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. 

Required Workshops Offered Spring 2025

Expand allJAN 30 — Introduction to Integrative and Experiential Learning

Thursday, January 30, 10:05am - 11:20am - In-Person

During their time at USC, our undergraduate students enroll in courses, participate in cocurricular engagements, hold down jobs while preparing themselves for their future careers, engage with the community, and manage their own personal challenges (AAC&U/Carnegie Foundation, 2004), but how do they make sense of these varied experiences and realize how they all interconnect? Integrative learning provides students with strategies to make connections between these within and beyond the classroom activities to help them apply their skills to new and complex problems and challenges.

This presentation explores teaching strategies and philosophies that encourage students to engage in activities beyond the classroom and then have students relate those experiences to their courses and curriculum. We will review current research and practices on integrative and experiential learning and how the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning supports IL and EL, including the impactful role of our Quality Enhancement Plan, Experience by Design. Participants will discuss strategies for encouraging students to reflect and make interdisciplinary connections between their experiences within and beyond the classroom to promote creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.  Register

FEB 25 — Small Changes, High Impact: Practices to Support Integrative Learning

Tuesday, February 25, 10:50am - 11:40am - In-Person

Utilizing integrative learning principles, the presenters will share examples of how high impact practice (HIP) characteristics are incorporated across different disciplines and identify classroom assessment techniques (CATs) that can be applied across a variety of academic settings. Participants will have opportunities to share examples of reflection and integrative learning principles in the design of assignments and appropriate assessment methods for their classroom.  Register

Elective Workshops Offered Spring 2025

Expand allFEB 6 — Unpacking USC Data to Support Experiential Learning and Career Readiness Across Transfer, Sophomore, and Junior Year Experiences

Thursday, February 6, 1:15pm - 2:30pm - In-Person

With the launch of Carolina Experience in 2024, a heightened emphasis has been placed on understanding and supporting the experiences of sophomore, junior, transfer, and senior student populations through an emphasis on community development 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 common experiences of students in the middle years of college? 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 information be used to support their overall experience at USC and in support of student 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. 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

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.

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How to Earn a Certificate of Completion

1. Select a certificate you want to earn.
2. Review the required workshops.
3. Register for and attend all required workshops within the time frame specified.
4. 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. 

1. Log into Registration and Tracking System for Workshops and Events using your CTE Training Account credentials.
2. 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.
3. 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.