Dr. Scott Hicks, director of Teaching and Learning Center and professor of English, Theatre and Foreign Languages, has been named an Engaged Faculty Scholar by North Carolina Campus Compact.
Hicks and Dr. Laura Gonzalez, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, were selected for this prestigious statewide role. They will serve a one-year term.
Hicks and Gonzalez will receive support from the Compact and from their institutions as they undertake a project designed to deepen the scholarship of campus-community engagement at their respective schools. They will also serve as consultants to other North Carolina colleges or and universities seeking to enhance community-engaged teaching.
At UNCP, Hicks incorporates service-learning in African-American literature, environmental literature, and first- year composition classes by matching them with local elementary and middle schools.
The opportunity serves a significant community need by enriching experiences in public schools and provides critical contexts and experiences for student learning, reflection, and growth.
Hicks serves as the co-editor of Narratives of Educating for Sustainability in Unsustainable Environments which engages issues of sustainability and teaching in higher education. His research appears in many publications, including the Modern Language Association publication Service Learning and Literary Studies in English which details service-learning in courses in a literary studies major.
As an Engaged Faculty Scholar, Hicks will partner with the Teaching and Learning Center to enhance faculty development in service-learning and sustainability. He hopes to create sound partnerships with faculty, students that can lead to the creation of sustained service-learning experiences.
Ultimately, Hicks’s project will advance sustainability learning outcomes in classes enrolling highly diverse students, including those from lower-socioeconomic backgrounds. In his proposal, Hicks highlights the importance of this work across higher education, “ecological challenges confront higher education with a newfound sense of urgency. My project will ideate, implement, and assess service-learning focused on sustainability applicable across disciplines and cohorts and engage faculty, students, and community partners in robust assessment.”
Engaged Faculty Scholars receive a stipend of $1,500 and additional funds for professional development. The scholar’s institution is encouraged to provide a monetary match, course release, or other resources.
North Carolina Campus Compact is a collaborative network of colleges and universities committed to educating students for civic and social responsibility, partnering with communities for positive change, and strengthening democracy. Started in 2002 and hosted by Elon University, the network includes 38 public, private, and community colleges and universities. It is an affiliate of the national Campus Compact organization.