The purpose of the Poverty and Solidarity Faculty Learning Community is to engage participating JCU faculty in focused study of local, national, and global poverty leading to the development of courses on poverty or modification of existing courses to include a component on poverty. The ultimate goal is to improve the education of our students regarding poverty and their responsibilities as citizens and professionals to work to understand and alleviate poverty.

During the 2007-2008 academic year, the group will meet several times each semester to engage in discussions on local, national, and global poverty, solidarity, and other topics. The learning community will also discuss community-based learning, which includes field research, internships, and service learning.

Upon completion of the learning community, participants will either create a new course focusing on poverty or incorporate a significant unit on poverty into an existing course to be taught during the 2008-09 academic year. Participants will be strongly encouraged to include a community-based learning component in these courses and to apply for course development grants from the Center for Applied Ethics or the Institute of Catholic Studies , both of which have committed course development grants focusing on poverty and poverty-related issues at JCU. The Office of Planning and Assessment will assist with developing assessment and evaluation tools for the courses and course units that will be created.

Poverty and Solidarity Faculty Learning Community Participants (2007-08)

Dr. Dick Hendrickson
Dr. Peter Kvidera
Dr. Sheila McGinn
Dr. Maryclaire Moroney
Dr. Walter Simmons
Dr. Andy Welki
Dr. Jim Lissemore (Facilitator)

Adjunct members

Dr. Matt Berg
Dr. Rich Clark
Dr. Mike Martin

Poverty and Solidarity Faculty Learning Community Participants (2006-07)

Dr. Lauren Bowen
Dr. Ruth Fenske
Dr. Peggy Finucane
Dr. Thea Ford
Dr. Kathy Gatto
Dr. Sharon Kaye
Dr. Thomas Kelly
Dr. Graciela Lacueva
Dr. Mariana Ortega
Dr. Chris Roark
Dr. Debby Rosenthal
Dr. Jack Soper
Dr. Elizabeth Stiles
Dr. Sheri Young

Dr. Jim Lissemore (Facilitator)

Adjunct members

Dr. Jeanne Colleran
Dr. Paul Lauritzen
Dr. Penny Harris