The certificate in Integrative and Experiential Learning certificate (IEL) is an initiative of The Center for Teaching Excellence and the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning. The program is designed to bring together faculty, instructors, and graduate students interested in exploring ways to help students reflect on and connect what they do within and beyond their curriculum, embrace multiple perspectives, and synthesize and transfer their knowledge to new, complex situations.
Key outcomes for participants include obtaining a deeper understanding of the ideals of integrative and experiential learning as well as developing a toolbox of simple techniques to engage students in reflection on their within and beyond the classroom experiences.
Program Requirements
Faculty, instructors and graduate assistants are required to attend six or more Integrative and Experiential Learning workshops. Participants will be required to attend the Introduction to Integrative and Experiential Learning and Small Changes, High Impact: Practices to Support Integrative Learning workshops and four (4) electives.
Participants will have 2 academic semesters (and the summer) to complete the certificate.
Participants who complete the requirements will receive a digital certificate of completion and a letter of commendation.
Required Workshops Offered Fall 2024
Thursday, September 12, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person
During their time at USC, our undergraduate students enroll in courses, participate
in cocurricular engagements, hold down jobs while preparing themselves for their future
careers, engage with the community, and manage their own personal challenges (AAC&U/Carnegie
Foundation, 2004), but how do they make sense of these varied experiences and realize
how they all interconnect? Integrative learning provides students with strategies
to make connections between these within and beyond the classroom activities to help
them apply their skills to new and complex problems and challenges.
This presentation explores teaching strategies and philosophies that encourage students
to engage in activities beyond the classroom and then have students relate those experiences
to their courses and curriculum. We will review current research and practices on
integrative and experiential learning and how the Center for Integrative and Experiential
Learning supports IL and EL, including the impactful role of our Quality Enhancement
Plan, Experience by Design. Participants will discuss strategies for encouraging students
to reflect and make interdisciplinary connections between their experiences within
and beyond the classroom to promote creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Register
Thursday, October 10, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person
Utilizing integrative learning principles, the presenters will share examples of how high impact practice (HIP) characteristics are incorporated across different disciplines and identify classroom assessment techniques (CATs) that can be applied across a variety of academic settings. Participants will have opportunities to share examples of reflection and integrative learning principles in the design of assignments and appropriate assessment methods for their classroom. Register
Elective Workshops Offered Fall 2024
Thursday, October 3, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person
Undergraduate research creates meaningful experiences that drive student learning
further than theory alone. Multiples studies have demonstrated the importance of research
experiences in helping students in STEM feel connected and engaged with their major
(especially students from underrepresented groups) along with enhanced student outcomes.
However, there's a limited number of labs/research groups and with so many students
searching for research opportunities there's student needs not being met. The use
of a course based undergraduate research experience (CURE) can help alleviate this
undergraduate research bottleneck.
This session will explore the creation, implementation, and delivery of a CURE in
biological sciences. We'll outline how we developed our CURE, recruited our student
scientists, ensured student success, and the products created in one semester that
will stay with our student scientists for a lifetime. Register
Thursday, November 7, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person
Helping students develop the skills for the growing demands of the job market means
teachings students to integrate their work experiences with their educational background.
Often these elements are treated as two distinct experiences, with few connections
drawn between career opportunities and classroom education and skills.
This session will provide participants the opportunity for exploring mechanisms to
connect these experiences through the integration of internship opportunities in classroom
settings. We will focus on exploring potential internship sources for your students,
highlighting skills, theories, and tools that can be developed within the classroom
to compliment these experiences, and helping students to integrate in and out of class
opportunities in clear and concise ways through reflection. Register
Tuesday, November 19, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person
With the launch of Carolina Experience in 2024, a heightened emphasis has been placed
on understanding and supporting the experiences of sophomore, junior, transfer, and
senior student populations through an emphasis on community development and career
readiness. To help in these endeavors, longitudinal qualitative and quantitative data
collected from the Student Success Center has been instrumental in better understanding
these target populations.
What are the common experiences of students in the middle years of college? What are
the biggest challenges they face and what do they most look forward to? How does this
align with the national research on these populations? And most importantly- how can
this information be used to support their overall experience at USC and in support
of student engagement, including experiential learning, and career readiness?
We will go over the assessment findings and what specialized resources are already
in place at USC to support these populations, as well as provide recommendations for
instructors and course-based activities. Finally, we will wrap up this session with
group discussion on suggestions to further support the target populations through
the Carolina Experience, including additional ways for campus stakeholders to get
involved. Register
Grant Opportunities
Faculty and staff who are pursuing the Integrative and Experiential Learning Certificate are encouraged to apply for two grants offered by the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning. In order to promote student engagement beyond the classroom, CIEL offers the Community of Practice grant and the BTC Departmental and Unit grant to enable the development of new and revised programs, as well as collaboration between departments, offices, academic units, and student affairs. Full-time faculty and staff at USC Columbia, and full-time faculty involved in 4-year programs at Palmetto College Campuses are eligible to apply.
How to Earn a Certificate of Completion
- Select a certificate you want to earn.
- Review the required workshops.
- Register for and attend all required workshops within the time frame specified.
- Look for an email from cte@sc.edu with your digital certificate.
How to Check Your Progress
Participants can check their progress online by following the steps below.
- Log into Registration and Tracking System for Workshops and Events using your CTE Training Account credentials.
- Click on the specific learning plan for the certificate of completion program you would like to view. The learning plan button is located on the left-hand side in the menu screen.
- Click “View” to generate a personalized learning plan status report. The report will show the workshops you have taken, and remaining workshop requirements.
The learning plans also provide a status progress update.
- Partial means you have met some of the requirements for a specific certificate of completion program.
- Complete means you have met all the requirements for a specific certificate of completion program.
- Not Started means you have not completed any of the requirements for a specific certificate of completion program.
Completed your certificate?
At the conclusion of each semester, reports are run to determine who has completed each certificate. Digital Certificates will be emailed. If you do not receive your certificate by the middle of the following semester, kindly contact cte@sc.edu for assistance.