Connecting Life and Learning: Engaging the Whole Person through the Integration of Academics and Student Affairs

Project Description

Connecting Life and Learning: Engaging the Whole Person through the Integration of Academics and Student Affairs is a Georgetown initiative funded by the Charles Engelhard Foundation and the American Association of Colleges & Universities. It is part of a larger national project that addresses student mental health and wellness through various forms of engaged learning. At Georgetown, our project of engaged learning takes the form of curriculum infusion—the introduction of wellness topics into the academic content of the course.  In conjunction with curriculum infusion, we also support the optional addition of a community-based learning component to Engelhard courses. Four semesters of initial assessment tell us that curriculum infusion and community-based learning appear to be powerful mechanisms for engaging students in serious reflection on the integration of academic content and personal wellness issues.  These pedagogies address student well-being with intellectual seriousness inside the classroom and outside the classroom through civic engagement.

Georgetown Faculty from Anthropology, Biology, Business, English, Mathematics, Nursing and Health Studies, Philosophy, Psychology, SFS, Theatre and Theology have participated in this project as Engelhard Fellows.  They report that teaching in this manner has been one of their most rewarding teaching experiences, and note the positive influence these types of pedagogies have on the quality of student work. We invite you to join these faculty in educating your students as whole individuals through this unique opportunity, supported by university staff in The Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), the Center for Social Justice (CSJ) and Student Affairs, and a small stipend of between $500-$800 (depending on class size) and the possibility of further support for your TA(s).

For additional information about the project and how to get involved, please contact Mindy McWilliams, CNDLS, or Joan Riley, SNHS.

For more information about becoming an Engelhard Faculty Fellow, please read the requirements. To find out more about existing Engelhard courses and fellows, visit our Faculty Fellows page.