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Campus Box 3504
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3504
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Faculty Resources for Developing EE Courses

Courses can fulfill the Experiential Education requirement by meeting one of the following criteria:

  • Undergraduate Research: courses in which students carry out original research and substantial class time is devoted to students’ conducting research and presenting research conclusions, OR sustained, mentored research experience for academic credit. [Click here to view a syllabus of a research-based course.]
  • A course with a substantial field trip or fieldwork component: These courses must include at least 30 hours of appropriate off-campus fieldwork or field trips. The fieldwork component of the course should integrate a wide range of subject Matter and provide an active opportunity for the student to investigate original problems and apply methods used by professionals in the discipline. [Click here to view a syllabus of a course that incorporates field work.]
  • Departmental or University-Unit Internship or Experiential Independent Study: Internships and experiential independent study courses must (a) be administered by an academic school, department, curricula, or university-unit; (b) require a minimum of 100 hours of service or work; and (c) have a unit or departmental faculty adviser to assist students with setting appropriate goals and providing guidance throughout the experience.
  • Direct and sustained engagement in a creative process: Coinciding with a literary, musical, dramatic, or studio arts class, a student may participate in a supervised community arts program or use their art for community purposes under faculty supervision culminating in at least 30 hours of work during the semester.  Additionally, a course in any Department or University Unit that requires at least 30 hours of faculty-supervised work and culminates in public programming may also satisfy the Experiential Education requirement.  [Click here and here to view a syllabus of a course that incorporates public programming.]
  • In addition, all service-learning courses approved by A.P.P.L.E.S. and all study abroad programs that are approved the UNC-Chapel Hill Study Abroad Office, or operated by the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Romance Languages or the Summer School, meet the Experiential Education requirement.

Something to consider if you are planning to develop a course that meets the EE requirement:  Unlike other requirements in the General Education curriculum, the EE requirement can be met by a single-credit course, and it can be graded Pass-Fail.  So a course designed to fulfill the EE requirement alone may provide a stimulating intellectual environment without the time and grading commitment of a three-credit course.

What are some examples of public programming mentioned in the criteria?
The items on the following non-exhaustive list can be combined or not, and can be the product of the class alone or in conjunction with a center or institute on campus.

  • Film series.
  • Speaker series.
  • Panel discussion.
  • End-of-semester conference.
  • Exhibition of research.

What counts toward 30 hours of faculty-supervised work?

  • Structured research time outside the classroom.
  • Work outside the class to prepare for student-led discussions.
  • All facets of organizing a public event, including but not limited to inviting speakers, screening films for selection, publicity, working to involve student and community groups, planning for post-event discussions.
  • Rehearsal time.

What resources are available to assist in the development and implementation of EE courses?

  • The Office of Experiential Education offers course development grants to faculty who are interested in creating new courses that fulfill the EE requirement or revising existing courses to meet it.
  • The Office of Undergraduate Research sponsors the Graduate Research Consultant program in which graduate students provide assistance and guidance to undergraduate students in research-based courses.
  • The Center for Global Initiatives offers course development grants for courses with significant international content.
  • The Center for Teaching and Learning offers faculty assistance in conceptualizing and executing plans for new courses.
  • The Sonja Haynes Center for Black Culture and History supports joint research/study projects by faculty and students on various topics in Africana studies through its Sonja Haynes Stone Collegiums Program. Collegiums support collaborative work on African diaspora subjects from a wide-range of perspectives and from interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary vantage points. This initiative is supported by a donation from the late Daniel and Beth Okun.