Center for Engaged Learning

The Center for Engaged Learning (CEL) is a strategic, intentional partnership between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. Your success depends on how well you can integrate your professional, educational, and personal goals. The CEL is designed to help you learn how to do this? And, we will help you make meaningful connections between your own learning in class room and experiential learning outside of the classroom.

This is how you insure your personally successful undergraduate experience.

Seneca, the 1st century Roman philospher coined the phrase, "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity." Dr. Ned Laff, Director of the CEL, says, "At the CEL, our philosophy is that you create your preparation and you create your opportunity."

To do this the CEL brought together a variety of different programs – Student Success Leaders, First Year Student Success Initiatives, Service-Learning, Career Services, General Education, and Contractual Studies.

By bringing together these different program areas, we help you think intentionally about how success in the classroom connects with your professional goals and prepares you as a future learner and leader. We actively challenge and support you in your efforts to succeed, especially first year students as you adjust to college level work. We link you with Student Success Leaders (SLs), peer mentors who are cross-trained with Career Services and available to work with students one-on-one in crafting and achieving your academic and career goals and how to engage campus life to do so.

Through Service-Learning, integrating meaningful service experiences into academic courses, you are challenged to look at your vocational calling and how a commitment to civic engagement can actually enhance your career marketability.

And, the CEL is home to Contractual Studies, a program that lets you design an undergraduate program around your unique goals and interests under the guidance of two faculty advisors and the Director of the CEL.

"It's not only what you know, but it's also who you know." - Kim Franklin, Director of Career Services.

At the CEL, our philosophy is that you cannot make a good academic decision in a career develop vacuum. From your first semester on campus you will begin bringing these two together. Under the Director of Career Service you will begin with MyPlan, explore your interests through informational interviews, and develop your strategy to create a variety of internship experiences.

The CEL connects you to campus resources, community resources, business resources, and links you with mentors committed to your success.

We cultivate women leaders and jumpstart you on your path to academic and professional success. We show you how to become empowered to make your education work for you, showing you ways to synthesize the pieces of your education to make a difference not just in your own life but also in the world around you.

The CEL is committed to your success- helping you envision your potential and working with you to make it happen.

For additional information, contact:

Sherrod Bridgers
Data Coordinator/Administrative Assistant
(803) 786-3113
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