The Signature Experience (SigX) at Gustavus Adolphus College is a graduation requirement that ensures all students participate in high-impact experiential learning –internship, student-faculty research, study away, or course practicum. Students’ “signature” emerges through their work in a companion curriculum where students explore their own values, agency, and purpose as they engage in, and reflect upon, the experience. SigX emphasizes this vocational reflection and justice-related values, aligning with the mission of the College. The initiative equips students to recognize and articulate how a college education that emphasizes belonging, agency, identity, and purpose can transform their ability to give back to their communities and workplaces. Early assessment data shows significant increases in student confidence and professional planning.
At Gustavus, the Signature Experience (SigX) to support students’ wellbeing at and beyond college with direct mentorship from dedicated faculty. Whether through
internship, research, study away, or course practicum, students build a body of
experience that’s uniquely theirs—and learn to share their story confidently with employers and graduate schools. The connections students make with their mentor and cohort become a lifelong network. This is where academics meet purpose, and students boldly widen their circle of impact.
- Internships: Students can leverage our 30,000-strong alumni network to secure professional experience.
- Student-Faculty Research: Students embrace opportunities to conduct impactful, high-level research with world-class professors.
- Study Away: Students can enrich their whole self with domestic and international programs that create new paths and perspectives.
- Course Practicum: SigX courses immerse students in practical settings where they produce tangible, meaningful results with an external audience.
Pre- and post-experience direct student assessment shows:
- Agency: Students’ confidence in their ability to tackle unfamiliar or challenging situations increased by 25%
- Agency: Students’ confidence in their ability to communicate knowledge, skills, and experiences to potential employers increased by 24%
- Purpose: Students’ confidence in their development of appropriate and achievable professional plans and goals increased by 12%
- Values: Student testimonial: “[Vocation entails] aligning who I am – like my values and passions– with the work I do in the world. It’s about paying attention to the things that stir something in me, the problems I can’t ignore, and the communities I feel called to serve.”
- Wellbeing: Student testimonial: “These [cohort] sessions reminded me that personal growth is just as important as professional skills.”
Ramstad, Evan. “How One of Minnesota’s Best-Performing Colleges Confronts Declining Enrollment.” Star Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023, www.startribune.com/ramstad-how-one-of-minnesotas-best-performing-colleges-declining-enrollment-gustavus-aldophus/600321668/.
