Kaplan fellowship nominations open

Nominations/applications are being sought for the Kaplan Family Distinguished Faculty Fellowship in Service-Learning. In recognition of the importance of the national movement in higher education for greater involvement in civic engagement, Barbara Kaplan '59, her husband, Leslie Kaplan, son Douglas Kaplan '88 and daughter Emily Kaplan '91 have created this fellowship.

The fellowship establishes two $5,000 awards for scholars seeking to create or expand innovative service-learning projects that actively involve Cornell students in community-based learning, research and outreach efforts on important community-identified policy issues. The award reinforces Cornell's tradition of service to society and fosters further extension of public scholarship to all facets of Cornell's mission. The award will enable the two faculty recipients to further develop an ongoing community-based learning/research project, to initiate a new effort or to seek institutionalization of a service-learning course.

Nominees/applicants must be full-time Cornell faculty members and be able to demonstrate involvement in public scholarship in their nomination/application. Faculty members may apply on their own or be nominated. Nomination and application materials must be submitted together and are due by March 31.

Completed applications should include:

• A letter of nomination from a colleague, department chairperson/institute director, student, college dean or administrator and/or a letter of interest if self- nominating;

• A completed application cover page including applicant name, title, department/affiliation, proposal title and abstract;

• A course enhancement or a new course proposal, which describes the intellectual, pedagogical, and program development work that will be completed during the Kaplan Fellowship, embodies the Wingspread Foundation's Principles of Good Practice for Service and Learning and documents how the proposal both responds to an important community need and involves local leaders in its planning and implementation phases;

• Letters of support from community partners;

• A copy of the faculty nominee's vitae;

• A letter or plan explaining how the fellow will institutionalize the course(s) into the standing curriculum of his/her academic department or unit;

• A sample of service-learning syllabi or evidence of scholarship in service-learning and civic engagement (this may be any type of publication on action research, pedagogy of service-learning, or evaluation of the impact of community-based learning on student, faculty and community civic capacities); and

• Acknowledgement that fellows are required to submit a reflective essay describing the implementation and impact of their service-learning initiative.

Send nominations/applications and supporting materials to:
Kaplan Family Distinguished Faculty Fellowship in Service-Learning
c/o Mr. Leonardo Vargas-Méndez
Executive Director, Cornell Public Service Center, 200 Barnes Hall.

Questions regarding the fellowship should be directed to Mr. Leonardo Vargas-Méndez at 255-0674 or ljv1@cornell.edu.

The 2004 Kaplan Family Distinguished Faculty Fellows in Service-Learning will be announced by Thursday, April 28, 2005.