Classroom To Career (C2C)
Charge
The Classroom to Career Task Force will develop an integrated campus-wide framework to identify, connect, and align existing experiential learning programs and identify partnerships that could lead to new or expanded programs, with an outcome of deepening student learning experiences and career success. The framework will include goals, metrics, accountability and self-assessment.
View the Initiative Brief View Task Force Members
Benefits
- Experiential learning facilitates a fuller understanding of the real-world applications of students’ classroom learning and has been shown to increase student engagement, which can in turn improve student retention.
- Experiential learning can generate marketable skills that enhance a student’s self-efficacy and improve career success.
- Through providing interns, UTSA will benefit businesses, non-profits, and government organizations throughout the San Antonio community and beyond.
- UTSA will engage more students, particularly at the undergraduate level, in research-related engaged scholarship.
- A campus-wide experiential learning framework will further encourage cross-disciplinary and cross-cutting collaborations across university units.
State Update (Spring 2024)
The multi-phased Classroom to Career (C2C) initiative creates an integrated campus-wide framework that expands and enhances career-focused learning by providing opportunities for all UTSA students, providing an advantage for their future success.
Following the recommendations of the campus-wide Task Force, UTSA established the Career Engaged Learning unit to bring together and establish specific programs and resources across the campus, as well as strengthened practices, systems and policies in support of the C2C initiative. Led by Ginnifer Cié Gee, Associate Provost for Career Engaged Learning, programs include the Najim Center, the University Career Center, Community and Civic Learning, Undergraduate Research, the Institute for Law, Public Affairs and Health Professions Office, and resources in UTSA’s eight colleges.
UTSA’s Bold Careers Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), established in 2020 as a part of its decennial review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), is designed to incorporate the Classroom to Career Initiative into UTSA’s strategic plan and operational foundation.
Enhanced C2C programming like the Najim Strategist program, Student Founder Movement, Undergraduate Adobe Institute and Grow with Google HSI Career Readiness Program, have provided students with skills development, career path exploration, workshops and engagement with industry professionals.
Improved engagement with area employers has led to C2C internships, externships, service-learning projects, mentoring and scholarships for our students. Employers have also benefitted through C2C partnerships with UTSA through early access to talented students, connection to a trusted institution of higher education, advanced business competitiveness and community success support.
