(Re)Design Your Course for Civic Engagement

Organized in collaboration with the Center for Civic Engagement and the Center for Integrated Professional Development

Faculty and Course Instructors are invited each spring to submit a proposal to participate in the Summer [Re]Design your Course for Civic Engagement. Community and Civic Engagement is one of the core values outlined in ISU’s strategic plan, Excellence by Design: 2024-2029. Through the cohort model, participants benefit from the support of colleagues, Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) and Center for Integrated Professional Development (CIPD) staff, and people from various campus and organizations, as we work to incorporate civic engagement into the learning experiences of students. The goal is to broaden ISU’s commitment to the values of community membership, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and institutionalization of civic engagement across the curriculum. We seek to include courses from a variety of disciplines and programs.

Expectations

Course Instructors selected to participate in this cohort will spend the equivalent of four days (~24 hours, both in-person and on their own) working to integrate civic engagement into a course they have taught and will teach again in the near future. This will include synchronous and asynchronous work per the schedule outlined below. The redesign process will allow participants to explore ways to promote active learning experiences and assessment through which students can gain an awareness and understanding of civic engagement as a lifelong responsibility.

This redesign opportunity can also be used to develop a course that could be included in the interdisciplinary collection of available Civic Engagement and Responsibility Minor electives, furthering ISU’s commitment to the values of informed and ethical global leadership and institutionalization of civic engagement across the curriculum.

The Course Redesign Project will:

Afford course instructors the opportunity to integrate their curricular interests with civic engagement components and Civically Engaged Learning Goals.
Further ISU’s commitment to the values of equity, diversity, inclusion, justice, and access and community engagement through the institutionalization of civic engagement across the curriculum.
Broaden the interdisciplinary collection of available electives relevant to students’ areas of study.

Learning Goals

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: Identify civic competencies that connect with discipline and course content Design a course which includes civic engagement components (learning outcomes, assignments, syllabus language describing civic engagement) Develop a plan for a specific course assessment where students demonstrate some aspect of civic learning Formulate a plan for communicating the value of civic engagement to students (course outcomes, syllabus statements) Articulate the connection between civic engagement and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice Develop a plan for possible scholarly activity (e.g., design a study, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, ideas for conference presentations in your discipline, the University-Wide Teaching and Learning Symposium, possible publication outlets, presentation at the Civic Engagement Day, design a student research project) Create a plan to cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships with communities

Workshop Dates

Dates for the Summer 2026 Cohort are forthcoming (Participation required at all sessions):

Eligibility, Award Amounts, and Requirements

Eligibility This is a university-wide initiative. All tenured, tenure-track, and full-time non-tenure track instructors as well as staff with teaching responsibilities are eligible to apply. Eight (8) course instructors from any discipline will be selected. Award Amount Participants who complete all required work and attend all the sessions will receive a stipend of $500. Workshop Requirements To receive the stipend, cohort participants must complete all of the following: Participants must be present at all sessions. If this is not possible, we ask that you apply again next summer and allow another person who can commit to the entire workshop to attend. A (re)deigned syllabus which includes civic engagement components (learning outcomes, assignments, specific language if the course is an elective for the minor). Syllabi will be included in a repository archiving courses that have been designed with a civic engagement focus A plan for a specific course assessment where students demonstrate some aspect of civic learning A plan for possible scholarly activity (design a study, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, ideas for conference presentations in your discipline, ISU’s Teaching and Learning Symposium, Civic Engagement Celebration, possible publication outlets) A written reflection on the course redesign process Continued contact with the Center for Integrated Professional Development, the Center for Civic Engagement, and the Civic Engagement and Responsibility Minor to share data about the impact of civic engagement on student learning.

Please note: Due to work expectations and stipend considerations, individuals are limited to participating in one Center for Integrated Professional Development Design Cohort experience, including (Re)Design Your Course for Civic Engagement, as part of Summer Institute.

Questions?

Contact Dr. Dana Karraker at dmkarra@IllinoisState.edu or (309) 438-5110.