{"id":36,"date":"2022-03-24T08:19:46","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T12:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/studentsuccess.utk.edu\/ve\/?page_id=36"},"modified":"2026-02-22T20:36:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T01:36:08","slug":"experiential-learning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/studentsuccess.utk.edu\/ve\/experiential-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Experiential Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><hr class=\"orange-hash\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research indicates that \u201chigh-impact educational practices,\u201d such as study abroad, internships, and undergraduate research, provide transformative effects for students\u2019 personal development, career readiness, and overall success while on campus. By ensuring every undergraduate, no matter their background or circumstance has access to transformative, career-building experiences, UT will produce one of the most robust and talented employment pipelines in the nation with student scholars who are ready to take on the challenges of a diverse, global world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our vision is that every undergraduate UT student scholar will have the opportunity to participate in at least one sustained, engagement opportunity before graduation. To support this goal, while also ensuring that scholars are having intentional opportunities to make meaning of their learning and how it can translate to post-graduation goals, UT is designing the <a href=\"https:\/\/voledge.utk.edu\/\"><strong>Vol Edge Program<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Vol Edge Program<\/strong>, guided by the <a href=\"https:\/\/studentsuccess.utk.edu\/ve\/volunteer-experience-committee\/\">Volunteer Experience committee<\/a>, will be a flexible menu of learning and engagement activities that foster well-being and purposeful life-career readiness preparation, guiding students through content and experiences to set them up for success. To complete the Vol Edge Program, each scholar will engage with career preparation activities and an experiential learning opportunity individualized to their interests and career goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What is the Vol Edge program\/what will it entail for students, faculty, and staff?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The university has set forth a bold vision for our future through the strategic vision. Today\u2019s undergraduate students want to be active participants in their educational and career journey.&nbsp; We aim to ensure UT graduates are better-suited for a career and as better people\u2014volunteers for life.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regarding career readiness, students can sometimes be fearful and anxious. The future may seem fuzzy\u2014some know their path and push forward confidently, while others don\u2019t know which direction to turn.&nbsp; On top of that\u2014the student\u2019s experience can be drastically different for each student, be it their class year, major, or first generation, and these differences can impact a scholar\u2019s feeling included and prepared or anxious and disconnected.&nbsp; We are developing a program that will challenge our students and develop systems and programs to support them\u2014thus, our graduates will be successful, confident, and thrive. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Vol Edge will be a co-curricular grounded in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naceweb.org\/career-readiness\/competencies\/career-readiness-defined\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NACE Competencies<\/a>, a list of key skills and abilities employers seek today, generated by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. There are four requirements:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Engaging in <strong>self-paced learning<\/strong> on wellbeing, preparing for a global workforce, leadership, and teamwork, and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Every Vol Edge participant will engage in at least one meaningful <strong>Transformative Experience<\/strong> before graduation: internships, research, global learning, or service learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Intentional and Ongoing reflection<\/strong>. Vol Edge participants will engage in pre- and post-activities to determine the skills they hope to gain during their experiential learning opportunity and to help them name the skills they obtained and put them into a resume and other assets.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Professional feedback<\/strong> about articulating their strengths, skills, and stories with prospective employers and graduate school committees.&nbsp; Students will practice telling their stories.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scholars don\u2019t have to do this, but we hope scholars will want to do it.&nbsp; We are hoping to build something worthwhile and valuable for students.&nbsp; Along the way, students will reach real milestones and attain a sense of accomplishment.&nbsp; There will be both short-term and long-term payoffs and incentives.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role of Faculty\/Staff\/Students\/Alumni\/Employers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This program is built from the bottom up.&nbsp; It will never be complete\u2014and will constantly evolve and change based on the student, faculty, and employer feedback.&nbsp; Diverse perspectives are welcome because there is no such thing as one size fits all regarding the student experience. This is a program designed for all.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When will it be launched?&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A small pilot will launch in 2023-2024. The program will then roll out in phases over the next three years, with sophomores being invited into the program in the Spring of 2025 and each new phase rolling out subsequently until all stages of the Vol Edge are available in the Fall of 2027.&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What are its goals?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UT Knoxville is already proud of the positive career outcomes of our current scholars. Just last year, 90% of the students who reported their plans after graduation indicated they had successfully gained employment or entrance to graduate school within six months of graduation. In alignment with the priorities of the UTK strategic vision, we hope to continue to lift this already impressive number.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Program Goals:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Harness the power of our students\u2019 strengths, promote their well-being, and produce graduates who are self-motivated, resilient, confident, and driven by service.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increase the number of scholars involved in transformational experiences by furthering their campus engagement through meaningful integration between academic and co-curricular activities that impact their academic, personal, and career goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Further engage employers in the life-career readiness process.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How is this program unique to UT?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Based on our research, we don\u2019t know of any other university that\u2019s developed a comprehensive life-career readiness program at the scale we envision.&nbsp; We believe we will be the first by incorporating well-being, transformational experiences, intentional reflection, and active feedback from professionals.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By ensuring every undergraduate, no matter their background or circumstance, has access to transformative, career-building experiences, UT will produce one of the most robust and talented employment pipelines in the nation, with student scholars ready to take on the challenges of a diverse, global world. Area businesses and employers also benefit from a student base more prepared to engage in the search process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UT students are unlike any other. Assertive, driven, and confident, nothing gets in the way of a University of Tennessee student. This program gives students that exceptional edge \u2013 on campus and in the workforce.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Research indicates that \u201chigh-impact educational practices,\u201d such as study abroad, internships, and undergraduate research, provide transformative effects for students\u2019 personal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":156,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-wide.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-36","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Experiential Learning - Volunteer Experience<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Volunteer Experience will offer enriched learning opportunities to gain skills, experience, and tell your story with confidence.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/studentsuccess.utk.edu\/ve\/experiential-learning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Experiential Learning - 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