The descriptions below highlight the academic civic engagement component of each class. Please check the Academic Catalog for complete course descriptions and prerequisites.
American Conversation
AMCON 101 Freedoms: 1607-1865
Instructor: Eric Fure-Slocum
Students explored voting and participation in elections as key elements of American citizenship. As part of the course, teams of students were required to engage in at least one of the following; register voters (on and off-campus), present to Northfield High School students on the importance of political participation, serve as an election judge or work for a political campaign. As part of the course, students also participated in voter registration training, kept a log of their work, reflected on their experiences in class and presented at a post election forum, “Reflections on the Election: A New Generation? A New Coalition?”
Philosophy
PHIL 250 Biomedical Ethics
Instructor: Karen Gervais
Five students coordinated, facilitated and presented at an on-campus event titled, “What’s Wrong With Our Health Care System and How Do We Fix It?” Prior to the event, the students also met with members of a Northfield citizen group focused on health care reform. The event featured a panel of experts on the various aspects surrounding our U.S. health care system, such as health care disparities, insurance dilemmas and the rising costs of health care. The event was attended by approximately 90 people, including ten people from the community.
Political Science
PSCI 111 Introduction to American Politics
Instructor: Dan Hofrenning
Students explored voting and participation in elections as key elements of American Politics. As part of the course, teams of students were required to engage in at least one of the following; register voters (on and off-campus), present to Northfield High School students on the importance of political participation, serve as an election judge or work for a political campaign. As part of the course, students also participated in voter registration training, kept a log of their work, reflected on their experiences in class and presented at a post election forum, “Reflections on the Election: A New Generation? A New Coalition?”
PSCI 350 Immigration and Citizenship
Instructor: Kathy Tegtmeyer Pak
Eight students completed community-based research projects in collaboration with Rice County Growing Up Healthy (GUH), an organization that attempts “to increase the level of community connectedness experienced by marginalized families in Rice County with children under the age of five.” Students investigated organizations and institutions that interface with immigrants and refugees in Rice County and gathered information from GUH staff and neighborhood leaders, as well as from a variety of public officials. Students created a variety of research reports and project proposals relating to housing, education and bilingual early childhood education. At the end of the semester the projects were shared with GUH and other community organizations that could benefit from the research.
Psychology
PSYCH 341 Infant Behavior and Development
Instructor: Dana Gross
The entire class collaborated with the Faribault Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE). After a series of site visits and conversations, the students decided to support the program by creating educational resources for the Faribault ECFE. One project, “Play and Motor Development in Somali and Sudanese Cultures,” consisted of a literature review, handout and educational DVD that included interviews with Somali and Sudanese families. The other project, “Language and Literacy,” also included a literature review, handout and educational DVD. Throughout the course, students learned about, compared and reflected on cultural differences in parenting beliefs and practices and utilized oral and written skills to communicate to scholarly and community audiences. At the end of the semester the students presented the DVD’s to representatives from Faribault ECFE and Rice County Growing Up Healthy.
Social Work
SW 254 Inclusive Practice with Individuals and Families
Instructor: Naurine Lennox
Each student in the class met with persons at the Northfield Retirement Center that they do not know and engaged in conversation, learned about nursing home/care center, and told a short personal story to engender a reciprocal story from their “partner” elder. Students participated in a training with Story Circles International. Students also reflected on the experiences regularly in class.
Management
MGMT 250 Marketing
Instructor: Sian Muir
Student teams developed marketing plans for one major product (or service) offered by the client to which the team is assigned. Clients included the Northfield Historical Society, the Cannon River Watershed Partnership and Laura Baker Services, as well as a variety of other for-profit initiatives. Students presented their recommendations to the community partners at the end of the semester.
Statistics
STAT 212 Statistics for Sciences
Instructor: Paul Roback
Teams of students analyzed stream monitoring data for the Cannon River Watershed Partnership and data from a residential survey for the Dakota County Office of Planning, Evaluation and Development. Students learned about the projects through conversations with the community partners, prepared a paper based on the analysis of the data and then presented their findings to the representatives of the organizations and the end of the semester. Learning outcomes related to these projects included; increased interest and engagement, improved ability to analyze results and communicate to a non-technical audience and exposure to the wide applicability of statistics.