For Faculty and Staff
New for 2013-2014! Service Learning Faculty Fellows Program
The one-year fellowship in Service Learning is designed to accelerate the work of six to ten faculty members eager to develop exemplary curricular approaches to education. Sponsored by the Office of Academic Engagement and Global Citizenship, Faculty Fellows in Service Learning will create new courses or modify existing courses that promote engagement, social responsibility, and active and ethical citizenship through service experiences.
The program is structured around a series of three workshops per semester, each focusing on an aspect of service learning pedagogy. Faculty Fellows will receive a $1,500 service-learning enhancement grant and one-on-one assistance to design a new course or modify an existing one to include a service learning component.
The program is open to all faculty members involved in undergraduate teaching. Interested faculty members should complete the attached application and submit all supporting documents via email to
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no later than June 21, 2013.
Application Form in
UAB_SL_Fellows_Application_and_Description.doc
UAB_SL_Fellows_Application_and_Description.pdf
Congratulations to English Assistant Professor Cassandra Ellis for winning the 2013 Provost's Award for Faculty Excellence in Academic Engagement and Global Citizenship for her innovative service learning experiences. This award was presented at the UAB Expo on April 26th.
In her search to make English composition more meaningful, Dr. Ellis found UAB Highlands Hospital’s SPOONS program. Through SPOONS, her freshman English composition students visited with elderly patients at mealtimes, helping them eat or simply providing companionship. She then encouraged the students to reflect on their service experiences through writing assignments focused on age, memory, and identity. Not only did the students learn composition, but they also realized their great capacity to connect with socially isolated elderly patients.
Student Kyle Thompson says that “it was a great experience as a freshman at the beginning of my journey to learn from someone at the end of his journey.”
Dr. Ellis has created other innovative service learning experiences with the Jefferson County Health Department and area schools. Right now, her English students are teaching area high school students about the impacts of littering. Kyle Thompson says that “Dr. Ellis treats us like respected colleagues. When a teacher is that willing to put that much work into a class, it inspires me to do a better job.”
SERVICE LEARNING integrates community service into academic experiences, enhancing and deepening classroom learning through thoughtful, collaborative engagement with community organizations and the people they serve. Using critical thinking, analysis and reflection assignments, service learning informs and enriches academic learning while encouraging students to develop a sense of civic responsibility
How we can help:
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Get tips for integrating service-learning components into your course
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See what's happening in Service Learning at UAB and around the country
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Browse materials available from UAB, funding resources, and suggested activites
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Explore Campus Compact, a national coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents — representing some 6 million students — dedicated to promoting community service, civic engagement, and service-learning in higher education.
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Contact the Office for Service Learning for more information and assistance