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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Exploration & Application Project and more are on their second or third cycle.
And faculty are beaming with pride as more of our
Beyond the Classroom students from across disciplines are attending and
presenting at local, regional, and national undergrad-
Prof. Chris Tsavatewa uate research conferences. During the 2018-19 ac-
ademic year, 655 students walked across the stage
More than four years ago, Experiential Learning@ with the “experiential learning graduate designation,”
MGA was developed by MGA’s faculty, staff, students, a 358% increase from the first year’s total of 143 stu-
and external stakeholders as part of MGA’s accred- dents. Most impressive has been the adoption behav-
itation and reaffirmation process with the Southern ior of students and responsiveness of departments in
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on crafting opportunities. Since the launch of the QEP
Colleges (SACSCOC). we have had 1637 students graduate with either the
silver, gold, or platinum designation.
Over the years, through the assistance of a dedi-
cated office, EL Liaisons, academic advisors, faculty, • 901 of those are silver (participating in 1 high-impact
and staff, Experiential Learning@MGA’s high impact practice)
practices and funding have strategically shaped ef- • 408 of those are gold (participating in 2 high-impact
forts to build the most meaningful educational expe- practices)
riences possible for all students, in all disciplines, on • 328 of those are platinum (participating in 3 or more
all campuses. What started out as a tagline--“explora- high-impact practices)
tion and application beyond the classroom”--has be- Our efforts have set us up well as MGA transitions
come one of the most significant academic endeav- over the next year into a more sophisticated tracking
ors at MGA, transforming students perspective, their process in alignment with USG’s new data collection
career trajectories, and our shared communities. protocol for high impact practices and prepares us for
institutionalization through a future embedded certi-
Experiential Learning@MGA has strengthened fication.
student learning and engagement by increasing par-
ticipation in an array of experiential learning oppor-
tunities. This spring, we crossed over a milestone in
our efforts, with our 4,000th student earning experi-
ential learning credit. Experiential learning opportu-
nities such as Knights Impact, the DC Cyber Securi-
ty Seminar, Knight Writers, TeamSTEPPS®, the Unity
CARE Center ty with severe mental illness and criminal charges.
Working on an independent research project
Prof. Courtney Stavely
through the CARE center, an MGA student ana-
The Center for Applied Research and Education lyzed the situation of homelessness in Macon-Bibb
(CARE) has used the expertise of faculty and staff as and compiled a paper which includes photos, in-
well as the passion and diligence of our students to terviews, and a map that pinpoints where various
help drive growth and greatness in our community. homeless people are staying in our community.
Over the past 18 months the CARE cen- The CARE center worked with Daybreak Center to
ter has worked on 10 projects within the region. assist in the creation and analysis of a survey (adminis-
These partnerships have involved over 30 stu- tered by Daybreak) of participants. Over 100 homeless
dents and six faculty members in communi- individuals in our community were given the survey one
ty-based, applied research projects. Some of the on one. Data was analyzed and given back to the center
CARE center’s major projects include the following: so that they might improve on the services provided.
In partnership with the Bibb County Sheriff’s of- Five students from MGA participated in the bian-
fice, the CARE center has helped to provide data nual Point In Time Count with the Macon Homeless Co-
related to the identification and treatment of men- alition. This event is a nationwide initiative to obtain a
tal illness in the local jail. The center has also been census of homeless people in the USA. Students admin-
working with the sheriff’s office to aggregate and istered brief surveys to the homeless in our community.
analyze data related to violent crime, gun crime,
and repeat offenders in the Macon-Bibb area. Finally, the CARE center is assisting in the ef-
forts of the Macon Area Habitat for Humanity in
In conjunction with the mental health ac- plans to revitalize the Pleasant Hill neighborhood
countability courts in Macon-Bibb, the CARE cen- in Macon. Students are administering surveys of
ter helped gather and analyze data and write the property in that area, leading focus groups,
the narrative for a grant which would allow the and helping to analyze the data. These efforts will
courts to serve more people in the communi- help Habitat for Humanity strategize their efforts.
Academic Affairs Annual Report 2019 | Middle Georgia State University 47
