Recognizing transformative experiences may occur when students interact in our community without doing service, the Office of Service Learning and Community Engagement is happy to introduce the “CE” (Community Engagement) course designation to complement SE (Service Engagement) and SL (Service Learning).
Course offerings that involve active and authentic connections to the community may qualify for the CE course certification. CE and SE may be gateways into SL and/or may stand on their own as phenomenal opportunities for our students. CE and SE may also be worth extra consideration for first- and second-year courses, to get students engaged in our community without the rigors of a full SL course.
All SL/CE courses adhere to the following principles:
- Reciprocity
Community partners should be equals in the relationship. Consider what do partner(s) get out of their interaction, even though CE students do not offer service. For example, many community-based organizations want to get their message out & see interaction with college students as a worthy cause. We also are evaluating strategies to increase awards/publicity for partners, etc. - Career Readiness
We follow the National Association of Colleges and Employers in guiding our students to connect their SL/CE course learning to competencies that will enhance their success when they graduate and join the workforce - Authentic Community Interaction
All students in SL/CE courses connect coursework to community in meaningful ways - Reporting Connections
Seeking to better understand our institutional footprint in community engagement, SL/CE instructors and all others who are involved in service and scholarship in the community are encouraged to highlight their contributions in our new community engagement data system, Collaboratory
Full details on all three of our SL/CE designations are on the SL/CE webpage