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Research Articles

Vol. 20 No. 4

Engaging and Empowering Academic Staff to Promote Service-Learning Curriculum in Research-Intensive Universities

Submitted
December 31, 2016
Published
2016-12-31

Abstract

Much of the literature on service-learning discusses issues related to faculty, students, and community partners. However, there is little research on issues related to academic staff. In this project, through a series of meetings and workshops, change lab methodology was used to analyze the barriers to staff members’ involvement in service-learning, and intracollegiate collaboration supported their increased involvement in community-engaged curricula. A series of designed-research processes was utilized to create new artifacts, to mediate and foster a drive toward mutual engagement in the agential-structural relationship, to encourage staff members to engage in reflective practice, and to enable staff to empower themselves. After witnessing the real-life needs of a rural community and empowered through collaboration and professional development, academic staff devoted time to working with teachers, students, and community, further transforming themselves from a mostly administrative support role to that of researcher.