"Voices of Civic Engagement," a poster series on display at the 2015 Fall Forum on Teaching and Learning that featured student reflections on service-learning and civic engagement.
The theme of 2015’s Fall Forum on Teaching and Learning—“Teaching Through Civic Engagement: Doing Good Well”—reflects the university’s core value of service to others and the oft-quoted
exhortation from St. Vincent DePaul, “It is not enough to do good; it must be done well.”
Civic engagement has long been part of what makes DePaul unique. As an urban and Vincentian university, DePaul’s mission emphasizes higher education as a means to engage cultural, social, religious, and ethical values in service to others in our community. Civic education also informs our classrooms’ and programs’ emphasis on experiential learning. As Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of DePaul has pointed out, “The opportunity to bring ideas, research, resources and service to bear on the community is a primary reason faculty, students and staff come to DePaul. It’s what we do.”
Earlier in 2015, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching reaffirmed its 2006 designation of DePaul as a distinctive institution that is committed to engagement with local, regional, national, and global communities. Even with this recognition, there is more work that needs to be done, as is reflected in Vision 2018’s strategic goal of deepening the university’s distinctive connection to the global city of Chicago.
This Fall Forum invited faculty and staff from diverse disciplines to consider what they might do to further incorporate civic engagement into their work with students. Guest speaker Barbara Jacoby, a national leader in civic education, gave the keynote presentation. An interactive student panel and round-table discussions followed.
At the 2015 Fall Forum on Teaching and Learning, faculty and staff:
- defined civic engagement and what it means to their institutions and disciplines
- explained and critically reflected on DePaul’s position in the local and national landscape in terms of civic engagement
- learned how to implement best practices for civic engagement in both their teaching and research
- identified resources at DePaul for incorporating civic engagement in their teaching and research
Video of Keynote Presentation
Download Barbara Jacoby's
slides.
About the Keynote Speaker
Barbara Jacoby is the Faculty Associate for Leadership and Community Service-Learning at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union – Center for Campus Life at the University of Maryland, College Park. In this role, she facilitates initiatives involving academic partnerships, service-learning, and civic engagement. Jacoby launched community service-learning at the University of Maryland in 1992. She served as Senior Scholar for the Adele H. Stamp Student Union from 2005-2011, Director of the Office of Community Service-Learning from 2003 to 2005, Director of Commuter Affairs and Community Service from 1992 to 2003, and Director of the Office of Commuter Affairs from 1983 to 1992, all at the University of Maryland.
Jacoby’s publications include seven books:
Service-Learning Essentials: Questions, Answers, and Lessons Learned (2015),
Looking In, Reaching Out: A Reflective Guide for Community Service-Learning Professionals (with Pamela Mutascio, 2010),
Civic Engagement in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices (2009),
Building Partnerships for Service-Learning (2003),
Involving Commuter Students in Learning (2000),
Service-Learning in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices (1996), and
The Student as Commuter: Developing a Comprehensive Institutional Response (1989).
Jacoby received her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in French Language and Literature in 1978. She is an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Higher Education and Student Affairs, where she teaches doctoral and undergraduate courses.
"Voices of Civic Engagement" Posters
Student and Alumni Panelists
Student and alumni panelists (L to R): Alex Lloyd, Camilo Pedro, Megan Zack, and Maggie Miller.
Alex Lloyd is a graduate student at DePaul, currently pursing her master of education in school counseling. After receiving bachelor degrees in sociology and English from Florida Atlantic University and teaching Kindergarten in Palm Beach county, Florida, Alex moved to Chicago with the goal of working in urban education. In addition to taking graduate courses in school counseling, Alex serves a dual role in the Public School Internships (PSI) as the Program Assistant and as site coordinator at DePaul’s Egan Office of Urban Education and Community Partnerships. In her role at the Egan Office, she is the site coordinator for Henderson Academy, an elementary school located on Chicago’s south side. At Henderson Academy, Alex serves a teacher’s assistant for a kindergarten class and facilitates a weekly family engagement course for parents on early childhood literacy. When she graduates in June 2017, Alex plans to work as a counselor for a Chicago Public School on the south or west side.
Camilo Pedro is a senior at DePaul studying political science. Before coming to DePaul, he served in the United States Marine Corps for four years. While pursing his degree, Camilo interned at Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s District Office. As part of his internship, he met with constituents to identify community needs and visited schools, churches, political rallies, and press conferences with the Congresswoman. In addition to his internship, Camilo was a field organizer in Florida for Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign and in Chicago for Chuy Garcia’s 2015 mayoral campaign. He currently works at DePaul’s Egan Office on a grant-funded project to address moral injury among veterans living in Chicago. When he graduates, Camilo plans to build a career as a domestic policy advisor or to work in the non-profit sector.
Megan Zack graduated from DePaul University in 1998 with a bachelor of science in math. As an undergraduate, Megan was active in the DePaul Community Service Association and volunteered with Amnesty International, where she led a group of students who worked one-on-one with Somali and Cambodian refugee families on the north side of Chicago. Megan is now a principal and the Director of Sustainability at Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture here in Chicago, where she manages building projects as well as develops firm-wide best practices and protocols for sustainable architecture. In 2012, Engineering News-Report Midwest named Megan one of the “Top 20 under 40” young design and construction professionals who have made significant contributions to the industry and to their communities.
Maggie Miller is a third year student at DePaul's College of Law pursuing a certificate in public interest law to supplement her J.D. curriculum. Before law school, Maggie received her undergraduate degree from DePaul, graduating with a double major in Community Psychology and Peace, Social Justice, and Conflict Resolution Studies. As an undergraduate, Maggie participated in the inaugural quarter of Professor Kimberly Moe’s Inside-Out course at Stateville Correctional Center. Through Inside-Out, Maggie, other DePaul students, and men serving sentences of 25 years or longer gathered weekly to study the criminal justice system and restorative justice. Since taking that course, Maggie has remained active in DePaul’s Inside-Out program by participating in Professor Moe’s Think-Tank at Stateville. This experience solidified Maggie’s desire to understand how systems affect people and led her to study law.
Planning Committee
This year’s event is collaboration between the Office for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment and the
Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning.
- Helen Damon-Moore, Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning
- Michael Moore, Committee on Learning & Teaching
- Jen O’Brien, Office for Teaching, Learning & Assessment
- Joe Olivier, Office for Teaching, Learning & Assessment
- Ruben Parra, Office for Teaching, Learning & Assessment
- Matthew Pearson, University Center for Writing-based Learning
- Allie Romano, Office for Teaching, Learning & Assessment
- Erin Sella, Office for Teaching, Learning & Assessment
- Jen Sweet, Office for Teaching, Learning & Assessment
Join Us on Social Media
Read participants' takeaways and connect with colleagues on Twitter using the hashtag #FFTLDePaul.
View a photo gallery from this year's event on Facebook.