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(Wolfville, NS) – Dr. Gail Dinter-Gottlieb,
President and Vice-Chancellor of Acadia University, today announced
that Dr. Cynthia Alexander will receive the first Presidential
Fellowship in Engaged Learning.
“Community engagement is critical to Acadia’s
success and is an essential element in the liberal learning
experience,” said Dr. Dinter-Gottlieb. “This Fellowship recognizes
the value of faculty working with our community.”
Dr. Alexander, a professor in the Department
of Political Science, will receive a $10,000 grant over the next two
years for her research on digital democracies. Dr. Alexander will
assess and advance a cross-cultural, computer-assisted model of
community-service learning with political science
students. Her approach will include the use of new information and
communication technologies that will: facilitate local and distant
community partnerships; and create distinctive digital resources,
such as digital documentaries, as part of the students’ deliverables
to their community partners.
Dr. Alexander is not new to the concept of
community-service learning. She has created similar learning
environments for her students
for more than five years through partnerships with First Nations,
Inuit and African Nova Scotia communities. Through her on-going
work, Dr. Alexander is particularly interested in contributing to
the understanding of how community-service learning can enrich and
deepen citizenship in multicultural societies.
“Community-service learning changes the
context in which lessons are learned,” said Dr. Dinter-Gottlieb.
“The approach provides opportunities for students to promote the
kind of informed, engaged and compassionate citizenship that
democracy depends upon.”
The Fellowship will also be linked to the
Acadia University Learning Commons. The Commons will be a "hub" for
creativity, innovation, and support for teaching and learning. It
will be a central support centre for students and faculty, and also
offer the academic community exciting new ways to teach and learn,
increase opportunities to work within the community, and broaden the
vision of the Acadia Community to include a global view of education
and citizenship.
The Learning Commons will have several components: a Centre for
Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning, where faculty and students will
explore exciting new educational models; an Institute for Civic
Engagement, where faculty, students, and staff will consider their
role and responsibilities in our society, while facilitating
meaningful community/university projects that enhance learning
experiences and provide service to agencies and organizations; a
Centre for Internationalization, which will focus on coordinating
the University’s international activities and maximize Acadia’s
impact on global education; and a Student Support Centre, which will
consist of writing, mathematics, and advising components.
Acadia
University, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, has long been recognized as
one of Canada’s premier undergraduate institutions. With its
nationally and internationally recognized research initiatives,
small class sizes and technology-rich teaching and learning
environment, Acadia offers students an experience that includes
academic achievement combined with personal growth and development.
For more information about Acadia, visit our website at
www.acadiau.ca.
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