Launching an Experiential Learning Center at PennWest (feat. Josh Domitrovich, Rhonda Gifford, and Meaghan Clister)
Description
How do you launch a university-wide Experiential Learning Center—in just one year—across three campuses, during budget cuts, staffing challenges, and constant organizational change?
In this episode of the Career Everywhere Podcast, host Meredith Metsker sits down with Dr. Josh Domitrovich, Rhonda Gifford, and Meaghan Clister of PennWest to unpack the strategy, persistence, and cross-campus collaboration behind their brand-new Experiential Learning Center (ELC).
You’ll hear how the idea evolved from a one-person internship center into a robust, centralized hub designed to promote, track, and assess experiential learning for all PennWest students (across three physical campuses and online). The team shares how they gained buy-in from senior leadership; aligned their work with institutional priorities like enrollment, retention and outcomes; and built a campus-wide culture around experiential learning.
They also open up about early wins, lessons learned, and the signals they watched closely to guide their timing and approach—insights that any career services leader can apply on their own campus.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why experiential learning became a strategic priority at PennWest
- How the team navigated shifting leadership, limited resources, and campus integration
- The proposal strategies that finally earned a “yes” from senior leadership
- How the ELC is breaking down silos and centralizing data across programs
- What early results show, and where the team is headed next
Whether you’re exploring experiential learning initiatives or looking to make career services indispensable at your institution, this conversation is packed with inspiration and practical takeaways.
Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community
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