APSEA (Activity Approval)

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.

No – activity leaders will only submit activities in APSEA if they should be considered for Institutional Competencies (IC) and/or Experiential Learning (EL).

While activity leaders can submit proposals for consideration for both Institutional Competencies and Experiential Learning, only one is required for submission.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

This approval workflow can also be found here.

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.

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.

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.

Study Away experiences are mapped to Institutional Competencies using the APSEA (Approval Process for Student Experiences and Activities) system. This online approval system routes these experiences to the Institutional Competency Subcommittee for review. Upon approval, these Study Away experiences will be displayed on the CLR of any participating students.

Click here for detailed instructions for submitting Study Away experiences and other activities in APSEA.

When mapping Study Away experiences to Institutional Competencies in APSEA, please keep the following in mind:

• Any mapped ICs should be achieved through the Study Away experience as a whole, not simply through the included courses.
  • If students in the Study Away experience are achieving an IC exclusively through coursework, the course itself should be submitted for IC approval.
• All students participating in the Study Away experience should achieve the mapped ICs regardless of the courses in which they are enrolled.
• The APSEA approval process requires submission of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for all experiences being considered for ICs. These SLOs should articulate how the mapped ICs are attained and acquired, both through the Study Away coursework and out-of-class experiences.
  • Additional guidelines for writing SLOs in APSEA can be found here.
• Any mapped ICs should be a direct emphasis and focus of the Study Away experience. The ICs should therefore be incorporated and achieved directly through the experience.
• The Study Away experience should include instruction and feedback related to the mapped ICs, as well as opportunities for development and improvement over time.
• Students must participate for a minimum of 45 hours in a Study Away experience for that experience to be considered for Institutional Competencies. This minimum can include both in-class and out-of-class hours.

Additionally, when submitting a Study Away program:

• Include the SABD/FSTY program number (e.g., SABD 1101) in the “Description” field within the APSEA submission.
• It is not necessary to submit the Study Away experience for fulfilment of Experiential Learning in APSEA, as these are automatically considered for EL.

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.

Please contact the Office of the Registrar at clr@uga.edu.

Please contact the Office of the Registrar at clr@uga.edu.

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.

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.

Activities are effective immediately following approval for ICs and/or EL.