Office of Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement Benefits for Faculty and Instructors

• Creates new avenues for scholarship and publication
• Enhances connections between research and teaching
• Provides networking opportunities for colleagues across disciplines
• Increases student recruitment and retention to departments due to increased enthusiasm and engagement with coursework
• Offers faculty the opportunity to be actively engaged and knowledgeable about community issues
• Fosters motivated teaching due to greater student interaction with subject matter
• Fosters the development of relationships between organizations and faculty

Faculty and Instructors are expected to:

• Describe the civic engagement activity and its relation to the course objectives in the course syllabus, and facilitate activities that will prepare students for their civic engagement experience.
• Familiarize themselves with the service sites and monitor student progress through discussions, journal assignments, progress reports or individual consultations.
• Have students complete all necessary paperwork for the organization and OCE.
• Provide individual and/or group forums for students to reflect on their learning.

What UMD faculty say about civic engagement/service-learning

Suggestion for designing a course with a civic engagement component

How OCE Supports Faculty and Instructors Interested in incorporating Civic Engagement components into courses

Reflection: Helping Students Make the Connection