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August 14, 2017 |
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Symposium to Showcase Experiential Learning Outcomes
“Demonstrating Social Responsibility through Experiential Learning.” That’s the theme of the Fifth Annual Community Engagement Symposium scheduled for March 28.
The symposium is expected to showcase the community-focused experiential learning activities of Barry’s undergraduates as the implementation of the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan continues. Most of the student presentations will be posters and samples of the work they have done as part of curricular and co-curricular requirements.
A Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP, is an initiative developed by the university to improve student learning while accomplishing its mission. An acceptable QEP is one of the core requirements of the reaffirmation of accreditation process administered by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The SACS Commission on Colleges is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states.
Barry’s QEP is titled “Fostering Personal and Social Responsibility through Experiential Learning.” Key elements of social responsibility are identified as follows: “Becoming aware of the importance of contributing to the greater good; gaining civic knowledge and skills; and taking action with others to address issues affecting local, national, and/or global communities.”
Forms of experiential learning include service-learning, community-based research, fieldwork, study abroad, capstones, and internships.
Faculty, staff, and community partners will join students in making presentations during a concurrent session of the symposium. As in previous years, the program will feature a seminar and a workshop by a nationally recognized community engagement scholar-practitioner.
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Deliberative Dialogue Series Set for New Academic Year
Four forums comprise this academic year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series. The series will begin on September 26 with a forum focused on the opioid epidemic.
Titled “Florida’s Opioid Epidemic: A Serious Public Health Issue,” the 90-minute forum will be held in one of the Andreas conference rooms, beginning at 4 p.m.
The CCSI organizes the Deliberative Dialogue Series as an approach to civic learning and engagement. The series brings together campus and community stakeholders to weigh perspectives on social issues of current concern and to work toward practical solutions.
For additional information, contact CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien, coordinator of the Deliberative Dialogue Series, at cberrien@barry.edu or 305-899-4017.
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Two Faculty Members Receive Service-Learning Fellowships
Dr. Ricardo Jimenez, an assistant professor of computer science, and Dr. Heidi Whitford, an assistant professor of education, have been awarded service-learning fellowships for 2017–2018. They will participate in a program that provides support for the coordination and promotion of service-learning across the curriculum.
“The fundamental purpose of the program is to increase the number and quality of service-learning courses and faculty who use the pedagogy effectively,” said Dr. Glenn Bowen, executive director of the CCSI.
Jimenez is chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. The former longtime high-school teacher began his career at Barry as an adjunct faculty member in 2001 and became an instructor of computer science in 2003. He has been an assistant professor since 2014 and a department chair since 2016.
Jimenez received his Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University, his master’s in information technology, and two bachelor’s degrees (in history and sociology) from Barry.
A recipient of the Community Engagement Educator Award, Jimenez is the instructor for a designated service-learning course and was a presenter at the 2017 Community Engagement Symposium.
Whitford joined the Adrian Dominican School of Education faculty in 2011, in the Higher Education Administration specialization of the Leadership and Education Ph.D. program. She holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from New York University, an M.Ed. in international education policy from Harvard University, and a B.A. in international studies from the University of Florida.
She taught at LaGuardia Community College in New York and at New York University. In addition, she worked at the Institute of International Education as a program officer for the Fulbright international exchange program and served as a consultant for international higher education research projects at the Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy at New York University.
Whitford’s research and professional interests include the internationalization of higher education, higher education in developing countries, experiential education, service-learning, student success and engagement, student activism, governance of higher education, student learning and development, and technology and social media. She has presented peer-reviewed scholarly papers at the annual conferences of the American Educational Research Association, the Association for the Study of Higher Education, and the Comparative and International Education Society.
Throughout the year, the service-learning fellows will participate in faculty development seminars and in the Faculty Learning Community for Engaged Scholarship.
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Community Partners Coming to Campus for Program Orientation
Community partners supervising students in the Federal Work-Study Community Service Program will participate in one of three orientation and training sessions scheduled for this semester.
Program Coordinator Valerie Scott said the sessions are scheduled for August 25, September 8, and September 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in LaVoie 113.
At each session, community partners will receive information about the program’s federal requirements, student payment processes, hiring procedures, and the time-tracking system used at Barry.
“Strategies for working with student employees and structuring positions for mutual benefit will be discussed,” Scott said.
Federal Work-Study is a government-funded financial-aid program established to provide part-time employment to students who demonstrate financial need. The CCSI manages the community service component in partnership with Barry’s Office of Financial Aid and Division of Human Resources.
Students taking part in Federal Work-Study Community Service are automatically enrolled in the Barry Service Corps. A total of 66 students participated in the program last academic year.
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Barry Trio Learns to Build “People Power” at Justice Ministry Conference
Experiential Learning Coordinator Liz James and two Barry student leaders attended a social justice-focused conference inCincinnati, Ohio, recently. The conference was organized by an organization known as DART (Direct Action & Research Training).
James, Jasmine McKee, and Antonio Rodríguez were members of Miami-Dade’s PACT (People Acting for Community Together) representatives who joined nearly 200 other attendees for training and development primarily in community organizing to address social issues.
McKee is a junior majoring in history; Rodriguez is a sophomore majoring in political science. Both are new Barry Service Corps Fellows.
DART is a national network of 22 grassroots, nonprofit, and congregation-based organizations across the South, Midwest, and Plains. Its affiliated organizations bring people together across racial, religious, and socioeconomic lines to pursue justice in their communities. The network’s Justice Ministry Conference took place from July 11 to 15 at Xavier University. PACT is a DART affiliate.
“The Justice Ministry Conference emphasized people power,” reported James. “The conference provided participants with valuable information on the concept of power – how power comes from large amounts of money or large numbers of organized people.”
James noted that building “people power” was seen as essential to holding elected leaders accountable for responding to local issues of concern to the community.
Throughout the conference, the Barry trio engaged with organizers and other trainees to gain knowledge and skills for building justice ministry networks. They took part in workshops, attended lectures, and practiced engagement and organizing skills in small groups.
Over the past three years, Barry has partnered with PACT to tackle community-based social issues such as juvenile justice, gun violence, and affordable housing in Miami-Dade County.
As BSC Fellows, McKee and Rodriguez will use their new knowledge and skills to support Barry’s continued work with PACT.
"Doing justice is a requirement,” McKee said. “I've learned how to implement practices to uphold this requirement within my community to serve all."
Rodriguez said: “The conference really opened my eyes to institutional injustices biblical prophets fought against. It reaffirmed to me that as Christians, we are called upon to continue that legacy by organizing people to hold elected officials accountable to defend the voiceless.”
James said she would recommend advocacy and direct action as important elements of selected service-learning courses.
Faculty, staff, and students interested in supporting PACT’s justice ministry are asked to contact James at ljames@barry.edu or 305-899-3728.
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Neighborhood Revitalization Project Planned for Liberty City
On September 9, Barry volunteers will take part in a community service project in Liberty City. They will serve alongside Miami-Dade community leaders and public servants at Gwen Cherry Park.
The project will mark Barry’s participation in the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Some 200 community volunteers are expected to complete park beautification and the preparation of raised beds for a new community garden. Staff from the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department will supervise the volunteers.
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance is an “annual and forward-looking tribute to the 9/11 victims, survivors, and those who rose up in service in response to the attacks.”
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Modified Newsletter Name Emphasizes Community Importance
The Center for Community Service Initiatives has modified the name of its newsletterto emphasize an important element of its roles and its current strategic plan. “Community” has been added to the name.
One of the CCSI’s roles is to “coordinate and deepen University–community partnerships, with emphasis on collaboration with communities marginalized or excluded because of race, language, culture, social class, gender, or economic status.”
The center’s strategic plan for 2016–2021 is based on the theme “Creating Community Impact through Experiential Learning and Engaged Scholarship.”
CCSI Executive Director Dr. Glenn Bowen saidCommunity Engagement News would highlight the work of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and institutional units contributing to programs and projects that create a positive impact in the communities served by the university.
The Department of Marketing and Communications publishes Community Engagement News on behalf of the CCSI. The newsletter appears weekly throughout the fall and spring semesters and is usually published twice a month during the summer.
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CCSI Newsletter
Posted On : August 14, 2017
