EXPERIENCE

cenTer FOr experienTiAL LeArninG IMPACT REPORT 20122013

Center for Experiential Learning Mission:

Advancing Loyolas Jesuit Catholic mission of expanding knowledge in the service of humanity, the Center for Experiential Learning collaborates with campus, community, and employer partners to promote, develop, and implement academic experiential learning through teaching, research, and service.

experience noun | ik-'spir-- n(t)s |

1) the process of Loyola students gaining knowledge through direct participation in service-learning, academic internships, undergraduate research, or building ePortfolios; 2) practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from participation in experiential learning; 3) something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through

CONTENTS
Service-Learning Academic Internships Community Partnerships Student Engagement in Chicago ePortfolio Program Undergraduate Research Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium Experiential Learning Faculty Fellows 23 45 67 89 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17

SERVICELEARNING

2,369
Enrolled students in 92 classes Service-learning classes taught by faculty instructors from 28 academic schools/departments.

114

444

Students efforts benefited

community organizations/projects city- (and world-) wide.

123,252
hours of volunteer service

Students contributed approx.

65%

of 2012 graduates took at least 1 service-learning course during their time at Loyola

LEARNING MORE, DOING GOOd

Service-learning classes enable students to learn better while doing real good in Chicago and beyond. The CEL facilitates the delivery of these classes in many ways, supporting community partners who engage Loyola students in relevant volunteerism, projects, and advocacy, and working with faculty to help students critically reflect on their experiences in light of course content. 87% of students report that this synthesis of community engagement and applied learning helped them better understand their course content and build critical interpersonal and professional skills, while 444 community organizations felt the impact of over 120,000 hours of volunteer support. I think of solidarity as a unity between people all over the world understanding that all people are connected as members of one human race, valuing all people because of this connection, and standing in solidarity with each other to protect this unity.
H a N N ah H el B ert, 2013 (Winner, 2013 Social Justice Photo Contest)

Up until this point I did not really understand Loyolas mantra expressing a transformative education, this class allowed that to resonate with me greatly. I really do feel as if my life has been transformed.
A N T H 3 0 1 stu D e N t , F all 2 0 1 2

AC A d E m I C INTERNSHIPS
Offered

Summer 2012: 57 Fall 2012: 58 | Spring 2013: 69

184

classes

Engaged

Being involved with the 48th Ward Aldermans Office allowed me an inside view into how city government works and the complexities of working within this system for environmental change. As the Environmental Projects Intern, I answered constituent questions about environmental topics and did research on urban sustainability. I also assisted in the planning, marketing and outreach of several events including the Clean and Green Volunteer Day. This internship allowed me to cultivate and strengthen my leadership and communication skills as well as build strong connections.
AshleY LuNgreeN, 13, Major: ENViroNmeNtal StuDies MiNors: PsYchologY, Music

1,244 553

students

Partnered with

for-profit, non-profit, and governmental agencies

312,202 44%

hours of work experience gained

of the Class of 2012 completed an academic internship during their four years at Loyola.

BuIldING PROFESSIONAl SKIllS

of students report their academic internship class enhanced connections between academic knowledge and their experience in a professional setting.

93%

Academic internships allow students to engage in a professional experience at an organization while developing skills and learning about a field or industry. Students may participate in academic internships through their major, or in a general internship course sponsored by the Center for Experiential Learning. By participating in an internship while taking an academic internship class, students explore their field of study, clarify their desired professional goals, and develop new skills for the competitive workplace. (Academic internships) are a necessary and worthwhile experience. To be able to take classroom theory and use it in the real world as well as to take professional processes and use them in class has been a great learning experience. S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 AC A d E m I C I N T E R N S H I P S T ud E N T

ACAdEmIC INTERNSHIP SITES 2012-2013

For Profit: 285 Non-Profit: 639

1073
Total
Government: 149

Unpaid: 914

18% 82%

Paid: 201

CO mmu N I T Y PA R T N E R S H I P S

SOCIAl JuSTICE INTERNSHIP GRANT PROGRAm:

The Center for Experiential Learning hosts the Social Justice Internship Grant Program, a year-long, 300 hour academic internship with two of Chicagos largest non-profits, Catholic Charities and Misericordia. Students engage in their work, explore career possibilities, and delve into the meanings of social justice and community leadership. During the 2012-2013 school year, I was a Social Work Intern at Misericordia Heart of Mercys Social Services Department. By observing and interacting with professional social workers and direct support staff, the values of responsibility, integrity, and social justice will definitely stay with me into my next placement.
W Y N N Cougli N rece N tlY complete D her i N ter N ship

SHAPING TOmORROwS lEAdERS

Loyolas community partners educate, mentor, and provide students meaningful experiences throughout Chicago and beyond. Non-profits, government offices, and businesses want to be a part of shaping tomorrows leaders. They host our students as interns, researchers, and service-learners, giving them insights into the social realities that affect each of us. Loyola students are invited to learn by doing.
of community partners surveyed indicated that teaching students about critical public issues and advancing character development were primary motivators for partnering with Loyola University Chicago.

60%

It is through the personal bonds that the students develop with the refugee families that I hope they will examine the greater systemic injustices facing these people and search for solutions to them. In my role as their service coordinator, I strive to help students learn.
Patric K C urra N , with C atholic C harities of C hicago s R efugee R esettleme N t P rogram

Number of external organizations Loyola students served/interned:

800

68

Number of Loyola offices/departments students served/interned:

S T ud E N T E N G AG E m E N T I N C H I C AG O

19 students worked with troubled youth as service-interns with Childrens Home + Aid of Illinois Rice Center 58 marketing students developed research surveys for Autism Speaks

EXPERIENTIAl LEARNING 2012-2013

Internship Sites
40 or more students 1-2 students

27 service-learning students and 5 interns helped developmentally disabled residents of Misericordia achieve their goals

Service-Internship Sites
40 or more students 1-2 students 22 service-learning students and 3 interns helped clients escape poverty at LIFT-Chicago

Service-Learning Sites
40 or more students 1-2 students

Chicago Boundary

9 service-learning students and 3 serviceinterns helped provide free medical care at CommunityHealth 40 service-intern nursing students worked with patients at the Loyola Center for Health in Oakbrook Terrace

4 students interned with Cosmopolitan Magazine

38 students service-interns did health screenings for veterans at the Hines VA Medical Center

48 service-learning EMTs-in-training volunteered with Ambulance Transportation

Source: LOCUS data 2012-2013; ESRI ArcGIS online topographic data, 2013. Map prepared by Chris Skrable

ePORTFOlIO PROGRAm

35

First and Second Year Advisor Colleen Opal reviews Loyola Mascot LU Wolfs 4-Year ePortfolio

distinct academic and co-curricular courses/programs utilized ePortfolios to faciliate intentional learning, reflection, assessment, and professional development

Engaged

6,498
students

2,068 50

first-year students started building a 4-Year Loyola Experience ePortfolio

Engaged faculty/staff members from 20 different departments in a 12-week ePortfolio professional development program

ePortfolios created by students outside of a course or program requirement

1,420

FACIlITATING LEARNING ANd REFlECTION

Loyolas ePortfolio Program is a developmental, pedagogical, integrative approach to facilitating student learning, reflection, assessment, and professional development. In 2012-13, 2,068 first-year students started the process of creating a Loyola Experience ePortfolio in the UNIV 101: First Year Seminar. This 4-year ePortfolio provides a pathway for students to collect, reflect, select, and project evidence of academic and co-curricular learning gained across academic coursework, service, internships, research, employment, study abroad, campus/community engagement, and leadership experiences. Loyola students also have the opportunity to build ePortfolios in 34 other academic courses/majors and cocurricular programs. Later, they can transform these academic ePortfolios into career portfolios, which will differentiate them during their professional search or graduate application process.

44,398

academic artifacts* uploaded to course or program-based ePortfolios

*An artifact is a piece of evidence included in an ePortfolio that demonstrates skills, abilities, values, competencies, or knowledge.

The process of creating an ePortfolio has allowed me to reflect and synthesize my experiences during my four years at Loyola. By arranging the various articles and writing about the different opportunities Ive had, it has made me think more intentionally about both my future and my time here.
T Y ler H ough , 1 4 , M ajor : P olitical S cie N ce , M i N or : Busi N ess A D mi N istratio N ,

11

U N d E R G R A duAT E RESEARCH

153 13

undergraduates conducted mentored research as LUROP Fellows, supported by 187 LUROP Fellowships (some students won two awards)

distinct LUROP Fellowship Programs, adding a 14th in 2013-2014

21

distinct departments, schools, or centers represented by LUROP research

increase in LUROP Fellowship applications for 2013-2014

67%

85 98%

LUROP Mentors 67 Faculty | 18 Doctoral Students

uNdERSTANdING THE wORld THROuGH RESEARCH

The Loyola Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (LUROP) includes funded fellowships for mentored research, guides to external research opportunities, travel grants for conference presentations, workshops on research and presentation skills, and a symposium for students to present their research.

of LUROP Fellow survey respondents agreed that they benefitted from their relationship with their primary mentor

23
NumbER OF LUROP FEllOwS bY PROGRAm

students applied to present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), and all 23 were accepted and presented

This research opportunity not only helped me shape my future plans for graduate school. This experience exemplifies the transformative education that Loyola stands for, where people are prepared to better understand the world through research and better understand themselves through self-reflection. Melissa Orozco, an RMP and Provost Fellow, conducted research with mentor Dr. Tracy DeHart (Psychology); presented her research on narcissism and relationships at national, regional, and local conferences; won a McNair Summer Research Fellowship; and will soon apply to graduate programs.

187

Total

5 Biology Research Fellows 12 Biology Summer Research Fellows 8 Carbon Fellows 4 Carroll and Adelaide Johnson Scholars 11 Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) Fellows 4 Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy (CUERP) Fellows 49 Mulcahy Scholars 61 Provost Fellows 18 Research Mentoring Program Fellows 6 Ricci Scholars 2 Rudis Fellows 3 Joan and Bill Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage Research Fellows 4 Women in Science Enabling Research (WISER) Fellows

13

U N d E R G R A duAT E RESEARCH ANd E N G AG E m E N T S Ym P O S I um

311 213

student presenters and presentations at 2013 symposium Research Poster: 150

Paul Wadsworth (Carbon Fellow) explains his chemistry research on enzyme engineering at the Loyola Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium.

Presentations
Oral*: 43
*

213

Research and/ or Community Engagement Projects

Community Engagement Forum: 20

94%

increase in the number of presenters from previous year

of survey respondents agreed that participating in the symposium contributed positively to their academic learning experience at Loyola

94%

95%

DEmONSTRATING LEARNING

of survey respondents agreed that participating in the symposium contributed positively to their overall experience at Loyola

During Loyolas Weekend of Excellence, the Center for Experiential Learning organized the Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium, at which over 300 hundred Loyola students showcased their research and community engagement projects.

Mentored research opportunities exemplify experiential learning at its best: the amount and type of hands-on learning that occurs in a laboratory research environment complements and often surpasses the content and skills that can be learned within the walls of the traditional classroom.
Dr . R e B ecca S ilto N , A ssista N t P rofessor of P s Y cholog Y , L U R O P M e N tor , L a N ger B ec K M e N tori N g A war D Nomi N ee

It was an excellent experience, and I found it very helpful in learning to speak to a diverse audience about my research.
C ale B Norto N ( M ulcah Y F ellow )

My parents came out for the event and they were blown away by the amount of stellar student research.
M artha L igas ( J oa N & Bill H a N K C e N ter for the C atholic I N tellectual H eritage R esearch F ellow )

I was very impressed with the work of our undergraduate students. Every single student and research project was of the highest caliber.
Dr . M aria Vi D al D e H aY mes ( P rofessor of S ocial W or K , LU R O P M e N tor )

15

EXPERIENTIAl LEARNING FAC ulT Y F E llO w S

Dr. Dan Amick teaching students about archaeology in the lab and the field in his 2013 Archaeology Field School course.

CEL COuRSES
The Center for Experiential Learning offers a number of courses that provide Loyola students across all majors with the opportunity for experiential learning.

Teaching engaged learning courses has been the most rewarding among my scholarly activities at Loyola. Integrating service-learning in coursework about refugees and Native Americans has made these topics much more meaningful to me and my students.
DaN AmicK, Ph.D., Associate Professor, ANthropologY, EXperieNtial LearNiNg Facult Y Fellow

The UNIV 391 seminar class really allowed me to explore not only the reason why I was doing research, but also what I was learning from my research experience. I really loved the class because it helped me apply my studies at Loyola to real life applications.
M o N i Q ue Qui N N , 1 3 , M ajor : P s Ycholog Y: Natural S cie N ce M i N or : Neuroscie N ce , S tu D e N t i N the Fall 2 0 12 U N I V 3 9 1 : S emi N ar i N U N D ergra D uate R esearch

After the UNIV 291 communitybased research course, Ive developed even further my sense of leadership and have truly defined what service means to me.
M ichelle Lo Z a N o, 1 5 M ajor : P s Ycholog Y M i N or : U r B a N S tu D ies , S tu D e N t i N the Fall 2 0 1 2 U N I V 2 9 1: S emi N ar i N Commu N it Y B ase D R esearch

ENGAGEd TEACHING ANd LEARNING

The Center for Experiential Learning provided faculty fellowships to distinguished Loyola faculty members to foster engaged teaching and learning strategies, such as service-learning, academic internships, and undergraduate research courses. The 2012-2014 Experiential Learning Faculty Fellows included: Dan Amick, Ph.D. (Anthropology), Mary Dominiak, Ph.D. (Health Systems Management), Sarah Gabel, Ph.D. (Fine and Performing Arts), Asim Gangopadhyaya, Ph.D. (Physics), Alexandru Grigorescu, Ph.D. (Political Science), and Dr. Bren Ortega Murphy (Communications)

This faculty fellowship has allowed me to deepen my understanding of how to engage students in class and explore new avenues. I recently attended facilitation training on civic reflection. Also it has inspired me to focus the work I have been doing with students with service-learning into some research projects.
S arah G a B el , P h . D. , A ssociate P rofessor , C hairperso N , F i N e a N D P erformi N g A rts

The fellowship offered me additional resources to work with students interested in conducting in-depth research projects. The fellowship allowed me to offer the students I work with additional research experiences by encouraging them to prepare joint conference papers with me.
A le X a N D ru G rigorescu, P h . D. , A ssociate P rofessor , P olitical S cie N ce

17

CenTer FOr ExperienTiAL LeArninG 1032 W. Sheridan Road Chicago, IL 60660 773.508.3366 Experiential@LUC.edu LUC.edu/experiential