The University’s Academic Plan (UAP) (2010-15) and the Provostial White Paper (2010) both cite the need for growth in experiential education.
The pursuit of academic quality has been consistently identified as being one of the highest academic goals across a number of university academic plans (e.g., UAP, 2005 – 2010, UAP 2010 – 2015). In the UAP, the enhancement of teaching and learning is seen to be an essential component in terms of advancing academic quality and ultimately, student success. It identifies three priority areas: (i) enhancing teaching and learning, (ii) enriching the student experience and (iii) building community and extending our global reach. Across each of these broad priority areas, experiential education can be seen as a vehicle to facilitate learning.
In the Summer of 2013, the Experiential Education Working Group was established to provide advice to the Vice-President Academic and Provost on the integration of experiential education approaches in York’s degree programs. The Working Group has developed a discussion paper to serve as a tool for consultation with Faculties, students and community partners to encourage conversations about the use of experiential education strategies to enhance student learning.
The consultations took place in November 2013 with Faculties, students and community partners. The Working Group welcomed feedback from the York community at an Open Forum (or via the attached online feedback form).
Following these consultations, the EE Work Group developed a Common Language for EE as well as the EE Integration Summary and Recommended Actions which was followed by a draft of an EE Operational Plan and the establishment of an EE Leads Group in March 2014 with representatives from each of York’s Faculties. In the summer of 2014, the EE Leads conducted reviews of all of the EE activities currently taking place within their Faculties with an eye to establishing targets for increasing York’s overall EE offerings. This information will be used to create a Business Plan that will outline infrastructure for EE at York.