Douglas Hicks Links Classroom Learning and Service Learning

Douglas Hicks approaches social justice issues such as economic disparities from a faith-based perspective. An ordained Presbyterian minister who holds a doctorate in religion and economics from Harvard University, he is a big proponent of experiential education and has worked hard to integrate classroom learning with service learning in several of the Jepson courses he has taught, such as Justice and Civil Society (formerly Service to Society). 

When the University decided to launch the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) last fall, Hicks became the CCE’s director. According to its Web site, the CCE “brings together campus and community members in collaborative study, reflection and action to address contemporary social issues in Richmond and throughout the world.”  

Hicks thought the CCE would be an ideal venue for sharing some of the values of the Jepson School with the rest of the University community. He emphasized that the CCE is much more than a place for students to go to learn about volunteer activities; rather, it integrates classroom learning with opportunities for community-based research and service learning.  

His teaching at Jepson and his work at the CCE are manifestations of his faith, Hicks said. “I’d like to think that my faith informs all that I do at the University,” he said. “For me, it’s not about wearing my faith on my sleeve. I want to interest students in integrating their coursework with active engagement in the community.”  

By all accounts, he has succeeded in doing that through initiatives at the CCE. Earlier this month the CCE became the recipient of a 2005 Governor’s Community Service and Volunteerism Award for its efforts to link the campus community to metro Richmond and the Commonwealth.   

Hicks measured the CCE’s solid start during its inaugural year this way: “First, the center has helped shape serious conversations about social issues on campus. Second, it has established good, sustainable community connections that tie into student-faculty research and coursework. 

“Third, the Burhans fellowships and research fellowships offered through the CCE provide students with excellent learning opportunities. And fourth, students are coming to us with great ideas for educational programming.”