Elaine Fenner

Director, Experiential Learning, University of Guelph

EWO Board of Directors, President

Co-Chair of EWO’s Conference Planning Committee

1. What does it mean to be the Director of Experiential Learning at the University of Guelph?

It means I have the honour to lead a team that is involved in delivering Co-op, Career, Experiential Learning, Campus and Community Integrated Learning.

2. Tell us a little bit about your career and how you have been involved in Co-op/WIL/EL?

Tell us a little bit about your career and how you have been involved in Co-op/WIL/EL?

I’ve been in co-op and career for over 25 years. I started at Seneca on a contract as a Co-op Site Visit

Coordinator, when their co-op team needed more support and when I left, I was the Manager of Work

Integrated Learning.  I had a nice career at Seneca and then I moved to the University of Guelph in

2019. 

At U Guelph I have the pleasure of leading some really amazing teams, including Co-operative

Education, Career Education, and Experiential Learning (EL) Development & Recognition. This EL Unit is

essentially a support across the whole university. We support our academic partners in tagging EL

courses and working with our Teaching and Learning team with resources, such as reflection resources

for faculty. Our full team worked with academic partners to develop a mission, vision and values across

the University for EL at U Guelph including our definitions, which was really important as an institution.

We’ve created a Professional & Career Development Record (PCDR), to track any curricular and co-

curricular career related activities and the areas that provide these opportunities. This provides a single

source for all of the career and professional development that our students have engaged with, which

can also be published on their LinkedIn profiles.

Our Co-op team and programs are growing, and we now offer co-op in over 60 academic programs. Our

Career Education team supports our co-op students as well as students not in a co-op program.

Our team also includes the Employment Services & Systems Team, which looks after all things

Experience Guelph, which is our Orbis, so things like posting jobs, interview schedules, co-op and career,

the systems part.

We’re also complemented by our Business Operations team. Here we have a manager + two full-time

marketing and communication team members, one HR and one finance support + co-op student(s). This

team supports the whole Experiential Learning team.

Believe it or not, I started in Athletics at Seneca before I moved into Co-op & Career. Prior to that I

worked at Basketball Ontario as the Manager of Educational Programs.  I have a Bachelor of Phys. Ed.

from the University of Toronto and my Masters in Education from Nipissing U. Actually, I know there are

quite a few of  us in our field that come from a sports background. I suppose having teamwork,

leadership, and coaching skills has served many of us well.

3. We work with a talented group of individuals across the province who are passionate about the work they do.  When are you in your element?

I’m in my groove when I’ve got lots going on.  I liked to be busy. I like big projects and I like to be

reflective, break it down, and take a continuous improvement approach. This keeps me busy, I get to be

hands-on and that excites me. We’re making some significant changes to our team and our department. 

It helps to make me feel connected to our work.  Oh, and Humour - being able to infuse humour in our

work is what I really value. Keep busy, work hard, laugh and have fun while you’re doing it.

4. Who are you outside of work? Where would we find you on a weekend or holiday?

I’ve changed through the pandemic.  I was more outgoing and got involved in a lot of travel, events,

and stuff.  Through the pandemic, the introvert in me is growing. I enjoy spending time with my small

circle of friends and family.  I’m obsessed with my dog.  I’m so obsessed with her,  that I took her for a

special valentine’s photo shoot.  Gidget, my golden doodle who is 2.5 years.  Do you know Gidget and

Moon Doggie from the surf movies?  She’s looking for her moon doggie.

5. Tell us what associations or groups you are connected to in WIL/EL and what roles do you play?

Presently, I am the President of EWO and lead the Conference Committee. I am the Co-Chair of UG’s

United Way campaign and recently wrapped up a project where we raised $500,000 for United Way; I

am a member of CEWIL/DMAC and sit on the CEWIL Accreditation Committee. I participate in the

Ontario University Career Centre Directors Group, Ontario Co-op Managers and Director group and am a

Member of CEIA, CACEE, NACE, and WACE.

I just want to add that it’s been such an odd time to be both president and president elect during the

pandemic.  I feel really happy that our board made the decision to expand our mandate to include all

forms of Experiential Learning. It’s been fun and interesting being part of the board.  Working with some

amazing people, developing programming, building infrastructure to support all types of Experiential

Learning, and pivoting to an online conference has been incredible and such an honour.

6. Tell us about what themes or topics in Co-op/WIL/EL that you are passionate about.

The equity piece, I think overall, the equity piece is meaningful to me.  I was a first generation

university student, I didn’t have a lot of career advice.  I think of the students that don’t have the

support and guidance of folks in their circle with lived experience and I try to fill that gap, so they are not

disadvantaged because they might not know the system.  We’re working on some changes that will

promote equity deserving students.

7. What’s the best part of working at the University of Guelph?

The people - the collaborative approach on campus and the food!

Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainefenner/