Collaboration is music history professor Sarah Williams’ sweet spot. As the faculty executive director of the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning (CIEL) at the University of South Carolina, Williams will focus much of her energy on helping students see their critical, interactive roles working with others in the full life cycle of academic experience.
While Williams’ academic concentration is music history, she sees many parallels between music and CIEL. As with the collaborative nature of music -- from strings and woodwinds to brass and percussion all working together -- core academic performance can be fine-tuned through real-world engagement to maximize learning experiences (in harmony) through connection and cross-cultural understanding.
“My scholarly research is informed by experiential learning, and my classroom pedagogies are informed by my research,” Williams says. “I have benefitted from CIEL’s resources in the past and have seen firsthand the power of experiential learning and reflection for students. I am interested in championing these pedagogical priorities in Columbia and the Palmetto College.”
Williams looks forward not only to the new challenges of this position but also to the opportunity to work more collaboratively with others, opportunities the relative isolation of academic research and course planning often lack.
“I am excited about working with the CIEL staff. As an academic, a lot of the day-to-day work I do on research and developing my courses can be fairly solitary,” she says. “I value a diversity of ideas and experiences, and I am excited to use the skills I’ve built over the past 18 years here at USC in a new way.”
CIEL’s two signature programs, Graduation with Leadership Distinction and Experience by Design, improve students’ access to integrative and experiential learning opportunities. The GLD program recognizes students for significant leadership and co-curricular involvement. Experience by Design emerged from a recent Quality Enhancement Plan whose goal is to allow the entire student body at the USC and Palmetto College campuses to benefit from integrative and experiential learning without barriers.
“I value a diversity of ideas and experiences, and I am excited to use the skills I’ve built over the past 18 years here at USC in a new way.”
-- Sarah Williams, CIEL faculty executive director
Over time, experience has shown that many students would engage beyond the classroom or dorm room more often if they felt comfortable with it and know where to find resources and activities.
“I am motivated by collaborating with, engaging with and understanding my community on a meaningful level,” Williams says. “I value empathy, integrity, encouraging others and building effective collaborative teams.”