The Office of Community Engagement recently created a new reporting process for identifying the community engagement work at BHCC. Faculty members wishing to designate their course with a Community Engagement Designation must submit a Community Engagement Proposal Form (see Community Engagement Designations below).

The proposal must be submit by the second Friday of the semester (Fall 09- September 18th). After the proposal is accepted, the Office of Community Engagement reviews and provides feedback to faculty. Once designation is confirmed a one-time stipend is processed for faculty member's development work. The stipend will be available to encourage the design of project formats that can potentially be applied to multiple courses. Additional stipend requests for course design with different formats, per course, will be approved by the Coordinator of Community Engagement. No further stipends will be generated for teaching the course(s) in subsequent semesters. Instead, faculty will have access to Research Funds and/or Professional Development funds through the Office of Community Engagement.

Supplemental costs needed to implement projects will continue to be supported by the Office of Community Engagement when appropriate. To assist with this new process, we encourage you to contact Meghan. She is available to bounce off ideas, refine project details, suggest reflection and assessment activities, and clarify any questions with the designations and process. Meghan can be reached at mrcallag@bhcc.mass.edu or by calling 617-228-3485.

Service Learning
Service Learning is "a course-based, credit-bearing educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility" (Bringle and Hatcher).

To receive a Service Learning Designation a course must meet the defined criteria

• Service project directly related to course content
• Course's learning outcomes encompass the service project
• Reflection is utilized regularly throughout the semester to deepen learning
• Ensure that credit is for learning outcomes, not good deeds
• Student works with a Community Partner as a volunteer or on an assigned project
• Service Project aligns with a need of the community
• If students are individually placed in an organization than a minimum of 15 hours of service is required

Service Learning is best used when the whole class participates, promotes fruitful class discussion, teamwork, eases management of connecting to organizations, and keeps consistent outcomes for student learning.

Action Research
Action research is a way of generating research about a social system while simultaneously attempting to change that system. While conventional social science aims at producing knowledge about social systems (some of which may eventually prove useful to those wishing to effect change), action research seeks both to understand and to alter the problems generated by social systems (National Service- Learning Clearinghouse).

To receive an Action Research Designation a course must meet the defined criteria:

• Community based-Research indirectly related to course content
• Students must communicate with community organizations, through interviewing staff or clients or attending city-wide events
• Reflection is utilized regularly throughout the semester to deepen learning Action Research is best used when the whole class participates, promotes fruitful class discussion, teamwork, eases management of connecting to organizations, and keeps consistent outcomes for student learning.

Volunteerism
Volunteerism is the performance of formal service to benefit others or one's community without receiving any external rewards; such programs may or may not involve structured training and reflection (National Service- Learning Clearinghouse).

To receive a Volunteerism Designation a course must meet the defined criteria: • Class members participate in an awareness campaign, one-time volunteer activity,
or fundraising campaign
• Volunteer Project connects to course objectives
• Reflection is utilized regularly throughout the semester to deepen learning
• Volunteer projects align with a need of the community Volunteerism is best used when the whole class participates, promotes fruitful class discussion, teamwork, eases management of connecting to organizations, and keeps consistent outcomes for student learning.