Cmnty Engmnt & Soc Change Conc 120 - COMM BASED LRNG: ETHICS & PRAC

Service learning, civic engagement, community-based research and community service have become familiar terms for describing forms of community-based learning (CBL) in higher education. Theorists and practitioners continue to debate how to bring community issues into the classroom and how best to bring students into the neighborhoods surrounding their colleges and universities. This course considers these issues through exposure to both the literature of community engagement and the experiences of those who practice its different forms. CCX 120 serves as a gateway course for the community engagement and social change concentration. As such, one of the primary purposes of the course is to give students exposure to the varied opportunities available at the college for engaging with communities. Specifically, the course focuses on volunteer opportunities, course-based engagement and examples of community-based research. Within and across these different approaches, we identify and explore the ethical issues that characterize community partnerships and the best practices that attempt to address these issues. Students also interact with peers, faculty, guest speakers, and community members who provide firsthand perspectives on the local practice of CBL and the critical needs in surrounding communities. S/U only.