experiential learning sunset

At the request of Interim Chancellor Ron Mitchelson, the Experiential Learning Working Group was established to develop a plan for reinstating experiential learning programs at East Carolina University following the mitigation of COVID-19 in eastern North Carolina. The Experiential Learning Working Group will develop guidance and best practices for resuming on- and off-campus experiential learning activities at ECU. The group will consider impacted experiential learning programs, assess relative risks for programs, provide accreditation and graduation implications, and identify required university resources to assist in the reinstatement of experiential learning programs.

Definition
Group Members
Review Board Members
Request and Approval Process
Required Forms
Form Submissions
Training Modules
Experiential Learning Inventory
EL and COVID-19 Case Dashboard
Resources

Definition of Experiential Learning

For the purpose of this working group, and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, experiential learning refers to academic program requirements which bridge the classroom and professional work environments. These learning experiences cannot be easily met through virtual or alternative means of instruction. Examples of experiential learning programs include, but are not limited to:

  • Clinical rotations;
  • Internships;
  • Field experiences;
  • Laboratory exercises; and
  • Simulation exercises.

 

Experiential Learning Working Group Members

Member of ECU’s Experiential Learning Working Group include:

 

Experiential Learning Review Board Members

Member of ECU’s Experiential Learning Review Board include:

 

Experiential Learning Request and Approval Process

Experiential Learning Checklist

 

On-Campus Activities

On campus experiential learning activities should be conducted according to the Return of Pirate Nation guidelines for campus safety and should also be informed by the Faculty Senate coronavirus resources for instructional planning.

The rapid escalation of SARS-CoV-2 in the student body during August 2020 led ECU to transition all undergraduate courses to online formats, with the intention of decreasing the density of students on campus and thereby reducing spread to COVID-19 within the ECU and Greenville communities. ECU remains open, and undergraduate students will continue to have access to facilities and services, although services may be reduced to match student demand. Undergraduate students will continue to have access to the libraries, practice rooms, studies, shops, and research laboratories. Undergraduate students enrolled in graduate courses that meet face to face may continue to attend classes in person at their discretion, and online alternatives must be offered for those students that opt out of the face to face format. Program directors and faculty may request exceptions for undergraduates to participate in other face to face and small group learning experiences. Requests for exceptions are entered on the COVID FALL 2020 On-Campus Activity Request Form which is submitted using the On-Campus Experiential Learning Routing Form. Requests will be routed to the appropriate chair and dean for approval. Approved activities must be entered into the Experiential Learning Inventory.

 

Off-Campus Activities

  • Programs using standard site agreements (i.e., affiliation agreements, memoranda of understanding) should ensure all documents have been reviewed by the Office of University Counsel and adjusted accordingly.
  • Programs using affiliation agreements or memoranda of understanding which have been approved by the Office of University Counsel may resume standard operating procedures for Fall 2020 placements.
  • Programs that do not currently use a formal site agreement or that cannot amend existing site agreements or implement new agreements should follow the experiential learning request process outlined below.

Required Forms

The following forms are required to submit an experiential learning request. Before completing, please review “Classifying Worker Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (PDF)” from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

On-Campus Requests

Off-Campus Requests (Only for programs without approved agreements)

 

Form Submissions

Please submit your experiential learning program form through the following online portal. University login credentials are required.

 

Required Training Modules

The following training modules are available to students participating in experiential learning activities at ECU.

 

ECU Experiential Learning Inventory

To facilitate contact tracing and mitigation of COVID-19 spread within the ECU community and institutional partners, all students participating in experiential learning programs must be entered into ECU’s Experiential Learning Inventory (ELI).  Study abroad courses, a type of experiential learning activity, do not need to be reported if the information is already entered in Banner. ELI is a web-based platform for creating, managing, and tracking all student experiential learning activities. The platform was designed to provide a quick and convenient method of entering the data on each student experience and obtaining needed reports.

Access to ELI is provided to authorized users only, and directors should email eli@ecu.edu to request access and begin logging student experiential learning activities. Student assignments for Fall are to be entered by Census Day (Aug. 21, 2020) and modified thereafter as changes occur. For more information on ELI, an introduction to and instruction in the use of ELI please contact Charlene Lee at eli@ecu.edu or 252-737-1268.

 

Experiential Learning and COVID-19 Case Dashboard

East Carolina University’s Office of Institutional Planning and Research have completed a dashboard and reporting system for tracking COVID-19 incidences in counties where ECU students are engaged in experiential learning activities.

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