Exploring the Impact of Institutional Context on Experiential Education in Higher Education The importance of institutional culture, faculty relationships, and a home on the org chart.

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Published: May 10, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46787/elthe.v7i3.4007

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Elisa Avila
Texas A&M University – San Antonio
Rebekah Harriger
Harrisburg University of Science & Technology
Dennis McCunney
East Carolina University
Benjamin Trager
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Abstract

In revisiting the Society for Experiential Education’s eight principles of good practice, members of the most recent cohort of the SEE fellows program explored the impact of institutional context on experiential education in higher education. Previous research outlines campus and institutional structures where experiential education takes place. Our group leveraged a scholar-practitioner frame and drew on action research methods to explore the experiences of each individual's context and experiential education structure. The findings are organized around four themes and three principles of good practice. Our team’s inquiry reveals that experiential education’s location and structure within the organization may impact how EE is valued and executed. The findings suggest that within higher education contexts the praxis of experiential education is directly connected to its institutional location, the institutional culture of DEI, its positioning as a value proposition, and the faculty relationships that can support it. The implications of this work showcase areas for consideration when institutionalizing experiential education in higher education and provide an opportunity for institutions to restructure where experiential education is positioned within the institution.

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How to Cite
Avila, E., Harriger, R., McCunney, D., & Trager, B. (2024). Exploring the Impact of Institutional Context on Experiential Education in Higher Education: The importance of institutional culture, faculty relationships, and a home on the org chart. Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.46787/elthe.v7i3.4007
Issue
Vol. 7 No. 3 (2024): Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
Section
Peer-Reviewed Articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Elisa Avila, Texas A&M University – San Antonio

Elisa Avila is the Experiential and Service-Learning Coordinator at Texas A&M University – San Antonio. Her work ranges from planning the logistics of service-learning partnerships and supporting students as they schedule service, to providing ad-hoc reflection sessions, offering consulting support, and facilitating workshops with faculty. She loves facilitating conversations about teaching and equity, especially creating space for instructors to blend DEIB principles with the Kolb Learning Cycle. Elisa’s sociological research focuses on community, race, and environment (both built and natural). As a scholar-practitioner, she hopes to bridge the gap between the social contexts of higher education and the practicalities of supporting student success through experiential education. Elisa has an MS in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and a BA in History and Sociology from Tulane University.

Rebekah Harriger, Harrisburg University of Science & Technology

Rebekah Harriger serves as the Senior Director of Career Services & Experiential Learning at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Rebekah’s passion for higher education began during her time at Shippensburg University. Through participation in the John L. Grove College of Business Internship Program, it ignited a desire for Rebekah to pursue a career in higher education specifically within internship program management and career and professional development. Through Rebekah’s work, she hopes by fostering the skills and confidence necessary to participate in internships and applied projects, these experiential learning opportunities will help to create a pathway to STEM careers. She was awarded by the Society for Experiential Education as the recipient of the Experiential Education Rising Leader Award in 2021. Rebekah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Shippensburg University, and a Master of Arts in Higher Education from Geneva College and is a recent graduate from the Society for Experiential Education’s Experiential Education Academy in 2021.

Dennis McCunney, East Carolina University

Dennis McCunney serves as the Director of Intercultural Affairs and adjunct faculty member of ECU’s Leadership Studies Minor and Master of Public Administration Program. Dr. McCunney earned his PhD in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State University, and his dissertation focus was on the formation of student culture around civic engagement, leadership and activism.
Dr. McCunney has presented his research in various arenas, including the Global Service-Learning Summit, Leadership Educators Institute, NASPA Annual Conference, and the Engagement Scholarship Consortium. Recent publications include articles in AAC&U’s Diversity & Democracy, New Directions in Higher Education, Metropolitan Universities Journal and Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education.
His professional and research interests include public service and leadership development, organizational development, intercultural and global learning, and campus-community partnerships. He serves on the leadership team for the NASPA Spirituality and Religion Knowledge Community and serves as a board member for Amizade, a nonprofit that organizes safe, sustainable, and collaborative global learning experiences.

Benjamin Trager, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Ben Trager holds a PhD in Urban Education from UWM and currently serves as the Director of Experiential Learning and Community Engagement at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. As the director, Ben develops and supports university-wide vision and practices related to experiential learning, community-based learning, community partnerships, and co-curricular service. His scholarly and practical interests include the varied and changing purposes of higher education, the intersections of service-learning, internships, and other high impact practices, and participatory research methods. Ben has published work in The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning and regularly presents at regional, national, and international conferences focused on education, community engagement, qualitative research, and educational philosophy.