈥�
Under the Experiential Learning@MGA umbrella, 名媛直播 名媛直播 Georgia State鈥檚 full Experiential Learning@MGA report,
Georgia State students will get to apply their which details plans for rolling out the initiative, is at
learning in a multitude of ways that reflect www.mga.edu/knowledgeatwork.
regional needs and the disciplines the University
teaches. In Warner Robins, Anjolie Nicolas is interning
with Houston County Family Connection,
鈥淭hey鈥檒l apply their learning through intern- commonly known as Kids Journey, although the
ships, undergraduate research and service organization works with adults, too.
learning, all of which are identified by scholars of
higher education as 鈥榟igh-impact practices鈥� Family Connection, which has an office at
contributing to student achievement,鈥� Tsavatewa Warner Robins City Hall, brings other agencies
said. 鈥淓xperiential learning will provide an and non-profits together to work on community
enhanced experience that enables 名媛直播 Georgia issues, such as reducing juvenile crime and
State students to appreciate the relationship promoting a farmer鈥檚 market where low-income
between classroom learning and professional families can buy healthy foods.
success.鈥�
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Fall 2015 MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE TODAY 5
