Summary of Idea
The “Dickinson High-Impact Promise” will expand student opportunities and guarantee financial support for participation in at least one or more key “high-impact” experiences: internship, research, study abroad, and service learning. This proposal aims to expand and deepen international and domestic internship and research programs, summer courses, and short-term, faculty-led programs, to name a few.
The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) identifies 11 “high-impact educational practices” that have shown to be beneficial for college students from many backgrounds, especially new majority students. These teaching and learning practices are believed to increase student retention and engagement. They include experiences that are already built into Dickinson’s core curriculum (e.g. first-year seminars and writing-intensive courses), and the college’s strategic framework commits to enhancing additional “high impact” practices like internships, research, study abroad, and service learning.
To be a truly “high-impact” experience, six common elements must exist: effort and student buy-in, substantive relationships, engagement across differences, rich feedback, application and integration of learning in new contexts, and opportunity for reflection and self-awareness. To deliver these high-impact experiences, we must build them into the curriculum through coursework, global programs, and participation in the college’s internship/research program.
https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/internships-high-impact-practice-some-reflections-quality
How does your idea relate to or support the college's strategic framework?
This idea aligns directly with the pillars of the college (global education, sustainability, civic engagement) and the core themes of the college’s strategic framework. Specifically, the college’s strategic framework makes a commitment to enhancing and funding ongoing “high impact” practices: internships, research, study abroad, and service learning.
Through the “Dickinson High-Impact Promise” initiative, we will work collaboratively to create structured opportunities that relate to the following points in the strategic framework:
- We will increase internship opportunities and commit that every student who wants an internship experience will have one. We will increase support for students applying to graduate school and competitive grant programs and improve our career planning and development services for all students. We will more intentionally integrate our alumni community by providing opportunities for mentoring and professional sponsorship.
- We will deepen, expand and connect our strengths in global education, sustainability, civic engagement and interdisciplinary programs to establish Dickinson as a preeminent leader in educating citizen leaders with the skills to synthesize multiple sources of knowledge and perspectives in solving complex problems.
- We will guide students through essential questions and purposeful reflection to ensure that they are active participants in their Dickinson education, recognize the value of their experiences in and out of the classroom and graduate prepared to lead lives of consequence.
- We will guide students through essential questions and purposeful reflection to ensure that they are active participants in their Dickinson education, recognize the value of their experiences in and out of the classroom and graduate prepared to lead lives of consequence.
- We will integrate civic engagement throughout the academic program and within student life, building capacity for a lifetime of engagement beyond the limestone walls.
- We will deepen our institutional commitment to the greater Carlisle area, working in collaboration with local and regional organizations to enhance opportunities for reciprocal value and benefit to the community. Dickinson is an anchor institution that seeks to contribute to the social, economic and cultural fabric of the community.
- We will also collaborate with local, national and global communities to produce community-engaged research and scholarship.
- We will boldly launch new global efforts to market our mission, programs and record of success, ensuring that Dickinson is recognized for its outstanding and innovative liberal arts education.
- Enhance and fund ongoing “high impact” practices: internships, research, study abroad, seminars including first-year, service learning (on-going).
- Increase internships with goal of offering high-quality internships to every student who wants one (Sept. 2019).
What partnerships, on campus and off campus, do you envision?
In order to succeed, and lead the way, collaborative partnerships will be vital, as these high-impact practices have a broad reach across the Dickinson community. Many of the “Centers” on-campus are deeply invested in high-impact experiences, including the Center for Advising, Internships & Lifelong Career Development, the Center for Global Study & Campus Engagement, the Center for Civic Learning & Action, the Center for Sustainability Education, and the Norman M. Eberly Multilingual Writing Center. Additionally, faculty and academic departments will play a key role in crafting, shaping, and supporting the experiences, particularly the service learning courses, student-faculty research, and short-term, faculty-led experiences.
Off-campus, our partners will include program directors at the international “Dickinson in” centers, alumni and parents, community partners, and a wide variety of organizations that will host our students.
How will your idea positively affect the education of Dickinson students?
Creating - and funding - high-impact practices will positively benefit Dickinson students by contributing to their learning and building upon their future-ready capabilities. We will increase opportunities for students to apply their world-class educations, reduce barriers that might prevent some students from pursuing these opportunities, and provide supported active learning that enhances the Dickinson experience.
How will your idea positively impact the world beyond Dickinson's campus?
Through these high-impact practices, Dickinson students apply their useful liberal arts education beyond our campus. The work with host organizations, local communities, and academics around the world not only makes a positive contribution to the students’ learning, it also provides benefits to the partners – this is not a one-way dialog, rather evolving experiences that meet the needs of our students and partners. These partnerships and experiences are illustrative of Dickinson’s tradition of valuing a useful education for the common good.
With a focus on structure, partnerships, quality and reflection, Dickinson has an opportunity to set the bar and become the thought-leaders in experiential learning.