Emerge with More than a Degree
Emerge offers students an opportunity to participate in high-impact experiential learning activities and to develop professional and leadership skills desired by today's employers.
What are HIPs?
High-Impact Practices, or HIPs, are experiential learning activities tied to the curriculum that employ the following characteristics that make the practices “high-impact.”
- Effortful
- Help students build substantive relationships
- Help student engage across differences
- Provide students with rich feedback
- Help students apply and test what they are learning in new situations
- Provide opportunities for students to reflect on the person they are becoming
What are Professional Skills?
Professional Skills are necessary for success in the 21st century workplace.
- Critical Thinking
- Communication
- Creativity
- Collaboration
- Information & Media Literacy
- Social Responsibility
- Problem Solving
- Self-Directed Learning
- Accountability & Adaptability
Levels of Involvement in the Emerge Program:
Emerge as a member of the Emerge Learning Community
All UWF students, faculty, and staff interested in participating in high–impact practices and promoting professional skills that have been shown to increase student engagement and success are eligible to become a member of the Emerge Learning Community.
Emerge with a PORTFOLIO
Students can participate in Emerge Learning Community opportunities to build a professional portfolio based on High-Impact Practices and Professional Skills. To get started, complete the Emerge Student Action Plan and submit it to emerge@uwf.edu.
Note: To edit the Emerge Student Action Plan, you must have Adobe Reader or another program to edit a PDF file. If you cannot edit the file electronically, you will need to download it, print it, and edit it manually before emailing it to emerge@uwf.edu.
- Faculty/Student Research
Faculty guided systematic investigation and research experiences including presentation of findings.
- Diversity/Global Learning
Experiential learning to help students explore diversity and world cultures including study away and study abroad.
- Service/Community Based Learning
Field based learning in collaboration with community partners that allows students to apply learning in a realistic setting while “giving back” to the community by analyzing and solving relevant problems.
- Internship, Field Experience
Direct field experience in a work setting related to career interests, with supervision and guidance provided from professionals in the field.
- Capstone Course/Projects
Culminating experiences near the end of the degree that allow students to integrate and apply content from their program of study.
- Collaborative Assignments and Projects
Learning activities that combine two key goals: learning to work and solve problems in the company of others, and sharpening one’s own understanding by listening seriously to the insights of others including team-based activities, cooperative projects and research.
Leadership
Engagement: Engage in an active leadership role for one semester. Leadership positions include employment, registered student organizations, UWF and community activities, and other approved leadership positions.
- OR -
Education: Develop leadership skills through one of the following:
- One semester of an academic course based on Leadership Development
- Attend UWF Leadership Gauntlet
- Attend five Leadership Development Workshops (e.g. Read and Lead, Leadershops, Student Leaders Summit, Employee Training Program, other approved activity)
Social Responsibility
Contribute 30 community service hours to communities including UWF and local and international communities. Service hours, which fall under the umbrella of "experiences," must be logged through Handshake.
How to Submit Experiences: Community Service Hours
How to View Experiences in Handshake: Community Service Hours
Community Service Log
Career Development
Attend two professional development workshops offered by Career Development and Community Engagement, Emerge Office, or other approved professional development workshops.
High-Impact Practice #1
- Complete one of the Emerge HIP Experiences
- Reflect the HIP Experience through a reflection piece
- Present HIP Experience (includes conferences, Student Symposium, Emerge fora, etc.)
High-Impact Practice #2
- Complete one of the Emerge HIP Experiences
- Reflect the HIP Experience through a reflection piece
- Present HIP Experience (includes conferences, Student Symposium, Emerge fora, etc.)
Emerge Professional Skill Experiences
- Complete the Emerge Professional Skill Experiences
- Reflection paper on the Emerge Professional Skill Experiences focusing on:
- Career Development
- Leadership
- Social Responsibility
- Create LinkedIn account
- Build out profile
- Professional headshot (contact Career Development and Community Engagement at career@uwf.edu)
- Complete Career Development Toolkit
- Professional Toolkit containing resume, cover letter, business cards, references, letters of recommendation.
- Present Professional Skills
- Student will present their professional skills at a mock interview event hosted by Emerge.
Emerge as a SCHOLAR
Students can graduate with SCHOLAR distinction upon completion of their Emerge portfolio. Emerge Scholar distinction includes an induction ceremony, graduation regalia, and recognition on transcript.
If you are a UWF student and would like to receive more information about getting started, please contact the Emerge Office at emerge@uwf.edu.