When Michigan State University set out to formally recognize what students learn outside the classroom, they weren't just adding a line to a transcript. They were answering a fundamental question about what it means to be a Spartan.

"The learning that occurs outside of the formal classroom is incredibly impactful for direct experience, for personal growth and reflection — and all the more for those transferable skills employers are looking for," says Sarah Esler, Director of the Spartan Experience Record at MSU. "So how do we help our Spartans say, 'I am ready'?"

That question sparked a decade-long journey. Starting with research in 2016, MSU spent years building the academic and institutional rationale for a co-curricular record before launching the Spartan Experience Record (SER) in fall 2020 — powered by Symplicity Outcome.

From Idea to Institution

With over 40,000 students, 13 undergraduate degree-granting colleges, and a highly decentralized campus, MSU faced a real challenge: how do you create shared language across an institution where no two programs look alike?

The answer was learning outcomes. Rather than letting each department define success on its own terms, MSU developed a centralized framework aligned to institutional learning goals and NACE career competencies. "Creating shared language was one of our greatest strengths," says Esler. "If you have learning outcomes, great — or we help you develop them. Either way, we get to elevate the work colleagues are doing and connect it directly to students' records."

Every experience on the SER — from on-campus leadership roles and undergraduate research to volunteer work and employment — must meet a clear definition of co-curricular learning, include mapped outcomes, and pass through a formal advisory committee review. "It's similar to how students receive a grade at the end of a course," Esler explains. "They receive their Spartan experience at the completion of that opportunity. A student can't just self-report — it has to be verified by faculty or staff."

Scaling Across a Decentralized Campus

The SER isn't mandated. It runs entirely on collaboration. Esler leads bi-weekly outreach sessions, supports colleagues in developing opportunity forms, and maintains a steering committee of deans and executive leaders who champion the record across campus.

"Our work is entirely collaborative and partnership based," she says. "I often say we're partners in success with colleagues on campus. We encourage folks to continue all the good work they're doing — and to elevate and include it in the Spartan Experience Record."

Using Symplicity Outcome, MSU sends SER data to its data warehouse for visualization and reporting, enabling colleges to understand engagement patterns and demonstrate learning outcomes to accreditors. "I'm one of the unique spaces to have data that spans the institution," says Esler. "We knew this was powerful data that could help shape narratives and help our colleges really understand what it means to be an engaged Spartan."

Advice for Institutions Getting Started

For teams thinking about building something similar, Esler's advice is straightforward: start with the data, start small, and build your champions early.

"Think about what you want to track, then figure out what you need to make that successful," she says. "And don't underestimate the value of a steering committee — get in front of institutional leaders early, and advocate for what sustainable support looks like from the start."

A decade in, Michigan State's Spartan Experience Record stands as proof that when institutions invest in recognizing the full picture of student learning, the impact extends far beyond graduation day.

Ready to build your own experiential learning record? See how Symplicity Outcome helps institutions capture, verify, and scale co-curricular learning. Schedule a demo today.

Also... Check out our free EL team workbooks to begin your journey of scaling EL at your institution, no matter the stage.