Academic Community Engagement Course Information

The University of Virginia is committed to serving the public good. Each year, U.Va. students contribute over 300,000 hours of community service. For the past two years, the University has been recognized at the national level for its service achievements by the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. In February 2008, the Board of Visitors endorsed the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of the University which includes an emphasis on enhancing the student experience by teaching students leadership, public service and teamwork.

Pilot Projects

Two UVa academic community engagement courses received support during the pilot phase of this new funding opportunity. Their success in connecting academic life to public service laid the groundwork for the new ACES initiative:

• ecoMOD
  The ecoMOD project is embedded in the curriculum of the Architecture School and the School of Engineering and Applied Science and is intended to create well-built homes that cost less to live in, minimize damage to the environment and appreciate over time. Learn More:
  http://www.ecomod.virginia.edu/P2/index.php
  
  
• The Young Women Leaders Program
  The Young Women Leaders Program (YWLP) is a psychoeducational mentoring program that empowers at-risk middle school girls to be leaders by combining the benefits of one-on-one mentoring with targeted group activities for a year.  YWLP is a research-based program that has been implemented at several other colleges and universities and been shown to positively affect both the middle school girls’ and the college women’s sense of self. Learn More:
  http://ywlp.virginia.edu/

3 Awards Just Announced: Due May 5, 2008

• 2008-2009 Academic Community Engagement Faculty Fellow Grants
  To encourage student learning and foster innovative academically-based public
  service universitywide, the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost announces funds
  to support faculty development of academically-based community engagement courses.

  Request for Proposals, Cover Sheet and Application (PDF)

• 2008-09 Academic Community Engagement (ACE) Course Assistant Awards
  The ACE Course Assistant Awards are intended to expand capacity of faculty to offer public community engagement experiences in their classes. These awards are funds for graduate or undergraduate students to provide academic community engagement courses with ongoing logistical and classroom support throughout the semester.

  Cover Sheet and Application (PDF)

• 2008-09 University Community Academic Partnership Assistance Awards
  The University Community Academic Partnership (UCAP) Assistance Awards provide faculty with funds to advance university community partnerships necessary for student academic learning experiences. These funds are intended to enhance partnership capacity not covered by course assistant funds or faculty fellow funds.

  Application (PDF)

2007-08 Committee Members
Committee members have volunteered to serve as technical advisors to faculty members applying for grants.