Embedding Service Learning in Engaged Scholarship at Research Institutions to Revitalize Metropolitan Neighborhoods

Abstract

Over the past 2 decades, the form and function of teaching, research, and service activities labeled as community and civic engagement has increased. At the University of Memphis, the evolution of engaged scholarship has been strongly influenced by the grassroots-level participation of faculty who embraced service learning as an integral component of the engaged scholarship process centered on building community partnerships. In this article, we outline the history of service learning and community engagement at the University of Memphis resulting in the Strengthening Communities Initiative and suggest the role of internal social movements in transforming institutions of higher education and communities. Our model calls for program-initiated service learning, reciprocal partnerships, and institution-level changes to support engaged teaching and scholarship. Such a transformation requires visionary leadership at the institutional level, external demands for new thinking and acting, and a critical mass of engaged faculty and students. In addition, the model suggests that an organizing structure, such as the Strengthening Communities Initiative program, is key to further institutionalize the social movement and ultimately influence the cultural and philosophical core of institutions of higher education.

Keywords:

• Service learning
• engaged scholarship
• internal social movement
• community partnerships

Notes

¹The UM was founded under the auspices of the General Education Bill, enacted by the Tennessee Legislature in 1909. Known originally as West Tennessee State Normal School, the institution opened its doors September 10, 1912. Today, the U M is one of Tennessee's three comprehensive doctoral-extensive institutions of higher learning. With an enrollment of approximately 21,000 students, the UM has 24 Chairs of Excellence, more than any other Tennessee university, and five state-approved Centers of Excellence.

²The Memphis, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 1.3 million that covers five counties in three states. The Memphis Mid-South region is home to 13 higher education institutions and a number of large medical facilities, and serves as a large distribution hub for air and ground transport. As the center of economic activity for a large region, Memphis evidences social problems common to large urban areas. For example, Memphis ranks high on national lists for poverty, crime, infant mortality, bankruptcy, and housing stock decay.

³The Urban Serving University Consortium developed a national agenda that focused on developing programs around three major strands: strengthening communities, health (specifically focused on health disparities), and urban education.