The Adams Experience

At Adams State, your educational journey isn’t bound by classroom walls. It spills over and blends with your extracurricular interests, student life activities, and the San Luis Valley community-at-large.

person in the Luther Bean museum — Meet Jasmina Martinez

This experience is a framework for learning that incorporates evidence-based high impact practices in what you learn, how you learn, and how your learning is assessed. That means writing-intensive courses, the opportunity to do original research, collaborate on projects, and explore interdisciplinary interests.

In addition to working with on-campus advisors, it also means discovering off-campus mentors as well as gaining valuable work experience through internships and volunteer efforts. As a champion of the San Luis Valley, our roots are deeply intertwined with a community that proudly supports our students in return. You’ll create connections for success.

We want to celebrate the unique individual that you are, graduation at Adams State honor your culture and experiences, help you overcome any challenge, and welcome you as part of the Grizzly Family.

The Adams Experience is the entirety of your educational journey, a journey that connects what you learn to who you are and have the potential to become.

High Impact Practices

Evidence-based High Impact Practices are incorporated in what you learn, how you learn and how your learning is assessed:

First-Year Seminar

First year seminar students pick from a variety of courses centered around a specific academic topic. Through focused exploration of the topic, you will develop academic curiosity and critical thinking that applies to your entire academic experience.

First-Year Experience

In addition to your First-Year Seminar courses, you are also encouraged to become involved with some of the many opportunities specially designed to support you in making connections for success. These opportunities include joining clubs and learning communities; attending sporting events, concerts, and plays; as well as connecting with support programs such as our tutoring services and the Writing Studio. We also offer special workshops that further empower you toward lifelong success.

Writing-Intensive Courses

Writing is a foundational skill for success, and we are very intentional about supporting you in developing strong writing skills. As part of your degree requirements, you will take a writing-intensive course specific to your major and customized to your career plan. In this course, you’ll practice creating documents common in your field of study and you’ll receive timely, specific feedback that allows you to grow and develop this vital skill.

ePortfolio

Much like a website, you’ll create an ePortfolio that allows you to intentionally develop, reflect on, and share your Adams Experience. The ePortfolio serves as a platform for you to identify and communicate your unique great story. The ePortfolios is an ongoing project that begins in your First-Year Seminar, is enhanced throughout your degree plan and with your advisors, and then is converted to a professional ePortfolio in your Capstone Course. Your final ePortfolio is a demonstration of your readiness to enter your chosen career field or continue your pursuit of higher education.

Senior Capstone Projects

As a final aspect of your Adams Experience, you will take a capstone course that is specific to your degree program and future goals. In this course, you will complete a discipline-specific project that culminates your prior learnings and demonstrates your skills and readiness to enter your profession or continue your pursuit of education and additional degrees.

Experiential Learning

Gain knowledge through hands-on experience in the real world with these additional High Impact Practices:

Internships

As a tool to help you explore your career options and/or gain experience in your chosen career fields, Adams State offers both curricular and co-curricular internships. Curricular internships can be offered as part of your degree plan or as an elective, and co-curricular internships are available through Career Services.