UGA graduate students have the opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency in community engagement through curricular and co-curricular work as well as through a Graduate Portfolio and a graduate-student specific award.
Building Knowledge
Graduate students interested in learning more about service-learning and community engagement may participate in OSL workshops and/or take GRSC 7870S, “Service-Learning Course Design,” GRSC 7880S, “Community-Engaged Research Methods,” or GRSC 7970S, “Approaches to Community Engagement.” These courses are typically offered every other year.
Recognitions
The Engaged Scholarship by Graduate Students Award recognizes extraordinary community-engaged scholarship and public service by graduate students. This award is administered by the Graduate School in connection with UGA Public Service & Outreach and the Office of Service-Learning. Three awards of $1,000 are presented annually. Each graduate department may nominate one student. Recipients will be selected by a committee drawn from Public Service & Outreach-affiliated administrators and graduate faculty. See the Graduate School website for information on deadlines and the nomination process.
Graduate Portfolio in Community Engagement
In collaboration with the Graduate School, the Office of Service-Learning administers a Graduate Portfolio in Community Engagement. Following the Carnegie Foundation, Community Engagement is defined as “the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.”
- The UGA Graduate Portfolio in Community Engagement is a voluntary, non-credit recognition and professional development program for graduate and professional students at the University of Georgia from a variety of disciplines, programs, and interests.
- This program is intended to help graduate and professional students develop and document competencies relating to community-engaged teaching, research, and public service and outreach. The Community Engagement Portfolio is designed to help students:
- Prepare for careers as community-engaged scholars.
- Connect research and teaching to community engagement principles.
- Understand best practices in engaged teaching, engaged research, and engaged public service and outreach.
- Undertake and reflect on applied community engagement experiences through teaching, research, and/or public service and outreach.
- Document community engagement experiences.
Students interested in taking part in the Graduate Portfolio in Community Engagement program are encouraged to contact the Office of Service-Learning for assistance in planning and considering how best to incorporate their interests and work into this program. Students will also select a faculty mentor who can give guidance in their portfolio work.
See details on the program requirements in the PDFs below.
Grad Portfolio in Community Engagement Handout
Guidelines for faculty Mentors of students taking part in the Portfolio (PDF, Fall 2012)
Rubric for evaluation of portfolios (PDF, Spring 2013)
Handout with suggestions for preparing a Curriculum Vitae (PDF, Fall 2012)
Please contact Dr. Matthews for an individual appointment or for more details.
Sample graduate portfolios submitted from previous years
Sample Engaged Teaching portfolio (Spr2017)
Sample Engaged Teaching portfolio (Spr2013)
Sample Engaged Service & Outreach portfolio (Spr2016)