Community Engagement Courses (Service Learning)

Community Partnerships - Community Engagement Courses (Service Learning)

About Community-Engaged Coursework

Community-Engaged Courses (CECs), also known as service-learning, are academic courses that integrate meaningful community engagement with classroom instruction and reflection. At ��Ƶ, these courses are supported through the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) in partnership with local nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and other organizations committed to making a difference in the Paso del Norte region.

The Role of Community Partners

Community partners play a vital role in helping students connect academic learning with real-world experiences. By working with ��Ƶ faculty and students, community organizations contribute to student growth, while also gaining support on projects and initiatives aligned with their mission.

These academic partnerships provide students with hands-on opportunities to apply what they’re learning in class to address real community challenges—while building leadership skills, civic responsibility, and professional experience. In turn, community partners benefit from the energy, talent, and fresh perspective that students bring to their work.

What Community Partners Can Expect

As a community partner supporting CEC programming, you are viewed as a co-educator and mentor . Your insights, guidance, and opportunities enrich the student's learning experience and strengthen ties between the university and the broader community.

Partners may support Community-Engaged Courses by:

Participating in CCE-hosted training to understand expectations and best practices
Maintaining regular communication with CCE staff and course faculty
Mentoring and supervising students during their service
Providing meaningful learning opportunities connected to course objectives
Offering flexibility with student schedules, especially during midterms and finals
Delivering a site orientation to introduce students to your organization and expectations
Using platform
Post or update service opportunities
Track and verify student hours
Manage your agency’s account and profile

Community Engagement Roles:

Faculty

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Students

Join Us in Supporting Community-Engaged Courses

Community-engaged courses at ��Ƶ offer students the opportunity to apply classroom learning through hands-on service in partnership with local organizations. These service experiences are embedded into the curriculum and serve as a valuable component of students’ academic and personal development.

Students typically complete 10–20 hours of service through activities such as one-time events, semester-long projects, or agency visits. Faculty may collaborate with one or more community organizations—either those they’ve selected directly or those recommended by the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) .

A portion of traditional coursework is replaced with a community-based activity that enhances student learning while supporting community needs. Below are three common models used in Community Engagement Courses:

Models of Community-Engaged Coursework

Model 1: Required Service Component (Minimum of 20 Hours)

In this model, all students are required to complete a service-learning experience as part of the course. This expectation is outlined in the syllabus and tied directly to course objectives. Faculty may partner with one or more community organizations, allowing for deeper integration into the course through:

Class discussions related to service work
Writing assignments and reflections
Site visits and guest speakers from partner organizations

This model allows students to build interpersonal, teamwork, and organizational skills while working with diverse community members.

Model 2: Project-Based Service

This model involves collaborative, team-based work where students apply course concepts to a real-world community need. Projects may be:

Designed by faculty in coordination with a partner agency, or
Co-created by students and community members to address specific challenges

Though student interaction with the agency may be more limited, this model emphasizes applied problem-solving and often requires specialized knowledge or research.

Model 3: Community-Based Action Research

This approach engages students in conducting participatory or action-oriented research in collaboration with a community partner. Students learn and apply research methodologies to:

Explore issues of concern identified by the community
Generate data and recommendations
Share findings that support organizational planning or advocacy

This model involves trust-building and long-term collaboration. It is ideal for agencies interested in research-informed action and willing to co-develop agendas with faculty. Often, these projects extend beyond a single semester.

Semester Participation Timeline for Community Partners

Community partners play a critical role in the success of CEC programming. A typical cycle of engagement includes:

Complete the CEC Semester Application
Attend Community Engagement Events hosted by the CCE
Participate in Student Orientation or Training at the start of the semester
Meet with Students to discuss roles, expectations, and organizational context
Provide Mentorship and Supervision throughout the semester
Verify Student Impact through The CUE or by signing timesheets
Join End-of-Semester Reflections and Surveys to share feedback

Ready to Get Involved?

We welcome new and returning community partners interested in hosting ��Ƶ students for semester-long or academic year engagement. The CCE team is here to support your participation and help align your organizational goals with student learning outcomes. To learn more or express interest, please contact us—we’re happy to connect you with the appropriate courses and faculty members.

The CUE: Connecting Campus and Community

The CUE is ��Ƶ’s centralized, web-based platform designed to connect students, faculty, and community partners with meaningful service and engagement opportunities across the El Paso region. Hosted on GivePulse , The CUE allows students to explore and sign up for volunteer experiences, internships, and community-based projects that align with their personal interests and academic goals.

Students also use The CUE to find service opportunities that directly connect to their course requirements . Faculty members guide students on how to identify approved opportunities that align with course objectives, and students can link their CUE accounts to specific classes to track their engagement and meet academic expectations.

What Community Partners Can Do on The CUE

As a registered community partner on The CUE, your organization can:

Post Volunteer Opportunities and Internships
Recruit ��Ƶ students for both short-term events and longer-term service experiences.
Create and Manage Events
Host and promote one-time or recurring events open to student volunteers.
Track and Verify Student Impact (Hours)
Review and approve student service hours and generate reports on engagement.
Promote Events and Surveys
Share donation campaigns, awareness events, and collect feedback through custom surveys.
Increase Visibility
Share your mission, programs, and needs with the ��Ƶ community and connect with faculty and students who care about your cause.

The CUE makes it easier than ever to build lasting partnerships between ��Ƶ and the broader community—supporting mutual learning, service, and impact.

GivePulse for Adminstrators

	Basics of GivePulse (Administrator) A quick overview of basic GivePulse features for administrators
	GivePulse: Creating an event Learn how to create an event on GivePulse.
	GivePulse: User dashboard Learn about the User Dashboard on GivePulse.
	GivePulse: Manage Users Tutorial for how to manage users as an administrator on GivePulse. This video includes: how to access user information, changing user roles, and using invites as an onboarding device.
	GivePulse: Managing Impacts Learn how to manage impacts as an administrator on GivePulse.

	What is Community Engagement? Community Engagement is a teaching method for students to gain academic content while also serving the community.
	Purpose of Community Engagement Courses? Community Engagement Courses serves the student, community, and the faculty member; it allows us to expand our university and to work alongside our community.
	How to Facilitate a Community Engagement Consultant Model Community Engagement consultant model is used in order to provide students an opportunity to apply their skills that they are building in statistical modeling and also work in service and with community organizations so that their expertise can have impact.
	Requirements for Classes If a faculty member is interested in participating or incorporating Community Engagement in their class, we are here to help make that happen.
	Ethical Considerations of Community Engagement Courses Working in a Community Engagement Course capacity is confidentiality and to protect the integrity of confidentiality of that agency.
	Co-Teaching with Community Partners Community Engagement Courses is not volunteerism, it has an academic component to it.
	Building Community Partnerships--What it Takes Partnerships is about starting where people are, finding ways of coming together to identify mutual interests not always needs, but mutual interest and it's a long-term relationship.
	What is True Reciprocity? Being engaged in Community Engagement Courses and learning about the history of a community, the culture, being active, developing relationships with people in the community is really at the heart of our profession.
	Preparing students for Community Engagement Courses In being able to help the students connect what we teach in the classroom, what we help them to learn, they can actually see in the community through real-life experiences.
	Effective Community Engagement Reflection Reflection is really important, you don't separate your reflection from your observation, they go hand in hand.
	Identifying Appropriate Community Partners First step is finding a community organization whose focus area directly relates to the course content in the particular course that you want to offer Community Engagement Courses in.
	Community Engagement Courses with Freshmen Like most experiential learning, the student gains more by reflecting upon their experiences than simply by going through them.