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Community Engaged Learning Program

A page within Instructors

About the program

The Community Engaged Learning (CEL) Program is a classroom to community relationship that involves academically-based community engaged courses where student learning takes place in partnership with a community organization/business. The student has course content related reflection and faculty mentorship that enhances student learning while also providing a service to the partnering agency.

Instructors who receive a Community Engaged Learning designation on their course will receive a one-time $1,500 award for Professional Development, as well as the opportunity to apply for additional Supplies & Expenses dollars each time the CEL course is taught.

If your course meets the criteria to be a part of the CEL program, instructors are invited to apply for a designation to be added to their course section in WINGS. Once approved, the designation remains on the course and can be added or removed at the request of the instructor at any time. The designation will be reviewed every five years. Learn more about the CEL program process.

Apply

Instructors can preview the CEL application here. Deadlines to apply are as follows:

  • Fall courses
    • Round 1: February 15 (designation applied by the start of student course registration)
    • Round 2: May 15
  • Spring courses
    • Round 1: September 15 (designation applied by the start of student course registration)
    • Round 2: January 15
  • Summer courses
    • December 15

Apply about Apply

High impact practice

Instructors across a wide variety of disciplines at UWL already actively design course content around community-based activities. These Community Engaged Learning experiences are considered high-impact practices and are linked to higher student satisfaction and retention—particularly when they occur early in a student's college career.

In addition, the mutually beneficial partnerships fostered in this program address societal concerns and improve quality of life by co-creating partnerships that meet community needs. Other benefits include:

  • Collaborating with community partners allows instructors to provide an authentic experience to students.
  • Collaborations can contribute to scholarly outcomes and provide service opportunities.
  • Collaborations show stakeholders outside of the university how instructors are engaged beyond the classroom, using their skills and expertise to benefit the wider community.
  • Collaborations lead to strong student outcomes such as understanding the construction of knowledge, having the ability to carry out data analysis and scientific writing, and understanding the use of evidence to support hypotheses and assertions.
CEL instructor directory

Nicholas Bakken Professor | Sociology & Criminal Justice

Ariel Beaujot Professor | History

Rupsa Bhowmick Assistant Professor | Geography & Environmental Science

Nilakshi Borah Professor | Finance

Lisa Caya Teaching Professor | Psychology

Hanni Cowley Clinical Associate Professor | Health Professions

Pam Culver Teaching Associate Professor | Marketing

Tara Delong Teaching Professor | Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy

Marissa Eckrote-Nordland Assistant Professor | Economics

Mehtap Eklund Associate Professor | Accountancy

Andreas Eklund Assistant Professor | Marketing

Angela Geraci Assistant Professor | Public Health & Community Health Education

Nicole Gullekson Professor | Management

Laurie Harmon Professor | Recreational Management and Recreational Therapy

Jaspreet Kaur Assistant Professor | Biology

Christa Kiersch Professor | Management

Lindsey Kirschbaum Assistant Teaching Professor | Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy

Lisa Kruse Professor | Sociology & Criminal Justice

Brian Kumm-Schaley Associate Professor | Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy

Kristina Laplant Assistant Professor | Political Science & Public Administration

Lisa Lenarz Associate Professor | Art

Christine Manno Assistant Professor | Management

Peter Marina Associate Professor | Sociology & Criminal Justice

Antonio Martín Gómez Assistant Professor | Global Cultures & Languages

Maggie Mcdermott Associate Professor | Marketing

Kelly Nowicki Teaching Professor | Management

Elizabeth Peacock Associate Professor | Archaeology & Anthropology

Bixi Qiao Assistant Professor | Psychology

Alysa Remsburg Teaching Professor | Sustainability and Environmental Studies

Sierra Rooney Associate Professor | Art

Lisa Savarese Associate Teaching Professor | Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy

Laura Schaffer Program Director - Occupational Therapy | Health Professions

Andrew Scott Teaching Associate Professor | Finance

Lindsay Steiner Professor | English

Kelly Sultzbach Professor | English

Jennifer Taylor Associate Professor | Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy

Diana Tempski Teaching Professor | Finance

Stacy Trisler Teaching Professor | Marketing

Abigail Wagner Associate Teaching Professor | Exercise & Sport Science

Louise Zamparutti Associate Professor | English

Partnership success story

UW-La Crosse accounting students gained invaluable experience through a Community Engaged Learning partnership with Mid-City Steel in La Crosse, Wis.

The partnership allows students to discover and address accounting challenges that often arise in the real world but are difficult to simulate in the classroom. 

Learn more about Partnership success story