Experiential Learning Advisory Committee – Terms of Reference

The Planning Committee will:

• Conduct a comprehensive scan of current EL offerings – curricular, co-curricular, research-based, and community-led.
• Identify areas of strength, as well as gaps and barriers to equitable access and participation.
• Align recommendations with StFX’s pedagogical strengths, institutional values, and strategic priorities, while considering student development and evolving societal needs.
• Ensure that EL opportunities reflect and expand on StFX’s commitment to academic excellence, community engagement, and inclusive education.
• Review and, where needed, create or update a unifying framework for experiential learning at StFX, ensuring it aligns with institutional values, integrates existing strengths such as Service Learning, and supports future growth across academic and co-curricular domains.
• Recommend models, resources, and cost recovery approaches to support or enhance and grow high-quality, equity informed EL experiences across disciplines.
• Collaborate with the Teaching and Learning Centre to strengthen the pedagogical grounding of EL and support faculty innovation.
• Explore diverse forms of curricular EL including:
  • Micro-WIL (work-integrated learning)
  • Virtual work integrated learning and project-based learning
  • New pathways for Liberal Arts and Science students
• Propose systems to coordinate and track EL and develop a communications and engagement plan to promote student participation.

• Academically Rigorous: Experiential learning opportunities are grounded in strong academic foundations, ensuring that students engage in meaningful, intellectually challenging experiences. Each activity is intentionally designed to align with program outcomes, promote critical reflection, and integrate theory with practice to deepen student learning and academic growth.
• Student-Centered: EL should cultivate critical thinking, reflection, purpose, and lifelong learning.
• Socially Engaged: EL must reflect StFX’s commitment to social justice, ethical citizenship, and community contribution.
• Pedagogically Grounded: EL builds on StFX’s reputation for exceptional teaching and inquiry-based learning.
• Inclusive and Equitable: Systems must reduce barriers to EL and ensure participation by equity-deserving groups.
• Collaborative: Internal and external partnerships are essential to co-creating meaningful learning experiences.
• Consultive: The development of EL strategy must be informed by broad engagement with those who have demonstrated leadership or innovation in experiential learning at StFX.
• Evidence-Informed: Ground the design, delivery, and assessment of experiential learning in the scholarship of teaching and learning, drawing from interdisciplinary research, pedagogical theory, and practice-based insights. Prioritize approaches with demonstrated impact on student learning, equity, and whole-person development.
• Future-Oriented: Prepare students to contribute to society and navigate complex real-world challenges.
• Sustainable: Ensure appropriate infrastructure, and long-term viability and approaches to support cost recovery.

The Committee will consider the full range of EL activities, including:

• Service Learning, co-ops, internships, exchanges, and career development
• Student-led initiatives, faculty-embedded projects, and research-based learning
• Entrepreneurship, Applied Research Projects, professional practicums, clinical placements, work experiences, field placements, simulations, performances
• Digital, hybrid, and in-person modalities
• Community and employer partnerships
• Professional development and faculty support
• Institutional systems and platforms for coordination and tracking

Co-Chairs:

• Assistant Vice-President, Academic Affairs (ex-officio)
• Vice-President, Students (ex-officio)

Members:

• Dean of a Faculty
• Faculty Advisor, Experiential Learning (ex-officio) and representative for Faculty of Arts
• Director, Teaching and Learning Centre (ex-officio)
• Director, Student Life (ex-officio)
• Faculty of Science Representative
• Faculty of Business Representative
• Faculty of Education Representative
• Faculty-at-Large Representative
• Manager, Service Learning (ex-officio)
• Manager, Career and Co-operative Education (ex-officio)
• Representative, Human Rights and Equity Office
• President of the StFX Students' Union or designate
• One student as appointed by the President of the Student Union
• Librarian
• Two external partners (community or employer representatives)
• Additional members or working/consultation groups as needed (e.g., Marketing and Communications, IT, community or employer representatives)

A quorum for meetings will be met when at least 50% of the Committee members are present.

The Advisory Committee Co-Chairs will report to the Executive Committee (EC) and consult regularly with the Academic Vice-President, Deans, Directors, and Senate as appropriate. Dialogue with academic departments and faculty colleagues will ensure that the strategy reflects disciplinary diversity and the university's liberal arts and sciences tradition.

The Advisory Committee will also consult with campus partners who have demonstrated leadership in experiential learning or evolved significant practice in this area. These include, but are not limited to:

• Faculty members leading Work Integrated Learning, research projects, community volunteerism, employment placements related to academic programs, outreach initiatives such as camps. These include but are not limited to X Project, X Oceans, X Chem, Fit for Tots and others which will be identified through a faculty survey.
• The Coady Institute and Coady community engagement programs
• Student Research and Creativity Program (SRC)
• Faculty members engaged in community-based research or participatory learning
• Units supporting students from historically underrepresented communities including Indigenous, Black, International, Queer and Transgender, and Students with Disabilities 

Engagement with these partners will inform recommendations and ensure the EL strategy reflects the depth, breadth, and innovation of experiential learning across the institution.

The Committee will make decisions by consensus. In the event of disagreement, a vote may be taken, with decisions requiring the agreement of at least 50% of the members present.