Engaged Scholarship & Learning at UTRGV — Service Learning Designation Form — Spring 2027 (UTRGV Faculty Only)
Overview
The Center for Teaching Excellence and the Office of Engaged Scholarship & Learning at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley invite faculty to submit an official service learning designation application. This internal review process formally recognizes courses that integrate community-engaged pedagogy with academic objectives. The designation is not a grant or prize but an institutional acknowledgment that a course meets the university's criteria for service learning, which may carry curricular and administrative benefits. Applicants must provide comprehensive course details, including course number, title, CRN for each section, class meeting style, the semester(s) in which the course is typically taught with service learning, and community partner information. A syllabus is required. The review is conducted by the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Office of Engaged Scholarship & Learning, ensuring that designated courses align with UTRGV's standards for reciprocal community partnerships and reflective learning. The curatorial vision emphasizes rigorous, mutually beneficial engagement between students and community partners. Faculty are expected to articulate how the service learning component enhances student learning and addresses community-identified needs. This designation signals a commitment to pedagogical innovation and civic responsibility within the UTRGV curriculum.