Through extracurricular activities, college students can explore careers outside of school or gain experience and skills. But what if the school where you spend most of the semester offers similar opportunities and even provides scholarships depending on your level of participation? Chung-Ang University (CAU) operates such a program. It is the “extracurricular activity mileage system.” This system, which was first established in September 2020, enables CAU students to simultaneously complete major or liberal arts studies and extracurricular activities. From now, CAH will provide background information about this program. Let’s start!
What Is Extracurricular Activity Mileage System?
The extracurricular activity mileage system is a system that grants mileage points to students participating in the extracurricular programs registered in the Rainbow System. Students can receive mileage for each completed activity according to the payment standard. Scholarships are awarded to those with the highest cumulative mileage. This system was introduced to encourage students who want to proactively prepare for their careers and develop themselves through the Rainbow System. Students who wish to participate in the extracurricular program can apply by accessing the Rainbow System and clicking on the ‘Competence Development’ tab - ‘Extracurricular Program’. However, even if you find it on the ‘‘Extracurricular Program” site, you will not be paid mileage even if you participate in volunteer programs or training programs with credits, and programs that do not grant mileage. Therefore, it is necessary to check in advance whether extracurricular mileage is granted for your specific activities. For other inquiries about the “extracurricular activity mileage system”, you can contact the Center for Teaching & Learning (02-820-6745, ctl2@cau.ac.kr).
Scholarship Classification and Mileage Calculation Criteria
Two Kinds of Scholarships
To receive the extracurricular mileage scholarship, the student must be in their first to the fourth year of undergraduate school. Scholarships are divided into two categories, Type I and Type II. Type I is awarded when the mileage earned from the time of admission is 10,000 or more, and the amount is 500,000 won. If you want a higher amount, it is possible to collect more mileage and then receive a Type II scholarship. When the accumulated mileage from the time of admission reaches 40,000 or more, you can receive 1 million won. The scholarship can be received only once during the enrollment period, and 10,000 mileage points will be deducted if you receive a Type I scholarship. The scholarships are awarded twice a year during summer and winter vacations. However, if a selected student is subject to disciplinary action such as expulsion, withdraws, or leaves school before the scholarship payment date, they will be excluded from the list of payments.
Mileage Calculation Criteria
The extracurricular learning system of CAU is divided into four LEAP categories: Learn(L), Experience(E), Advance(A), and Perform(P). L stands for a course to acquire basic knowledge such as major and liberal arts courses. E stands for a course in which students can utilize basic knowledge. Through the A programs, the students can practice abilities acquired through L and E. And by participating in P, the students can demonstrate work competencies in the field. The mileage points awarded for each system and activity type are different. Activities corresponding to L include special lectures, seminars, counseling, and so on. When participating in L programs, the mileage awarded is different depending on the time spent. There are many active programs such as workshops, clubs, and field experiences in E activities. Like L, the mileage varies by time. If you started activity A, you must fill in a certain amount of time for each week. After you apply for a volunteer activity that falls under A, you must participate at least 6 hours a week for 8 weeks to receive 1000 points. The last P activity means an internship or a social problem-solving project and requires the highest level of participation. The conditions are the same as those of the A activities. Detailed standards can be found in CAU Notice.
What Are the Programs You Can Participate in?
What are some of the extracurricular activity mileage programs that have been conducted at this point? The first was “The 2021 Winter 3.3.3 Project Untact Mock Interview with a Counselor”. This activity, which corresponded to the learning system L, was conducted from 2/16 to 2/24. The mock interview was based on the application form and self-introduction letter submitted by the participants in advance. Meanwhile, some activities were focused on a specific field. “2021 Winter Vacation Employment Burning Study-Design field” was one of them. Students were able to receive online consulting related to the letter of self-introduction and interview. The extracurricular activity mileage program is not limited to job preparation. Various activities such as video production workshops and learning counseling are in progress as well. As the extracurricular activity mileage system was introduced after the COVID-19 pandemic began, students participated in most activities online except for field training and internships.
The extracurricular activity mileage system is a beneficial system that provides opportunities for students to prepare for their careers and to receive scholarships if they participate diligently. Students of CAU can find their aptitudes and gain social experience without any cost burden through the extracurricular activity mileage system. In addition, CAU will implement the “Competency Development Scholarship” from 2022. It is a new system that gives scholarships based on the performance of extracurricular activities. As this is a system prepared by our school for students' self-development, CAH recommends students use it together with the extracurricular activity mileage system.