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Community Engagement

Mission & Goals

Community engagement is a form of experiential learning offered through community-based research experiences, service-learning courses, and direct volunteerism at local and global schools, non-profits and government agencies. Community engagement provides intentional opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills to real world issues while reflecting on their identity, self-efficacy, citizenship, social responsibility, and knowledge of the field. Service-learning is an innovative pedagogical strategy to:

  1. Explore theoretical models and methodologies from the disciplines
  2. Engage students in community-identified service opportunities directly connected to academic content, and
  3. Provide space for structured reflection that explores the intersection of the service experience and specific learning outcomes.

Knowledgeable:

  • Students will practice the integration of knowledge from the disciplines to confront complex contemporary issues.
  • Students will understand the root causes of social problems and the complexities of systemic oppression.

Multi-literate:

  • Students will apply problem-solving skills to community problems.
  • Students will demonstrate cross-cultural competencies.
  • Students will practice the skills of synthesis and analysis as they examine complex contemporary issues from interdisciplinary perspectives.
  • Students will demonstrate advocacy skills.

Engaged:

  • Students will demonstrate the ability to apply the social change model of leadership to community needs.
  • Students will act upon community-identified needs/problems/issues.
  • Students will foster collaborative partnerships.
  • Students will engage in principled debate and dissent.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others and build alliances.

Responsible:

  • Students will demonstrate civic and social responsibility toward community.
  • Students will understand personal efficacy and act as an ally to others, a capacity-builder and a change agent.
  • Students will practice self-reflection.
  • Students will exhibit a commitment to living a purposeful life.

Inquisitive:

  • Students will demonstrate resourcefulness as they discover how to solve contemporary issues.

For more information about Community Engagement, please visit the Center for Community Engagement site.