Sally Beisser, professor of education at Drake, has been selected to lead Iowa Campus Compact’s new Engaged Scholars Faculty Fellowship program. This program will unite selected faculty members from different Iowa colleges and universities to receive training in public scholarship, engagement, and service-learning.
The Engaged Scholars Faculty Fellowship program aims to create a service-learning community for faculty fellows. Participants will take part in professional development and networking sessions on civic engagement. At the end of this yearlong program, fellows are expected to implement a new engaged scholarship project on their campuses. They will receive a $1,000 stipend to help subsidize their efforts.
Beisser will take on the role of senior faculty fellow in this new program. She will select five Campus Compact faculty fellows, as well as develop the session’s curriculum training, webinars, and evaluation of the fellows’ service-learning endeavors.
“I am excited for the challenge of uniting faculty scholars from different Iowa colleges and universities to build a culture of service-learning on campus,” Beisser says. “This is a unique opportunity to see the community as a setting to serve, confront issues and ideas, and reflect on the potential of volunteerism to serve the greater good.”
Beisser’s interest in leadership and service-learning has spanned her entire career. Her accomplishments include leadership recognition at the state and regional levels, a National Science Foundation grant focusing on service-learning, and a book chapter entitled Empowerment Through Service Learning: Teaching Technology to Senior Citizens. She has also been published in more than 30 journals, and has given 150 presentations at international and national conferences and associations.
At Drake, Beisser teaches undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses in education and educational research methods. In spring 2012, she received Drake’s Experiential Learning Faculty Award.
Iowa Campus Compact was founded in 2003 and is a membership organization of 24 college and university presidents around the state. The organization aims to advance the public purposes of colleges and universities by offering service-learning activities, professional development opportunities, grants, and research.