Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Cohort
The Office of Community Engagement hosts an annual Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Cohort each spring semester. Up to six grants are awarded to fund faculty time and/or resources for projects such as:
- Developing a new course using service-learning pedagogy
- Transforming an existing course by integrating service-learning pedagogy
- Significantly enhancing the community-based dimensions of an existing service-learning course in collaboration with community partners
Service-learning is an experiential approach to teaching and learning. Through service-learning students have the opportunity to enhance their civic learning and contribute to positive social impact by working alongside community partners on projects and activities that connect with credit-bearing academic experiences.
The goal of the program is to support faculty in their efforts to develop service-learning courses and departmental plans that are grounded in best practices and aligned with the goals of the university strategic plan and mission, and the values of liberal education in the Catholic intellectual tradition. While applications from full-time faculty will have priority in the selection process, applications from adjunct faculty will be considered based on evidence of long-term commitment to the institution.
The following elements of best practices in service-learning are offered as guidelines:
- Integration of service-learning experience to strengthen student learning of disciplinary and course concepts
- Commitment to community partnership-building and collaboration in teaching & learning
- Critical reflection integrated throughout the course and intentionally designed to enhance academic, civic, and personal learning
- Integration of civic education with course content and related to community-engaged components
- Intentionality toward increasing student diversity awareness and skills
- Rigor of methods for evaluating student learning outcomes and community impact
- Effort by faculty member to accompany students in community-engaged or community-based research, or incorporation of more advanced students as peer mentors or project leaders
Faculty fellows will participate in a series of self-paced online modules, accompanied by group workshops and one-on-one consultations. Applications for each new cohort open in May; participants will be notified at the beginning of the fall semester. Recipients are awarded a stipend of $1,000 for completing the online training modules and participating in in-person networking workshops, as well as $250 for project expenses.