University Strategy, Accreditation Standards, and the Applied Education Mission: Using the Student Consulting to Build Bridges

Abstract

As a high impact practice and well-established pedagogical tool, student consulting projects are a means to bridge the needs of multiple stakeholders. The purpose of this research is to provide discussion around and illustration of how university strategy, applied education mission and accreditation standards can integrate under the umbrella of student consulting projects. While these are obviously not the sole means to address engagement and impact, student consulting projects provide an effective means to innovate and engage students within and outside the classroom, and to yield measurable, sustainable impact for the community. To do so, we explore how through these structures, universities can curate currency and leverage future opportunities.