The Center for Academic Excellence at Portland State University
and the Carnegie Conversation Series
present the 2008-2009

2009 Civic Engagement Awards

The PSU Center for Academic Excellence will showcase and celebrate the civic engagement efforts of PSU faculty, department/programs, and their community partners and offer awards for exemplary civic engagement efforts. These awards acknowledge the importance of civic engagement in all facets of university life. Individual faculty, community partners, and departments or programs are eligible to apply for these awards.

Dr. Harry Boyte, founder and co-director of the Center for Democracy and Citizenship in the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota will help celebrate excellence in civic engagement by serving as the keynote speaker at this event.

Winners were announced on May 20, 2009

by Provost Koch at the Civic Engagement Awards Celebration

If you have any questions, please contact

Kevin Kecskes, Director for Community-University Partnerships (5-5642 or kecskesk@pdx.edu)

- or -

Amy Spring, Assistant Director for Community-University Partnerships (5-5582 or springa@pdx.edu)

Four Award Categories

I. Excellence in Community-Based Teaching and Learning

These $300 awards will be given to faculty members who utilize exemplary community-based teaching and learning strategies that enhance student learning and engage in public problem solving.

Review Criteria: Quality of the teaching and learning will be evaluated on the criteria:

• Teaches at least one community-based learning course per year;
• Joins theory and practice that results in students understanding of relevance and application;
• Facilitates reflective learning;
• Understands and facilitates civic learning outcomes for students; and
• Demonstrates scholarship related to community-based teaching.

II. Excellence in Departmental Civic Engagement

This $300 award will be given to a department or program that makes engagement with community a central aspect of their department’s aggregate approach to student learning and scholarship. Award is designated to a department or program.

Review Criteria: An engaged department is one that:

• Uses community-based learning to facilitate students’ integration of community work and reflection into their academic study;
• Encourages and rewards the scholarship of engagement where community-based action, or applied research is pursued; and
• Provides support to key departmental / programmatic initiatives which engage the community in efforts to fulfill the University’s mission.

III. Excellence in Community-University Partnerships

This $300 award will be given to a community partner in order to recognize and celebrate the contributions their organization has made to help PSU realize its motto: “Let knowledge serve the city.” Award is designated for PSU’s community partners.

Review Criteria: The community organization receiving this award is recognized for excellence in:

• Facilitating student learning in a community based context;
• Providing venues for faculty to advance their community-based scholarship;
• Serving as a co-educator with faculty; and
• Suggesting creative ways to work with students and faculty in an educational, community development context.

IV. Excellence in Community-Based Research

This $300 award will be given to faculty/community teams that provide pertinent data and responses to community needs with a focus on research. Award will be given to faculty/community partner team that contribute to community-based research.

Review criteria:

• New or innovative approaches to “defining, discovering, and disseminating knowledge” and/or a “commitment to social action for social change” via community-based research activities;
• Collaboration with community entities, democratization of knowledge, and/or social change/justice implemented via research activities; and
• Any community-based research in social action and/or social change that attempts to promote social justice.