Refining/Maintaining

The EXACT Plan consolidates GGC’s existing experiential learning resources and practices, expands upon that campuswide inventory by fostering a culture of curricular practice, strengthens practices through focused faculty training that integrates ePortfolio and critical thinking pedagogies into GGC’s expanding experiential learning profile, and operationalizes strategies for ensuring access to all students. 

Experiential learning and critical thinking are the topics of GGC’s current QEP.

Summer Programming and Onboarding interventions aim to support growth mindset and increase college knowledge among incoming first-year students and some targeted populations of non-first year students. Specific interventions include engagement with GCPS high school seniors, initial Summer Bridge programming, the Summer Preparatory Academic Resource Camps (SPARC) and pre-Fall welcome activities on campus.

Learning Communities are a high-impact practice that help students establish relationships while learning in three linked classes that are relevant to their meta-major/academic focus area: Business (BUSI); Education (EDUC); Health Professions (HEPR); Humanities and Arts (HUAR); Information Technology (ITEC); Social Sciences (SOSC); or Science, Technology and Math (STEM). We aim to scale first-year LCs so all new full-time first-year students enroll in an LC by an opt-out approach.

At Georgia College, Community-based Engaged Learning (CbEL) courses require student participation in service projects or community engagement (either on campus or through institutional partnerships with off-campus organizations) and integrate the service experience into course content.

The International Center facilitates and coordinates international academic study, research, and internship opportunities for all Georgia College students, as well as partnerships and exchanges with institutions abroad. Students may study abroad on short-term programs - often with faculty in their majors - or through semester or even academic year-long programs at major universities throughout the world. Study Abroad/Study Away programs are one of the optional transformative learning experiences available in GC Journeys.

The Office of Leadership Programs maintains institution-wide responsibility for management, coordination, and development of all Georgia College leadership programs and initiatives. Beyond Georgia College’s core leadership programs, which are directed and administered by the Office of Leadership Programs, the staff works collaboratively with members of GC's faculty and staff to develop affiliate programs.

Students are required to sign up and complete an approved internship experience for academic credit at GCSU. These may be supported by the academic department or may be secured with assistance from GC’s Career Center. The Career Center advises students to begin their internship search at least 4 – 6 months before their desired start date.  The Career Center uses Handshake software to promote local, regional, and national internship opportunities to students.

GCSU aspires to graduate students with creative and problem-solving dispositions that prepare them to be the next leaders of the free world. Georgia College connects teaching excellence with learning beyond the classroom to provide unique undergraduate research experiences for students. Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) defines undergraduate research as, "an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original, intellectual, or creative contribution to the discipline(s)."

The Capstone is the final embedded experience built into GC Journeys. To “Complete Your Journey” for Capstone, students must successfully complete the capstone course for their program/major. Experiences will be determined by the requirements of the department/major.

The Career Planning Milestones is the second embedded Transformative Learning Experience. To “Complete Your Journey:” Career Planning Milestones, students need to meet the Career Planning Milestones for each year The Career Center will track students’ completion of career planning activities.