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Providing Valuable Experience Engaging in Relevant and
Through Experiential Learning@MGA Applied Research

The topic selected for our Southern Association of Colleges and When most people think university, they think research. Universities
Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Quality Enhancement Plan have long been the places where bright minds test their hypotheses to
(QEP) - experiential learning - aligns with our mission and reinforces find viable explanations for why our lives are as they are and to propose
the student-centered focus of the University. solutions aimed at improving our quality of life.

Titled Experiential Learning@MGA, the QEP offers students experiential As a state university, we value a broad spectrum of scholarly
learning opportunities reflecting the diversity of the students and activities, from basic research to applying practical knowledge to the
communities we serve, the disciplines we teach, and the needs of issues facing our community. While many of our researchers are more
our region. These include internships, undergraduate research, apt to be collaborating with area employers than they are to be tucked
and service learning. away in labs wearing white coats, Middle Georgia State values faculty
contributions ranging from artistic composition to the scholarship of
In our first year as a university, more First year participation teaching and learning.
than 450 students earned experiential
learning credit and we hosted our first 452 We are currently home to four research centers or institutes—each
Undergraduate Research Showcase. focused on an area in which we either have unique expertise and
students capabilities or where our region has a pressing need.
Among the students presenting
research at that showcase was Elizabeth 106 INTERNSHIPS The Center for Applied Research and Education (CARE) in
Cody Johnson, now a senior majoring in 215 RESEARCH PROJECTS our College of Arts & Sciences, providing grant evaluations, needs
New Media and Communications. After 131 SERVICE PROJECTS assessments, and satisfaction research
the spring showcase, Johnson submit-
ted her research on student blogging to The Institute for Applied Aerospace Research in our School of
the ACP, the world’s largest and oldest Aviation, fabricating hardware for NASA’s James Web Space
national membership organization for Telescope and authorized by the FAA to operate
college student journalists. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Her proposal was accepted, giving The Center for Economic Analysis (CEA) in our School of
her the opportunity to present her Business, providing insight on economic and business trends
research this fall in a 50-minute
breakout session at the ACP National The Center for Cybersecurity Education and Applied Research
Convention in Washington, D.C., (CCEAR) in our School of Information Technology, providing
which featured notables such as education and research in information assurance, computer
Edward Snowden, Donna Brazille, Bob network security, digital forensics, cryptography, risk assessment
Woodward, and Jose Antonio Vargas. and mitigation, disaster recovery, security regulations and
Johnson’s experience exemplifies the compliance, and information security management
kind of thinking Experiential Learning@MGA is
designed to foster in our students.

New Media and Communications
major Elizabeth Cody Johnson