Compact faculty fellows practice what they teach in Richmond community

Two basic premises of service learning are
  1. That learning is facilitated by active engagement with pressing social issues, and

  2. That knowledge should ultimately be placed in a social context and used in service to the community.
The Indiana Campus Compact Faculty Fellows program arose out of the belief that the above premises apply just as much to faculty scholarship in regard to student learning. Fellows are selected on the strength of their commitment to integrate service learning into their own professional development, into their teaching, service and scholarship.

Three of this year's 10 fellows statewide are from IU East, as is the senior fellow.

Senior fellow Cathy Ludlum, philosophy

Students in Ludlum's classes contribute approximately 600 hours of service to the community each year, working with local organizations such as Girls Inc. and AIDS Task Force Richmond. Students relate their service experiences to course content in order to gain a deeper understanding of ethical issues in everyday life. Ludlum herself also combines service with scholarship. She is currently working with AIDS Task Force Richmond and the Richmond Community Schools to develop a series of HIV/AIDS education workshops for teachers and other members of the community.

Kumara Jayasuriya, mathematics

Jayasuriya will be working with the Genesis program of the YWCA, providing his expertise in statistics to assist in assessment and data analysis which the agency can use to improve its services and seek funding.

Randall Osborne, psychology

Osborne will continue his association with the Mental Health Association of Wayne County, working to establish a Junior Mental Health Association. He also will be initiating a long-term research program for assessing the impact of service learning on all its participants.

Vandana Rao-Dev, economics

Rao-Dev will expand the project she began last year with the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County. Students in her courses will analyze data collected last year in order to provide reports to community agencies and other decision-makers involved in the community's economic development on issues such as differentials in wages and skills of workers in the area and need for job training.

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