Carolyn Jursa Ayers, Ph.D., associate dean for general education and professor of language, literature, and culture; Kyle K. Black, Ph.D., associate professor of language, literature, and culture; and Nicole Ciulla, Ph.D., assistant professor of language, literature, and culture; presented “Failures and Successes in Capstone Community Engagement Projects” at this year’s Association for General and Liberal Studies (AGLS) Constitute on Sept. 28.
Abstract: In the Capstone class of Integratus, the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota general education program, students work in groups to propose, carry out, and then report on a community engagement project. In so doing, they have the opportunity to meet various program objectives at their “end level” — as seniors, we hope they can apply the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the program as well as in their majors to a concrete, real-life situation. They work within set boundaries of time (several weeks of the semester) and space (community partners are local), but with some openness and autonomy in terms of their projects. When we designed the course, we deliberated about whose interests the community partnerships needed to serve, what “successful” projects would look like, and how we could successfully maintain this model of active learning. We piloted the course in academic year 2020-21. Given the challenges presented by the pandemic as well as by the institutional environment, it is perhaps not surprising that some of our ideas for the course were not realized. Yet out of these “failures” we have learned to redirect our energy and focus on what we are able to make work. In the process, we are developing meaningful partnerships and a committed cohort of colleagues. When students also learn these things, they also succeed. Ironically, student engagement with the community partners and causes they commit to can lead to disappointment when their efforts “fail” to achieve the results originally envisioned. Yet out of these “failures” come successful learning experiences and graduates better prepared to engage realistically in their communities. Dr. Ayers, Associate Dean of General Education, shared her work in developing the framework for the Capstone course and pedagogies of “failures”; Dr. Ciulla and Dr. Black discussed their experiences in developing, teaching, failing and succeeding in Capstone sections that focus on Community Gardens in Winona and addressing food insecurity on our Winona campus, respectively.
The Constitute took place Sept. 23-30.
For more information on the Association for General and Liberal Studies, visit agls.org. (Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota holds an institutional membership with AGLS.)
