Ithaca College

The following is sent on behalf of Interim Provost Petrosino:

In the coming academic year, the Office of Civic Engagement will be headed by a three-person leadership team.  A Faculty Director of Service Learning will be responsible for the support and advancement of service learning and a lead staff member will be responsible for the support and advancement of student volunteer activities.  Both will serve under the oversight of the Director of Civic Engagement whose job will be to bring coordination to our volunteer and service learning efforts along lines of national best practices.  Effective September 1, Laurie Worrall will serve as IC’s Director of Civic Engagement while continuing in her statewide role as Executive Director of New York Campus Compact. 

 The Office of Civic Engagement was created as part of the IC 20/20 strategic vision.  Its goals are to (1) support and advance civic engagement in the form both of volunteerism and of service learning; (2) to coordinate volunteer and service learning activities with community partners in ways that maximize the value of IC civic engagement for our community; (3) to encourage students to move up the “ladder of civic engagement” from occasional volunteer service to a consistent engagement rooted in deep understanding of community needs and the role of citizen leaders in improving the quality of life in our community; and (4) to develop assessments of the impact of civic engagement both on students and on our community partners. 

The primary responsibilities of the Faculty Director for Service Learning will be to work with and assist the Director of the Office of Civic Engagement in overseeing the review and designation of service learning courses, assisting in faculty development including service learning workshops organized through the Center for Faculty Excellence, development of a service learning assessment instrument, development of online resources in support of service learning, and advancing IC’s relationships with key community partners in our service learning and community volunteer programs.

Compensation for the position will include three course releases during the academic year and a summer stipend.  The position is available effective with the fall semester, though nominations are also welcomed of individuals whose service could only begin in a subsequent semester.

Please send nominations or expressions of interest to Linda Petrosino, Interim Provost and Vice President for Educational Affairs at lpetrosino@ithaca.edu.  Nominations or expressions of interest would be appreciated by August 25, 2014.