Faculty may
apply to have their course designated as A+CE on the course schedule. This
means they will be incorporating material into their course that will help
students achieve one of two student learning outcomes (SLO) associated with
critical thinking and community issues:
- (SLO 1) Students
will be able to analyze community issues with respect to different perspectives,
theories, or solutions.
- (SLO 2) Students
will be able to identify or design creative strategies to address an aspect of
a community issue.
When faculty elect to designate their courses as A+CE, they also make a determination about which "mode" their course will be delivered. There are three A+CE modes:
- Awareness: Faculty introduce concepts of intersections between the classroom and community.
- Example: Students in an environmental science course discuss environmental justice issues in the context of the Buffalo Bayou.
- Integration: Faculty introduce concepts of intersections between the classroom and community AND the coursework is enhanced by the introduction of speakers into the classroom or field trips to learn about the concept.
- Involvement: Faculty introduce concepts of intersections between the classroom and community AND the coursework is enhanced by allowing students to practice their newly learned skillset to benefit a community partner or utilizing a service experience to help students grasp course content and critical thinking skills more deeply.