Community-Engaged Learning Courses

Community-Engaged Learning Courses Policy

Effective: Fall 2020
Version History: Endorsed by the Curriculum Subcommittee March 21, 2019, approved by EVCAA May 22, 2019
Policy owner: Academic Affairs
Policy Contact: Jennifer Mencl (undergraduate education), Erik Brown (graduate education)

The Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) course attribute indicates that the course involves a community-engaged learning teaching strategy, such as service-learning or community-engaged research.

1. Any new or existing course may be approved to have the attribute.
2. All sections of a CEL-approved course will have the CEL attribute.
3. A CEL-approved course must meet all of the following components:
   1. At least 25 percent of the course grade focuses on and/or incorporates community-engaged learning whereby student learning from community-engaged learning experiences is assessed. The course or learning module also offers a method to assess the learning derived from the community- engaged learning experiences.
   2. Course objectives demonstrate an integration of meaningful community-engaged learning with the achievement of University of Minnesota Duluth student learning outcomes.
   3. Activities (e.g., readings, discussions, projects, assignments) incorporate the community-engaged learning experience and how it relates to the course subject matter. Students are also required to analyze their community experiences and synthesize these experiences with other materials in the course or learning module.
   4. Reflection on community-engaged learning experiences is ongoing and includes dialogue about community issues as appropriate to the course or learning module.
   5. There is an agreed upon set of expectations and outcomes between the instructor and the community-based agency for all involved.
   6. Each CEL course component will have its own content-specific student learning outcomes that align with the associated student learning outcomes of the broader course.
   7. Inclusion of collaborating organizations (COs) as respected partners is integral to the experience. COs define student involvement in their organizations, in consultation with the course instructor, are oriented into the CEL process, receive a course syllabus, and are in regular communication with the course instructor.
4. Community partnerships in CEL courses are with non-profit organizations or public entities such as the city park and recreation department or public health department; although, for–profit organizations serving the needs of the underserved in the community, marginalized populations or needing assistance with social justice issues will be considered on a case-by-case basis. (See Note 1)
5. CEL courses are approved by following the steps outlined below. Designation as a CEL course is strongly recommended to alert students of the out-of-class time commitment and to formally identify CEL courses for risk management considerations. Once approved, no further approvals will be necessary unless the course CEL design is changed significantly. All CEL-designated courses must be re-approved every five years.
   1. A faculty member teaching the course completes the CEL Course Proposal Addendum form for the proposed course and submits the form with course syllabus to the department head for approval.
   2. Once approved at the department level, the CEL Course Proposal Addendum form and syllabus are submitted to the collegiate curriculum committee to ensure the course meets the essential components of community-engaged learning as set forth in UMD policy.
   3. Once approved by the collegiate curriculum committee, the proposal moves to the dean/associate dean for review.
   4. Once approved by the dean/associate dean, Academic Affairs is notified and the CEL attribute is added to the course catalog.
   5. Department schedulers then monitor and maintain for accuracy.

Rationale for the policy:

The CEL course attribute benefit students, faculty, and community partners in several ways:

• Visibility: Provides a clear indication of required community experiences for students and distinguishing courses to promote/recruit community organizational involvement (this enables students to plan and balance their schedules accordingly with other commitments)
• Quality Practice: Provides community partners, faculty, and students criteria and best practices of community engaged learning experiences to ensure enhanced quality learning experiences for students and positive, mutually beneficial outcomes for the collaborating community organizations
• Reporting: Provides avenues to track community engaged learning activity across disciplines and units and to access more easily and expedite internal and external reporting requirements (e.g., student learning outcomes, grant reporting, faculty annual review documentation)
• Recognition: Provides opportunities to formally recognize students and innovative teaching
• Alignment: Correlates directly with UMD’s Strategic Plan, especially goal #5: Advance UMD’s profile as an intentional and pivotal partner for Duluth, the Northland, and Minnesota

Definitions:

Community Engaged Learning: A teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful service with the academic curriculum to enrich student learning experiences, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. This teaching approach emphasizes analysis and reflection, and enables students to meet learning goals through community-engaged experiences identified by community organizations in collaboration with faculty. There are a variety of community-engaged learning models that could include direct-immersion based experiences, project-based, community-engaged research, or advocacy-based.
 

CEL Pedagogy: Because their purpose and format are not consistent with the standards and practices of CEL it should be noted that traditional internships are not a form of CEL. Traditional internships typically focus on student learning for the purpose of career development and usually are not embedded within a course. CEL is a form of experiential learning that engages students in service as an integrated facet of a course. It is a teaching, learning, and reflective practice that integrates academic study with service to enhance learning, promote civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Within community-engaged learning, classroom studies complement service within the community and enable students to reflect upon and address local and global social problems. CEL engages students in active, collaborative, and inquiry-based learning experiences that meet identified community needs. CEL not only changes the way students learn, it changes society’s view of education and service. In this sense, CEL is a philosophy of education and service to the community. CEL is not an “add on”; it is a way of achieving core academic outcomes. Please see the chart below for further distinction.

~Adapted from Marquette University Service-Learning Program; https://www.marquette.edu/service-learning/service-learner.php.

Note 1: Traditionally Community engaged Learning experiences have primarily been conducted with non-profit organizations but as the CEL pedagogy has evolved, partnerships with for-profit organizations have become more common to serve the public good.