Ed Goode, senior director of experiential learning in the Pathways Center, will oversee the implementation of “Connect-Integrate-Reflect," Emory’s plan to enhance undergraduate education.
Ed Goode, senior director of experiential learning in the Pathways Center, has been appointed to lead the implementation of “Connect-Integrate-Reflect: Experiential Education at Emory,” the university’s new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for undergraduate education.
“Ed Goode brings valuable perspective as a leading experiential learning administrator, former academic advisor and faculty member, and we are thrilled that he will oversee this effort,” says David Jordan, associate vice provost for academic planning. “I am confident he will successfully design, run and assess high-impact programs that are optimized to benefit our students and expand their horizons through real-world learning.”
“Connect-Integrate-Reflect,” first announced in February as part of the institution’s reaffirmation of accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), focuses on expanding education abroad, internships and community-engaged learning for undergraduates, as well as development opportunities for faculty.
Every 10 years, as part of the reaffirmation of accreditation process, institutions must create a compliance certification report, which includes a QEP, an in-depth, five-year plan that addresses a topic or issue related to improving student learning.
“The topic of ‘experiential learning’ emerged from input from faculty and students across the university, and it aligns squarely with Emory’s mission and strategic planning, including the new 'Experience and Application' graduation requirement (XA GER) that our faculty approved in 2021,” says Goode. “It also reflects our ongoing efforts to establish dynamic, mutually beneficial connections with employers, organizations and communities across Atlanta and around the world — connections that will continue to increase the scope and impact of an Emory education.”
During the 2024-25 academic year, Goode and the QEP Implementation Committee — to be formed of faculty and staff — will conduct an audit of existing resources and experiences in Emory’s undergraduate schools. Partnering with colleagues in Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and Goizueta Business School, the team will identify current opportunities, funding resources, potential areas of expansion and any systemic issues preventing students from participating.
“The university-wide audit will allow us to build a clear, comprehensive picture of what’s currently available to students, and it will also enable us to identify where we can provide greater equity and access,” says Goode.“We want to ensure these transformative, high-impact practices are available to all of our undergraduates, regardless of their major, career aspiration or socio-economic status.”
As part of the audit, Goode and his team will research best practices and what has been successful at institutions across the country and around the world. They will connect with faculty and staff at Emory to discuss and support potential new programs for students and explore ways to embed experiential learning into the curriculum. Additionally, the committee will collaborate with faculty, advisors and career coaches on ways to educate students starting in their first year about the value, importance and availability of different opportunities.
Complementing the audit process will be planning for year two of the implementation phase, which will include a flagship event: Experiential Learning Week. The annual, weeklong event expected to debut in the 2025-26 academic year will feature study abroad opportunities; an internship expo; workshops and panels for faculty, staff and students; and community-engaged education. Goode anticipates it will raise the profile of experiential learning and further integrate it into undergraduate education at Emory.
“A key part of our experiential learning involves bringing new knowledge, new insight and a new sense of possibility back to our campus,” Goode notes.“Experiential Learning Week will provide a showcase for the stories of our students and faculty and also an opportunity to ask questions, to build relationships and to gain inspiration from each other.”
As the Implementation Committee begins work this year, they expect to build strong relationships with centers, academic departments and student organizations at Emory as well as community partners in order to deliver on the promise of “Connect-Integrate-Reflect.”
“Our QEP is a comprehensive, thoughtful and collaborative effort to improve student learning outcomes around our theme of experiential learning,” says Goode. “The things we want to do at Emory, we must do together — it must be a community effort. This is not a top-down directive, rather, the community came up with the idea and we have faculty and staff actively doing this. The only way we’ll be successful is if we collaborate and work together.”
For more information, please email Goode.