Certificate of Community Engagement Courses
Service-Learning Courses:
Conservation Biology (BIOL 444)
This course investigates the levels of biological diversity (from genes to ecosystems), patterns of diversity, threats to diversity, and the approaches and problems involved in conserving this diversity. Laboratory activities include field work to learn conservation methods. During our discussion of the role of human societies in biological conservation, we will conduct a community based research project to address a local conservation issue.
For more information contact Dr. Kirsten Work at kwork@stetson.edu
Plant Ecology (BIOL 450)
This course will give students a better understanding of plant growth, reproduction, anatomy, and physiology as they relate to whole plant adaptation. We will use evolutionary principles to understand adaptation to the environment and to elucidate strategies for maximizing reproductive success, avoiding predation, and maximizing carbon gain while avoiding water loss. Lectures and laboratory sessions will complement the study of basic botanical concepts with an emphasis on the ecological and evolutionary implications of plant structure and function. Students in Plant Ecology will incorporate community service into the experiential portion of the course by partnering with a local entity responsible for the management/conservation of natural land. Specific partners and projects vary from year to year, with students working closely with agency officials in all cases to determine the experimental questions and design that will provide the partner with ecological data that will inform management decisions.
For more information contact Dr. Cindy Bennington at cbeinning@stetson.edu
Health Communication (COMM 327W/IHSC 327W)
This course provides an introduction to the field of health communication, including origins and development, and an overview of several areas of the field such as information technologies in health communication, social support, the social construction of health, illness & health narratives, recipient-provider communication, and communication in health-care organizations. This course is designed to explore the question, "What is the role of communication in health and wellness?" and to encourage a lively exchange of ideas about various perspectives on health communication theory and the application to everyday health practices. Students will work with the Stetson University Office of Health and Wellness to provide materials, presentations, and service for the university community.
For more information contact Dr. Tara Schuwerk at tschuwer@stetson.edu.
Poverty and Mircrocredit (ECON 141J)
This course is for Stetson Students interested in poverty and the people it has affected. Students will gain an awareness and understanding of people who have lived in a different situation than that which they have lived. Students will also gain an understanding of the difficulties people face in trying to make a living and live a life. The service learning component of this course will be met through a minimum 10 hours of interactive workshops with a community partner. The students will benefit from these workshops as well as help people as they try to better their economic situation.
For more information contact Dr. Ranjini Thaver at rthaver@stetson.edu.
Writing for the Health of It (FSEM 100)
(Full description coming soon)
For more information contact Dr. Gail Radley at gradley@stetson.edu
Self and World (FSEM 100.10)
This course is offered to first-year Bonner Scholars only. It is designed to help students understand the forces that shape the individual as that individual acts in the world and the relationship of the self to the community and the ways that each shape each other. The service learning component of this course will be met through a minimum of ten hours of community engagement per week tutoring at Woodward Ave. Elementary School.
*This course meets both the Theory and Service-Learning course requirements.
For more information contact Dr. Greg Sapp at gsapp@stetson.edu
Are We What We Eat? Food, Health, and Controversy (FSEM 100.49)
In this course, we will have lively discussions about food (fast, organic, wild, vegan, ethnic, and food stuffs, among others). How does popular culture influence what food we purchase and consume? How does the media affect our perceptions of what is healthy or nutritious? What do we need to know to make thoughtful choices about food? In our exploration of food, ideas of nutrition and our personal and community health will be discussed. What role does society and science play in our pursuit of health and wellness goals? How are we situated in the culture of food and society, not just in the science of nutrition? The class partners with a local grower in a service-learning project so that we may better understand and aid in locally grown, sustainable agriculture and how that plays a part in our, personal and community, health. Together, we will endeavor to discover what options we have for taking action to address food-related issues in our own lives.
For more information contact Dr. Tara Schuwerk at tschuwer@stetson.edu
Health and Wellness (IHSC 219W)
This course investigates health information and issues confronting each person and our society from the psychological, physical, intellectual, social, occupational, environmental, and spiritual dimensions. Students will prepare an informational print or media announcement for the purpose of educating senior citizens in assisted living communities about a sexually transmitted illness.
For more information contact Dr. Chelsea Embry at cembry@stetson.edu
Civic Engagement (POLI 328J-JS)
This course will combine the study of contemporary theory and empirical research on civic engagement in the US with Community Based Research (CBR) designed to enhance the level of civic engagement in the region around Stetson. To meet the service learning requirements students will conduct a CBR project with selected partners in local government, business groups, and non-profits on enhancing civic engagement based on the topics selected for the semester.
*This course meets both the Theory and Service-Learning course requirements.
For more information contact Dr. Bill Ball at wball@stetson.edu.
Community Based Research (SOCI 363 JS)
In this junior seminar students will work directly with community partners to address real community problems using academic research skills and the substantial intellectual resources of Stetson University. This course is designed to facilitate faculty, student, and community collaboration to plan and conduct research that addresses social, environmental, and/or justice issues identified by the community. Students will directly participate in a community-based research (CBR) project and will present their research results to the community partner, class, instructor, and CBR faculty and staff.
For more information contact Dr. John Schorr at jschorr@stetson.edu
Internship in the Mexican-American Community (SPAN 397L)
*This course also meets Community Engagement Theory course requirements.
For more information contact Dr. Robert Sitler at rsitler@stetson.edu.
Community Engagement Theory Courses:
Civic Engagement (POLI 328J-JS)
This course will combine the study of contemporary theory and empirical research on civic engagement in the US with Community Based Research (CBR) designed to enhance the level of civic engagement in the region around Stetson. To meet the service learning requirements students will conduct a CBR project with selected partners in local government, business groups, and non-profits on enhancing civic engagement based on the topics selected for the semester (for Spring 2010 it will be the "hometown democracy" ballot issue).
*This course also meets the requirements of a Service Learning course.
For more information, contact Dr. Bill Ball at wball@stetson.edu.
Local Economic Development (ECON 347J/JS)
In this course students will learn about the economics of local economic development, especially with reference to low income families. A combination of theoretical and empirical analysis on asset allocation, poverty, finances, and taxation will be undertaken. Students will partner with local community agencies such as United Way, The Campaign for Working Families, Community Foundation of East Central Florida, Internal Revenue Service(IRS), and Bank of America. Students will develop skills in personal finances and in preparing simple tax returns for working families. At the same time students will gain first-hand experience on the multifaceted dimensions of poverty and the variety of ways in which governmental and non-governmental are attempting to create policies and procedures to empower working families.
For more information, contact Dr. Ranjini L. Thaver at rthaver@stetson.edu
War and Peace in American Culture (AMST 353J/JS)
This course focuses on the relation of war and peace in American history. Students will study large and small military engagements that have shaped American politics and culture, and examples of individuals and groups striving for peace since the nation's founding. Through examining these histories, students will learn how war relates to the use of resources, connects to economic conditions and interests, and generates deep debates over values. Questions over the nation's turns to organized violence touch on deep ethical and religious commitments and point to competing ways of defining American identity. The methodological focus of this class is on a theoretical understanding of ways to deal with community problems through evaluating contexts leading up to war, campaigns for war and peace in themselves, and ways of coping with their consequences. The topics touch on many fields of study, with students learning about the group thinking of war psychology, the connections between war and social change, and wartime spurs to the growth of the state. Throughout the course, students will also be challenged to consider their own values in relation to the diverse ideological commitments connected to war and peace in American culture.
For more information, contact Dr. Paul Croce at pcroce@stetson.edu
Self and World (FSEM 100.10)
This course is offered to first-year Bonner Scholars only. It is designed to help students understand the forces that shape the individual as that individual acts in the world and the relationship of the self to the community and the ways that each shape each other. The service learning component of this course will be met through a minimum of ten hours of community engagement per week tutoring at Woodward Ave. Elementary School.
*This course also meets the requirements of a Service Learning Course
For more information contact Greg Sapp at gsapp@stetson.edu