
	Wednesday August 27 2008

Faculty Orientation

New Faculty Orientation is offered each fall for those new to USF. It’s an opportunity to meet and talk with experienced faculty engaged in community-based projects as well as community partners seeking expertise. Some of the topics covered in the one-day workshop (usually on a Friday in October) include:

How is Community-Based Scholarship Approached at USF?

Tenured faculty members from a variety of disciplines share their experience with community-based scholarship within the classroom (often through service learning) and research. Success stories and challenges in partnerships with community entities are shared.

What are the Benefits of Community-based Scholarship?

Benefits to the community, students, faculty and the university are discussed, relating to our students at both the undergraduate and graduate level, faculty at multiple career levels, USF as it relates to a central university-wide strategic direction, the surrounding community, and disciplinary knowledge.

What USF Supports are in Place to Enable Community-based Scholarship?

There are a variety of ways USF supports community engagement including small grants for service learning and community-based research from the USF Collaborative for Children, Families and Communities and the Office of Research. Faculty mentors and working groups which focus on neighborhoods and communities are also available.

Getting Connected with the Community

Government, neighborhood and non-profit leaders from across the Tampa Bay are joining new faculty for networking and lunch to talk about their interests, needs and opportunities.

If you have not attended a New Faculty Orientation and would like to, we encourage you to contact us so we can share information on the Collaborative and this annual orientation. Our on-going research grant programs, service-learning classes and working groups will give you an opportunity to connect with USF faculty interested in community engagement and receive encouragement to further your research, participate with decision makers and develop relationships with the community. You can call us at (813) 974-7318 or email info@usfcollab.usf.edu. Together with the community, we can identify ways to accomplish your professional and career goals, while making a positive impact on Tampa Bay.