Application for Poverty and Solidarity Faculty Learning Community

June 2008-May 2009

Application Deadline: Thurs. May 1, 2008

Purpose: This learning community is designed to develop a greater awareness of local, national, and global poverty among JCU faculty members from any discipline. The overall goal of the Poverty and Solidarity Faculty Learning Community (PSFLC) is to expand opportunities for student learning about poverty by developing discipline-based courses that will embed the study of poverty throughout the curriculum. Therefore, participants in the learning community will be expected to add a unit on poverty to an existing course or courses or to develop a new course that addresses poverty. This learning community will be the final year of a three year cycle of the PSFLC with new faculty participants each year.

Learning Community Description: To facilitate discussion, the learning community will be limited to ten participants. This group will meet two to three times during Summer 2008 for planning and selection of texts that address poverty from the perspectives of various academic disciplines. During the 2008-2009 academic year, the group will meet approximately once per month to discuss readings and to meet with speakers with expertise in issues of local, national, and global poverty, community-based learning, and assessment of student learning. Participants will plan the specific activities for the learning community during Summer 2008 in order to meet the particular needs and interests of the participants. Participants will receive a $1000 stipend and texts will be provided. Support for this program is being provided by the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Program in Applied Ethics.

Course Development: Upon completion of the learning community, participants will be expected either to create a new course focusing on poverty or to incorporate a significant unit on poverty into an existing course to be taught during the 2009-10 academic year. Participants will be encouraged to apply for course development grants from the Program in Applied Ethics or the Institute of Catholic Studies, both of which have committed course development grants focusing on poverty and poverty-related issues. The Office of Planning and Assessment will assist with developing assessment and evaluation tools for the courses and course units that will be created. Each participant will submit a final report by May 30, 2009 to the Center for Teaching and Learning describing a new course or unit on poverty planned for the 2009-10 academic year.

Selection criteria: All full-time JCU faculty members are eligible. We are seeking participants from a wide array of disciplines with a sincere interest in critical analysis of poverty and in creating opportunities for students to learn more about poverty.

Application: Include your name, department, contact information, a brief explanation of why you would like to participate in this learning community, and a brief description of a possible new course or course unit on poverty that you may be interested in creating. Please direct applications and questions to Jim Lissemore, Biology Dept., x4196.

Application Deadline: Thurs. May 1, 2008