University of South Carolina Beaufort

Students Connected

Website | www.uscb.edu/studentsconnected/

Students Connected is a university-wide program that aims to develop the values that inspire students to contribute to the needs of their community, enrich the student learning experience through experiential research and service-learning opportunities across disciplines, improve collaboration with community partners, and ultimately transform our campus culture. These goals are reflected in our Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), which measure how students, through participation in Students Connected , (1) consider the issue; (2) collaborate with others; (3) conceive of a solution; (4) commit to implementation; and (5) reconsider in light of experience.

The Students Connected program implements and builds upon two central initiatives. First, Students Connected courses will provide opportunities for students to reach one or more of the SLOs at multiple times throughout their academic careers:

In University 101, students will begin learning their role in the larger community, and as they take introductory-level courses, faculty will engage students in more specifically considering the issues facing their community. In traditional experiential learning courses, such as internships, practicums, or service-learning courses, students will explore an issue in more depth or potentially work on addressing these issues through their real-world experience. Newly implemented community-partnered courses will create collaborations between students, faculty, and local organizations where students study issues identified by the community partners, research possible solutions to them, and possibly even implement their solutions through work with these partners.

Second, faculty development programs will provide faculty with understanding of not only how to transform their existing courses into Students Connected courses, but also the impact they can have on students’ learning through adapting best practices for experiential education.

USCB’s Quality Enhancement Plan, which incorporates Students Connected, will transform students’ learning, the experience students and faculty expect to have in the classroom, and the impact the University has on the community. USCB is committed to supporting Students Connected through training and development, financial support, fostering of community partnerships, and recognition of involvement and outstanding contributions.

Fun Facts about Students Connected

Students Connected although formally announcing this year, piloted the idea in 2017. Students Connected is closely tied to the Department of Hospitality Management at the University of South Carolina Beaufort. So far, one of the only EPIC-N programs including this discipline in their courses. Incorporated into the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan, Students Connected is one of the examples of university leadership adopting the EPIC Model as an institutional priority to meet the needs of their students and their communities.

Year Program Established | 2017
Country | U.S.
Federal Region of Program | 4

Public or Private Institution | Public
Number of students at institution | 2,000

Highlight Articles/Videos

The first Students Connected report – 2018 Beaufort County Transportation Needs Assessment

City Partners

Together for Beaufort County, Human Services Department

Contact Info

Carolina Sawyer, Ph.D.
Co-Director (Community Partnerships)
(843) 208-8223
 CESawyer@uscb.edu

Summer Roberts, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Sociology
(843) 208-8353
smcwilli@uscb.edu