JWU Receives Burke Award for Education Excellence

Johnson & Wales University was recently honored with the William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education, presented by the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE).

Experiential Education as a JWU Core Value
“Our university has experiential education in its DNA,” said JWU Chancellor John Bowen in his acceptance speech. “Even before co-founding Johnson & Wales in 1914, Mary Wales is quoted as saying, ‘We should teach a thing not for its own sake but in preparation for what lies beyond.’”

He continued, “I have dedicated most of my professional life to finding ways to give students the chance to apply classroom theories in a real world setting. But none of that passion would have been realized had it not been for the support, encouragement and vision of my colleagues at Johnson & Wales University.”

Commitment to Work-Integrated Learning
The Society singled out JWU’s commitment to experiential and work integrated learning, including:

• the size and global reach of the university’s internship program, with more than 4,200 student participants at 1900 sites around the world
• the university’s financial assistance to all students through the JWU Internship Support Fund (an annual investment of more than $3 million)
• the partnership between JWU and Tulane University, focusing on nutritional strategies for preventive care
• robust study abroad and service learning programs

Outlining JWU’s Future
In his speech, Bowen outlined some of the university’s recent achievements and planned
areas of expansion, including:

• making a stronger connection between entrepreneurship and academics
• likely new offerings in informatics and operations and systems management

“We’re not resting on our laurels,” he noted, adding, “If you can’t tell, we’re passionate about experiential education.”

Chancellor Bowen accepted the award at the 2014 NSEE Conference held in Baltimore, Md.

The Burke Award also provides a $2000 scholarship to be given to a deserving JWU student who is involved in experiential learning.