Transforming the College Experience: The CLAS Voyage

In GVSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), we believe that education extends beyond the classroom walls. That's why we've created the CLAS Voyage—a dynamic and immersive experience designed to empower students to navigate their academic journey, explore their passions, and chart a course toward personal and professional success.

The CLAS Voyage uses a multi-faceted approach to ensure students have access to real-world learning. As undergraduates prepare for life after college, the CLAS Voyage guarantees they benefit from:

1. The Embarking Experience

During their first year, students engage in interactive learning communities, peer mentoring, and co-curricular activities that help welcome them into a vibrant community and set their foundation for success.

2. The Compass: An Innovative ePortfolio

The ePortfolio allows students to document their academic achievements, reflect on their learning, and showcase their accomplishments. This empowers them to explore their purpose and passions and make corresponding career connections, while honing their digital literacy and technology skills.

3. Experiential Learning

From research and service projects to internships and study abroad programs, experiential learning helps students integrate what they are learning in the classroom into real-world experiences. These barrier-free high-impact activities are woven throughout every program in the college to ensure every student experiences at least two of them.

4. A Capstone Experience

Whether it’s a research thesis, creative project, community engagement initiative, or professional internship, this culminating experience challenges students to integrate all they’ve learned and demonstrate mastery in their field.

Work on the CLAS Voyage involves faculty from each department and multiple university and community partners. It builds on existing college strengths like relationship-based teaching, experiential learning, and multidisciplinary collaboration, and centers our commitment to student success. As we prepare to launch the CLAS Voyage in the fall of 2025, our work is centered on elevating career-connected liberal arts and sciences degrees and ensuring that all students can communicate the value of their degree now and in the future.

The Impact of Experiential Learning

Time and again, we hear from our alumni that their experiential learning opportunities had the greatest impact on their career successes. In fact, multiple studies have found that students who engage in hands-on experiences supported by reflective activities are better able to connect classroom learning to real-world situations. When students participate in experiential learning, they gain:

• A better understanding of course material
• A broader worldview and an appreciation of community
• Insight into their own skills, interests, passions, and values
• Experiences collaborating with diverse organizations and people
• Familiarity with professional practices
• Self-confidence and leadership skills

The CLAS Voyage embeds high-impact experiential learning into the curriculum of all CLAS majors, ensuring that all students will have barrier-free access to these experiences.

Types of Experiential Learning

Internships
Internships help students learn in their chosen field by applying classroom theory to real situations, providing professional guidance through work experiences.

Study Abroad and Away
Study abroad and away encompasses educational programs conducted outside the university campus, often in different cities, states, or countries. These programs can be guided by GVSU faculty members, occur in collaboration with partner universities, or be managed by external third-party organizations.

Student Learning Communities
Student learning communities (SLCs) connect students and faculty across courses and disciplines, fostering collaborative learning around shared goals. Through innovative curricula and active student participation, SLCs create spaces for trust, accountability, creativity and belonging.

Community-Based Learning
Community-based learning (CBL) involves students collaborating with community partners as part of their academic coursework. By working alongside community members, students gain valuable preparation for careers and active civic participation in a democratic society.

Scholarly and Creative Practice
Students are mentored by faculty on original research projects, like lab work or writing a thesis, or original creative endeavors, like composing music or designing an art installation.

In the Classroom

• Project/problem-based learning

• Partnerships with community organizations, local employers, and/or global organizations

• Creation of art

• Performances

• Lab work

• Simulations

Beyond the Classroom

• Field work/site work

• Student teaching

• Volunteering

• Internships

• Apprenticeships

• Student employment at GVSU

• Research with faculty

• Study away and abroad