By SUSAN JONES
A new position in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences is aimed at expanding experiential learning for students, and the person in the role, Abdesalam Soudi, is busy talking to faculty and others about their experiences and ideas in this area.
Soudi, a teaching associate professor in the Department of Linguistics, was named Dean's Fellow for Experiential Learning (ExL) in August 2024.
“Connecting won’t wait until you have the degree in your hand,” he said. “It's the idea of networking and making connections and building relationships, and it's the stuff that we don't, unfortunately, teach.”
Experiential learning is very broad, Soudi said, and includes “really integrating knowledge with experience through service learning, internships, other community-based projects and being able to also work across disciplines, being able to collaborate with people from a different discipline,” because that’s what will be necessary for students to do when they enter the workplace.
His new role is to help facilitate conversations across the Dietrich School about what experiential learning programs already exist and what is needed to create new ones, both inside and outside the classroom.
“Connecting the knowledge of the experience or industry or community, it can happen in the community itself, but can also happen in the classroom,” he said. “We can bring the community into the classroom. We can bring the industry to the classroom, just as we can take students out there as well.”
Experiential learning, he said, provides students with immersive opportunities that reinforce theoretical knowledge while fostering critical thinking, collaboration, communication, adaptability, and problem-solving skills.
Soudi’s goals are broad and far reaching:
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Foster an inclusive and impactful learning environment that prepares students to navigate an ever-changing world, empowering them as leaders who contribute meaningfully to their communities.
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Facilitate communication on current experiential learning efforts.
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Collaborate with stakeholders to enhance experiential resources.
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Develop projects to increase student access to internships and applied learning.
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Establish guidelines and best practices for future experiential learning development.
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Create an Experiential Learning Community of Practice (faculty, staff, students, interns, advisors, alum, industry and community partners).
For the community of practice, he wants to bring together faculty representing different disciplines in the school. “They have access to different resources and different areas of expertise and thinking. An office of experiential learning in charge of creating all the experiential learning opportunities is not the model I’m aiming for.”
He’s been meeting faculty members “who are brimming with ideas, passionate about their disciplines and deeply invested in the transformative power of ExL. … Our goal now is to harness this enthusiasm and create an environment where ideas can be shared, nurtured and expanded.”
In addition, he wants to create a system for reflection on how the experiential learning programs are working. This would look at “what you have experienced, what were the challenges you have faced? What did you learn from that experience and to a certain degree even, how would you teach it to others?”
“Despite faculty recognition of reflection's value in ExL, Pitt lacks a formal system to ensure its consistency and quality,” Soudi said. “To address this gap, this project will develop a structured ExL Reflection Framework that enhances student engagement, self-reflection and faculty assessment of ExL outcomes.”
He also is hosting informal sessions called “Steeping and Pouring Possibilities in Experiential Learning” at 9 a.m. the first and third Fridays of the month in person at 2707 Posvar Hall or online if needed. These sessions are open to Pitt colleagues, industry and community partners, and alumni to share tea or coffee and discuss ideas. Email Abdesalam Soudi to set up a meeting.
“It draws inspiration from the ritual of making tea, a process that symbolizes thoughtfulness, community, and shared experience,” Soudi said.
There also will be inaugural retreat on Experiential Learning on April 11. The location for the all-day event is still being decided, but registration is required through the Experiential Learning website or by emailing Soudi.
Alumni, he said, also will play a vital role in the ExL initiatives. They can mentor students, be guest speakers, collaborate on projects, create networking opportunities, and lead workshops. “Their success stories serve as valuable case studies, and their involvement will help strengthen our network and create opportunities for growth,” Soudi said.
When successful alumni come into a classroom, Soudi said he asks them one simple question, “Tell us how you got here today, starting with your journey at Pitt.”
For Pitt Day of Giving on Feb. 25, he’s encouraging donors to sponsor experiential learning initiatives, such as:
• Internships and research projects
• Community partnerships and outreach
• Global learning experiences
• Student participation in conferences and events
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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