Frequently Asked Questions
General
Volunteer Experience
Course Component
Residential Experience
Roommates
Is the Partners for Civic Engagement program the only living learning community that Brandeis will offer for incoming first year students?
The Partners for Civic Engagement program is a pilot program for incoming first year students, and it is the only one offered for the 2008-2009 academic year.
How much time would be devoted to the program as a whole, including volunteering, community meetings, and workshops?
This is the first year we have offered this program, so we do not have a specific amount of time it will require. Based on research from programs at other institutions, my guess is you would spend an average of 2-5 hours a week either in community meetings, volunteering, or as a part of a workshop. This will fluctuate throughout the year.
Will participants be able to select what type of community service they do?
All PCE members will participate in some common volunteer projects throughout the year. Beyond that, staff and upperclass students will be working with PCE members to identify volunteer opportunities that fit participants' interests.
Is the 50 hours of service for each semester or for the whole year?
The "50 hours" of service is over the span of the year.
When will the community service activities take place?
The volunteer projects will most likely not be on the same day and time each week, so while we may offer some volunteer projects on Saturday, they would not be required or the bulk of the volunteer opportunities. We expect that participants will volunteer during the week, with the weekends reserved for sporadic opportunities.
Are there certain academic requirements for PCE members?
The short answer is no. PCE members are encouraged to enroll in 1-2 community engaged-learning courses either fall or spring semester. Community-engaged learning courses are offered in a variety of disciplines. What makes community-engaged learning courses unique is an emphasis on being involved in the
Do the encouraged courses count towards your major or general education requirements? The courses we are suggesting for PCE students are not unique to this program but rather existing Brandeis courses that correspond to the theme of civic engagement and community-based learning. These courses, since they are offered in a variety of disciplines and are open to all Brandeis students, may either count towards major requirements or the general distribution requirements. Your academic advisor will be able to provide more specific information about how this might relate to your course of study.
When will the course options be available?
The course listing will be available later this week.
Where will PCE members live? Will they live with other first year students?
The PCE program will be located in one of the two first year quads, either Massell or North, and we expect that the program will occupy one floor of a traditional first year residence hall. PCE members will also be encouraged to get involved in quad-wide events and activities.
Is the community to be housed in a mixed-gender floor or single-gender floors?
The program will be housed on a mixed-gender floor. If you are interested in the program and prefer single-gender housing, please contact us for more information.
I already submitted my housing application and requested to live on a single-gender floor. Would it be possible to participate in the program but not live on the same floor as the other participants?
This is the first year of this initiative, and we have planned for the residential component to be on a mixed-gender floor. That said, the planning team has had many conversations about how other students could still be involved even if they do not live on the floor. When you apply for the community, note in your application that you would like to live on a single-gender floor. Once we meet to select participants, we'll have a better idea of where the community will be housed and how we can involve students who don't live on the floor.
I already have selected a roommate, and I am interested in participating in the PCE program. What should I do?
Talk with your roommate to see if s/he is interested in participating in the PCE program as well. If you are both interested in the program, apply and note that you’ve elected to live with one another. If your roommate is not interested and you still want to participate, we will be matching roommates once participants are selected.