Support for Cardinal Courses
The Community Engaged Learning and Research (CELR) team supports faculty with development, implementation, and funding of Cardinal Courses.
What is a Cardinal Course?
One of four main components of Cardinal Service, Cardinal Courses engage students in projects and partnerships in the community that address social or environmental challenges. Though projects and partnerships vary, all Cardinal Courses:
- Integrate course objectives with experiences centered around local or global communities
- Address a social or environmental challenge through collaboration with a stakeholder organization or external group
- Produce reciprocal benefits for students and community partners, or produce deliverables that advance technologies or frameworks through collaboration
- Provide opportunities to critically examine public issues
- Embody Stanford's Principles of Ethical and Effective Service
Cardinal Courses may feature service as an integral component of the academic course experience, focus on public service as subject matter, or offer preparation for public service internships or fieldwork. Other courses allow students already engaged in service to enhance the effectiveness of their work.
They may be small, intensive seminars or larger lecture courses with community engagement related discussion sections and experiences. Service elements range from hands-on activities at partner locations to class projects that benefit a large community.