Experiential learning has reached an inflection point.

With AACSB’s new global standards, what was once innovative is now expected.

In this issue, our Chair reflects on what this shift means in practice, alongside a preview of our upcoming conference and a quick opportunity to share your input on how we shape future content.

In January 2026, AACSB released new global standards for business education.  For those of us working in experiential learning, the message is unmistakable: what was once innovative is now expected.  

This is the shift I pointed out in our last column.  Experiential learning is no longer an emerging practice. It is becoming the organizing logic for modern business education.

The new standards treat experiential learning as infrastructure, not enrichment. Portfolio requirements, equal access across modalities, and demonstrated connections to learner success are no longer aspirational.  These are criteria for accreditation. 

That changes the stakes considerably. 

Implementation reveals real tensions.  Equal access means online students must have experiences comparable to those in residential programs. Assessment means experiential learning must now produce evidence, not just outcomes.  Faculty engagement means industry connection becomes a professional expectation, not a personal choice.  And AI introduces a new edge: it offers real potential to scale experiential learning, but risks smoothing away the friction that makes it effective. 

None of these are simple. But those are exactly the questions LEPE has been working on for years.  

Standards can mandate experiential learning. They cannot teach institutions how to do it well.  That is where communities like ours become strategically important: sharing models of practice, developing assessment approaches, supporting faculty adoption, and building the research base the field still needs.

Our upcoming conference in St. Louis will give us space to work through how these standards translate into real programs and partnerships. The broader conversation is happening too, including the Project-Based Learning Symposium at Worcester Polytechnic Institute this May.

The question is no longer whether to adopt experiential learning. It is how to do it with rigor, scale, and integrity.   

Sincerely,
Shannon McKeen

Looking ahead: LEPE Conference 2026

As experiential learning takes center stage in business education, our upcoming conference in St. Louis offers a space to dig into what this shift looks like in practice.

We’re excited to welcome guest speaker Andrew Knight, the Bank of America Professor and Senior Advisor to the Chancellor for Leadership at Washington University in St. Louis, whose work focuses on leadership, identity, and the future of work.

This year’s conference will also feature a dedicated session for newcomers, along with a few uniquely St. Louis moments, including a photo opportunity with the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales at Tuesday’s dinner and a visit from WashU’s comfort dogs, Bear & Brookie, at Wednesday breakfast.

Key dates to know:

• Session proposal deadline: April 13 (Extended!)
• Hotel room block deadline: April 30
• Conference: June 15-17

Learn more and register here!

Introducing: The LEPE Lab - AI in EL Series

How is AI rewriting the rules of Experiential Learning? It’s time to start moving past the hype and into the how-to. 

Join us for the inaugural session of The LEPE Lab: AI in EL, a new interactive series designed for faculty and staff to bridge the gap between AI and Experiential Learning. The first session is Thursday, May 14 at 12pm EDT. 

What’s on the Bench for Session #1:

• The Accreditation Shift: Shannon McKeen (Wake Forest) on how new AACSB updates are making AI AND EL more critical than ever.
• The U-M Toolkit: Megan Anda (University of Michigan) shares a student-focused AI + EL Playbook and how Michigan responsibly encourages teams to AI.
• Shape the Future: This is a working session! You’ll help brainstorm the AI topics we tackle next.

This event is for members only. Members can register here.

Not a member yet? Click here to join the LEPE community and gain access.

Help shape LEPE's future content

As we think about how to make LEPE’s content more useful, especially beyond the conference, we’d love to hear from you.

This quick survey asks how you prefer to engage with content and what would make it more valuable to revisit and use in your work.

Take the survey!