About

UTEP students are talented, asset rich, and ready to succeed in the classroom, the world of work, and the global community. The UTEP Edge, our Quality Enhancement Plan, focuses on developing these assets through a variety of high-impact practices and Integrative and Applied Learning experiences, known as Edge Experiences. These experiences, which are possible by the expertise and dedication of our faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners, increase students’ confidence, enhance their personal and professional skills, and equip them with a competitive advantage when they graduate and enter the workforce or pursue a graduate degree.

Edge Experiences AND Requirements

To qualify as an Edge Experience an activity must meet the specific requirements outlined in the definition below and 5 of the following: 1. Student-Centered Learning 2. Reflection on learning and Integrated Learning Experience 3. Demonstration and Measurment of Competence 4. Meaningful Faculty and Peer Interaction 5. Significant Student Engagement 6. Diversity of Perspectives 7. Collaboration with Co-curricular Services (Center for Community Engagement, Library, etc.) 8. Skill Development for Lifelong Success 9. Frequent, timely, and constructive feedback. 

Capstone Experiences: A culminating experience where students apply what they’ve learned in real-world or project-based settings like an internship, thesis, or senior project to reflect, demonstrate skills, and prepare for life after college.

Internship: An experiential learning professional experience aligned with students' academic and career interests that provide hands-on learning, skill development, and networking opportunities in a professional setting, overseen by a supervisor resulting in a final deliverable and/or reflection.

Learning Communities: When students enroll as a cohort in two or more connected courses and work closely with each other and their instructors toward shared goals. These experiences are intentionally designed to integrate course content, encourage ongoing reflection, foster strong faculty-student interaction, and build a sense of community and belonging. Concurrent in the designated courses is required.

Community Engagement: Experiences that integrate meaningful community-based service with classroom instruction, course level learning outcomes, and reflection activities that enrich students' learning experience, teach civic responsibility, enhance skill development, and strengthen communities.

Study Abroad or Study Away: Academic course-based experiences where students explore cultures, life experiences, and worldviews different from their own through study abroad, study away, internship, international internship (for credit/non-credit) with significant faculty guidance and reflection.

First-Year Experiences: A First-Year Experience (FYE) course at UTEP is an intentionally designed class for first-year students that emphasizes critical inquiry, writing, information literacy, collaborative and active learning, real-world engagement, and strong student-faculty interaction, all to support a successful academic and social transition to college and foster a sense of belonging within the Miner community.

Student Leadership: Student Leadership is demonstrated by sustained, structured participation in leadership development at the University, either through a formal leadership program (MLI, MLS, or Leadership Challenge Course) or active service in a registered student organization (RSO). To qualify, students must engage for at least one academic year, confirmed by a program or RSO advisor, by serving as an officer or leading a significant project. Participation as a Peer Leader for one semester also qualifies.

On Campus Student Employment: Student employment allows students to work in supported roles enabling them to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings while gaining practical experience, developing their network, and earning income. This can include employment directly related to their field of study-such as research assistants or teaching assistants, or any other active UTEP department appointment. Students must work a minimum of 40 hours per semester for two semesters (Fall, Spring, and/or Summer)

Research, Scholarly, and Creative Inquiry: A mentored investigation or creative inquiry conducted by undergraduates that seeks to make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge. 

 EDGE Experience POC 

Note: Some of these experiences can count as more than one Edge Experience, please contact the main POC and they can direct you accordingly.  

Edge Advantages 

1. Communication: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement
Students will demonstrate effective interpretation, development and application of communication strategies appropriate to purpose, genre, context and audience. 

1.1 Oral Communication: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement 
Students will demonstrate effective interpretation, development and application of oral communication strategies appropriate to purpose, genre, context and audience. 

1.2 Written Communication: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement 
Students will demonstrate effective interpretation, development and application of written communication strategies appropriate to purpose, genre, context and audience. 

2. Confidence: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement
Students will articulate gains in self-confidence by identifying, evaluating, and building on their talents, abilities, strengths and skills. 

3. Critical Thinking: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement
Students will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of written texts and other information sources by analyzing and evaluating the logic, validity, and relevance of information to solve challenging problems, to arrive at well-reasoned conclusions, and/or to develop and explore new questions. 

4. Entrepreneurship: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement
Students will demonstrate their ability to identify opportunities to cultivate ideas and motivation to develop products, organize services, and/or manage firms or industries. 

5. Global Awareness: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement
Students will analyze and evaluate global, interconnected systems to determine how those systems affect personal and/or community outcomes. 

Students will identify opportunities to take responsibility and will act critically and creatively to support their own and others’ learning and/or actions. 

7. Personal and Social Responsibility: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement
Students will demonstrate knowledge of ethical decision-making and commitment towards social equity and cross-cultural diversity. 

7.1 Personal Responsibility: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement 
Students will demonstrate an awareness of the range of human values and beliefs that they draw upon to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.   

7.2 Social Responsibility: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement 
Students will demonstrate their ability to act ethically and responsibly for the benefit of society by articulating an awareness of social problems; exercising ethical leadership practices, engaging in civic, political or community activities; and/or advocating for social justice. 

8. Problem Solving: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement
Students will demonstrate their ability to identify a conflict or issue, analyze possible responses, and develop a plan to apply the most viable solutions.   

8.1 Problem Solving: Empirical Reasoning: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement 
Students will be able to analyze empirical data, interpret results, and communicate conclusion(s) supported by evidence.  

8.2 Problem Solving: Quantitative Reasoning: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement 
Students will be able to analyze quantitative data, interpret results, and communicate conclusion(s) supported by evidence.  

9. Teamwork: Institutional Learning Outcome Statement
Students will collaborate effectively with individuals and groups to accomplish a common goal while demonstrating respect and value for a diversity of perspectives. 

The numbering system parallels the numbering system that we used when creating them in BB goals. Please let us know if you have any questions.