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Academic Community Engagement (ACE)

We believe that advancing the common good extends beyond a single volunteer opportunity and into all aspects of a student's life. That's why we integrate community engagement into the foundation of a St. Thomas education through Common Good Community-Engaged and Common Good Changemaking courses.

We integrate community impact and change-making into the academic life at St. Thomas. It's our goal to foster an environment where St. Thomas students and community organizations join together to build sustainable partnerships and strive to advance the common good together.

Get Involved

Are you a St. Thomas faculty member or a nonprofit organization, school, or government agency interested in exploring a St. Thomas-community partner collaboration? Email us at: ace@stthomas.edu

• Tommies Together Volunteer Center
• Changemaking for the Common Good

Community-Engaged Courses

Through Common Good Community-engaged courses, St. Thomas students partner with community organizations to understand complex issues and work toward collective solutions. Students contribute by engaging in a collaborative project or activity, or by spending time volunteering on-site.

Courses are offered throughout various programs and disciplines at St. Thomas. They focus on a variety of social challenges from addressing food and housing justice to ensuring equitable access to education to securing environmental sustainability.

Course Experience

Here's a quick look at the community-engaged course experience:

Partner with Community-based Organizations

In partnerships with community organizations, students learn directly from community leaders as they begin to understand systemic social and organizational challenges, all as part of their coursework.

Study Complex Civic and Community Issues

Back in the classroom, students discuss systems, theories, and policies surrounding complex social and organizational challenges. These discussions expose students to diverse viewpoints and build a well-rounded understanding of today’s most pressing social issues.

Explore Collective Solutions

During a community-engaged course experience, students explore the possibilities of how communities and networks can come together to solve problems collectively and create lasting change all for the common good.

Community-Based Research

Community-based research invites community members to participate in all aspects of the research process. Through this , research can be more equitable and representative, produce results that are more relevant to stakeholders and community members, and contribute to significant social change.

The Center for the Common Good supports faculty, staff, and students in connecting their research to relevant social challenges and community partners with which to collaborate. They often publish their research in leading journals and help make community engagement more effective, ethical, and beneficial for all involved.

Student Experience

Community-engaged course testimonial:

Abby Rockendorf

"My favorite course was the Seminar in Criminal Justice because it allowed me to work directly with program directors and volunteer at a non-profit. This gave me real life experience and provided me with the opportunity to make a program recommendation to a real institution that could potentially be implemented."