The Chronicle of Higher Education features UGA Experiential Learning initiative – Soon, all undergraduates at Georgia will be required to pursue similar academic paths. The university announced last month that, as early as the fall of 2016, every incoming freshman will be required to participate in a hands-on learning experience in order to graduate. A growing number of large institutions are embracing experiential learning to enhance their students' education. In his executive budget, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York dictated that the City and State Universities of New York should develop some kind of experiential-learning plan by June 1, 2016. Georgia is one of the largest public universities to make such opportunities compulsory for all students. With more students enrolling in experiential-learning programs, the University of Georgia decided to expand its effort, said Linda P. Bachman, who this month became director of university experiential learning there. Now Georgia wants to widen the opportunity to every one of its 26,000 undergraduates, saying it will enhance students’ learning and position them for success after graduation. As students and parents increasingly question the value of college degrees, said Ms. Bachman, it’s important that universities show students what they can do, not just tell them. One selling point of an experiential education is that it teaches students job skills. But such opportunities can also introduce students to complex situations that leave them with something less tangible, like a shift in perspective. It happened to Kendall Trammell, a U. of Georgia senior. While helping homeless people during a service-learning trip, Ms. Trammell said she began to understand the difference between using "homeless" as a temporary descriptor and using the more permanent noun, "the homeless," which can be dehumanizing. "It changes your perception about how you address people," said Ms. Trammell. "It’s made me a little more aware of the words that I use." Full article available with subscription at Chronicle of Higher Education (May 15, 2015). Article by Maddy Berner. Type of News/Audience: Alumni
