Margaret Sheridan Community Learning Grant:

Thanks to a generous gift from Christine Letts ’70, the Sheridan Grants program, the Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy provides funding to support the reimbursable expenses associated with engaged scholarship through 1) the development of new community-based courses or research projects and 2) revision of existing courses to include a community-based component. Faculty are eligible for up to $1,500 for a new course/community-based research project with an additional $500.00 for research assistant or community partner OR $1,000 with an additional $500.00 for a revised course or on-going research project. For AY ‘20-'21, a call for proposals will go out in March 2020.

    • 2019-2020 Sheridan Grant Recipients Include: 
      • Emily Kuder, Visiting Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies, to support the community-based work as part of the Spanish for the Professions course
        • Student projects can be viewed at this website. 
      • Loren Marulis, Assistant Professor of Human Development, in support of research on the response of anti-bias professional development from staff members of an education center
      • Jaime Mancilla, Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, in support of community-based work at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School as part of a Human Physiology course that will be offered in the spring of 2020
      • Chantelle Sharpe, Visiting Assistant Professor of Human Development, to support community-based work as part of a fall Human Development course on elder abuse
      • Eric Vukicevich, Visiting Assistant Professor of Botany/Sustainable Agriculture, and Alicia McAvay, Director, FRESH New London to support their partnership ‘FRESH CONNection’
      • Karen Buenavista Hana, Assistant Professor Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies to support partnership with Akomawt Educational Initiative, Hearing Youth Voices and Health Collaborative GSIS 302: Social Movement Praxis  
      • Ginny Anderson, Associate Professor of Theater, Global/Local community learning research through partnership, community and reflection
      • Sunil Bhatia, Professor Human Development, Global/Local community learning research: How do the Poor Define Poverty? Reclaiming Agency and Voice in DEficit Narratives of Poverty
      • Michelle Dunlap, Professor Human Development, community member and youth partnership with HMD 321 Children & Families in a Multicultural Society to experience disenfranchised minority-related arts programming
      • Anne Vallye, Assistant Professor of Art History and Architectural Studies, to support Mapping Urban Renewal in New London: Oral Histories Project in partnership with ARC/AHI/AT 275 and New London Landmarks
      • Maria Rosa, George & Carol Milne Assistant Professor of Biology, in support of community engaged research with Mystic Aquarium to research sustainable practices to develop the College’s shoreline
      • Joshua Thomas, Adjunct Professor of Saxophone, community based project to work with other university saxophone teachers to write, record, and publically share new works that will supplement the repertoire gap for the saxophone.    

Campus Compact Webinars:

Campus Compact’s National Webinar series is designed to support and inspire community engagement professionals. Topics touch on issues of relevance to faculty, staff, students, and their partners in education and community building. Be sure to tune to each session for information, tools, and resources to help you in your work. The Holleran Center will be hosting two viewing sessions of webinars from the 2019-2020 Campus Compact Community Learning Webinar Series: 1) Tuesday, December 10th from 3-4:30 PM and 2) Tuesday, March 10th from 3-4:30 PM. We hope you will join us in the Walter Commons Global Learning Lab. Snacks will be provided. For the complete webinar schedule visit https://compact.org/webinarseries/. Campus Compact is a national organization devoted to the public purposes of higher education that supports civic engagement, engaged scholarship, and community partnerships at more than 1000 member campuses. 

CL designation 

We are currently working with a subgroup of the Holleran Center Steering Committee to obtain a community learning course designation. We have drafted a 9-step application process for community learning courses and an application process that will be reviewed by AAPC in spring 2020. If you have any questions or would like to be apart of the process please contact Kim Sanchez, ksanche1@conncoll.edu. 

Please note that if you would like HC staff support as you think through local partnerships that connect to your course learning goals please be in touch with Kim Sanchez by Jan 30 for spring courses or July 15 for fall courses. Connecticut college students should connect with the HC Community Engagement team by 10/15 in the fall semester or 3/1 in the spring to find community placements that fulfill a course requirement. 

Other faculty resources include:

  • Campus Compact https://compact.org/resource-posts/
  • Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mjcsl/
  • International Association for Research on Service-Learning & Community Engagement http://www.researchslce.org