Building on twenty years of innovation, the Office of Experiential Education (‘EE’) in the Faculty of Social Sciences is getting a new name – Careers & Experiential Education. The change was formalized at the meeting of the Experiential Education Governing Council (EEGC) in May 2021.

“Our new name highlights the Social Sciences-specific support we provide students in exploring career paths and pursuing skill-building experiences,” says Keri Long, who manages the internship program for the faculty. The name continues to reflect the ongoing commitment to experiential education in the Social Sciences, and to helping students become active citizens, life-long learners, and engaged members of their communities.

Celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, the Experiential Education team has supported students and faculty in the Social Sciences with career development, internships, placements, and experiential teaching and learning since the 2000-2001 academic year.

“We will continue to build connections between academic studies, careers, and the community through meaningful collaborations with students and faculty, as well as community and campus partners,” says Ruthanne Talbot, who works with instructors to establish community-engaged experiences within undergraduate courses.

In a year of change, the team also welcomed a new Manager of Experiential Education, Mark Busser, who has taught for a decade in the Faculty, and earned his PhD in the department of Political Science. “As demand for work-integrated learning and career resources continues to grow, the goal will be to collaborate on programming that suits the unique teaching and learning needs of the Social Sciences community,” says Busser. “We’re excited to build on all of the great ideas that our teaching and learning partners have been sharing with us.”

Students, staff, instructors, and community members can expect to see updates to websites, messaging, and other services over the coming months as the Careers & Experiential Education renaming takes effect.