This award recognizes and honors a tenured faculty member for significant contributions to advancing civic engagement at the University of Georgia (UGA) through her/his scholarship of engagement and by providing service-learning opportunities for students. A faculty member who participates in the scholarship of engagement partners with a community to identify a community need, and then works with the community to design and implement a research-informed outreach program or activity to address the need. Faculty members often involve their students (undergraduate, professional or graduate), as well as faculty members in other disciplines in the project or activity. Lessons learned from designing and implementing the outreach program or activity often have a profound impact on the faculty member’s subsequent research and teaching. This is the essence of the scholarship of engagement – when research informs outreach and teaching, and outreach and teaching inform research. The scholarship of engagement represents a tight-knit interweaving of the University of Georgia’s three-part mission.

Outreach and engagement programs or activities include service-learning projects by UGA students; community-based participatory research, applied research, and policy analysis; technical assistance; technology transfer; and program development and delivery. A program or activity is regarded as outreach or engagement if the faculty member’s academic expertise is applied to the expressed need of the community; there is a direct application of knowledge to the community need; new knowledge is generated for the discipline; and, there is a clear contribution to the department, school, college, or institutional mission.

Service-Learning projects are academically-based activities that connect student learning to outreach and engagement in a community context. Service-learning extends learning beyond the classroom and encourages students to reflect on their academic, personal, and civic growth through writing and other reflective strategies.

The awardee receives a $5,000 faculty development grant from the Office of the Vice President to sustain current scholarship of engagement endeavors, or to develop new ones. The awardee is recognized at UGA's PSO Annual Meeting, on Honors Day, and at the Faculty Recognition Banquet.

Permanent, full-time tenured associate professors or full professors are eligible.

Nominations are submitted online by November 1, 2011, using the [Online Nomination Form], and those submitting nominee materials are encouraged to contact Katie Fite at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 706-542-6554 to make certain all materials were received.

The [Online Nomination Form] must be completed and submitted by November 1, 2011, and those submitting nominee materials are encouraged to contact Katie Fite at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 706-542-6554 to make certain all materials were received.

The information submitted is divided into three sections. They are

Section 1: Background

Describe the Nominee's research expertise/interest.

What community(ies) has the nominee partnered with to connect his/her research expertise to the community(ies)' needs/issues?

How did the nominee and the community form a partnership?

How has the community helped shape the nature of the partnership?

How does the nominee apply his/her research expertise to address the community needs? In other words, what is the nature of the nominee's public service, outreach, and engagement endeavors?

How have students (undergraduate, professional, or graduate) been involved in the nominee's public service, outreach, and engagement endeavors particularly through service-learning (academically-based, reflective, teaching strategies to connect the student learning experience to outreach and engagement in a community context), and/or engaged research projects?

How has the faculty member partnered with people in other University units to enhance his/her work with the community(ies)?

Section 2: Impact

On the Community Partner(s): What has been the impact of the faculty member’s public service, outreach, and engagement endeavors on the community(ies)?

On the Student Experience: What strategies have been used for students to reflect on the impact of the service-learning, and/or engaged research experiences on their academic learning, personal growth, and civic development?

On the Faculty Member’s Scholarship: What has the faculty member learned from work with the community(ies), and how have these “lessons learned” enhanced, or changed the direction of, his/her research, teaching, or public service, outreach, and engagement activities?

On the Faculty Member’s Department, School or College, and the University as a Whole: How have the faculty member’s public service, outreach and engagement goals of the department, school or college, and the university as a whole?

Section 3: Files

Letter from the Unit Head: Should include a brief description that outlines the nature and scope of the nominee's roles and responsibilities; and reflective commentary on the impact of the nominee's public service, outreach, and engagement activities on student learning, on the goals of the unit, and on the community partnership(s).

An abridged curriculum vitae

A syllabus that demonstrates how student learning has been connected to the needs of a community through service-learning and/or engaged research activities, and by opportunities for students to reflect on the impact of the service-learning and/or engaged research experiences on their learning of course content, personal growth, or civic engagement.

A letter from the Community Partner

A Photo of the nominee