CARDS (Conceptualize, Adventure, Research, Develop, Serve) EXCEL (Expand the Classroom through Engaged Learning)
Engaged learning allows you to expand your knowledge and gain skills to further prepare you for life after graduation. Students who complete two or more qualifying engaged learning activities and submit reflections on those experiences are eligible to earn the CARDS EXCEL distinction cord at graduation. Watch our student testimonial videos to hear from previous CARDS EXCEL participants about their engaged learning experiences.
How does it work?
- Complete two or more qualifying engaged learning experiences from at least one of the five categories—Conceptualize, Adventure, Research, Develop and Serve.
- During your graduating semester, submit a CARDS EXCEL distinction application including reflections on each experience. Applications will be completed through the InfoReady system. Students graduating in August 2024 or December 2024 must submit their completed application by December 2, 2024.
- The Center for Engaged Learning team will review your application. If approved, you may pick up your cord for graduation during the week of December 9-13, 2024 from the Center for Engaged Learning office.
- Wear your cords in graduation and celebrate your accomplishment!
CATEGORIES
The CARDS EXCEL program encourages students to develop skills and career-readiness competencies through participation in engaged learning experiences. To earn the CARDS EXCEL distinction, you will need to complete two experiences that fall under the engaged learning categories of Conceptualize, Adventure, Research, Develop, or Service. Students are encouraged, but not required, to complete two experiences from two different categories.
Conceptualize
Engage in conceptualization, application and entrepreneurship, examples include:
- Business plan competitions
- Hackathon
- Industry projects
- Capstone course projects
- Academic student competition teams
Adventure
Seek adventure by engaging with the global community, examples include:
- Study abroad
- International Service Learning Program (ISLP)
- International internships
- International co-ops
- International research experiences
Research
Improve lives through research, creativity and discovery, examples include:
- Visual & performing arts
- Creative humanities
- Mentored research experience
- Intensive summer research experiences
Develop
Hone career and leadership skills to apply to future career endeavors, examples include:
- Co-ops
- Internships
- Practicums
- Field experiences
- Student teaching
- Student Organization Leadership
- Clinical experiences
- Student Government Position
- Greek Life Leadership
- REACH Peer Tutor or Academic Coach
- ROTC
- Student Athlete
Serve
Serve your local and global community through community engagement opportunities, examples include:
- Service learning
- K-12 outreach
REQUIREMENTS
For an engaged learning experience to qualify for the CARDS EXCEL distinction, it must:
- Involve a minimum of 15 total hours of involvement during one semester.
- Involve a hands-on learning experience.
- Provide the opportunity to develop skills and career readiness competencies such as critical thinking, communication, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and technology.
- Include a reflection with CARDS EXCEL distinction application.
For part-time jobs and work study positions that are not internships, co-ops, or apprenticeships, the experience must be directly related to your major(s) or minor(s).
Note: Experiences below the minimum may be considered depending on the experience and depth of learning, however, no experience of less than 10 hours can be counted for the CARDS EXCEL program.
REFLECTION
Reflection is a critical component of engaged learning, linking your experience to learning outcomes, enhancing your academic understanding and increasing awareness of how your work impacts the community. The benefits of taking the time to reflect on engaged learning experiences include:
- Links academic knowledge to real world experiences through transfer of learning
- Challenges students to assign meaning to their engaged learning experiences
- Understand and be able to communicate specific skills and experiences which can be useful for resumes, applications, and interviews for jobs and further educational opportunities
Submitting a Reflection
To earn the CARDS EXCEL distinction, you will need to submit reflections for each of your qualifying engaged learning experiences. Each reflection will be submitted as part of your CARDS EXCEL application for distinction.
Submit the application through InfoReady during the semester that you are graduating
August 2024 & December 2024 graduates: Submit reflections and application by December 2, 2024.
Reflections will be evaluated against the CARDS EXCEL Reflection Rubric, we encourage students to review the rubric prior to completing the CARDS EXCEL application.
We strongly encourage you to type your responses and save them in a document prior to submitting through the InfoReady system. You can download the reflection questions here (requires logging into UofL system). When in the InfoReady system, be sure to click the save as draft button while working on your application to ensure your responses are saved until you are ready to submit.
If you have applied but have not received an email from InfoReady regarding the status of your application, we most likely do not have your application. Please contact cel@louisville.edu to confirm your eligibility and that we have received your application.
Reflection Questions
If you would like to review the reflection questions ahead of time, view the boxes below or download the reflection questions. You will submit your reflections with your application for CARDS EXCEL during the semester you are graduating. Applications will be submitted through InfoReady.
Students will provide general information about the engaged learning experience including:.
- Type of engaged learning experience
- If the experience was for academic credit
- If the experience had an hourly rate or stipend included
- Experience start and end dates
- Total number of hours involved in the experience
- Location of the experience
- Contact information for someone who can share about your participation
Students will be asked to provide detailed responses to the following reflection questions:
- Provide a clear and detailed description of your participation, activities, and responsibilities in the engaged learning experience.
- Describe how you were able to apply, or make relevant, the knowledge, skills, or concepts you learned in your coursework as part of the engaged learning experience, and what new skills or knowledge did you gain?
- Describe how this engaged learning experience required you to analyze and/or evaluate information or situation in new ways.
- Describe how the assumptions and perceptions you had about the community, culture, environment, or workplace were challenge or affirmed by your engaged learning experience.
- How has participating in this engaged learning experience advanced your future academic and/or professional goals? Describe how this experience helped deepen your understanding of yourself, including your passions, interests, and values.
FAQs
Only experiences completed while enrolled as a student at UofL can be considered for the CARDS EXCEL distinction.
No, CARDS EXCEL is an optional program that undergraduate students can choose to participate in.
Yes, currently the CARDS EXCEL program is focused on undergraduate students.
Undergraduate students enrolled at UofL at the launch of CARDS EXCEL in spring 2023, will be allowed to submit previous experience following the timelines listed below based on their expected graduation year:
| Graduation Year | Timeframe for Prior Experience to be Included |
|---|---|
| 2024 | August 2019 – Graduating Semester |
| 2025 | August 2020 – Graduating Semester |
| 2026 | August 2021 – Graduating Semester |
| 2027 | August 2022 – Graduating Semester |