Academic Service Learning Courses at The University of Texas at Austin

Architecture
Living Color: Light, Science, Art, Architecture & Culture. School of Architecture: Interior Design Program. Nancy Kwallek and Luanne Stovall. “Emphasis is on developing a creative approach to critical thinking about color,…service learning and the importance of community service.”


Topics in Sustainable Development. School of Architecture (cross-listed with Business, Planning, Law, and Public Policy). Dr. Steven A. Moore. “This course is a trans-disciplinary graduate level seminar designed to critically explore the concept and practice of sustainable development from a variety of vantage points. Topics vary by year, but generally include: the philosophical origins of sustainability; systems thinking; sustainable food systems; commerce in a sustainable world; government and market solutions to social and environmental problems; role of international governing institutions; sustainable community initiatives; sustainable architecture and cities; industrial ecology and the difficult question of ‘equity’.”


McCombs School of Business
See Architecture.


Continuing & Extended Education Division

Cockrell School of Engineering

Fine Arts
Theatre for Dialogue: Exploring Interpersonal Violence. Theater and Dance (cross-listed with Social Work). Lynn Hoare. “This course trains students to educate their peers about the issues of interpersonal violence including sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking using theatre for social change techniques...Students will use improvisation and participatory activities in their educational performances.”

Graduate Studies

School of Information

Jackson School of Geosciences

School of Law
See LBJ School of Affairs.
See Architecture.

LBJ School of Public Affairs
Fundraising for Nonprofit and Public Sectors. Public Affairs. David Eaton. “This is a course of the use of grantmanship and direct fundraising skills. Each student will develop a complete grant proposal in a topic area of personal interest. The course addresses legal techniques (other than taxes) for raising resources for not-for-profit or governmental activities: grants, contracts, direct fundraising, swaps, gifts, deferred giving, etc…The course is directed at two client groups: working professionals and graduate students.”

Texas Juvenile Justice System. Public Affairs (cross-listed with the School of Law). Michele Deitch, JD, M.Sc. “This course combines the content and structure of a seminar with the client-directed research and a service learning opportunity through a field placement with a community partner. Students learn about the Texas juvenile justice system…and will contribute their research skills to conduct important research for one of the components of the system.”


Liberal Arts
Activist Research Practicum. Anthropology. (cross-listed with African and African American Studies). Dr. Shannon Speed and Dr. Eric Tang. “Students will learn the basics of anthropological research methods, and gain hands-on experience doing “activist research” with an Austin-based organization. Coursework will consider the politics of anthropological research…[and] responses to these criticisms. After working through conventional research methods, we will focus on “activist anthropology,” as one means to confront the problems associated with anthropology’s colonial legacy. Together we will explore the complexities of activist research methods, while each student conceives and carries out an activist research project in conjunction with an organization in the Austin area.”

Bridging Community Through Service-Learning. Asian American Studies. Kenyatta Dawson, MA. “This course is designed for students who are interested in learning more about local Asian Pacific American communities and organizations through academic service learning. We will examine networks, bridging communities, individuals and how empowerment brings about organization change.”

The History of AIDS in Africa. Dr. James Wilson. “This course examines the history of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa from the 1980s to the present. A special emphasis of the course will trace the early theories of the AIDS epidemic and compare these “theories” with a broader history concerning the Western gaze and fascination with African sexualized bodies.”

Nonprofit Consulting: An Internship Alternative. College of Liberal Arts. Dr. Elizabeth Smith Alexander. “This course offers undergraduates a project-based experience that integrates the characteristics gained through their liberal arts course-work…;” “training in effective consulting, creativity & innovation, team-working, communication, and business etiquette;” and “an opportunity to impact a real-world problem facing local non-profit organizations…”

Plan II/KIPP Partnership. Plan II. H. Grant Thomas, Jr. “The primary focus of this course will be on the development of an effective and replicable cross-age mentoring program, matching selected Plan II students with mentees from KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Austin College Prep, a local charter school serving low-income students in grades 5 – 8. Integral features of the course will include regular mentoring contacts; class discussions, readings, and guest speakers or relevance to mentoring and/or KIPP; personal journals; and written reflection…”

Women’s Self Determination and Empowerment through Community Engagement. African and African American Studies. Dr. Lanese Aggrey. “This course will focus on the historical and contemporary role of African and African American women as they embody self-determination and empowerment through community engagement and social justice work…[Students will] participate in service to a community partner serving African-American young women in this community.”

See Social Work.

Natural Sciences

Nursing
Public Health Nursing Practicum. Nursing. Murphy, Linda; Chambers, Linda; Horton, Shalonda; Moran, Mary; and O’Day, Trish. “This practicum provides opportunities for students to apply public health nursing concepts, theories, and processes to the care of aggregates and the total community. The aim of public health nursing is to partner with the community and its people to prevent illness, disability and disease, identify risk factors and promote optimal health…Assigned clinical experiences will assist students to develop skills in the practice of public health nursing.”

Pharmacy

Social Work
Community and Social Development: Maymester in Ghana. (cross-listed with African and African American Studies, Women & Gender Studies, Anthropology). Dr. Dorie Gilbert and Dr. Lanese Aggrey. “Through this course, students will gain a sound understanding of Ghanaian social work approaches to community and social development through social service delivery and community empowerment strategies which incorporate indigenous customs, institutions and values…(While in Ghana) students will volunteer with various non-governmental and social service agencies, community-based organizations s well as meet with members of the Ghana Association of Social Workers as well as leading community providers.

Social Work Practice with Groups. Social Work. Dr. Dorie Gilbert. “The course deals with both task and treatment groups from an interactional perspective and emphasizes issues that have application to a wide range of social work clients and situations…Part of the class will be organized as a skill-building laboratory, utilizing the small group context and role plays for development of skill in leading groups. In addition, students will have the opportunity to work directly with group facilitators in the community on a variety of projects related to task and treatment group work.”

See Fine Arts.

Undergraduate Studies