UNT's Career Connect program lets students learn outside the classroom

Every 10 years, UNT undergoes reaffirmation of accreditation, which brings with it an opportunity to enhance student learning. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the accrediting body for UNT, requires a quality enhancement plan that focuses on learning outcomes and aligns with the university's mission.

After receiving feedback from students, staff, faculty and alumni and members of the Denton community, and working on four potential plans, the university chose UNT Career Connect for its quality enhancement plan.

UNT Career Connect will introduce students to the concepts of communication, critical thinking and teamwork, beginning in their early coursework and in co-curricular activities. This will be done through community-engaged learning, which often occurs outside of the classroom and in "real-world" experiences.

Already, students at UNT are having these experiences through study abroad, internships, research and community service.

Several curricular and co-curricular programs in fall 2015 gave students the chance to learn outside of the classroom to further their skills. For example, senior Lauren Hardgraves, worked with Serve Denton, a nonprofit that supports other nonprofits in Denton, to plan and construct a playground at the Wheeler House, which provides services to homeless families. Another opportunity paired students in UNT's logistics program with industrial machinery manufacturer Flowserve to determine ways to streamline the company's freight process. Students in the Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals traveled to McKinney's Heard Museum to train lemurs to jump to their marks, and gained hands-on behavioral modification experience that relates to their behavior analysis studies.

"UNT Career Connect gives students a chance to interact with the community, network with professionals in their chosen careers and learn beyond the boundaries of the classroom," says Finley Graves, provost and vice president of academic affairs. "This plan strengthens our commitment to educational excellence."

By expanding the types of experiential learning opportunities UNT has to offer and by assessing the outcomes to see that students are benefiting from these experiences, the university hopes to ensure that graduates from UNT will be ready for the workplace and the world. Learn more at qep.unt.edu.

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