All students have an Engaged Learning graduation requirement. Freshman or first-year transfer students are required to earn 6 Engaged Learning points in at least two different Engaged Learning categories. Transfer students who have 31 or more accepted transfer credits need to earn 3 Engaged Learning points in any one category or combination of different categories.

We know that student athletes have a lot of demands on their time. This makes it especially important that you plan during your first year at Rider how you will earn the Engaged Learning points you need to graduate. 

How Can an Athlete Earn Engaged Learning Points?

Points you automatically earn each semester:

  • Freshman student athletes will not automatically earn any points for being on the official NCAA roster. During this year you will begin to build relationships with your teammates and others across campus and sharpen your leadership skills.
  • Sophomore, Junior and Senior student athletes will automatically receive 1 point in the category Leadership and Mentoring each semester that you are on the official NCAA roster that the Director of Athletics submits to the Registrar’s Office. You do not need to submit anything in BroncNation to earn this point. You still need to earn at least 1 point in a category other than Leadership and Mentoring.
  • Team Captains will earn 3 points in the category Leadership and Mentoring each semester that they serve as a Captain. You do not need to submit anything in BroncNation to earn those points. You still need to earn at least 1 point in a category other than Leadership and Mentoring.
Documentation Requirement
  • During your Junior year or Fall of your Senior year, you are required to complete a capstone experience form in BroncNation. The form is named LM: NCAA Athlete Junior-Senior Capstone. The capstone will be reviewed by the Athletic Coordinator and must be approved before you can graduate. Failure to complete this requirement by Fall of your Senior year may delay your graduation clearance.
  • The form requires that you write a short reflection of at least 250 words. You will need to respond to the following questions in the reflection to demonstrate what you have learned from being a Division 1 student athlete:
    • Provide examples to illustrate what you have learned about yourself, others, and/or the organization.
    • Describe specific challenges and/or successes that you encountered.
    • What did you learn in a course you completed that you found helped you in your role as a student athlete.
    • How will you apply what you learned as a student athlete to your personal, academic, and/or professional life?
  • After you submit the experience form in BroncNation, it will be reviewed by the Athletic Coordinator. Once approved, the Engaged Learning Coordinator will report the points you earned to the Registrar’s Office to be applied in DegreeWorks.

Additional Options to Earn Points in a Second Category

All of your student athlete points are earned in the Leadership and Mentoring category. You may still need to earn one or more points in a different category to meet your graduation requirement. You should discuss with your academic advisor which of the following options would benefit you most:

  1. Complete the New Student Engagement Experience during your first year at Rider. See the NSEE page for information on earning one point in Civic and Community Engagement. This experience can only be completed during your first year and for many athletes will provide the second category (CCE) needed to complete your graduation requirement.
  2. Enriched Career Experience – all students are strongly encouraged to complete an ECE during their sophomore, junior, or senior year. The ECE will provide a high-impact experience related to your field of study that will enhance your employability and success after Rider. The ECE will earn 3 points in one of the following categories:
    • Internship, co-op or fieldwork (ICF) (including student teaching)
    • Guided research and scholarship (GRS)
    • Arts, media and creativity (AMC)
    Each college/school has a designated Career Coach who will meet with you and assist you in securing an ECE. Contact them to schedule a meeting in your Freshman or Sophomore year to maximize the benefits of this opportunity.
  3. Earn points by completing a course that has been approved to earn EL points. Select a course that earns points in a category other than Leadership and Mentoring (LM). See the list of courses that earn points.
  4. Volunteer Community Service – as a student athlete you participate in activities that fit the guidelines of volunteer service at Rider. Follow the instructions on the Community Service page to understand what service is and learn how to submit the hours you volunteered.
  5. Other experiences that you participate in can earn EL points. Review the list of experiences to see if you have or would like to participate in an experience that can earn points. If you have 20+ hours in one of these experiences, you will need to complete a form in BroncNation to earn the points. See the BroncNation Experience Forms page for instructions on how to submit an experience form.
Contact

For information or assistance with Engaged Learning or BroncNation:

Sandra Ober
Engaged Learning Coordinator
609-896-5000 Ext. 7055
[email protected]

Always include your Bronc ID in all correspondence.