Engaged Department Planning Grants
What are Engaged Departments?
One of the ways the Center achieves this mission is through its Engaged Department Grant Program. In an “engaged department,” a team of faculty members in an academic department or program work together to learn about engaged scholarship (including service-learning, community-based research, and other civic engagement strategies), and collaboratively plan how to implement these strategies to deepen student learning and improve community outcomes.
How It Works...
To become an Engaged Department, a team comprised of at least three faculty members from an academic department or program participate in a series of service-learning course development workshops led by Powell Center staff. The workshops cover best practices in service-learning pedagogy, syllabus design and community-campus partnerships.
After completing the workshops, the team then participates in the Engaged Department Planning Institute, also led by Powell Center. During the Institute, faculty teams work together to create a plan for integrating and sustaining a variety of civic engagement strategies into the departmental culture and curricula. See pages 9-10 for more about Engaged Department Strategies.
Examples of Engaged Departments at CCNY:
Media and Communication Arts Department (MCA)
Advertising and Public Relations Program
Since 2009, the Advertising and Public Relations (Ad/PR) program in the MCA department at CCNY has been an engaged department. All full-time faculty members in the program teach at least one service-learning course. Experiences are sequenced from introductory writing courses to senior capstones where students work in teams to develop comprehensive media kits for non-profit community partners. The program also changed its mission statement on the Ad/PR website to reflect a strong commitment to service and civic engagement.
Tbe Center for Worker Education (CWE)
At the downtown campus of CCNY, the Center for Worker Education brought together an engaged department in 2009. This group, comprised of Education, Social Work and Public Relations faculty members who are working towards a unified goal of improving student achievement of outcomes such as interdisciplinary thinking, communication skills, feelings of self efficacy, research skills, critical thinking, lifelong learning and understanding issues of equity of justice.
The group also meets regularly to talk about progress, share good practices, partnerships and work collectively on issues of daycare policy. Periodic brown bag luncheons are facilitated to increase the number of faculty using service-learning.
School of Education (Department of Secondary Education)
In the Fall of 2011, members of the Secondary Education department came together to collaborate on how to best leverage shared resources, curriculum components, community partnerships, and offices within the School of Ed to enhance student service-learning experiences and meet the goals of the department. The group identified a sequence of courses that could most benefit from an infusion of service-learning.
Details of Grant Award
Up to $10,000 in discretionary funding is available from the Powell Center for Engaged Departments
. Grants for departments may be used for any purpose related to the Engaged Department plan. Examples include: supplies, equipment, professional development/travel for faculty, events/gatherings, adjunct faculty payments, stipends for community partner organizations, stipends for student assistance or other needs, as determined by the department and approved by the Powell Center.
Questions and Support
Departments are strongly encouraged to make contact with Genéa Stewart, director of service-learning and civic engagement in advance of submitting an application, to discuss plans and clarify the support provided through the Powell Center. Contact Genea at
gstewart@ccny.cuny.edu or (212) 650-6335.
Read more about Engaged Department Strategies here. 
