Athens, Ga. (May 7, 2008) — The Office of Service-Learning (OSL) is seeking candidates to serve as 2008-09 OSL Senior Scholars, a faculty leadership program designed to support the rapid expansion of service-learning activities at UGA. OSL Senior Scholars provide campus-wide leadership for targeted initiatives and existing OSL programs. Applications are due Tuesday, May 27, 2008.

Senior Scholars work closely with the director as highly visible members of the OSL Leadership Team and contribute to long-range planning for service-learning at UGA. For more information, a Columns article on the 2007-08 OSL Senior Scholars’ activities can be found online at http://www.uga.edu/columns/080128/news-scholars.html

Applicants should have demonstrated experience in issues related to service-learning through any of the following activities: developing academic courses with service-learning components; integrating service-learning in study abroad; providing departmental leadership for service-learning; conducting research related to service-learning; or developing outreach programs with service-learning components.

For the 2008-2009 academic year (AY09), the following target areas have been selected based on current areas in need of faculty leadership:

Research: Provide leadership to foster service-learning research and mentor faculty and graduate students interested in service-learning scholarship. As a new target area for 2008-09, the Senior Scholar for Research will develop a strategy for supporting service-learning related research and advise the OSL on long-term faculty and graduate student
support needs. The Senior Scholar for Research will also collaborate with the Service-Learning Curriculum Committee (SLCC) on strategies for incorporating service-learning scholarship into promotion dossiers, and consult with faculty and graduate students on research project development as necessary. Time commitment not to exceed 10% throughout the academic year.

Curricular Initiatives: Provide leadership in collaboration with the Service-Learning Curriculum Committee (SLCC) and continue work toward institutionalizing academic service-learning opportunities at UGA. The Senior Scholar for Curricular Initiatives will lead the effort to educate and promote the “S” Suffix for specifying service-learning courses in CAPA that was recently passed by the University Curriculum Committee. In addition, the Scholar for Curricular Initiatives will also provide consultation for Scholarship of Engagement grant proposal development as well as identify other activities that support curricular development. Time commitment not to exceed 20% throughout the academic year.

Faculty Development: Provide leadership and programming support for the Service-Learning Fellows program, including ongoing development of an evaluation plan for the fellows program. The Senior Scholar for Faculty Development will also help identify areas of faculty development need and collaborate on other faculty development opportunities such as creating resources for the OSL website and facilitating seminar and workshop series. Time commitment not to exceed 20% throughout the academic year.

Global Initiatives: Provide leadership for integration of service-learning in study abroad and international outreach by developing curricular tools and faculty development opportunities, and by representing the OSL as necessary in existing collaborations with the Office of International Education. The Senior Scholar for Global Initiatives will work to develop best practices and protocols in global service-learning programs, and build consensus and resource sharing among study abroad directors interested in service-learning pedagogy. The Scholar will also design a workshop on global service-learning for inclusion in the Global Certificate Program sponsored through Training and Development. This appointment may include some travel as appropriate. Time commitment not to exceed 20% throughout the academic year.

ELIGIBILITY
Applications are open to all permanent, full-time UGA faculty members including academic tenure track, academic professionals, public service faculty, and clinical faculty members. Faculty at all stages of the career track with experience in service-learning are encouraged to apply. Faculty who previously served as Senior Scholars may reapply. Experience with the specific target area is not required.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT
Appointments are for one academic year with the possibility of renewal dependent on the continuing needs of the OSL. Faculty who previously served as Senior Scholars may reapply. Those selected as Senior Scholars will work with the director to outline a plan of work for the academic year that aligns with the faculty members’ interest and the OSL’s needs. Each OSL Senior Scholar will receive a faculty development grant commensurate with the time commitment and scope of work of the appointment.

HOW TO APPLY
Faculty interested in serving as one of three Senior Fellows during the 2008-2009 academic year should submit a letter addressing the following:

* Previous experience with service-learning
* Target area of interest
* Ideas for scope of work and potential contributions to the initiatives of the OSL

Letters of application should be submitted through campus mail or email to arrive by Tuesday, May 27, 2008. A brief letter of endorsement by the applicant’s unit head will be required prior to appointment and may be transmitted simultaneously with the letter of application, if convenient.

Address correspondence to:
Dr. Shannon O. Wilder, Director
Office of Service-Learning
Instructional Plaza North
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602

**The CFP can also be downloaded on the Office of Service-Learning’s website http://www.servicelearning.uga.edu **

The Office of Service-Learning was established in July 2005 and is jointly supported by the Offices of the Vice President for Instruction and the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach.

This article was posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 7:54 am and is filed under News, Personnel.