September 2026 Newsletter

UConn students enjoy the fire pits and glow swings on the Founders Green on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

12:30pm – 1:30pm

Presented last spring and back by popular demand, this workshop provides a broad overview of community-engaged scholarship and offers practical guidance for faculty seeking to make a strong case for their community-engaged research and teaching in promotion, tenure, and reappointment. The workshop will review recommendations developed by UConn’s Community Engagement Incorporation into Promotion, Tenure, and Reappointment Task Force.

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

11:30am-12:30pm

This interactive workshop will help faculty clearly document and communicate community-engaged scholarship in promotion, tenure, reappointment, and annual review materials. Participants will learn how to distinguish engaged scholarship from traditional service, articulate the intellectual contributions and reciprocal partnerships underlying their work, and identify evidence of scholarly quality and community impact. Through guided reflection and a hands-on writing exercise, participants will begin revising a project description into a compelling dossier narrative that connects their community-engaged work to institutional criteria and a broader scholarly trajectory. Participants are encouraged to bring a current dossier narrative, annual review entry, or description of a community-engaged project.

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

11:30am – 12:30pm

This introductory webinar will explore the principles and practices of community-engaged teaching and highlight strategies for building reciprocal, mutually beneficial community partnerships. Participants will also learn about UConn’s Community-Engaged Scholars Fellowship, which supports faculty and staff in developing or revising a community-engaged course or program. 

The Krimerman Community Engagement Grants represent the legacy of Professor Leonard I. Krimerman. Professor Krimerman led the creation of the University of Connecticut Inner College, an alternative approach to higher education, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This grant program was established by UConn alumni inspired by Professor Krimerman’s educational programs.

Krimerman Community Service Grants support student-led projects that have direct involvement with the community and may include, but are not limited to, the following types of activities:

1. Direct learning in which students are in direct contact with community members or organizations, such as working on-site at an agency or tutoring in an adult literacy program.

2. Indirect learning in which students engage with a cause or a community need through means that do not necessarily involve constant contact with beneficiaries, such as designing a study, developing information materials, or creating a website.

3. Civic action or advocacy in which students work to effect change in public policy, such as presenting at a town safety meeting or a legislative public hearing.

In this first iteration of the program, each grant will be $500. Therefore, we encourage applicants to use these funds to initiate, complete, or advance student independent projects.

Eligibility:

• Be an undergraduate student at the University of Connecticut.
• Maintain a good academic standing at the time of application and throughout the project.
• Have at least one semester left after the semester they apply.
• Be supported and mentored by a UConn faculty member who will actively support the project.

Timeline: Applications for Spring 2027 will be accepted until Friday, October 9, 2026. Students and their project advisors will be notified of the awards by November 2, 2026. By the end of the Spring Semester, awardees are required to submit a project profile in video or another visual format upon completion of the project.

Evaluation criteria: The selection committee will evaluate nominations based on the degree to which students articulate (1) how they have designed and will implement the project independently; (2) propose meaningful interactions with community partners; and (3) demonstrate a clear need for funding to complete a project.



Funding Categories: Open to any items needed to support initiation, completion, or advancement, such as transportation, materials, hosting meetings or creative exhibitions, data collection, etc.

Faculty and Staff are invited to join the Community-Engaged Scholars Fellows Program.

Fellows will meet regularly during the spring semester to learn the theory and practice of community-engaged teaching and learning.

Participants will receive individualized support to develop reciprocal community partnerships and adapt or create course syllabi that align with both learning objectives and community priorities. Fellows will then implement their courses in the summer, fall, or following spring semester and continue to meet during the fall to discuss progress, share experiences, and address challenges related to partnership-based teaching and learning.

The Fellowship provides the following:

• A year-long cohort-based professional development experience focused on community-engaged teaching and learning.
• Training in the theories, principles, and best practices of community-engaged pedagogy, including community-based learning, partnership development, reflection, and assessment.
• Individualized mentorship and consultation from experienced community-engaged faculty and staff throughout the fellowship year.
• Assistance in creating, revising, or enhancing a community-engaged course, project, or learning experience.
• Support in identifying, cultivating, and sustaining reciprocal partnerships with community organizations and agencies.
• Opportunities to engage with an interdisciplinary cohort of faculty committed to student success, civic learning, and community impact.
• Access to resources, readings, tools, and examples that support effective community-engaged teaching and learning.
• Ongoing participation in a community of practice dedicated to advancing community-engaged teaching and learning at UConn.

Fellowship Support and Funding

Fellows are eligible to receive up to $1,000 in course development support, contingent upon participation in required fellowship activities.

Applications for the 2027 cohort are due on Tuesday, December 11, and must be submitted via Kuali Build for review by the Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning Committee.

Email engagement@uconn.edu with any questions.

The newly formed UConn Age-Friendly University (AFU) Affinity Group welcomes current and retired faculty and staff from across UConn, including Storrs, Hartford, Avery Point, Waterbury, Stamford, UConn Health, and UConn Law.

Our mission is to foster:

·      Connection across generations and career stages

·      Lifelong learning and mentorship

·      Meaningful dialogue and advocacy

·      Supportive peer networks

·      Access to valuable resources, including OLLI, Connecticut’s senior citizen tuition waiver, and healthy-retirement programming

Join us and help build a more age-inclusive UConn community!

Use this form to join our mailing list and receive information about upcoming meetings.

Please email Lisa Kenyon-Pesce or Merly Downey at agefriendly@uconn.edu with any questions.

The Office of Outreach and Engagement is excited to launch a new book club focused on broader impacts and community-engaged scholarship.

Our first selection, The Handbook of Broader Impacts, explores how research can create meaningful societal impact through community engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional support. The book offers practical strategies and real-world examples for integrating broader impacts into research, teaching, and academic careers.

Faculty, staff, students, and campus partners from all UConn campuses are invited to participate. Meetings will take place virtually. The tentative schedule is below.

To join or learn more, please email engagement@uconn.edu with your interest.

The Native American and Indigenous Studies faculty team: Sandy Grande, Kat Milligan-McClellan, Nate Acebo, Chris Newell, Hana Maruyama, April Anson, Josh Mayer, Bruno Seraphin, and Kali Simmons—leaders of UConn’s transformative Tribal Education Initiative (TEI).

Born from student advocacy and grounded in partnership with Connecticut’s Tribal Nations, the TEI reimagines the relationship between a land-grant university and Indigenous communities. Through institutional change, community collaboration, and innovative programming, the NAIS faculty have built a sustainable framework for reciprocal engagement, Indigenous leadership, and educational justice.



Their work includes strengthening partnerships with the five Tribal Nations in Connecticut, supporting the growth of the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program, advancing Indigenous-centered curriculum, launching initiatives such as IndigiPalooza! and #IndigiReads, and expanding Native student support programs.

To: Office of the Provost, UConn Faculty, Office of the Registrar

From: Office of Outreach and Engagement

Date: July 14, 2026

Subject: Change in Terminology from Service Learning to Community-Engaged Teaching

The University of Connecticut is updating its terminology to reflect current scholarship and best practices in higher education. Effective immediately, the term service learning will transition to community-engaged teaching in all official communications, policies, and practices.

This change is intended to more directly reflect the principles that have long guided service learning work at UConn, particularly reciprocity, mutual benefit, reflection, and collaboration with community partners. The updated terminology better captures the full scope of these practices and aligns UConn’s language with contemporary usage across higher education and within our own institutional guidance documents.

This update reflects an evolution in terminology within the field rather than a change in UConn’s longstanding commitment to engaged, collaborative teaching and learning practices.

Rationale for the Change:

• Alignment with National Scholarship and Practice: The term community-engaged teaching is now widely adopted across higher education and better reflects contemporary best practices.

• Integration with UConn Policies: This terminology is consistent with UConn’s Promotion, Tenure, and Reappointment (PTR) Guidance Documents (2025, June), which define community-engaged teaching as teaching that enriches student experiences through reciprocal, sustainable partnerships, leverages shared resources, and integrates research with practice.

Definition (PTR Guidance Documents, 2025, June):

“Community-engaged teaching is teaching that enriches student experiences through the development of reciprocal, sustainable community partnerships, which leverages university and community resources, impacts students, and strengthens the university and the community. Community-engaged teaching as scholarly work is characterized by its interconnection with the advancement of knowledge in academia and the community, continuous improvement and reflection of learning methods, and integration of research and practice.”

By adopting this terminology, UConn reinforces its commitment to collaboration, reciprocity, and the co-creation of knowledge with community partners. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to use community-engaged teaching in communications, proposals, and course descriptions going forward.

Terminology Note:



While community-engaged teaching will serve as the primary institutional terminology, the phrase community-engaged teaching and learning is also acceptable when appropriate to context, audience, or disciplinary practice.

For any questions regarding this terminology update or its application, please contact the Office of Outreach and Engagement (engagement@uconn.edu).

Community Engaged Course Designation

Evaluation Rubric for Course Approval

Community-engaged teaching is teaching that enriches student experiences through the development of reciprocal, sustainable community partnerships, which leverages university and community resources, impacts students, and strengthens the university and the community. Community-engaged teaching as scholarly work is characterized by its interconnection with the advancement of knowledge in academia and the community, continuous improvement and reflection of learning methods, and integration of research and practice.

Criteria

The basic criteria for designating an existing course as a community-engaged course at UConn includes:



• Involves a collaborative partnership built on reciprocity, where community partners co-create goals and share resources in ways that are mutually beneficial
• Demonstrates a clear connection between the community engagement activity and the course content
• Involves structured student reflection
• Designed to develop student civic literacy and engagement

A course may be designated as community-engaged if its activities partner with public or private organizations to enhance teaching and learning, foster civic responsibility, address societal challenges, and contribute to the public good (American Council on Education, 2025).

Apply for up to $5K in Funding From Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC)

The Engagement Scholarship Consortium Research/Creative Activities Grants Program is now open!

Faculty and staff at ESC member institutions are eligible to apply for up to $5,000 to support a one-year engaged scholarship project. Projects may be domestic or international, and interdisciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations are encouraged.

If you have an idea that brings university and community partners together to address a meaningful issue, build new knowledge, or strengthen community-engaged practice, I hope you’ll consider applying.

- Application deadline: October 14, 2026

- Funding: Up to $5,000

- Grant period: January 1–December 31, 2027

Please share with colleagues who may be interested!

View the application guidelines and apply:

https://engagementscholarship.org/grants-and-awards/esc-grants-program/application-procedures-and-process 

Associate professor Roman Shrestha (back row, second from left) and assistant research professor Kamal Gautam (far right) with other members of their lab. (Courtesy of Roman Shrestha)

Asked about the driving force for his lab’s work, associate professor Roman Shrestha says it all comes down to “really making a difference for the vulnerable populations we work with.” 

The Shrestha Lab is a group of interdisciplinary researchers dedicated to improving health outcomes and quality of life for people across the globe, especially those who face barriers to accessing the traditional healthcare system. They focus on developing solutions that can easily plug into existing needs, including innovative new service programs and digital health initiatives like apps and wearable devices. 



The lab has a strong international focus, with specific projects focused on supporting mental health, substance use, and HIV prevention among sexual minority populations in Malaysia and Nepal. But they also work with communities closer to home.