Civic and Community Engagement Minor

Behrend College offers the innovative Intercollege Penn State Minor in Civic and Community engagement (CIVCM) to students in any major. The minor encourages students to move beyond traditional classroom work to creatively explore relevant community issues through research and service.

Why pursue a minor in Civic and Community Engagement?

In  the CIVCM minor students develop the skills and creativity to solve problems in the local and global communities. Through hands-on engagement, research, and other projects, students apply what they learn in the classroom to real-life problems and issues. Students in this minor have opportunities to serve their communities, explore new areas of interest, and deepen their knowledge of social and political issues.

Requirements for the Civic and Community Engagement Minor (CIVCM): 18 credits

  • YFE 211/CIVCM 211 (3)--The Foundations of Civic and Community Engagement. Typically offered fall semester.
  • 15 additional credits planned in consultation with the student's academic adviser. Students must develop a proposed plan of study as part of their Application for the CIVCM Minor. The plan of study should consist of a combination of courses that includes a supervised field experience as well as courses that incorporate public issues and democracy.
  • Up to 9 credits that count for a student's declared major may also count toward the CIVCM Minor.
  • Past courses and field work may count retroactively toward the minor with the approval of a CIVCM advisor.
  • 3 credits must be capstone work at the 400 level. A capstone project may consist of a research project, annotated portfolio, thesis or other creative work that allows the student to reflect on and analyze their community engagement experiences.

More information on the Civic and Community Engagement Minor and academic requirements can be found in the University Bulletin, by visiting the Penn State Learning page, http://pennstatelearning.psu.edu/civcom-minor/

For more information about the Penn State minor in Civic and Community Engagement at Penn State Behrend, please contact one of the members of the Behrend CIVCM coordinating committee.

Mr. Jonathan Hall (Chair of the coordinating committee)
School of Science
133 Otto Behrend
814-898-6307, jch12@psu.edu

Dr. Dawn Blasko
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
47 Irvin Kochel Center
814-898-6081, dgb6@psu.edu

Kathy Holliday-Darr
School of engineering
234 REDC
814-898-6271, ib4@psu.edu

Dawn Coburn Joy
Nursing
814-898-6783, dcj11@psu.edu

Dr. Rod Troester
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
47 Irvin Kochel Center
814-898-6442, rlt5@psu.edu

Dr. Kathryn Wolfe
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
158 Irvin Kochel Center
814-898-6449, kww2@psu.edu

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Updated February 9, 2010
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