Community-Engaged Scholarship Program

Program outcomes

All program outcomes are aligned with the six major components of community-engaged scholarship in higher education, outlined by Gordon da Cruz, 2017 as,

• indicate a focus on social problems defined alongside and/or directly by the community,
• scholarly investigation,
• partnerships that are of shared benefit, collaboration, and reciprocity,
• the generation of knowledge to address and improve public issues,
• sharing institutional resources and knowledge, and
• the production of scholarship with relevance to the faculty’s research emphasis and teaching praxis or discipline.

By the end of the program, participants should be able to:

• Identify and describe the theories or pedagogies, methodologies and frameworks, and benefits of community engagement and community-engaged scholarship both inside and outside of the classroom or experience,
• Establish and maintain mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships with community partners that are grounded in reciprocity, respect, and trust, and will acknowledge community partners as educational collaborators and co-learners (i.e. in-class co-educators or community partner co-facilitators),
• Intentionally design, effectively cultivate, and envision implementation through the interdisciplinary lens of community-engaged scholarship by applying theories and frameworks into practice,
• Facilitate and assess critical reflection to enhance all participant learning, engagement, and outcomes,
• Understand and navigate University policies and resources, opportunities, awards, and recognition related to community-engaged scholarship,
• Create a learning community that provides professional and intellectual development, feedback and accountability, social-emotional support, and access to community engagement networks and resources both on and off campus.

Criteria for completion

To earn the CES Program Certificate, participants will have the academic year to complete the following requirements:

• Attend the orientation and at least eight out of nine course meetings throughout the academic year,
• Submit a 2-3 page quarterly reflection (for a total of four reflections) that applies the learned program content to the discipline, role, research, or experience,
• Attend at least one community-based event, opportunity, or program and submit a 3-4 page reflection on the experience,
• Propose and present on a final project, which may include, but is not limited to, one of the following:
  • Integrate CES into an existing course, your role, or opportunity,
  • Apply for the service-learning course designation (SL) through Curriculog,
  • Obtain IRB approval for a community-engaged scholarship research project,
  • Prepare and submit a proposal for a paper, article, or journal,
  • Presentation to an appropriate CES conference,
  • Give a presentation to your department, unit, or college concerning or relating to the need or benefit of CES,
  • Apply for the Service-Learning mini-grant, which is designed to support faculty to create, enhance, or participate in service-learning instruction or scholarship, or
  • Apply for the Community-Engaged Scholarship Fellowship Program, which provides selected faculty members with an opportunity to apply their knowledge to promote the institutionalization of CES within their department, college, research, or unit.
• Submit a final portfolio containing the following in this order:
  • A 4-5 page final critical reflection on your project that should contain certain topics like the target audience and participants, any pedagogy/theory used in implementing your project, challenges and barriers, and any goals you hope to achieve through applying such knowledge and experience into the discipline and overall praxis. Additionally, you should reflect on your growth throughout the program by referencing and attaching the following:
    • Your community-based event reflection,
    • Three of your most relevant quarterly reflections that apply to your final project, and
    • Any other relevant material that applies to the portfolio: a SL course designation form, a proposed SL syllabus, a program manual or departmental presentation, CESFF or SL Mini-Grant application submission, etc.

CES program schedule

Course meetings typically occur virtually on the second Thursday of each month from 10:30-11:45am. In addition to the regular course meeting, there will be opportunities to connect the week after each meeting for more casual discussions at Café Conversations. Café Conversations is not required, but highly encouraged for a more robust and engaged experience. In addition to Café Conversations, CES program participants will meet one-on-one with the OSLCE Coordinator to discuss their projects at least twice during the academic year to discuss their projects. More dates and details will be covered in the program syllabus.

Second Thursday of every month, 10:30-11:45 a.m.

Please note: The schedule is tentative, and modifications may be made to accommodate participant interests and presenter availability.

Certificate recipients

2023-24

• Alana Walls, Graduate Student, Department of Anthropology, Gender, Race, and Identity Studies
• Alycia Barnwell, Lecturer, School of Social Work
• Cody Hunter, Teaching Assistant Professor, Department of English
• Jessica Reimche, Lecturer, Department of Biology
• Jia Feng, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography
• Lara Katrina Schott, Reference Librarian, Savitt Medical Library
• Melody Huslage, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
• Rachel Salas, Associate Professor, College of Education and Human Development
• Samantha Bickert, Lecturer II, College of Business

View previous years' certificate recipients