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For the first time, Middle 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. “We’re not going to pay lip service and just
count any kind of experience,” Tsavatewa said.
Experiential Learning@MGA also proposes ways for “By 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 Middle Georgia State University Foundation,
convocation and graduation for stellar grade it becomes an institutional commitment.”
point averages.
Variety of Experiences
“We’re taking the academic experience to the
next level,” said Chris Tsavatewa, director of Whatever experiences ultimately qualify as
Middle Georgia State’s new Office of Experiential Experiential Learning@MGA, many Middle Georgia State
Learning. “This 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’s work this fall for the Academy for the
graduate.” Blind – an internship he credits IT faculty
member Dr. Terry Smith with helping him get –
Quality Enhancement Plan includes evaluating how assistive technology
meets the needs of users. He takes careful notes
Experiential Learning@MGA is what Middle 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 “One of the things I’m 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’s overall conjunction with modern assistive technology,”
mission and reinforces the student-centered focus Meek said. “I’ll be performing some qualitative
of Middle Georgia State’s strategic plan. analysis soon.”
Under the Experiential Learning@MGA umbrella, Middle Middle Georgia State’s 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,
“They’ll 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 ‘high-impact practices’ Family Connection, which has an office at
contributing to student achievement,” Tsavatewa Warner Robins City Hall, brings other agencies
said. “Experiential learning will provide an and non-profits together to work on community
enhanced experience that enables Middle Georgia issues, such as reducing juvenile crime and
State students to appreciate the relationship promoting a farmer’s market where low-income
between classroom learning and professional families can buy healthy foods.
success.”
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Fall 2015 MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE TODAY 5
