Hobart and William Smith Colleges

15 June 2020 Community-Based Learning Faculty Fellows Retreat

The Colleges Center for Civic Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL), along with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), recently launched the Community Engaged Faculty Fellows Program for faculty interested in creating a community-engaged component to a course or in building a community-engaged research agenda. Members of the inaugural cohort include Associate Professor of EducationMaryKelly, Professor of SociologyJack HarrisP02, P06, Assistant Professor of Art and Architecture Gabriella DAngelo, Associate Professor of Art and Architecture Kirin Makker and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Chair of Sustainable Community Development Robin Lewis.

In May 2018, the inaugural community-engaged faculty fellow cohort took part in a two-day workshop facilitated by CCESL Director Katie Flowers and CTL Director Susan Pliner. This workshop focused on enhancing participants knowledge of community-based learning (CBL) and research. The faculty also met with community partners, including representatives from the Geneva Neighborhood Resource Center, Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes and Geneva Housing Authority to discuss potential community-based research collaborations. In addition, Kate Strauss Canada 98, program coordinator for Syracuse Universitys Maxwell Schools Citizenship and Civic Engagement,joined the group to share best practices for developing and facilitating successful community partnerships.

The CBL Faculty Fellow retreat was an opportunity to connect with other like-minded individuals and expand ones thinking on community-based learning (CBL) and how best to incorporate CBL into ones teaching and scholarship, says Lewis. Over the course of the retreat, I learned further details about my colleagues CBL endeavors and engaged in dialogue about CBL with members of the broader Geneva community. I left the retreat not only feeling refreshed and supported but also inspired to take all the lessons I learned and apply them to my courses and in my own community-based research projects.

As a CBL Faculty Fellow during the 2018-2019 academic year, Lewis project focuses on refining the community-based research project that she incorporates into her upper level sustainable consumptionseminarand strengthening how she assesses the impact of this project on her students.

CBL Faculty Fellows will meet twice again this fall to further develop their service-learning courses and community-based research projects. Each will receive a $1,500 stipend when their course or project is complete, honoring the additional time and community inclusive nature of utilizing CBL pedagogy.

Projects include:

Associate Professor of EducationMaryKelly, a service learning and community engagement research project focused on community support for people with disabilities.

Professor of SociologyJack HarrisP02, P06, a community-based research project exploring social entrepreneurship and asset-based community development.

Assistant Professor ofArt and Architecture Gabriella DAngelo, community-based research exploring creative and socially engaged design and social inequalities in Geneva.

Associate Professor of Art and Architecture Kirin Makker, a service-learning project involving public art projects and public schools.

Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Chair of Sustainable Community Development Robin Lewis, a service-learning project involving sustainability initiatives at local businesses.

The CBL Faculty Fellow Program originated from the CollegesService-Learning Advisory Council (SLAC), which supports the work of community engagement at HWS. Due to the time intensive nature of thoughtfully and appropriately employing the ideals of community-based learning teaching and scholarship, CTL and CCESL are glad to support HWS faculty and Geneva partners, and help ensure that the resources needed to actualize impactful and mutually beneficial learning opportunities are available, says Flowers.

In 2018, Hobart and William Smith Colleges were named for the second year in a rowthe top liberal arts institution for service inWashington Monthlys College Guide and Rankings. Since 2005, the policy magazine has rated U.S. colleges and universities based on their contributions to society, taking into consideration social mobility, research and service.