Create a course that brings your curriculum to life while meeting pressing 21st Century needs of local and global communities.

“At first, every student is terrified of public speaking in English, much less in Spanish. But by the fifth lesson, they love it. They have deepened their skill level in speaking Spanish, and they’ve also changed the lives of the children they’re teaching.”

-Dr. Gabriel Barreneche
Associate Professor of Modern Languages

“It’s not always easy to motivate college students to yank out air potato vines, but we were learning about global climate change and biodiversity in our classwork and, even though they had to get up early and work hard, they really appreciated that they were doing something about these issues in a tangible way. I always make sure there is a clear link between the service project and the course so they can connect the curriculum to community engagement. Any time you can get out in the field, it helps students make those connections.”

-Dr. Katie Sutherland
Associate Professor of Biology

Faculty involvement is at the center of the community engagement initiative at Rollins. Since 2006, over 74% of all Rollins faculty have been involved in at least one aspect of community engagement through service-learning, community-based research, professional development, immersion, or campus/community partnership. In addition, over the last seven years every major at Rollins has offered at least one academic course with a community experience. Because of this deep, institutional commitment, Rollins has been recognized with a number of national recognitions for community engagement, including Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement.

At Rollins, courses with a community engagement component are being offered under the designation CE (Community Engagement) in the Rollins Course Catalogue. As a part of CE courses, students will apply what they are learning in the classroom with the community through service-learning, research, civic participation, and be involved in active dialogue and reflection. CE courses engage students in roughly 15-30 hrs of direct community-based work throughout the semester with non-profit organizations throughout Central Florida. Learning is assessed by the faculty member based on students’ ability to connect course curriculum and theory to practice.

Courses meeting the standards listed below are considered for the designation of Community Engagement at Rollins College:

* Identifies and addresses a need in the community (campus, local, regional, or global)

* Meets course objectives and demonstrates a clear connection between the community activity and the course content

* Involves assessment as a part of the student's overall grade

* Involves reciprocity between course and community that results in students' increased civic awareness, leadership, diversity, and engagement

* Involves structured student pre/reflection

* Involves collaboration with a community organization/agency that is committed to a partnership between service and learning

* Invites the community partner to share in classroom dialogue, discussion, and scholarship

* Involves a considerable amount of time outside of the classroom with the community organization/agency

* Involves a capstone assessment in which students share their experience with the class community and the community organization/agency, discuss connections of global citizenship and responsible leadership, and address a plan for continued engagement

Community partners are co-educators in service-learning courses and community-based research experiences. Their expertise is a critical element of the teaching/learning experience at Rollins. Each year, Rollins academic courses work with hundreds of community organizations through academic partnerships that are mutually beneficial. Some of these organizations include BETA Center, Fern Creek Elementary,  HOPE Community Center (Apopka, FL), PACE Center of Girls, Central Florida Coalition for the Homeless, Junior Achievement of Central Florida, and Watershed Action Volunteers. Students are assessed based on their ability to connect curriculum theory to practice.  Some examples of current and past CE Courses include:

• Digital and Mixed Media Printmaking
• Spanish for Advanced Communication
• Caribbean Environmental History
• Teaching Children with Special Needs
• Decade of Decision: England and America in the 1760’s
• International Economics
• Justice: Good and Evil
• Biology and Everyday Life
• Individualism and its Discontents
• Death and Dying
• Memory and the Photograph
• Spanish Culture and Conversation
• Landscape of Music
• Writing for the Future
• Endangered Earth
• State of Florida’s Children
• The Revolution Will Not be Televised
• Introduction to Women’s Studies
  
  

How can faculty get started?

CE Designation Course Form and Rubric can by found by visiting the Request For Community Engagement Designation page. Please note CE Designation deadlines for fall and spring courses. CE Courses are eligible for project and resource funds through the Office of Community Engagement. Faculty are encouraged to contact OCE to discuss community academic partnerships opportunities and professional development resources.  CE Courses participate in an optional pre and mandatory post assessment of student-learning gains and activities through the AAC&U LEAP Learning Outcomes framework.

Those interested in CE Designation for an International Field Study Course should contact OCE and International Programs for the International CE Designation Course Form, Rubric, and deadline dates. International CE Courses are eligible for significant project and scholarship funds for students.

Each year OCE offers multiple community engagement workshops and sessions for faculty including The Summit on Transforming Learning, New Faculty Community Partner Tour, Community Engagement Fair and Lunch, CE Designation Workshops, Service-Learning Roundtables and 1:1 Coaching Sessions. Faculty can access these workshops by clicking on the events calendar.