Civic Engagement

Service Learning is an emerging concept within the Department of Communication, and at the University of Cincinnati. Many faculty work individually, or with the Center for Community Engagement, to create a civic engagement component for their courses.

Service Learning is a learning methodology that takes the theory learned in the classroom and puts it to work in the community setting so that it benefits all persons involved in the learning experience (students, community members, and faculty). It creates an experiential learning for the student.

Communication is a civically engaged discipline. At the national level, communication scholars are recognized as true innovators and pioneers in service-learning methodologies. Courses offered that have service-learning components will be identified by the letter "S" in the course listings in the near future. Ask peers for their recommendations on course offerings.

Some of the courses offered with civically engaged components include certain sections of Effective Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, Business Communication, Advanced Interpersonal Communication, Public Relations Campaigns, Rhetorical Theory, Communication Theory, Health Communication, Environmental Communication, Intercultural Communication, Advanced Intercultural Communication and Seminar in Integrated Intercultural Communication.

Communication faculty offering civically engaged courses include Teresa Sabourin, Maribeth Metzler, Nancy Jennings, William Jennings, Stephen Haas, Steve Depoe, Molly Mayer, Steve Fuller, Heather Zoller, MJ Woeste, and Amber Erickson.

Students can ask peers for their recommendations on course offerings, contact the above professors directly, or contact the Director of Service Learning for the Department, Dr. MJ Woeste.