In keeping with the Engaging program’s commitment to give voice to those intimately engaged in this work, and to disseminate and celebrate the efforts undertaken, several grant program participants from campuses and community organizations share some of their important successes from which others may benefit. Additional information about their grant initiatives will be available on the CIC website in the fall.

Loyola University New Orleans
Through Loyola's involvement in the Engaging grant program, the university has greatly enhanced its long-term commitment to civic engagement and social justice. The grant was the cornerstone in founding the Office of Service Learning and provided the impetus to move service learning from the involvement of individual faculty members to a position in the university's academic strategic plan. Since the office was established in August 2001, 32 faculty members representing all five colleges are incorporating service learning into their curriculum, with more than 1,000 students now serving at 100-plus community sites.
     The grant also provided networking opportunities and funds for faculty development, student engagement, and community partnership initiatives. This work is particularly meaningful to the model partnerships, as they possess firsthand understanding of the importance of experiential education in developing better citizens. Today, Loyola is better able to address needs within metropolitan New Orleans and enhance student learning. While Loyola would have integrated service learning within the institution in any case, it would not have occurred as quickly or as thoroughly as it did as part of the Engaging initiative.
—Carol Jeandron, Director Office of Service Learning
—Harlen Henegar, Saint Tammany Parish Public School System

Madonna University
Through my years of teaching sociology and doing community work, I've come to believe that a truly exemplary student is one who is actively engaged in the community. As a result of our CAPHE partnership, I'm also inclined to think the same way of engaged faculty. The best of them are politically savvy and socially adroit. They are skilled in the practical application of knowledge in their field.
     But whether a faculty member is an old hand at community-based learning or a recent initiate, it is the spirit behind the work that counts. Nobody gets it right the first time, and often it takes several attempts before you can foresee all the procedural difficulties, or handle adeptly the inevitable snafus that come with learning in the field. But the attempt itself exemplifies the Franciscan ideal of knowledge for community service upon which our university was founded. In this manner, these faculty members are addressing directly the spirit of our educational mission.
     My impression of the students who have made the most of our service-learning opportunities over the past three years is that they have a broader and more open view of their educational experience. They appear confident and ready to try different roles—including leadership roles—both in and outside the classroom. They are able to draw rich lessons from face-to-face interactions and direct social experiences. At the same time, they have the patience and tolerance to suspend their judgments in pursuit of deeper
knowledge. They get the most out of what you give them. And they have enriched my work life immeasurably.
—Kevin West, Service Learning Director

Otterbein College
Otterbein College has been able to identify what was working, what could be improved, and how to move our programs to the "next level" for campus and community constituencies, due to our participation in the Engaging grant program. With a strong foundation on which to build, including student engagement activities spanning the entire educational experience from the New Student Weekend to Senior Year Experience activities, the Engaging advisory committee helped organize discussions and activities that would assist the college in planning for future community engagement efforts. The committee believed that Otterbein could be more effective in its engagement activities if it focused on developing depth within partnerships as opposed to seeking breadth of opportunities.
     One specific grant activity enabled us to establish a new core partnership at Whittier Elementary School, which has a growing population of Somali students. In recognition of our work with area public schools, we have recently entered into a new and expanded partnership with Columbus Public Schools (CPS) and two other institutions, The Ohio State University and Columbus State Community College. In 2002, CPS established the Higher Education Partnerships to improve academic achievement among all CPS students.
     To maintain the high level of conversation and assessment of ongoing and new programs developed over the course of the program, Otterbein is working on a plan specifically addressing resource allocation for future community engagement efforts.
—Denise Shively, Assistant Professor of Communication
    

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Last updated: March 2003
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