The certificate in Integrative and Experiential Learning certificate (IEL) is an initiative of The Center for Teaching Excellence and the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning. The program is designed to bring together faculty, instructors, and graduate students interested in exploring ways to help students reflect on and connect what they do within and beyond their curriculum, embrace multiple perspectives, and synthesize and transfer their knowledge to new, complex situations.
Key outcomes for participants include obtaining a deeper understanding of the ideals of integrative and experiential learning as well as developing a toolbox of simple techniques to engage students in reflection on their within and beyond the classroom experiences.
Program Requirements
Faculty, instructors and graduate assistants are required to attend six or more Integrative and Experiential Learning workshops. Participants will be required to attend the Introduction to Integrative and Experiential Learning and Small Changes, High Impact: Practices to Support Integrative Learning workshops and four (4) electives.
Participants will have 2 academic semesters (and the summer) to complete the certificate.
Participants who complete the requirements will receive a digital certificate of completion and a letter of commendation.
Elective Workshops Offered Fall 2025
Friday, August 29, 9:30am - 11:00am - In-Person
The Career Champions training educates and empowers campus faculty and staff on best practices to have career conversations with students. Career Champions Module 1 serves as a foundation, reviewing career development, our roles in a career ecosystem, and resources.
The learning outcomes for Level 1 are as follows:
- Gain a basic knowledge of the career development theories, career decision making process and employability.
- Gain a foundation of basic helping skills to best assist students with career planning
- Learn how to assist students with goal setting regarding their career development
- Learn how to make an effective referral to the Career Center
- Learn the professional and ethical guidelines as outlined through the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) Register
Friday, September 5, 9:00am - 10:30am - In-Person
The Career Champions training educates and empowers campus faculty and staff on best
practices to have career conversations with students. Career Champions Module 1 serves
as a foundation, reviewing career development, our roles in a career ecosystem, and
resources. The learning outcomes for level 1 are as follows:
- Gain a basic knowledge of the career development theories, career decision making process and employability.
- Gain a foundation of basic helping skills to best assist students with career planning
- Learn how to assist students with goal setting regarding their career development
- Learn how to make an effective referral to the Career Center
- Learn the professional and ethical guidelines as outlined through the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) Register
Monday, September 8, 10:00am - 11:00am - Webinar
The Career Champions program was created to educate and empower campus faculty and staff on best practices to have career conversations with students. The learning outcomes for level two are as follows:
- Gain knowledge around experiential education
- Identify different opportunities in the Career Center and beyond available for students to gain experience
- Identify ways to help students discover what opportunities they are interested in and know where to find them
- Gain knowledge in how to support students while they are involved in their experience to make it more impactful
- Articulate ways on how to encourage reflection during and after the experience
- Identify ways on how to handle concerns that can arise while a student is participating in an experiential education opportunity Register
Monday, October 6, 3:00pm - 4:30pm - In-Person
The Career Champions training educates and empowers campus faculty and staff on best practices to have career conversations with students. Career Champions Module 1 serves as a foundation, reviewing career development, our roles in a career ecosystem, and resources.
The learning outcomes for Level 1 are as follows:
- Gain a basic knowledge of the career development theories, career decision making process and employability.
- Gain a foundation of basic helping skills to best assist students with career planning
- Learn how to assist students with goal setting regarding their career development
- Learn how to make an effective referral to the Career Center
- Learn the professional and ethical guidelines as outlined through the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) Register
Tuesday, October 21, 10:00am - 11:00am - Webinar
The Career Champions program was created to educate and empower campus faculty and staff on best practices to have career conversations with students. The learning outcomes for level two are as follows:
- Gain knowledge around experiential education
- Identify different opportunities in the Career Center and beyond available for students to gain experience
- Identify ways to help students discover what opportunities they are interested in and know where to find them
- Gain knowledge in how to support students while they are involved in their experience to make it more impactful
- Articulate ways on how to encourage reflection during and after the experience
- Identify ways on how to handle concerns that can arise while a student is participating in an experiential education opportunity Register
Thursday, October 30, 10:00am - 11:30am - In-Person
Join us for the 3rd module of Career Champions. In this session we'll learn about the career competencies employers are looking for within our students and how to incorporate those into our academic lessons, student employment, internships, etc. You'll also know how to help students see these competencies within themselves and how to advocate for themselves and articulate their talents, abilities, and experiences.
Learning outcomes for Level 3 are as follows:
- Explain the importance of career readiness competencies in preparing students for successful transitions into the workforce.
- Develop strategies to embed career competencies into everyday student interactions and advising conversations.
- Empower students to reflect on their experiences and confidently communicate how their skills align with employer expectations. Register
Thursday, October 30, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person
This session will primarily focus on transfer and sophomore college year experiences,
with some additional emphasis on junior year students. With the recent launch of Carolina
Experience in 2024, a heightened emphasis is placed on continuity across the entirety
of USC student experiences through increased sense of belonging and career readiness.
To help in these endeavors, longitudinal qualitative and quantitative data collected
from the Student Success Center has been instrumental in better understanding these
target populations.
What are the experiences of transfer and sophomore college students? What are the
biggest challenges they face and what do they most look forward to? How does this
align with the national research on these populations? And most importantly- how can
this scholarly literature, theoretical context, and localized data be used to support
the overall USC student experience at USC and in support of engagement, including
experiential learning, and career readiness?
We will go over the assessment findings and what specialized resources are already
in place at USC to support these populations, as well as provide recommendations for
instructors and course-based activities utilizing evidence-based approaches. Finally,
we will wrap up this session with group discussion on suggestions to further support
the target populations through the Carolina Experience, including additional ways
for campus stakeholders to get involved. Register
Wednesday, November 12, 10:00am - 11:30am - In-Person
Join us for the 3rd module of Career Champions. In this session we'll learn about the career competencies employers are looking for within our students and how to incorporate those into our academic lessons, student employment, internships, etc. You'll also know how to help students see these competencies within themselves and how to advocate for themselves and articulate their talents, abilities, and experiences.
Learning outcomes for Level 3 are as follows:
- Explain the importance of career readiness competencies in preparing students for successful transitions into the workforce.
- Develop strategies to embed career competencies into everyday student interactions and advising conversations.
- Empower students to reflect on their experiences and confidently communicate how their skills align with employer expectations. Register
Grant Opportunities
Faculty and staff who are pursuing the Integrative and Experiential Learning Certificate are encouraged to apply for two grants offered by the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning. In order to promote student engagement beyond the classroom, CIEL offers the Community of Practice grant and the BTC Departmental and Unit grant to enable the development of new and revised programs, as well as collaboration between departments, offices, academic units, and student affairs. Full-time faculty and staff at USC Columbia, and full-time faculty involved in 4-year programs at Palmetto College Campuses are eligible to apply.
How to Earn a Certificate of Completion
- Select a certificate you want to earn.
- Review the required workshops.
- Register for and attend all required workshops within the time frame specified.
- Look for an email from cte@sc.edu with your digital certificate.
How to Check Your Progress
Participants can check their progress online by following the steps below.
- Log into Registration and Tracking System for Workshops and Events using your CTE Training Account credentials.
- Click on the specific learning plan for the certificate of completion program you would like to view. The learning plan button is located on the left-hand side in the menu screen.
- Click “View” to generate a personalized learning plan status report. The report will show the workshops you have taken, and remaining workshop requirements.
The learning plans also provide a status progress update.
- Partial means you have met some of the requirements for a specific certificate of completion program.
- Complete means you have met all the requirements for a specific certificate of completion program.
- Not Started means you have not completed any of the requirements for a specific certificate of completion program.
Completed your certificate?
At the conclusion of each semester, reports are run to determine who has completed each certificate. Digital Certificates will be emailed. If you do not receive your certificate by the middle of the following semester, kindly contact cte@sc.edu for assistance.