Experiential Learning Campuswide

Fordham University’s Strategy to Track Experiential Learning at Scale

Sarah Myksin

January 23, 2026

Fordham University's Strategy to Track Experiential Learning at Scale

I recently spoke with Annette McLaughlin, Director of the Career Center for Cura Personalis at Fordham University, during a PeopleGrove virtual event. We revisited a session we originally presented at the Society of Experiential Education (SEE) Annual Conference, to dive deeper into the rollout of Fordham University’s experiential learning platform, how it supports the university’s Internship Promise, and what it takes to actually track hands-on learning at scale.

If you missed it, you missed a masterclass in what it takes to not just build a great program, but to scale access and outcomes across a full institution. Here’s my recap on the session:

The Big Idea

Why Centralizing Experiential Learning Matters

Fordham’s journey started in the fall of 2024 with the launch of the Internship Promise, a promise that every undergraduate student would have access to at least one internship, research opportunity, or hands-on experience before graduation.

That vision was ambitious and inspiring. But to deliver it, they needed to know what was actually happening across campus.

“The university’s job is to create these opportunities and integrate them,” Annette said, “so that our students understand and articulate what are the skill sets that employers are looking for.”

Like many institutions, Fordham had diverse experiential learning opportunities but no connected way to track or measure it. Some data lived in Handshake. Some in spreadsheets.

We realized we weren’t tracking all of the opportunities. We had strong outcomes, but we were missing a huge amount of information. That lack of visibility wasn’t just an operations problem. It was a barrier to access, equity, and improvement.

Annette McLaughlin

Director, Career Center

Fordham University

What They Did

Launching a Scalable Experiential Learning Platform

Fordham had already been a PeopleGrove partner for six years, using the platform, which they named as RamConnect, for mentorship. That foundation made it easier to expand into experiential learning.

In August 2025, they launched a full-scale Experiential Learning Hub using PeopleGrove’s Experience Hub. It quickly became the central place for students to find, track, and reflect on opportunities, internships, co-curricular programs, community service, employer-led projects, and more.

“We rolled out the experiential learning platform live August seventh,” Annette said.

“We started our dog and pony show across the campus, meeting with deans, departments, and marketing it to students during orientation.”

The rollout was designed for culture change, not just tool adoption. The team met with faculty, staff, and students, integrating systems like Handshake and creating space for everyone, even alumni, to contribute opportunities.

The Results

Real-Time Engagement and Measurable Outcomes

Here’s what they saw in just one semester:

10,000+ users actively engaging with the platform
3,311 students participating in experiential learning
11,000+ experiences tracked (up from 7,000 at launch)
Over 3,000+ alumni-student connections through existing PeopleGrove pathways

Most notably, Fordham now tracks activity each semester, not just at graduation.

“Now we’re looking to track this every semester,” Annette said, “not just when students graduate. We want to understand what’s working, what counts, and how we can continue to improve.”

Departments like the Center for Community Engaged Learning can now see how a student who participated in Urban Plunge, a pre-orientation service project, goes on to do research, internships, and community-based work throughout their college journey.

This is the power of connected data.

Why This Matters

Confidence, Completion, and Student Success

One of the most meaningful outcomes Annette talked about was the co-curricular transcript. It gives students, especially those who may not have a 4.0, concrete proof of where they’ve spent their time and how it’s prepared them for what’s next.

They can see on a co-curricular transcript the value of where they spent their time. It helps them really build confidence. And confidence is key to any interview and finding opportunities.

Annette McLaughlin

Director, Career Center

Fordham University

Three Takeaways for Higher Education Leaders

Start with systems. As Annette said, “If you have a system, you can figure out the procedures. Spend more time in development than implementation.”
Think institution-wide. This wasn’t just a career services initiative, it was a collaboration across departments, campuses, and even alumni networks.
Don’t just offer experiences. Track them. Data drives access. It drives funding. It drives outcomes. And without it, even the best programs can’t scale equitably.

Final Thought: When You Centralize, You Can Deliver

Fordham’s story shows what’s possible when a university aligns mission, leadership, and infrastructure. They didn’t just launch an experiential learning platform, they created a system that supports equity, empowers staff, and gives students the confidence to articulate their value.

“Put your students first,” Annette said. “When you put your students first, the outcomes come.”

Want to see what’s possible with PeopleGrove’s Experience Hub?

Learn how to deliver experiential learning that prepares students for life after graduation.

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