(Feb. 25, 2019) -- The UTSA Classroom to Career Task Force released a report this week, completing Phase I of a campuswide initiative launched in September by UTSA President Taylor Eighmy and led by Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy. The initiative seeks to further develop and promote experiential learning opportunities for UTSA students.
“This is an important milestone toward making experiential learning more widely available to our Roadrunners,” said Eighmy. “Classroom to Career experiences benefit our San Antonio community through workforce development – and by keeping our talented students in our community.”
“We intend to make Classroom to Career — and the whole notion of experiential learning —foundational to the Roadrunner learning experience. Ultimately, we want 75% of our undergraduates to have some form of experiential learning opportunity when this program is up and running.”
The Task Force, chaired by Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs and Dean of University College Heather Shipley, included faculty and staff from across the university, as well as two student government representatives.
“The C2C initiative is important because it gives our students an opportunity to gain the necessary skills and knowledge in the classroom and apply it to their post-collegiate career," said Student Government Association Academic Affairs Committee Chair John Aguirre.
Classroom to Career includes engaged learning both inside and outside the classroom. This includes, but is not limited to, internships, service learning, hands-on simulations in the classroom, study abroad, undergraduate research, and capstone projects.
>> Learn more about experiential learning at UTSA.
“The potential for experiential learning to positively impact student learning, engagement, marketable skills, and career outcomes is well-documented,” said Espy. “I thank the Task Force for the significant data collection and outreach they have done, and I look forward to discussing the Task Force recommendations with our campus and community stakeholders.”
The Task Force was charged with the data discovery and analysis phase (i.e., “Phase I”) of the initiative, and accomplished this via a survey of UTSA’s current experiential learning landscape, researching available resources, exploring the needs of local employers and the community, and identifying best practices from peer institutions. These findings informed a set of recommendations in the report to guide Phase II. Notably, these recommendations include a new staff position to support and create experiential learning opportunities across the university, a centralized tracking system to measure progress, and both internal-facing and front-facing websites as a resource for students and external partners.
“Through extensive research, including faculty and staff surveys, the Task Force showed the depth and breadth of high-quality experiential learning programs that already exist across campus and the community,” said Shipley. “Many of the pieces are already in place, and now it’s a matter of helping our faculty, staff and community partners scale up and replicate the success stories, plus support innovative ideas as they come in.”
As the Initiative enters Phase II, Shipley will continue to chair the process. This includes building a new team to implement the Phase I recommendations, including the Task Force recommendation of a dedicated staff member. Outreach efforts are ongoing, and all members of the university and the community are encouraged to submit questions, input, or partnership opportunities to C2C@utsa.edu.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Learn to use the simple but powerful features of EndNote®, a citation management tool. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to setup an EndNote library, save references and PDFs, and automatically create and edit a bibliography.
Virtual EventLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThe UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures welcomes historian Rebecca Sharpless, author of “Grain and Fire: History of Baking in the American South,” to discuss how food customs shape cultures.
Room 1.01.01 on the 1st Floor at ITC, UTSA Institute Of Texan CulturesOur GSAW Research Symposium begins with lunch and a Poster Presentation Competition. Faculty, staff, and graduate students are welcome to attend and review the exceptional research from UTSA's best and brightest.
Student Union Ballrooms 1 & 2, Main CampusHear from UTSA doctoral candidate in environmental science, Andre Felton, as he discusses best practices to discuss scholarly research in non-academic settings. Our 2023 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) winners will also share their winning presentations.
Student Union Ballrooms 1 & 2, Main CampusJoin this fun event if you want resume and interview resources, a job or internship, a snow cone from Kona Ice and to socialize.
Sombrilla PlazaIn partnership with San Antonio Metro Health, join us for a special lecture series during Public Health week! An esteemed panel will discuss the job market’s impact on public health departments in Texas municipalities.
Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02,) Main CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.