2 research outputs found

    High-Impact Learning Experiences and Post-Graduate Outcomes: Exploring the Influence on Employment, Continuing Education and Salary

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    With the cost of college on the rise, and students increasingly viewing college as a pathway to a successful career, colleges and universities are under increasing pressure to demonstrate evidence of their effectiveness. High-impact learning experiences, such as internships, study abroad, service-learning, capstones and undergraduate research, have emerged as a promising practice to enhance student development during college; however, few studies have examined the impact of such practices on post-graduate indicators of success. This paper adds to our understanding of the benefits of high-impact learning by examining their influence on student post-graduate employment, continuing education and starting salary. The data in this study includes all 8,746 undergraduates who graduated in May of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 from a mid-sized public research university in the Northeast. Multilevel multivariate linear, logistic and multinomial regressions, clustered by college or school of study, are used to examine post-graduate placement rates, destinations and starting salaries. The findings indicate that high-impact learning experiences have a significant, positive effect on early post-graduate outcomes, even when accounting for factors such as GPA, field of study, race and Pell-grant eligibility. While GPA and field of study also had a strong influence of these outcomes, high-impact practices had a significant and meaningful effect on overall placement rates, employment, continuing education and starting salaries. These findings add to the evidence that high-impact learning experiences are an important contributor to student success and should be meaningfully integrated into the college experience

    Critical Foundations for Civic Engagement: Reimagining Civic Learning for a University Honors Program

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    Scholars are calling attention to shortcomings of service-learning, including the development of civic skills and adoption of a social change framework. Informed by this literature, this article uses a mixed-methods case study to detail the development, and initial outcomes, of a civic engagement course intended to lay a critical foundation for future service. This study documents the process of reimagining the class, formerly organized as a service project, and course evaluations and reflections are used to assess outcomes. Initial assessment signals impact in challenging previous assumptions about service, understanding the multifaceted nature of civic engagement, and motivating future responsible engagement
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