The Office of the Provost and the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning are pleased to announce their first cohort of Service-learning Faculty Fellows for the 2016-18 academic years. The aim of the program is to accelerate the work of faculty members eager to learn how to successfully integrate academic service-learning into their curricula or to enhance efforts already in use. The program promotes the interrelationship of teaching, research and service through theory, action and reflection in response to community needs. The program also aims to develop and translate academic knowledge, critical thinking and community engagement into civic responsibility.
Faculty Fellows will also serve as advocates and mentors for NIU faculty and staff through providing leadership and guidance around the incorporation of service-learning pedagogy into existing or new courses. During their fellowship, they will each host at least one service-learning related faculty development workshop or presentation.
The application for the next cohort of Service-learning Faculty Fellows will open in January and will be due before the end of the semester. If you would like to learn more about the benefits and requirements of the program contact Michaela Holtz at mholtz@niu.edu or 815-753-8155 or visit our website.
2016-18 Service-learning Faculty Fellows:
Dr. Alicia Schatteman
Center for Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Leadership and Development and the Department of Public Administration, School of Public and Global Affairs
Dr. Alicia Schatteman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration and the Center for NGO Leadership and Development. Her teaching, research and service all center around the notion of improving capacity for nonprofit organizations whose missions support a strong civil society. During her teaching career, she has experimented with various ways to include service-learning practice into her classroom. Through her participation in the Faculty Fellows program, she hopes to explore ways to effectively include service-learning into larger classrooms and make it accessible to all types of students. “I believe as I develop my own understanding and practice of service learning, that I can help other faculty members on campus to see service learning as a way of teaching and doing course design that is not simply viewed as more work,” Schatteman expressed in her application. She plans to enhance the existing course, PSPA301: Philanthropy and Volunteerism, by engaging students in a semester-long project where students develop a fundraising plan for a local nonprofit or community organization.
Dr. Mylan Engel Jr.
Department of Philosophy
Dr. Mylan Engel Jr. is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy. His research focuses on Animal Ethics and Environmental Ethics, Epistemology, and Philosophy of Religion. He has been interested in service-learning and has considered incorporating the practice into his classes for some time. Through his teaching he challenges students to think for themselves and to question their beliefs in an open-minded, dispassionate way. He is developing a new course, The Philosophy of Food, where he plans to teach students to gain a deeper understanding of food, where it comes from, how it defines us, and how food scarcity impacts people in our community. He plans to accomplish these goals through a collaboration with NIU Communiversity Gardens and Huskie Food Pantry. “Service learning can (and I believe will) enhance my students’ ability to see connections between the philosophical ideas discussed in class and their real world import and implementation. I also think that service learning will enhance my students’ development as citizens.” Engel stated in his application.
