The Patriot

Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: News

Suelman [Click to enlarge]

Ali [Click to enlarge]

As more students participate in the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), the program is gaining more attention for its experiential learning activities and nontraditional learning methods.

Internships, faculty-mentored research, service learning and travel study offered by the program are allowing students to learn in different ways and prepare themselves for postgraduate careers. Dr. Will Wattles, associate professor of psychology, coordinates QEP and said the biggest benefit of participating in the program is the experience provided.

"The thing about nontraditional - or experiential - learning is that it's taking the knowledge a student already has and (providing) experience," Wattles said.

While the program doesn't provide an income, Wattles said it can be more helpful than a job when seeking employment after graduation.

"When you apply for a job, they will ask you, 'What experience do you have?'" he said. "You don't want to say, 'Well, I was washing dishes.' You want to be able to say you've got experience."

QEP was awarded 23 grants last fall ranging from $500 to $5,000 to pay students for research, trip expenses and internships.

Wattles said a trip has been planned for this semester.

"We are planning a trip to Charleston coming up this spring, and we're going to have some economics students look at how a sustainable economy works," he said.

The program is geared toward taking knowledge learned in the classroom and applying it to real-world situations.

Lindsay Sueltman, a senior marketing major, is one student who was able to put to use in the real world what she learned in class when she interned at Trinity Healthcare Staffing Group.

"I chose to work at Trinity Healthcare Staffing Group because I heard it was a great company," Sueltman said. "I was allowed to create advertisements and brochures, and was allowed to take things that I had learned in the classroom and apply them through my internship."

Other students have taken different routes with QEP. Najee Ali, a senior graphic design major, participated in advanced business communication and business writing with Dr. John Sutton, professor of English.

Ali and other students took part in a program designed to simplify information from kiosks along the Clemson Outdoor Education Trail.

Sueltman thinks every student should take advantage of an internship before they graduate to help enhance their resumes.

"I think that all students should at least look into applying for an internship," Sueltman said. "It will better prepare you for the future."

Wattles agreed.

"If you want to get a good job, you need to look into an internship, service learning, faculty-mentored research or travel study," he said.

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