What is co-curricular learning?

Co-curricular learning experiences enhance classroom learning and provide opportunities for further exploration, critical thinking, application of academic concepts, personal development, leadership, and/or well-being. Co-curricular activities are events that extend student learning beyond the classroom and reinforce the College’s Mission:

“Empower every learner, every day, for every goal. As an open-admissions community college within the diverse setting of Pima County, PCC provides comprehensive and flexible life-long learning opportunities to promote learner success and to empower every learner, every day, for every goal.”

Co-curricular learning experiences complement students’ curricular work and promote positive connections among their peers and with faculty, student service specialists, program directors, and/or the college community.

The Higher Learning Commission defines co-curricular as “Learning activities, programs and experiences that reinforce the institution’s mission and values and complement the formal curriculum.”

Co-curricular Assessment

Co-curricular learning must be assessed to meet HLC criteria for accreditation and is measured with department, event, or program level student learning outcomes and General Education Student Learning Outcomes (GELOs) and documented through Pima’s co-curricular Assessment Form and outcomes rubric. Student satisfaction or level of participation may be measured in addition to learning outcomes, but it is not sufficient for co-curricular assessment on its own.

Distinguishing Co-curricular

The PCC learning experience begins in the classroom and is supported by opportunities to engage in both Co-curricular and Extra-curricular activities.

	Curricular	Co-curricular	Extra-curricular
Actions Related to Learning	Activities designed for and required to support course learning outcome mastery.	Activities that extend student learning beyond the course, and are aligned with program or department learning outcomes and general education learning outcomes.	Activities that do not have specific learning outcomes, but do offer opportunities to connect with peers and/or services.
Participation	Mandatory	Voluntary and Recommended	Voluntary and Encouraged
Student Effort Examples	Course Assignments: Research Papers, Projects, Exams	Participating in Leadership Workshops, First Generation Programming, etc.	Attending Fall Welcome Night
Assessment Method	Assignments are assessed and mapped to Course Learning Outcomes, which are mapped to Program and/or General Education Learning Outcomes.	Direct or indirect assessments are aligned to activity-defined learning outcome(s), which are mapped to General Education Learning Outcomes.	Student feedback created to direct continuous improvement of the event.