Boyer and others have called for academe to become more actively engaged in service and outreach activities to address pressing issues that demand the attention of our culture. The HIV epidemic has affected our culture in critical ways; it has had both a local and a global impact that demands the attention of academe. Faculty, staff, and students need to bring to bear human and intellectual assets to assist communities in dealing with the full impact of the epidemic in a meaningful and personal way.
More than thirteen years ago a faculty group from diverse disciplines at the University of Hartford, including biology, health sciences, philosophy, art history, and communication, developed a course called “Epidemics and AIDS.” This course engages faculty and students in this epidemic in ways that have resulted in substantial service to the community, improved teaching and learning, and new and important scholarship.