Course Syllabus

Community Engagement Onboarding Curriculum 

Syllabus

Curriculum Director

Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President of Community Partnerships

Maghboeba.mosavel@vcuhealth.org

 

Supervisor

Throughout the program, you will have ongoing opportunities to report on and discuss the learning material with your Community Engagement Leadership Team Member and supervisor. This open line of communication will not only allow you to keep them updated on your progress, but also serve as a platform for you to ask questions and clarify any uncertainties you may have as you apply the material to your work with the division of community engagement or on projects for the division.

 Appointment: Available upon request

 

VCU Division of Community Engagement Vision Statement

To integrate community engagement across all units to address societal inequities, bridge the university-community divide, and demonstrate civic responsibility to advance transformative social change.

 

Mission Statement

To prioritize processes and partnerships to advance an equity-oriented, context driven, and strength-based community engagement framework, leading to mutually beneficial and impactful outcomes that address social, economic, and health inequities.

 

Program Description

The VCU Division of Community Engagement is dedicated to providing a comprehensive onboarding program for all students who are interning, volunteering or employed in the division. This program is designed to prepare students for their work with the community engagement team and community partners, residents, faculty, and staff who are involved in community engagement, outreach and research.

The goal of this onboarding program is to equip students with the essential training and knowledge in community engagement best practices. As VCU students representing the division of community engagement, it is crucial for students to have a deep understanding of the history, context, and approach to community engagement.

To ensure that students have a strong foundation in community engagement, they are expected to complete all modules of the onboarding curriculum prior to beginning their work. The curriculum includes a comprehensive overview of VCU's community engagement efforts, the history of partnerships with community partners, and the approach used by the division of community engagement in its work with communities.

In addition to this foundational training, students will be expected to immerse themselves in the community, as appropriate or specified by their work/internship agreement, by attending meetings, listening to residents, and observing their surroundings. This first-hand experience will deepen students' understanding of the neighborhoods they are working in and help them gain a better understanding of the challenges and needs of the community.

Upon completion of the onboarding program and their work or internship with community engagement, students will be asked to reflect on their learning experiences and provide a narrative reflection. This reflection will help the division of community engagement refine its curriculum and ensure that it is providing students with the information and tools they need to become successful community engaged scholars and tackle societal challenges in innovative, respectful, and trustworthy ways.

 

Learning Objectives

  1. Understanding of VCU's overall mission and vision and that of Community Engagement, as well as the specific goals and objectives of the division of community engagement.
  2. Knowledge of community engagement best practices, including communication skills and strategies for engaging with stakeholders, both internal and external to VCU.
  3. Awareness of the history and context of community engagement and partnerships within VCU and the partner communities.
  4. Familiarity with the approach and methodologies used in community engagement, including listening, observing, and asking thoughtful questions.
  5. Understanding of select neighborhoods and communities with which VCU engages, through interaction and presence at community meetings.
  6. Development of the skills and mindset necessary to become a community engaged scholar, capable of addressing societal challenges in innovative, respectful, and trustworthy ways.
  7. Reflecting on and consolidating learning from the onboarding curriculum, through writing and answering questions about their experiences.
  8. Contributing to the improvement and refinement of the onboarding curriculum through the sharing of reflections and experiences.

Course Structure

  1. This experiential program will use Canvas as the Learning Systems platform.
  2. This program will provide an overview and onboarding of your experience working with the division of community engagement
  3. Weekly engagement in the discussion board is required.
  4. Your goal will be to integrate the learning materials and apply them to your learning and work within VCU and with community partners
  5. Engage with other participants to create a shared and supportive learning community.
  6. Tasks are outlined in the module folder.
  7. The program is designed to be flexible to accommodate students’ schedules and can be completed at their own pace, but within the designated time frame.

Course Modules

Module 1:  History of Community Engagement at VCU

Module 2: Community Partnerships and its importance

Module 3: Vision, Mission, Values, Principles

Module 4: VCU Economic Impact

Module 5: Asset Mapping

Module 6: Problem-based learning – working with community partners

Module 7: Place and Space, where you live matters…

Module 8: Personal Neighborhood Assessment

Module 9: Review of VCU Neighborhood-Carver

Module 10: Review of VCU Neighborhood-Jackson Ward

Module 11: Review of VCU Neighborhood-Shockoe Bottom

Module 12: Review of VCU Neighborhood-Church Hill/East End

Module 13: Review of VCU Neighborhood-Petersburg, VA

Module 14: Review of VCU Neighborhood-Manchester

Required Materials

There is no book required for this supplemental, applied learning opportunity.

Assessment

This program is not a traditional academic course, but rather a structured onboarding opportunity for students who are associated with the division of community engagement. The focus is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and understanding to effectively work and engage with the community.

While grades are not the primary goal of this program, it is important that students complete all the weekly tasks, which serve as the foundation for informed and purposeful engagement. Students will receive a designation of either "complete" or "incomplete" for each task they complete, indicating their level of participation and completion.