Engaged Faculty Scholars

The Engaged Faculty Scholars program allows two faculty members from our network the chance to carry out a self-designed project that advances the scholarship of engagement at their institution. The selected faculty also work together to expand faculty engagement at another member campus.

The 12-month program provides a cash stipend, a budget for travel and professional development, and a complimentary resource. Engaged Faculty Scholars may also present their work at the PACE Conference or assist in the production of our online journal, Partnerships.

Current Scholars

Dr. Jennifer Ahern-Dodson
Assistant Professor of the Practice, Writing Studies, Duke University

As an Engaged Faculty Scholar, Ahern-Dodson will work to develop a faculty writing network in order to support community-engaged scholarship at Duke. The project will include a scholarly writing retreat that will be open to faculty from other colleges and universities in the Triangle, as well as writing groups and a publication workshop. The project will be designed to help faculty reflect on and share community-engaged learning and research.

In her proposal, Ahern-Dodson explains the need for such connection among engaged scholars:

“Community often runs counter to the concept of the academy, which typically positions writers in isolation (scribbling alone in the attic) and often creates sharp distinctions between scholarly writing and teaching. For publicly engaged faculty, this can be particularly challenging because teaching, research, and service are not so easily divided. We seek, instead, to integrate these dimensions of our work.”

Dr. Rebecca Dumlao
Professor of Communication, East Carolina University

For her Engaged Faculty Scholars project, Dr. Dumlao will design a semester-long, graduate level course- ““Health Communication and Community Engagement.” She explains:

“The project would allow me to focus much more on graduate students, many already living and working in North Carolina communities. The ECU graduate students taking the class would work collaboratively with community partners to address a community health-related issue, potentially serving as a model for service-learning and community engagement with other graduate programs on campus.”

Dumlao received the Robert L. Sigmon Service-Learning Award in 2013. Her latest book — A Guide to Collaborative Communication for Service-Learning and Community Engagement Partners — applies communication scholarship to the field of community engagement.

Learn more about the 2018-19 Scholars here.

Past Scholars

2017 – 2018

Dr. Jacquelyn Lee, Assistant Professor of Social Work, UNC Wilmington
Learn more.

Dr. Elizabeth (“Beth”) Wall-Bassett, Associate Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics, Western Carolina
Learn more.

2016 – 2017

Dr. Maggie Commins, Associate Professor of Political Science, Queens University of Charlotte
News article on Commins’s selection

Dr. Cara Kozma, Assistant Professor of English, High Point University
News article on Kozma’s selection

2015 – 2016

Dr. Annie Jonas, Professor and Chair of the Education Department, Warren Wilson College
News article about Dr. Jonas’ selection

Dr. Ashley Oliphant,  Associate Professor of English, Pfeiffer University
News article about Dr. Oliphant’s selection

Program Goals

Goal One: Promote and Deepen the Scholarship of Engagement at Scholars Own Institution

The Scholar can fulfill this expectation in at least one of the following ways:

  • Develop or enhance an academic service-learning course component.  The service-learning must be a new integration or for a new class.
  • Conduct a community-based applied or participatory research project.
  • Form a new community-campus partnership or expand a current partnership. We are especially interested in ideas that build or increase the depth of the partnership.
  • Design and implement a plan to enhance public scholarship as a legitimate and rigorous form of scholarly work on campus.
  • Promote the use of service-learning as a teaching pedagogy by facilitating professional development.
  • Create or build upon civic engagement initiatives on campus.
  • Conduct research on the impact of service-learning/community engagement/public scholarship on participants (students, faculty, community partners).

Goal Two: Assist in building the infrastructure for faculty engagement on another NC Campus Compact member institution

  • Provide technical assistance to a member institution (identified by NC Campus Compact) that is in the early stages of promoting the scholarship of engagement to include, but not limited to:
  • At least two in-person consultations
  • Regular correspondence (phone and/or email) throughout the year 

Other opportunities for engagement are available throughout the program year.  Participation in these opportunities is not required but encouraged.

Program Benefits

Each Scholar will receive the following compensation upon successful completion of the program:

  • Financial stipend of $1500
  • Up to $500 travel reimbursement for visiting the partner institution (the mileage reimbursement rate is .555 per mile)
  • Up to $500 for professional development (e.g. conference or training attendance support)
  • At least one free civic engagement publication

Colleges and universities are encouraged to provide a match of cash, course release, and/or other resources and recognition.

Terms and Conditions

The stipend will be given at the conclusion of the program, upon fulfillment of program expectations.

North Carolina Campus Compact will ask for a report at the end of the program period that will be posted on our website (along with other provided materials) and used as a resource for future Faculty Scholars.

Program Eligibility

This program is only open to faculty from North Carolina Campus Compact member institutions. This is a competitive application process.  Faculty who demonstrate that their scholarship is responsive to community need, with the potential to establish long-term benefits to North Carolinians, will receive preference. Two individuals will be selected annually. 

Desired qualities in nominees:

  • History of engaged teaching or scholarship
  • A desire for new learning about service and engaged scholarship
  • An interest in working with faculty at other institutions in the state
  • The capacity to effectively communicate and disseminate the results of their research and engaged scholarship to public, academic, and external audiences
  • Commitment to actively participate in the program 

Program Timeline

  • Application released: 1st week in March 
  • Application Deadline: 2nd week in May
  • Acceptance Notification: 1st week in June 
  • Program Period: July 1 to June 30

Contact

Contact Leslie Garvin, Executive Director, with any questions, (336) 278-7278.