Strategic Priority: Experiential Learning and Professional Development : Mount Ida Campus : UMass Amherst

Action steps

Identify undergraduate cohorts within academic programs and work with academic partners to develop a pathway that keeps students on track for graduation that includes internships for credit as well as online, multimodal, or face-to-face course offerings.
Identify graduate programs that allow for internship experiences and work with faculty, the International Programs Office, and the Graduate School to create a holistic experiential learning package consistent with graduate school requirements.
Work with relevant business units to achieve a consistent tuition model for Mount Ida Campus resident students and a user-friendly way to access course registration, housing opportunities, and other services associated with the Mount Ida Campus.
Develop a student and residence life plan that supports the cohort model of building a living/learning community, providing support, teamwork opportunities, and shared resources in order to enrich the academic experience through appropriate cocurricular opportunities that align with students’ academic and career interests (e.g., vet tech students, summer international students).
Create a position within Academic Affairs responsible for the development, coordination, and execution of experiential learning pathways on the Mount Ida Campus.

Measure: No. of new pathways/programs; Diversity of programs; Student satisfaction

Action steps

In close coordination with university industry engagement activities, conduct a survey of Greater Boston employers to assess need for interns, industry-based credentials, and other partnership opportunities.
Identify, target, and reach out to employers across multiple sectors to build a pipeline of meaningful internships and co-ops aligned with Mount Ida Campus experiential learning program cohorts.
Cultivate relationships with key regional employers that result in the creation of “premier partners.”
Establish a working group to develop a framework for credential programs that is aligned with the existing approval process for certificate program proposals.

Measure: No. of new cohorts; No. of premier partnerships; No. of new industry credential programs; Partner satisfaction

Action steps

Implement a career development calendar on the Mount Ida Campus that includes both semester and “off-season” programming, including workshops, boot camps, and career fairs, available to all UMass Amherst students and, when appropriate, sibling campuses.
Extend existing college and department professional development programs to the Mount Ida Campus, where relevant student cohorts exist.
Utilize Boston-area alumni and business/industry partners to provide high-quality seminars, panels, and networking events on campus.
Create a multiday professional development conference as a signature annual campus event.

Measure: No. of events/attendance; Student satisfaction

Action steps

Engage residential students in a unique “City Life” curriculum focused on community engagement and cultural competence, personal skills and responsibilities, and career insights and preparedness.
Develop on-campus program offerings utilizing Boston-area alumni, industry experts, and scholars.
Identify, designate, and/or develop campus facilities that promote independent student experiential learning projects and opportunities.
Enhance and make more accessible unique campus amenities (e.g., pond, walking trails, open spaces, public parks).
Work with University Relations and Physical Plant to bring the campus in alignment with university branding while highlighting its unique mission.
Establish intramural and cocurricular recreational programs for students that, when appropriate, are aligned with their academic pursuits and interests.

Measure: Student satisfaction; Student program participation

Strategic Priority: Experiential Learning and Professional Development