Integrative Experiences - FAQs for Faculty Sponsors

1. What is an integrative experience (IE)?

Designed as an alternative to a formal Learning Community, an Integrative Experience is a structured environment in which a student or group of students can 1) demonstrate their ability to integrate two or more disciplines, and 2) acknowledge and reflect on that integration.

The working definition of integrative learning used by the Gen Ed Implementation Committee in developing the guidelines and proposal forms can be found on the first page of the "Guidelines for Proposing and Integrative Experience (IE)" found on the SVC portal: District Resources / General Education / Integrative Experiences / IE Guidelines.

2. Why would a student do an IE?

Under the new Gen Ed degree requirements, an IE may be used as an alternative to the third Learning Community required for transfer degrees -- therefore it provides a low credit (or no credit) alternative to the traditional 10-credit Learning Community.

3. What types of integrative experiences are there?

Currently there are three types:

1.  Seminars. Seminar IEs provide a structured framework in which a group of students can demonstrate and reflect on integration of several disciplines. A department (the “faculty sponsor”) may submit a proposal for a specific seminar course that integrates disciplines (ex: GEOL 152). The course is coded as an IE, so all students who register and successfully complete the course will have the IE reflected on their transcript; individual completion forms are not required. A standing proposal may be submitted if the department intends the seminar to be a regularly scheduled course with no changes to the proposal term to term. All Seminar IEs have a course number of 151 or 152.

2.  Co-curricular. This type of IE acknowledges that integration occurs outside of the classroom and in co-curricular events (Student Government, Sustainability Fair, field trip to China, etc.). In a co-curricular IE, a faculty sponsor provides a structured framework in which students demonstrate integration of several disciplines and reflect on the experience of the integration. A proposal is submitted for the event, and any number of students may complete the IE. After the sponsoring faculty member assesses each student, a completion form for each individual student is submitted to the registrar indicating that the student has successfully completed the IE. The completion form becomes part of the student’s permanent record and is used by the transcript evaluator to complete the degree check. Students are not required to sign up for a course or pay for any credits in this type of IE (although they must be a registered SVC student). A standing proposal may be submitted for an event that recurs yearly (for example, the Social Sciences Symposium IE) if there are no changes to the original proposal.

3. LIA as IE. In some cases, a student’s LIA project can also meet the requirements for an IE. Because there is no structured framework provided by an instructor, it is the most challenging type of IE and should be proposed only for students who have a strong understanding of integration and whose LIA provides a clear opportunity for the student to demonstrate their ability to integrate two or more disciplines on their own and then to reflect on the power of that integration. The faculty sponsor first discusses thoroughly with the student the integration that the student plans to demonstrate AND how their reflections on the integration will be assessed (students should be provided a copy of the assessment criteria in advance). The sponsor then completes and submits the proposal form. Proposals for this type of IE are for one student only and require the student take responsibility for developing/designing the framework of the integration.

Examples of each of these three types of IEs can be found in the Proposal Guidelines (SVC portal: District Resources / General Education / Integrative Experiences / IE Guidelines)

4. Is there a minimum requirement of hours the IE must take?

Co-curricular IEs / none - though typical proposals have been multi-day events
Seminar course / hours are dictated by the credit value for the course (1 credit = 11 hours in class)
LIA as IE / the IE adds no additional hours to the LIA time requirements (1 credit = 30 hrs)

5. How do I propose an IE?

Proposal guidelines and forms are found by going to the SVC portal: District Resources / General Education / Integrative Experiences

Once you have read the guidelines and filled out the proposal form, the proposal is submitted to the District Gen Ed Committee (DGEC). Deadlines for submitting the proposals are currently as follows:

Co-curricular IEs / the end of the first week of the quarter prior to the quarter in which the IE occurs (EX: the first week of Fall for a Winter IE)
Seminar course / prior to the annual schedule for the year in which the IE will occur
IE as part of LIA / no later than the last day of the quarter before which the LIA will occurs

Note 1: If the IE is part of an LIA, the LIA contract must also be included with the proposal. The steps for the LIA contract must be completed separately.
Note 2: Assessment criteria must be attached (see below for information on how this is reviewed).

6. What is the District Gen Ed Committee (DGEC) looking for on the proposal?

The District Gen Ed Committee will be reviewing the proposal and looking for:

  1. an explanation/description of what the student will be doing that clearly demonstrates integration of two or more disciplines;
  2. evidence that the student will acknowledge and reflect on this integration (a reflective essay is recommended, but alternative assessment methods may be proposed by the faculty sponsor); and
  3. a clear explanation of how the student's integration and reflection on that integration will be assessed by the faculty member (i.e., on what basis would you assign and A, B, etc. when assessing their integration?). A suggested rubric is provided in the Integrative Experiences folder on the portal, or you may attach an alternative assessment criteria. (Note: The assessment criteria should be made available to the student(s) in advance so they have a clear understanding of how they will be assessed.)

7. How do I know if the proposal has been approved?

Co-curricular IEs / if approved, the faculty sponsor will be notified by the DGEC
Seminar course / if approved, the faculty sponsor/department will be notified by the DGEC and will need to notify the appropriate Dept/Div Chair that the Seminar or course code needs to indicate an IE in the annual/quarter schedule
IE as part of LIA / if approved, the faculty sponsor will be notified by the DGEC.

The IE may be provisionally approved pending additional information/clarification, etc. The faculty sponsor has one week after notification from the DGEC to resubmit the proposal for final approval.

If not approved, the proposal will be returned to the faculty sponsor along with an explanation for the decision not to approve.

8. The student has finished the IE; now what do I do?

If, after assessing the student's integration and discussion/reflection on that integration, the faculty sponsor determines the student has successfully completed the IE:

Co-curricular IEs / the faculty sponsor submits an IE completion form (which must also be signed by the student!) to Registration for inclusion in the student’s permanent record. (Please also keep a copy for your records and provide one to the student).
Seminar course
/ a grade will be submitted for the student through the Instructor Briefcase
IE as part of LIA / a grade will be submitted for the student through the Instructor Briefcase

9. Is there compensation for being a faculty sponsor?

The SVCFT tabled this discussion in Spring 2008, so there is currently no compensation for faculty sponsorship of an IE with the exception of IE seminars (which count toward instructor IU load).

10. Can I sit in on the review of IE proposals during a DGEC meeting?

Of course! Contact your campus Gen Ed Coordinator for meeting times and location.

11. I still have questions on IEs - who can I ask?

Contact your campus Gen Ed Coordinator.

IE FAQs-1 5.20.2010 Revision _Mo