Introduction to PACE

Partnering Academics and Community Engagement is a Clayton State University initiative designed to enhance student learning by having academic content applied to service learning opportunities within the local community. The program was launched in 2014 as an aspect of the Quality Enhancement Plan of Clayton State University. PACE courses are designed to enhance learning through the process of connecting academic course content with service opportunities in the community as a concept of academic community engagement. This is defined as intentional efforts within courses to engage students in planned and purposeful learning related to service experiences within the community to impact student learning outcomes including critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. Additional program-level outcomes include increases in community engagement pedagogies, increased student course completion rates, and increased student engagement with the community. 

As noted in the literature, community engagement and service learning have been shown to be beneficial to student and faculty engagement in the learning process. Service learning is defined as a credit-bearing educational experience that is course-based, in which students participate in an organized service activity that both meets the needs of a community partner and allows students to reflect on the experience in order to gain deeper understanding of course objectives, knowledge, and /or skills.

Clayton State University President Tim Hynes opens our Fall 2016 PACE Community Partners Networking Event