Public Engagement

Resources

As we bridge connections between our campus and the wider community, it’s important to us that we best serve those we collaborate with providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed, move their passions into action, and make the world a better place!

For our Students: 

You can now access CELSA (Community Engaged Learning Student Ambassador) positions as well as other opportunities on Handshake! 

For our Faculty: 

Please reach out to Dr. Jessica S. Hower (howerj@southwestern.edu) for access to our Faculty Resources database and more! 

For our Community Partners: 

Thank you so much for showing interest in collaborating with the Office of Public Engagement and Southwestern’s wider campus community! Please reach out to Dr. Jessica S. Hower (howerj@southwestern.edu) to talk about next steps.

Fundamentals of Community Engaged Learning (CEL)

In 2015, the Civic Engagement Advisory Board identified the following fundamental elements of CEL. These elements balance the integrative and academic student learning goals with the mutually beneficial and long-term community goals. 

 

Community Driven: 

The course involves engagement in the life of a community beyond the classroom, and ideally outside of the academic community, on a problem/project/challenge identified as important by the community and/or a community partner agency.

 

Reflection: 

The course involves structured reflection that provides students with the opportunity to explore the academic, personal, and civic value of the community engagement experience. Best practice in structured reflection includes the use of critical reflection, analytic reflection, and integrative reflection assignments.

 

Sustainability: 

The course involves some examination of the systemic roots of community challenges and active student/faculty participation in sustainably addressing the expressed community need.

 

Public Dissemination: 

The product of the class is returned to the public in a meaningful way.

 

Academic Rigor: 

The course/instructor utilizes academic community engagement pedagogy as a primary means of accomplishing at least some of the course learning objectives through application of academic skills and competencies to community challenges.

Past & Current CEL Courses

Where do I find currently offered Community Engaged Learning Courses? 

Access the Course Catalog on Self-Service, under “Course Type” select Community-Engaged Learning. The CEL courses offered that semester will populate in the catalog search. 

 

What classes have previously been offered? 

Using our dropdown below, you can browse past CEL courses offered by the university and various interdisciplinary departments offered recently and from Fall 2014 to Fall 2018.

Contact & Connect with Us

Are you looking to get into further contact with our office? Please contact Dr. Jessica S. Hower (howerj@southwestern.edu) to find out more or schedule an appointment. You can also find us in the Office of Academic Affairs in the Wilhelmina Cullen Building.

 

To stay up to date on programming, events, and things social justice-oriented, follow us on Instagram @su_ocel.