Go Beyond the Classroom will provide professional development and support to faculty, instructors, and staff in order to explore Community-Engaged Learning best practices and ways to develop these opportunities for their classes or co-curricular activity.
Meet our Community-Engaged Learning Faculty Fellow: Dr. Scott Jenkinson
Dr. Scott Jenkinson serves as the Community-Engaged Learning Faculty Fellow. In this role, he supports the successful implementation of the QEP through the development of professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. Dr. Jenkinson works with the Vice Provost for Community Engagement/Director of the QEP and the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence to develop a series of trainings, workshops, learning communities, and talks to address the needs and promote community-engaged learning pedagogy. All QEP workshops, trainings, conferences, and professional development events will be coordinated with the Center for Teaching Excellence.
Possible Professional Development Topics Include:
- assistance identifying partners and awareness of community needs;
- intensive, collaborative professional development on community-engaged learning that results in a new or redesigned course;
- guidance on facilitating critical reflection;
- how to assess student learning, use the assessment rubric, and write community-engaged learning student learning objectives;
- implementing community-engaged learning in online courses;
- ethics of community-engaged learning;
- sharing discipline specific examples of community-engaged learning course integration;
- managing logistics of community-engaged learning including affiliation agreements, transportation, legal issues, etc.; and
- developing the scholarship of engagement.
Resources and Funding Opportunities
Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) Designation for Courses and Co-curricular Experiences
The Office of Community Engagement seeks to designate and recognize curricular and co-curricular experiences that provide our students with Community-Engaged Learning experiences. This initiative is part of the Go Beyond the Classroom Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).
At ETSU, Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities for reflection designed to achieve desired learning outcomes. (Jacoby, 2015). The CEL Designation will identify courses and co-curricular experiences that meet this definition and include the Go Beyond the Classroom Core Four criteria:
- Mutually Beneficial
- Critically Reflective
- Experiential Learning that is Instructionally Intentional
- Integrates the Go Beyond the Classroom Student Learning Outcomes
The CEL designation can be applied to existing experiences and courses as well as new ones. Courses that receive the designation will be identified by the code “CEL” in Banner; promoted on the Go Beyond the Classroom website and by academic advisors; be included in QEP assessment and evaluation; and receive recognition in the QEP annual report. Co-curricular experiences will also be highlighted on the website and receive the same recognition as courses.
How do I designate my course or co-curricular experience as CEL?
To seek the CEL designation, access the Go Beyond the Classroom CEL Experience Designation with this link. Depending on the type of experience, you will be prompted to answer a series of questions and upload supporting documentation including syllabus.
Questions should be directed to communityengage@etsu.edu.
CEL Designation video for Curricular (for credit) experiences
CEL Designation video for co-curricular (NOT for credit) experiences
Summer Go Beyond the Classroom Intensive
The Summer Go Beyond the Classroom Intensive is a two-day educational workshop for faculty and staff to develop or deepen a community-engaged learning (CEL) component in a course or co-curricular experience. During this engaging 2-day workshop, selected participants will explore the foundations of CEL, logistical considerations, creating impactful critical reflection, and developing and sustaining community partnerships. A $500 stipend will be given for successful fulfillment of the intensive guidelines. There are 2 available workshops for 2023: May 18-19 or July 24-25. At this time both summer intensives are full. Information about additional intensive development opportunities for the fall of 2023 will be made available soon. Please email Scott Jenkinson with any questions.
Go Beyond the Classroom Mini-Grant Description and Application
The 2023 Go Beyond the Classroom Mini-Grants will enhance and expand community-engaged
learning (CEL) in courses, programs, and co-curricular experiences. Go Beyond the
Classroom Mini-Grants are intended for faculty and staff use to provide funding for
a range of items, including professional development, conferences, course materials,
supplies, and travel for faculty, staff, and students that support, enhance, or/or
expand CEL.
For this inaugural year of funding, the following projects have been funded:
7-ETCH VR Production
Students in Digital Media and Computer Science will work with the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville, to create simulations for nurses and other medical professionals. The partnership with The East Tennessee Children’s Hospital results in a fully customized simulation to train their nurses to perform medical procedures.
PI: Jacy Richardson
Collaborators: Dr. Tod Emma, Digital Media
Dr. Matthew Desjardins, Computer Science
Community Connection for SARM Students through Speedway Children's Charities
This project will be a team-based approach within the Sport and Recreation Management
(SARM) program to create a new elective course with a collaboration with the with
Bristol Motor Speedway's Speedway Children Charities. The target audience is first
year SARM students. Faculty will work collaboratively with the Speedway Children’s
Charities Director to design a course focused on “cause marketing” strategies in non-profit
sport and sport corporate social responsibility.
PI: Dr. Amanda Greene, SERK
Collaborator: Dr. Charles Jones, Sport Management
ESSENTIALS II: Garden in a Box
This initiative aims to promote community engagement by teaching gardening and nutrition to elementary/middle schools. The ESSENTIALS II: Garden in a Box program fosters healthy attitudes and builds healthy habits around nutritious foods, teaches food origins, and increases physical activity.
PI: Dr. Mike Stoots, Community and Behavioral Health
Collaborator: Ms. Aimee Rowe, Community and Behavioral Health
SPARK: Student Participation in Community-Engaged Service, Research, and Internships
History SPARK program is a collaborative cohort experience designed to increase the
number of
History majors participating in community-engaged service, research, and internships.
SPARK will introduce students to diverse community organizations, with its primary
goal to support each participant in identifying, obtaining, and completing a community-based
summer internship relevant to the practice of history.
PI: Dr. Jennifer Axsom Adler, History
Collaborator: Dr. Steve Nash, History
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
ETSU Accounting students will use their knowledge learned in income tax and business courses to engage with community taxpayers and prepare their tax returns. Students will develop critical thinking and technology skills using real-life tax problems to prepare returns. They also have the opportunity to refine their professional skills while assisting low-income taxpayers complete an annually stressful task of filing income taxes.
PI: Dr. Michelle Freeman, Accounting
Collaborators: Dr. Joel Faidley, Site Partner for ETSU VITA
Dr. Ashley Bentley, advisor of Beta Alpha Psi, accounting professional society
Applications for the 2024 Go Beyond the Classroom Mini-Grants will open in spring semester 2024.
Alternative Break Experience Learning Partners
ETSU’s established program of Alternative Break Experiences housed in the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement offers an ideal opportunity for enhancement of community-engaged learning. With a focus on active citizenship, ABEs are unique co-curricular opportunities for students to engage in strong, direct service and experiential learning during traditional breaks from school. ETSU Faculty and Staff are encouraged to consider serving as Learning Partners. Contact Ms. Joy Fulkerson, Director of Leadership and Civic Engagement at fulkersj@etsu.edu.
Bibliography of the Go Beyond the Classroom QEP
Campus Compact is a national nonprofit organization. They are the largest and oldest higher education association dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement. Their members make up a force of thousands of presidents, faculty, researchers, students, and civic and community engagement experts at colleges and universities.
ETSU is an institutional member of Campus Compact. Any ETSU faculty, staff, or student can access the wealth of materials Campus Compact has including sample syllabi, case studies, podcasts, webinars, etc.
Engagement Scholarship Consortium
The Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization, is composed of higher education member institutions, a mix of state-public and private institutions. Their goal is to work collaboratively to build strong university-community partnerships anchored in the rigor of scholarship and designed to help build community capacity. As a member benefit, ESC promotes opportunities for faculty from member institutions to collaborate on opportunities for research and external funding. Member institutions identify ways that their faculty, staff, students, and community partners can connect with and collaborate on community engagement efforts.
ETSU is an institutional member of ESC.
Use this online portal to find and connect with agencies, non-profit organizations, and volunteer initiatives that serve the Appalachian Highlands region. Community partners will post their one time and on-going service opportunities at this site.