Certificate of Community Engagement
Jeremy Posadas, Marchman Chair of Civic and Social Responsibility, Director
The Certificate of Community Engagement (CEC) offers a unique opportunity to connect classroom learning with meaningful community involvement. This certificate helps you understand how your academic work contributes to addressing significant community issues and prepares you for a variety of career paths by reflecting on the ethical implications and practical skills gained through community engagement.
The basic requirements for the Certificate are below. In addition, here are the detailed requirements and the courses approved for the Certificate.
The Certificate of Community Engagement will be awarded when all undergraduate degree requirements for graduation have been met and will be noted on the student's transcript.
Courses (4 total)
Service Learning Courses: Complete 2 courses that incorporate a substantial service-learning component. These courses blend classroom instruction with hands-on community work.
Community Engagement Theory Courses: Complete 2 courses that focus on community engagement topics such as social justice and environmental responsibility. These courses should provide significant theoretical insights into community issues.
Students must earn a C or higher in courses they use for the certificate.
Community Service
Total Hours: Students must complete a minimum of 100 hours of voluntary community service.
Approved Organizations: You will perform your service with organizations recognized by the Center for Community Engagement, which can help you find organizations to work with. The organizations must verify your completed hours.
Distribution of Service Hours: You cannot submit more than 75 hours of community service in a single semester. Normally, you must complete service hours with two or more organizations, with no more than 50 hours at one organization.
Capstone Essay
Critical Reflection: In the semester of graduation, students will write an essay that critically reflects on their community engagement experience, considering both theoretical perspectives and practical experiences.
Review Process: You will submit your essay to the Marchman Chair. A review committee of faculty and staff will evaluate it. If your essay does not meet the expected standards, you will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit it.
Additional Guidelines
- A course may count toward either the Service Learning requirement or the Community Engagement Theory requirement, but may not fulfill both requirements at the same time. Students must take four different courses to complete the course requirement.
- An independent study course may fulfill a certificate course requirement as long as the faculty member supervising the course submits an application for the course to be approved as fulfilling either the Service Learning course requirement or the Community Engagement Theory requirement. The application must be submitted to and approved by the certificate director.
- A student may fulfill certificate course requirements by taking a course that does not meet the Service Learning or Community Engagement Theory requirements by contracting with the course's instructor to add those missing elements to the course. Such a contract between the student and instructor must be approved by the certificate director prior to completion of the course. Students are strongly encouraged to obtain approval before the course begins.
- A student who transfers to Stetson University at the level of junior or above may apply one completed course toward the Community Engagement Theory course requirement upon approval by the certificate director in consultation with the provost.
- Students must earn a minimum grade of C in all courses that are taken to fulfill certificate coursework.
- Community engagement work completed as part of the required service learning courses may not count toward the Volunteer Community Service requirement. Community work done for any additional service learning courses may count toward the Volunteer Community Service requirement. All community service work submitted to fulfill the Volunteer Community Service requirement must be done through community partners that are recognized by Stetson University and registered with the Center for Community Engagement.
- Capstone essays will be determined as either "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory." Essays that are determined to be "unsatisfactory" may be resubmitted. Essays should demonstrate students' critical reflections on the certificate coursework and the community service completed.