CIVC 135     Communities in Conversation: Civil Discourse in Public Life  (4)

This course examines what it means to participate in public life, grounded in the understanding that civil discourse is essential to community engagement and social transformation. Through an interdisciplinary lens, students will critically consider the conditions necessary to foster meaningful, constructive engagement around contentious issues. Experiential components invite students into the promises and pitfalls of civil discourse in their own communities, encouraging reflective and courageous engagement while strengthening their capacity to communicate with empathy and humility and to act responsively and collaboratively. By blending theory with practice, students will gain experience understanding community-based issues, learning from diverse perspectives, and cultivating the communication practices necessary to address shared challenges with curiosity, creativity, and care to strengthen collective life.

CIVC 150     Posse Scholar Seminar  (1)

Designed for Posse Scholars in their first year at Sewanee, this course supports the ongoing navigation of the opportunities and challenges of a Sewanee education. It will explore academic expectations, campus culture, effective use of resources and problem-solving strategies, providing opportunities for reflection, discussion, and community building. The course will enhance the civic and community engagement of Posse Scholars as they build a network that includes the student body, faculty, staff, alumni, and our surrounding communities. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Open only to students admitted to the Posse program.

CIVC 200     Introduction to Community Engagement  (4)

An interdisciplinary examination of the theoretical and analytical tools essential for an understanding of civic engagement and leadership. Topics focus on typical problems faced in the context of community change, including, but not limited to, framing social issues; qualitative and quantitative field research methods; socioeconomic, cultural, political, and global structures underlying poverty; the social change model of leadership development; human capabilities perspective; and cross-cultural communication.

CIVC 250     Advanced Posse Scholar Seminar  (1)

Designed for Posse Scholars in their second year at Sewanee, this course supports the ongoing navigation of the opportunities and challenges of a Sewanee education. It will explore academic expectations, campus culture, effective use of resources and problem-solving strategies, providing opportunities to facilitate discussions, community engagement fundamentals and peer leadership development for their peers. The course will enhance the civic and community engagement of Posse Scholars as they lead and support others in building a network that includes the student body, faculty, staff, alumni, and our global society. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Open only to students admitted to the Posse program.

CIVC 310     Philanthropy: Theory and Practice  (2)

An introduction to the theory and practice of philanthropy. Using the history and philosophy of philanthropy in North America as a foundation, this course examines giving and grant-making processes and their effects on institutions and society. Assumptions about giving are interrogated in order to establish meaningful criteria for evaluating organizations and grant supported projects. This course also provides insight into the nonprofit sector, specifically organizations working in rural communities.

CIVC 395     Mentored Research  (2 or 4)

Supervised research on a topic related to community engagement. Students work with a faculty member involved with the Certificate program on a research project that engages with one or more community partners. If initially taken for 2 credits, may be repeated to complete the project. Prerequisite: CIVC 200 and instructor prerequisite override required..

CIVC 400     Capstone in Collaborative Change  (4)

Integrating theory, methods, and analytical tools central to academic approaches to civic engagement and leadership with their concentration coursework, students in this seminar work with faculty and site supervisors to design and complete a semester-long research project to address a specific problem that emerged during the course of their practicum experiences. Restricted to students pursuing the certificate in civic and global leadership. Open only to students pursuing curricular certificates in community engagement for collaborative change. Prerequisite: CIVC 100 or CIVC 200.

CIVC 410     Philanthropy Practicum  (2)

In this practicum, students administer a grant program in collaboration with the South Cumberland Community Fund. Students solicit, review, and evaluate grant proposals; conduct interviews and site visits; and award grants to community organizations in the tri-county (Franklin, Grundy, and Marion) area of the South Cumberland Plateau. Prerequisite: Only open to students admitted to the Office of Civic Engagement’s Philanthropy program..