Alma Professor Receives Service-Learning Award
Michigan Campus Compact has awarded Alma College faculty member S.
Brian Stratton with an MCC Faculty/Staff Community Service-Learning
Award.
The award is the highest MCC bestows on faculty and staff in the state
of Michigan. Stratton, chair and associate professor of religious
studies, was honored at an awards dinner at Schoolcraft College in
Livonia on Feb. 8
Peers designated Stratton as the faculty/staff person on campus who has
made the most outstanding contributions in service-learning and
community service. The award recognizes his influence on and engagement
of students to be involved in community service or service-learning
initiatives through modeling, instructing and special projects.
Service learning is defined as coursework that involves meaningful
community service and a clear connection between course objectives and
service activities.
Alma College Service Learning Coordinator Anne Ritz nominated Stratton
with the support of the Service Learning Task Force and President
Saundra Tracy.
“Dr. Stratton’s teaching engages and influences students to be active and involved,” said Ritz.
Stratton became involved in service learning when he arrived at Alma in
2000. He has continued and expanded his commitment to service learning
by participating in the first Service-Learning Faculty Fellows
professional development program in 2002 and joining the Alma College
Service Learning Task Force.
Stratton has integrated service learning into several courses, such as
"Biblical Ethics and Community Service" and "Bible and Society." This
winter, Stratton is involving students in his “Heritage of Islam” class
in a civic engagement “transforming dialogues” project with Marygrove
College students. The project is co-taught by Yavuz Demir, Alma’s
Visiting Fulbright Scholar from Turkey, and Marygrove’s Loren Scribner.
Michigan Campus Compact promotes the education and commitment of
Michigan college students to be civically engaged citizens, through
creating and expanding academic, co-curricular and campus-wide
opportunities for community service, service-learning and civic
engagement.
Posted: Mon, February 12th, 2007 at 9:23AM

