Higher Education Commons^™

Uno Student Engagement Spotlights, Uno Office Of Academic And Student Affairs

Community Engagement

Community engagement and service are fundamental components of UNO’s identity. The following students exemplify commitment to community engagement. Their work represents the breadth of UNO’s involvement in various causes.

Dedication Ceremony For Two Murals Outside Dinand, Jack Godar

Civitas Branching Documentation

Article reporting the rededication of Civitas Branching, a 5-panel mosaic depicting scenes from the College Hill neighborhood, originally installed on the College Hill Civic Association building located at 79 Kendig Street in Worcester, Massachusetts and Lungs of the Planet, a tile mural installed on the west patio Rooftop Garden of Dinand Library.

Civitas Branching: Rededication Program Introductory Remarks, Jacqueline Peterson

Civitas Branching Documentation

Remarks given by Dean Jacqueline Peterson at the rededication of Civitas Branching, a 5-panel mosaic depicting scenes from the College Hill neighborhood. The mosaic was created as a collaborative art project by students of the College of the Holy Cross and residents of the College Hill neighborhood in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was originally installed on the College Hill Civic Association building located at 79 Kendig Street in Worcester. In 2016, the mosaic was relocated to the east patio of Dinand Library on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. A rededication ceremony was held …

Civitas Branching: Rededication Program, College Of The Holy Cross

Civitas Branching Documentation

Program for the rededication of Civitas Branching, a 5-panel mosaic depicting scenes from the College Hill neighborhood. The mosaic was created as a collaborative art project by students of the College of the Holy Cross and residents of the College Hill neighborhood in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was originally installed on the College Hill Civic Association building located at 79 Kendig Street in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In 2016, the mosaic was relocated to the east patio of Dinand Library on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. A rededication ceremony was held April 20, 2016. Several members …

Designing And Documenting Community Engagement For Tenure And Promotion, Lesley M. Graybeal, Debra Burris, Amy Hawkins

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning (Archived)

Research over the past two decades has built a compelling case that perceived institutional barriers, including lack of recognition of service-learning pedagogy in tenure and promotion decisions, are one of the greatest deterrents to faculty use of service-learning (Abes, Jackson, & Jones, 2002; Hammond, 1994; Morton & Troppe, 1996; Ward, 1998). Furthermore, faculty members perceive these institutional barriers at every stage of implementation of service-learning pedagogy (Hou & Wilder, 2015). Knowing how to design a service-learning experience, then, with an awareness of the tenure and promotion process can help faculty not only create robust community-engaged courses and research projects, but …

Service Learning And Community-Based Research: Implementation, Benefits, Challenges, And Future Directions, Ariana Postlethwait Phd, April Rand Phd, Sarah I. Pilgrim Phd, Carmelita Dotson Msw

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning (Archived)

Rationale: Service learning and community engagement are a natural fit for many disciplines. Service learning projects provide students with an opportunity to apply course content to real world situations (Harder, 2010), developing projects that will benefit clients, agencies, and communities. Service learning is used across a variety of disciplines including social work (Hostetter, Sullenberger, & Wood, 2013) nursing (Murray, 2013) and business (Payne, Campbell, Bal, & Piercy, 2011). Working in a group within a service learning context provides a multitude of benefits including greater interest, motivation, and engagement; improved communication skills; real-life application of course content; and skills …

How Are We Impacting Communities In Short-Term International Service Immersion Programs?, Eliza Wethey

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning (Archived)

The presentation will allow participants to critically examine service immersion and service-learning programs in an international context. While impacting students is an important outcome of international service immersion programs, equally important is our impact on communities. How are we considering the needs of the community partners we are working with? How are we ensuring the sustainability of the programs after our short-term involvement. How are we preparing students for work in these contexts?

This presentation will explore these questions in the context of Virginia Tech and VT Engage's international programs and give suggestions for how we can implement more sustainable …

Multimedia Service Learning Partnerships, Chandra Clark

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning (Archived)

Goal: I would like to share the success of working with 30 different nonprofit, community, and campus organizations with senior electronic news and sports majors. At a time where every student has to really stand out at job interviews, a service learning project that incorporates everything they have learned in their curriculum can take them to the next level by engaging them in the community they are about to serve.

Rationale: Following the tornado that devastated Tuscaloosa on April 27, 2011, I witnessed nonprofits who were held hostage by the web companies that hosted their content. They couldn't make changes …

History Of Civitas Branching, Susan Hunt

Civitas Branching Documentation

A brief history and description of Civitas Branching, a 5-panel mosaic depicting scenes from the College Hill neighborhood. The mosaic was created as a collaborative art project by students of the College of the Holy Cross and residents of the College Hill neighborhood in Worcester, Massachusetts.

A Neighborhood Team Approach To Strengthening University-Neighborhood Relations, Tito Luna

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning (Archived)

It takes very intentional efforts on behalf of a university to listen to what its neighbors are saying and to respond. Furthermore, it is the university’s responsibility to communicate with its off-campus students about their rights as tenants, their responsibilities as community members and the importance of being civically engaged. The goal of this presentation is to inform participants of VCU’s efforts to collaborate with its surrounding neighborhoods, the City of Richmond and its off-campus students. Participants will begin to consider what they can incorporate into their current engagement efforts in the surrounding community.

VCU’s Neighborhood Team was created in …

Building Students’ Civic And Moral Responsibility And Assessing Outcomes Through Service Learning, Lori Moog

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning (Archived)

Colleges and Universities have great potential to make a positive difference in meeting community needs and addressing complex social and economic problems through service learning because it is a distinct program from other campus-community partnerships due to its deliberate intent to work collaboratively through service that is linked to course work. Developing service learning programs that engage students in meeting community needs also helps students meet their own educational goals. Integrating service and academic study optimizes resources for the community. Because of these mutually beneficial goals, service learning fits into higher education’s mission of service to the community. Moreover, in …

The Impact Of A Community-Based Engaged Learning Experience For Students And Community Partners Through Cancer And Exercise Wellness Programs, Emily Simonavice, Laura Childs

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning (Archived)

There are a growing number of cancer survivors within our society that experience negative physical and psychological side effects from cancer related treatments. Exercise has been shown to be an effective way to attenuate some of these negative side effects; however, reports indicate that the majority of cancer survivors do not engage in adequate amounts of exercise. Thus, the goal of the present study was to incorporate a five-hour service learning project into the Exercise Science curriculum in which students would educate cancer survivors about the benefits of exercise and basic exercise prescription information. Additionally, students implemented a comprehensive exercise …

It’S A Data Job, But Someone’S Gotta Do It, Heather Mack

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning (Archived)

In this session, we will:

• Contextualize the community engagement field’s data management needs
• Introduce a CE Data Cycle, a framework that participants can use to conceptualize CE data as a system
• Guide participants through a basic CE data management needs assessment
• Review two approaches for meeting those needs, including pros and cons for each, and best practices and lessons learned about both approaches

1. Align with staff in Institutional Research and Information Technology
2. Deploy technological solutions

• Brainstorm how to meet gaps in CE data management
• Outline data management objectives for 2016-17 and concrete next steps to achieve them

Rationale for the …

Ciis Today, Spring 2016 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Spring 2016 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Assessing The Impact Of Mentoring Underserved Youth Through Service Learning, Breanna Walukevich

Higher Education Student Work

Mentoring underserved youth through service learning can provide various positive impacts for both mentors and mentees (Banks, 2010; Hughes et al., 2012; Rhodes, Grossman & Resch, 2000; Thompson & Kelly-Vance, 2001; Washburn-Moses, Fry & Sanders, 2014; Weiler et al., 2013). This qualitative interview study assessed the perceived impact that a mentoring program had on mentees, who were underserved youth at an elementary school in a low-income community, and mentors, who were college students participating through a service learning course. The findings revealed overall positive outcomes for both the mentors and mentees. The mentees benefited academically and looked up to their …

Educating Global Citizens: Moroccan University Students’ Global Awareness And Perceptions, Julia Ohanyan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Globalization has affected the world in many ways: socially, economically, and culturally. It has also affected the education system as well as the daily life of individuals across the world, including the Kingdom of Morocco in North Africa. This paper will explore the success of a globally focused education in the Moroccan context, as well as, analyze the affect that globalization has had among the Moroccan youth, specifically university students. Additionally, how aware are the students of the current events that are unfolding in our global community. How has globalization affected their preferences and their perceptions towards global issues and …

Negotiating A Culture Of Encounter And Disruptive Discourse In Catholic Higher Education, Laura Leming

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

Any brief attention to global, national, and local news underlines the urgency for education that leads to knowledge about and action for the common good. Catholic institutions of higher learning have a dual history of encouraging students to speak and act on behalf of the common good while also pursuing the good life. As those who can readily access a Catholic education have increasingly come from the upper middle class, how are we introducing our students into the culture of encounter that Pope Francis called the U.S. Bishops to promote in September 2015? This essay explores ideas and examples related …

History Of Lungs Of The Planet Mosaic, Susan Hunt

Documentation

A brief history and description of Lungs of the Planet, a tile mural depicting line drawings on individual 6 x 6 inch tiles, as well as larger color images of blossoms, fruit, and birds to symbolize the cycle of life.

The mural was created as a collaborative art project by students in the Natural World Cluster of the Monserrat First Year Program at the College of the Holy Cross. The project was led by Virginia Raguin, Distinguished Professor of Humanities at the College. Particpants included students, faculty, staff and community members.

The mural was installed on the west patio …

P-16 Initiative, Uno Service Learning Academy

Newsletters 2015-2016

This newsletter features: Gaining Perspective: Race & Our Juvenile Justice System; Mapping Histories: Learning Across the Ages; College & Career Readiness Characteristics Found in Service Learning; Service Learning Around the World; Student's Collaboration Leads to Environmental Sustainability; Multiple Collaborative Projects Created Diverse Experiences for Students; Students Learn to Speak Mandarin; Infusing Rigor into Service Learning: A K-12 Teacher & UNO Professor's Perspective; A Lesson in Ethics: What Would a Boys Town Middle School Student Do? and Letter from the Program Coordinator.

Building Stronger Communities: The Reciprocity Between University, Student, And Community Through Service-Learning, Jennifer Ellen Goff

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

This three-paper format dissertation explored the impact of service-learning on three key constituents: the university, university students conducting the service, and the community receiving the service. Paper one quantitatively explored the impact of service-learning on university students’ perspective through the use of end of year service-learning course evaluations. Students self-reported their outcomes due to participation as it related to professional skills, communication skills, academic learning, values clarification, citizenship skills, and quality indicators of their service-learning program. Paper one also explored if there was a difference between two types of service, direct (e.g., participate directly with the community) and indirect (e.g., …

Artistic And Scholarly Sessions: Lgbtq+ Identity At Iwu: Measuring And Enhancing A Climate Of Inclusion, Tim Reardanz, Class Of 2015, Matthew Damschroder, Avery Amerson, Class Of 2017, Paige Buschman, Class Of 2017

Inauguration of Eric R. Jensen

April 1, 2016; 3:45–4:15 pm

Illinois Wesleyan aspires to be a campus that fully embraces diversity to further its educational mission and purpose. Strides have been made in recent years to more fully embrace lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer (LGBQ+) and others marginalized around sexual orientation, and transgender and gender nonconforming people (TGNC) and those marginalized around gender identity. This process gained traction with a climate survey of LGBT identity and experience that was administered in Spring 2013 and developed through a student–staff collaboration. This session will explore that collaboration and the ways it opened the doors to a period of …

“Just Young Dudes Having Fun”?: Social Media Reactions To The Odu Banner Incident, Ashley Marie Giraldi

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

“Rowdy and fun. Hope your baby girl is ready for a good time…” This statement was on the first of three banners hung from a fraternity home’s balcony on freshman move-in day. The second banner stated, “Freshman drop off here” with an arrow pointing to the front door of the home. The final banner suggested, “Go ahead and drop off mom too…” These banners demonstrated the explicit implementation of rape culture in the university setting. Rape culture includes humor that normalizes violence against women, such as the alleged joke that constituted the ODU banner incident. This research explored societal responses …

Transgressing Gender Normativity Through Gender Identity Development: Exploring Transgender, Non-Conforming, And Non-Binary Identities Of College Students, Enrique Tejada Iii

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study situates current gender social constructions as harmful, inhibitive, and problematic, especially for those that transgress gender boundaries and do not align with their gender assigned at birth. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to critically challenge and deconstruct the social construct of gender and its norms both within and outside of a college campus. This study works to achieve this purpose and answer research questions through careful analysis of the different gender journeys of three separate gender-diverse individuals. These participants’ stories are shared in a case-study format to recognize how each individual uniquely and personally formed their …

Friends In High Places: Drinkers’ Perceptions Of Gender, Sobriety, And Relationships With Nondrinkers, Seth Behrends

Research in the Capitol

This study examines the sociological questions of how sobriety impacts friendships or relationships between college student drinkers and nondrinkers, and how drinking and sobriety influence perceptions of gender and sexuality in the eyes of college student drinkers. Researchers in the past have tended to focus on the population of students in college who drink, and significantly fewer studies have discussed issues involving students who do not consume alcohol. Ten college student drinkers, consisting of five men and five women, were interviewed in this study. Participants tended to have very few to no nondrinking friendships, primarily associating this separation with conflicting …

Alumni Survey Fall 2015, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Community Engagement

The alumni survey provides the university information on the lives of students one or more years after graduation and their opinions about various topics concerning their time at UNO and beyond. In the past, UNO used an external vendor, ACT, to conduct the alumni survey. The survey was long, the cost was high, the response rate was extremely low, and, ultimately, the vendor discontinued the survey. UNO decided the best route was to create and administer their own alumni survey.

Alumni from 2010 and 2012 were surveyed by UNO in Fall 2015 in an effort to learn which cohort would …

"Like Drinking Water Out Of A Fire Hydrant" Medical Education As Transformation: A Naturalistic Inquiry Into The Physician Assistant Student Experience, Patricia Kenney-Moore

Dissertations and Theses

Physician assistants are medical professionals educated in an allopathic medical education model in the United States. In order to successfully matriculate, educate and graduate safe and effective health care providers in a 2-year time frame, the 4-year M.D. curriculum has been abbreviated and condensed leading to an intense, full-time cohort educational experience that taxes physician assistant students to their limits. The demanding workload can lead to fluctuations in mood and morale along with increased levels of psychological distress. This dissertation explores this under examined student experience by first introducing the physician assistant profession and the process by which it educates …

Tile History: A Brief Presentation, Virginia Raguin

Documentation

Slide presentation used to introduce the art and history of ceramic tiling to participants who worked on Lungs of the Planet, a tile mural created as a collaborative art project by students in the Natural World Cluster of the Monserrat First Year Program at the College of the Holy Cross. The project was led by Virginia Raguin, Distinguished Professor of Humanities at the College. Particpants included students, faculty, staff and community members.

The presentation includes photographic examples of ceramic tiling in architecture located in Jerusalem and Istanbul.

Remaking Selves, Repositioning Selves, Or Remaking Space: An Examination Of Asian American College Students' Processes Of "Belonging", Michelle Samura

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"Only a few studies have examined Asian American students’ sense of belonging (Hsia, 1988; Lee & Davis, 2000; Museus & Maramba, 2010). Scholars who study Asian American college students have suggested that Asian Americans are awkwardly positioned as separate from other students of color vis-à-vis the model minority stereotype (Hsia, 1988; Lee & Davis, 2000). Furthermore, Asian Americans often are viewed as overrepresented on college campuses, yet they remain under-served by campus support programs and resources and overlooked by researchers. Many Asian Americans have gained access to higher education, but the ways in which they belong on campuses is unclear. …

How Black Students Are Saving Higher Education, David C. Turner Iii

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

Student reflections on racial (in)justice in higher education

Teaching Domestic Violence In The New Millennium: Intersectionality As A Framework For Social Change, Krista Mcqueeney

Criminology Faculty Publications

This article describes an intersectional approach to teaching about domestic violence (DV), which aims to empower students as critical thinkers and agents of change by merging theory, service learning, self-reflection, and activism. Three intersectional strategies and techniques for teaching about DV are discussed: promoting difference-consciousness, complicating gender-only power frameworks, and organizing for change. The author argues that to empower future generations to end violence, educators should put intersectionality into action through their use of scholarship, teaching methods, and pedagogical authority. Finally, the benefits and challenges of intersectional pedagogy for social justice education are considered.