Call for Community-Engaged Learning Courses - Fall 2020

The Community-Engaged Learning Program in the Center for Social Impact is now accepting applications for Fall 2020 community-engaged learning courses. 

New and renewal course applications are due by Friday, February 14th. Approved community-engaged learning courses will receive a designation of Community-Engaged Learning or Community-Engaged Learning Optional in the course attributes. Designation is important for promoting best practices, raising student awareness to courses, ensuring that the program is prepared to offer the support necessary to faculty, and assessment. Faculty with approved community-engaged learning courses will also have the opportunity to work with a Community-Engaged Learning Associate (student leader). 

Courses that have already been designated in the past can be submitted for renewal via this form.

To propose a NEW course, please complete this application.

Note on the change to Community-Engaged Learning (from Service Learning):

Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) refers to credit-bearing academic courses or programs that engage students in co-designed experiential learning opportunities with local, national, or global community partners which contribute to the public good, the partners’ mission, and enhance student learning. The shift to CEL from Service Learning is an outcome of the Center for Social Impact’s (formerly, Center for Faith & Public Life) recent self-study, as well as evolution within the field of Higher Education Community Engagement. The term “service learning” has a long history and captures some of the work that Fairfield University does with campus and community partners, but not the full range of work in which students and faculty engage with the community beyond campus, including advocacy and research  At the same time, “service learning” suggests a one-way transaction that does not fully represent the mutuality that characterizes strong partnerships. Certainly, direct service is—and will remain—an important part of our work, and we hope that more faculty will see opportunities to locate their work under the umbrella of Community-Engaged Learning. Additionally, we will no longer refer to the “Office of Service Learning” but rather to the Community-Engaged Learning Program in the Center for Social Impact.   

Please contact Andrea Canuel, Associate Director for Community-Engaged Learning, or Betsy Bowen, Faculty Chair of Community-Engaged Learning and Professor of English, with any questions or concerns.