Several courses at UMW have been designated as “community-engaged” or “CE”. These courses require a minimum of 15 hours of work within the community. These courses also require reflection on the service learning or community involvement component. A current list of community-engaged (CE) classes is provided here.
The requirements and learning outcomes of these classes are the following:
- All CE courses must involve 15 hours of engagement with the community as well as reflection.
- All CE courses must meet the following 3 outcomes:
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- Analysis of Knowledge: Connects and extends knowledge (facts, theories, etc.) from one’s own academic study/ field/ discipline to community engagement and to one’s own participation in community life, politics, and government.
- Identity/Commitment: Provides evidence of experience in community-engagement activities and describes what one has learned about oneself as it relates to a reinforced or clarified commitment to public action.
- Action and Reflection: Demonstrates independent experience, accompanied by reflective insights or analysis about the aims and accomplishments of one’s actions.
- In addition, CE courses may also seek to incorporate the following additional outcomes:
- Diversity of Communities/Cultures: Demonstrates evidence of adjustment in own attitudes and beliefs because of working within and learning from diversity of communities and cultures.
- Communication: Tailors communication strategies to effectively express, listen, and adapt to others to establish relationships to further community action.
- Contexts/Structures: Demonstrates ability and commitment to collaboratively work across and within community contexts and structures to achieve a community aim.
- Academic Impact: Uses community engagement experience to inform one’s academic study/field/discipline.