Conference at Missouri Western helps students break barriers
By Harry Loomis
The annual Conference on Applied Learning in Higher Education kicked off Thursday at Missouri Western State University, where students and representatives from other universities gathered to share research and network with one another.
For students, the opportunity to interact with a professor or mentor they would otherwise never meet is unique, as there is never a bad time to form a connection.
“It’s a lot of different people from a lot of different lives,” said Trenton Miles, a junior at Missouri Western. “A lot of different background studies. You learn a lot, and you make some good relationships. It’s a good way of making relationships and just learning about a lot of cool, but random things.”
This year’s theme is “Barriers to Engagement in Applied Learning” and attempts to provide solutions to problems that keep students from getting help or approaching an opportunity.
One example where students could face trouble is with internships, which are required for most students to graduate.
“If a student doesn’t have a car, it makes it very difficult for them to engage in that internship experience,” said Mike Ducey, event organizer and co-provost at Missouri Western. “Part of what we would, you know, like to talk about at this conference is when you encounter that students, how might we help them overcome that barrier?”
The event concluded Thursday with a keynote presentation by Matt Wolfgram from the University of Wisconsin. Friday features a full day of presentations and opportunities to connect.
“It’s never too early to start networking,” Ducey said. “I always encourage students to begin to get out there and meet people, and not just folks who are in your field but in other fields as well. The world of work ends up being a smaller place than you feel like it is. You run across people who you’ve met before and can help you achieve your career goals. Or you can establish mentorships that you never, never even thought might be possible.”
