Teaching + Learning Commons Community Engaged Learning Changemaker Faculty Fellowship (CEL- FF)

An orientation toward service is a core tenet of UC San Diego’s mission as a public research university committed to “supporting and promoting just and sustainable forms of economic development, shared prosperity, and social and cultural enrichment regionally and globally” (UC San Diego Strategic Plan, 2014). Because of this community engaged orientation, UC San Diego has been recognized as one of only 45 universities around the world to receive the prestigious designation as a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka U. Changemaking is defined at UC San Diego as intentional activity that seeks to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world.

As part of our effort to equip our students to become the next generation of global changemaking leaders and channel their passions for social justice in a wide range of disciplines, the Teaching and Learning Commons Changemaker Faculty Fellows program aims to support faculty who are doing the work through CEL.

Goals of the Fellowship are twofold: 

(1) Develop a faculty learning community to support teaching innovation, networking, and leadership toward strengthening and expanding UC San Diego’s community engaged learning efforts. 

(2) Provide funding support for faculty who are interested in developing undergraduate courses that focus on community engaged learning.

To this end, the Teaching and Learning Commons CEL Faculty Fellows program is committed to supporting participants in the following endeavors: 

• Becoming part of a core group of campus leaders and advocates who are knowledgeable about and engaged in CEL pedagogy and committed to community engagement that values community partners as co-educators;
• Increasing familiarity and exposure to CEL theory, course design and instruction,and current CEL research; 
• Exploring evaluation and assessment strategies for measuring CEL’s impact on students, faculty, and community members; 
• Developing and implementing a CEL related project that merges community engagement with academic coursework and/or student-supported research.

The program is currently open to all full-time UC San Diego senate faculty members, continuing lecturers, or teams that include at least one full-time UC San Diego faculty member who have an interest in developing or enhancing an undergraduate CEL course. Proposed courses and projects (whether new or in-progress) should meet the following criteria:

• Identifies at least one community partner
• Engages community partner(s) as co-educator
• Includes a plan to implement their project within one year of the fellowship with a clear project completion timeline

Applicants who are new to CEL are expected to have potential community partners in mind prior to applying. If you would like support with identifying a community partner, we invite you to reach out to Cat Lettieri, Assistant Director of the Changemaker Institute, at clettieri@ucsd.edu. 

Team applications: We welcome interdisciplinary and team proposals. A team may apply with up to three faculty co-applicants. To receive the full stipend, all co-applicants are expected to fully engage and attend learning community meetings and activities. 

Fellowships of up to $10,000 will be provided to an individual or team to support their CEL course or project. Funds can be used for related activities such as professional development, course development, research, and implementation costs that might include curriculum materials, shared materials or stipends for community partners, course or project-related travel, and/or undergraduate or graduate student CEL course-related support. 

Applicants are asked to provide a budget for how they plan to use the funds. Once transferred, funds will be administered by the faculty member’s departmental fiscal contact. Fellows will be required to submit an annual report on their CEL project or course and how the funds were used.

Link to an Example Budget 

Awarded funds will be transferred to the faculty awardees’ department. Fellows will work with their department’s financial contact for disbursement of funds. 

Commitment to full participation in the year-long program activities is required for consideration and funding as a CEL Faculty Fellow. Applicants must commit to the following activities to be considered for selection:

1. Community Engaged Learning Project
   • Enhance a current course project or develop a new CEL-oriented course throughout the fellowship period. See below for project guidelines. 
   • Submit a progress report and final report (timeline forthcoming).
   • Present project at campus showcase or conference.
   • Attribute support for research generated from the project to the Teaching and Learning Commons Community Engaged Learning Changemaker Faculty Fellows program. 
2. CFF Learning Community Engagement 
   • Welcome/Orientation: Attend Spring Quarter 2023 Welcome/Orientation event (Date TBD).
   • Fall Retreat: Participate in a daylong retreat or two half days, depending on schedules, held in September at the start of the Fall 2023 quarter. The retreat sets the groundwork for the CFF Learning Community and provides an introduction to CFF program goals, critical community engaged learning pedagogy, and establishing collaborative community partnerships. 
   • Biweekly Learning Community: In fall quarter, participate in bi-weekly two-hour learning community meetings every first and third Friday from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. beginning October 6 and ending December 1, 2023.
   • Quarterly Meetings: Participate in two-hour quarterly meetings during Winter and Spring 2023.

The Teaching and Learning Commons Changemaker Faculty Fellows program is an opportunity for faculty to engage deeply with community engaged learning. Each Fellow or team will enhance an existing CEL course or develop a new CEL course during the year. Generally, projects are developed and implemented during the Fellowship year, but in some instances, the implementation of projects may extend into the following year. The CEL Faculty Fellowship award may be used to help implement this project or provide additional professional development support for participants. Possible project ideas include the following: 

• Integration of CEL into an existing course, where community engagement is a new component of the curriculum; 
• Creation of assessment tools or strategies for measuring the impact of CEL courses on undergraduate student learning outcomes, faculty, or community; 
• Development of CEL in remote or hybrid learning environments;
• Community-based course research projects that contribute to service-learning, equity, diversity, and inclusion; civic engagement; and scholarship of engagement literature, or that expand understanding of CEL within a discipline.

To be considered for the 2023-2024 The Teaching and Learning Commons Changemaker Faculty Fellows Program, please submit an online application form by March 10, 2023. Selected faculty will be notified by March 30, 2023.

• The Project Proposal includes the following: 
  1. Your prior experience with community engaged service-learning, if any. 
  2. Your interest in the program and how you would benefit from the Fellowship. 
  3. How your department/unit would benefit from your participation. 
  4. Description of the proposed CEL project, including the following information: 
     1. Summary and rationale of proposed CEL project 
     2. Potential impact on student engagement and student learning
     3. Connection to community issues/needs and goals
     4. Prospective or existing community partner(s)
     5. Existing course associated with the project, if applicable
     6. Expected project timeline
     7. Expected project budget
  5. Letter from your Department Chair or Dean confirming support for your application, project, and participation in the CEL Faculty Fellow required meetings and events.

*Please note that meeting/event dates are subject to some changes.

Catherine Lettieri, M.A.
Assistant Director
Changemaker Institute
clettieri@ucsd.edu
(858) 877-3795

Ashoka U Changemaker Campus Designation. (n.d.). http://changemaker.ucsd.edu/about/index.html

Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2012). Bringing theory to practice project. http://www.aacu.org/bringing_theory/fundingopportunities.cfm

Curry-Stevens, A., Reyes, M.-E. & Coalition of Communities of Color (2014). Protocol for culturally responsive organizations. Portland, OR: Center to Advance Racial Equity, Portland State University.

Eyler, J., Giles, D. E., Jr., Stenson, C. M., & Gray, C. J. (2001). At a glance: What we know about the effects of service-learning on college students, faculty, institutions and communities, 1993-2000 Third Edition.

Corporation for National Service Learn and Serve America National Service Learning Clearinghouse. http://www.compact.org/wp-content/uploads/resources/downloads/aag.pdf

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Hernandez, K. (2017). Service Learning as a Political Act in Education: Bicultural Foundations for a Decolonizing Pedagogy (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315184340 

Jacoby, B. (1996). Service-learning in higher education: Concepts and practices. Jossey-Bass.

Kahne, J., & Westheimer, J. (1994). In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 77, 592.

Marullo, S., & Edwards, B. (2000). From Charity to Justice: The Potential of University-Community Collaboration for Social Change. American Behavioral Scientist, 43(5), 895–912. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027640021955540 

University of Georgia: The Office of Service-Learning. (2012). Service-learning fellows program. https://servicelearning.uga.edu/service-learning-fellows-program/.  

Ward, K., & Wolf-Wendel, L. (2000). Community-Centered Service Learning: Moving from Doing For to Doing With. American Behavioral Scientist, 43(5), 767–780. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027640021955586