The Registrar’s Office team is available to meet with you and/or your department to assist with submitting activities in APSEA.
Call our office at 706-542-6358 or email us at [email protected] to schedule an in-person or Zoom session.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of APSEA?
APSEA (Approval Process for Student Experiences and Activities) is an online system designed for activity leaders to submit their student activities for consideration for Institutional Competencies (IC) and/or Experiential Learning (EL). Activities that are approved for ICs will be available for students on the Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR). Activities that are approved for EL and authorized by academic units will be available for students to fulfill their EL Requirement.
Should all student activities be submitted in APSEA?
No – activity leaders will only submit activities in APSEA if they should be considered for Institutional Competencies (IC) and/or Experiential Learning (EL).
Do activities in APSEA need to fulfill both ICs and EL?
While activity leaders can submit proposals for consideration for both Institutional Competencies and Experiential Learning, only one is required for submission.
What are Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)? Are they required for all activities?
SLOs describe the knowledge, skills, and abilities that students should attain through an activity. These SLOs should therefore use student-focused language, describe the intent and desired outcome of the activity, and include evidence of how the outcomes will be achieved. SLOs are required for all activities submitted in APSEA.
What are Institutional Competencies?
Institutional Competencies help students articulate the skills they learn through their UGA courses and activities. Courses and activities approved for Institutional Competencies will be included in the Comprehensive Learner Record, which is designed to help students deepen their understanding of their educational experiences and motivate them to acquire these life-long skills while working toward their degree. More information about UGA’s Institutional Competencies can be found here.
What is the Comprehensive Learner Record?
The Comprehensive Learner Record is a visual credential that will combine students’ courses and activities, highlighting their validated achievements and competencies. This platform will help students communicate their stories while advancing their academic and professional careers. The Institutional Competencies that students achieve while at UGA will be reflected in their Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR).
What is the Experiential Learning Requirement?
All UGA undergraduates are required to engage in at least one approved Experiential Learning course or activity that enhances learning and positions them for success after graduation. EL gives students hands-on opportunities to connect their academic foundations to the world beyond the classroom, through internships, study abroad, faculty-mentored research, service learning, and leadership opportunities.
What is the approval workflow for activities submitted in APSEA?
Activity proposals that are submitted by the Initiator for fulfillment of Institutional Competencies first go to the Dean of their College/School or the Vice President of their Unit. Once approved, the proposal will be reviewed by the IC Subcommittee of the University Curriculum Committee. Upon approval by the Subcommittee, the activity will appear on the Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) with the approved Institutional Competencies.
Activity proposals that are submitted by the Initiator for consideration for the Experiential Learning requirement first go to the Dean of their College/School or the Vice President of their Unit. Once approved, the proposal will be reviewed by the EL Subcommittee of the University Curriculum Committee. Upon approval by the Subcommittee, the activity will be available to academic units to authorize for students to fulfill the EL requirement.
My activity has already been approved for Experiential Learning. Do I need to resubmit it in APSEA?
No – activities that have already been approved for EL do not need to be resubmitted in APSEA. However, the activity should be submitted in APSEA if it needs to also be considered for fulfillment of an Institutional Competency.
Have the requirements for Experiential Learning activities changed now that they will be submitted through APSEA?
No – the submission requirements and review process for Experiential Learning remains the same. The APSEA system is merely a new method for capturing these submissions.
Is there a minimum total hour requirement for activities that are submitted for fulfillment of ICs and/or EL?
A proposed activity must require at least 45 hours of student participation for it to be considered for fulfillment of Institutional Competencies and/or Experiential Learning.
What information is the Institutional Competency Subcommittee using to evaluate an activity submission?
As the Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) will only include the activity description and the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), the IC Subcommittee only looks at these items when considering whether to approve an activity. This consideration should inform how the Activity Description and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) of the activity are written, as they will both appear on the CLR.
Are there specific guidelines for developing Student Learning Outcomes in APSEA that will map to Institutional Competencies?
Information regarding developing Student Learning Outcomes that will map to Institutional Competencies can be found here.
My Unit does not appear as an option in APSEA. How do I have it added?
What is the difference between the Activity Director, the Activity Contact, and the Student Registration Contact in APSEA?
The “Activity Director” is the individual who is responsible for overseeing the activity.
The “Activity Contact” is the individual who will be contacted by the Office of the Registrar for any additional information that may be needed or about questions regarding the activity submission.
The “Student Registration Contact” is the individual who students can reach out to for information about the activity. In addition, this individual will be responsible for the activity admission and registration process and for providing data regarding student enrollment and completion to the Office of the Registrar.
What if the Activity Director, the Activity Contact, and the Student Registration Contact are all the same individual?
It is possible that a single individual will fulfill all three of these roles. If this is the case, only the “Activity Director” fields need to be filled out in APSEA with this individual’s contact information.
How soon after approval will my activity be effective for Institutional Competencies and/or Experiential Learning?
Activities are effective immediately following approval for ICs and/or EL.