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Department of Experiential Learning
Contact: E-mail Executive Director Dr. Kyle Foust or call 824-2171
Experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. At Mercyhurst College, the Department of Experiential Learning consists of the Center for Student Engagement & Leadership Development, Service Learning, and the Career Development Center. The Department’s mission is to enrich student learning by engaging in community-based experiences to integrate academic knowledge, leadership experiences, professional development and active citizenship.
Mercyhurst believes that student participation in experiential activities has a significant impact on their professional development and is consistant with the mission of the College. As a result, the Department of Experiential Learning was established to coordinate and offer students the opportunity to learn, serve, experience, and engage beyond the classroom. These activities take shape in the form of participation in recognized student clubs and organizations (RSCOs), leadership development, service learning, career exploration, and internships. Partnerships are developed with alumni and organizations at the local, state, federal, and international levels to afford appropriate activities.
Center for Student Engagement and Leadership Development
The hub of student life is the Center for Student Engagement & Leadership Development. The high energy staff guides the student body in self-government, promotes clubs and organizations, and presents a lively, diverse schedule of activities.
The Center for Student Engagement & Leadership Development is conveniently located on the ground level floor of the Sr. Carolyn Herrmann Student Union and it serves as a central location for students to get involved with campus activities and events and meet new people. The Student Union is an environment that is welcoming and one in which students can fully interact and participate in a range of academic, social, spiritual, cultural and recreational activities. It is a wireless building which houses computers and a print station for student use. There is a free pool table table and an array of board games for students to enjoy, compliment of Mercyhurst Student Government. The Student Union is an ideal meeting and event space for student clubs and organizations, group projects, socializing or even curling up on a couch completing homework or chatting with friends.
Service Learning
Service-Learning is both a teaching and learning strategy where meaningful community service is integrated with instruction and reflection to enrich the classroom learning experience. This type of experiential learning teaches civic responsibility and strengthens communities.
At Mercyhurst College, there are a variety of service-learning courses. Some students participate in project-based service-learning where others complete a minimum of 10 hours of service at a non-profit community-based agency. In both cases, the course instructor incorporates the service experience into the class through reflection techniques, discussion, or research papers. The Director of Service-Learning coordinates this program by working with faculty members from multiple disciplines and over 70 community partners to mobilize more than 400 students in service each trimester.
The Service Learning Office also coordinates student transportation to several community sites in Erie.
Career Development Center
The Career Development Center is a part of the Department of Experiential Learning at Mercyhurst. The CDC is located on the first floor of Egan Hall and offers a wide variety of career-related services. We provide guidance regarding interview preparation, job searching, internship placement, credential file development, resume creation, graduate school applications and career counseling. CareerConnect is an on-line career management system implemented by the CDC so students can easily and efficiently access job postings, internship listings, and other career-related information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. CareerConnect also allows students to post their resumes, create electronic portfolios, schedule interviews and much more.
For Undeclared majors or any student considering adding/changing their major/minor, the CDC provides career counseling. Focus2, an on-line career exploration program, allows students to research career paths that are of interest to them at their own pace. Contact the CDC to get your password to log on to Focus2.
The CDC also places and supervises nearly 400 full-time, part-time and summer internship students each year. Internships are a combination of classroom theory and on-the-job training organized in an educationally sound manner, so that experiences in business, industry, government and various public agencies become an integral part of the student’s college education. We work to engage our students from the moment they arrive on campus until they graduate and become alumni.
Finally, the CDC coordinates an on-campus recruiting program. Annually, 50-70 organizations schedule a visit to campus to directly interview students for part/summer/full-time jobs and internship placements. Students are notified and then sign up for the interviews on CareerConnect.
