Graduate Community Engagement Certificate

Required Course:

This course provides basic concepts and practices of community engagement scholarship.  Addresses foundations, partnerships, research/creative activities, teaching and service, evaluation and assessment, criticality in community engagement, communication and dissemination. Course prepares students to integrate their knowledge of community engaged scholarship with their academic disciplines.

• UNIV 679 - Introduction to Community Engaged Scholarship Credit(s): 3

Electives:

6 Credits

• Three Credits of other graduate-level coursework* with a Community Engagement component as approved by the Faculty Review Board.
• Three Credits of other graduate-level coursework* with Community Engaged component as approved by the Faculty Review Board or community engaged internships/projects undertaken for credit.

*All elective courses must request approval in writing before the start of the semester. Classwork such as essays, lab reports, other writings, internship log, or project reflection will become part of the portfolio.

Milestone Requirements:

• A reflection paper of length and quality determined by the Faculty Review Board in accordance with standards associated with the student’s discipline. It will deal with participation in a mutually beneficial community-based experience. This experience may be earned in any combination of community-engaged research or internship/project in direct contact with a community partner. Scholars will submit the reflection paper in their portfolio, and it should indicate how the experience was mutually beneficial for the student and community partner. The Faculty Review Board and the community partner will review the reflection paper upon completion.
• Submission of a research paper or creative work of excellent quality (e.g., thesis chapter, publication, exhibition), which includes extensive engagement with a specific community. This research may be theoretical in nature if the student has completed work in direct contact with a community partner in fulfillment of other Graduate Community Engagement Scholar requirements. If the student has not completed work in direct contact with a community partner through an internship, the research paper must include substantive direct work with a community partner. The Faculty Review Board member from the student’s college or division must approve the paper for quality and length.
• Upon completion, scholars will submit a portfolio to the Faculty Review Board that may include a record of coursework and milestone requirements, reflection pieces, and records of hands-on experience. It must include a final synthesis paper that explains the impact of the Graduate Community Engagement Certificate on the student’s development as an engaged scholar.