OpInform 2015 Applied and Experiential Learning Within SUNY

What is Applied Learning? A  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. Applied and Experiential Learning

Each Year... A  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 service- learning 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

▪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... Internships Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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) Examples of SUNY Internships Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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... Co-Ops Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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 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 Examples of SUNY Co-Ops Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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! Study Abroad Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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! Examples of SUNY Study Abroad Opportunities Applied and Experiential Learning

 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 Living- Learning Communities have research components  SUNY accounts for more than $1 Billion in total research activity Research Applied and Experiential Learning

 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) SUNY Student Research Opportunities Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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 Clinical/Field/Practicum Experiences Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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) ▪ 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) Examples of Clinical/Field/Practicum Experiences Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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 Living Learning Communities Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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) LLC Examples Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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. Community Engagement/Service Applied and Experiential Learning

▪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) Community Engagement/Service Applied and Experiential Learning

Student Panel Applied and Experiential Learning

Questions? Thank You! Applied and Experiential Learning