Civic and Global Leadership

As citizens of our communities and this world, we have a social responsibility to get involved, be receptive, and become civic leaders. This program bridges campus and community, bringing purpose to public service.

Why study Civic and Global Leadership at Sewanee?

The Civic and Global Leadership Certificate at Sewanee offers two tracks: development & human capabilities, and community & global health. Courses in the development and human capabilities track will expose you to topics such as the intersection of poverty and environmental protection, community mobilization, political institutions, and policies shaping poverty eradication. In the community and global health track, you’ll learn about the nature and significance of health care to human life and social development. You’ll also learn about the effects of health on the human condition and debates over how citizens get access to health care.

Community Medicine

A student’s years-long involvement with a local rural medical clinic fosters deep connections to people and place, and prepares her for a future career.

On a sunny Saturday in March, the Beersheba Springs Medical Clinic is buzzing with the sound of circular saws, clanging shovels, and chatter. Emmie Chambers, C’18, and Kelly Baggett, chair of the clinic’s board of directors, greet incoming volunteers. The group of community members from Beersheba, brothers from Sewanee’s Sigma Nu fraternity, and others are busy tearing up linoleum, landscaping the front of the clinic’s new building, and renovating its bathroom to meet standards required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the main room, two sheets of plywood and sawhorses form a makeshift table that holds the day’s planning materials—coffee cups and carpenter’s pencils. When renovations are complete, a broad, solid dining table will take its place as the center of operations for health classes and other new initiatives shaped by the clinic’s holistic approach.

My Sewanee Story

Watson Hartsoe

Watson Hartsoe

"The relationships I have established with professors here at Sewanee and also with teachers and community members has really pushed me to the next level and challenged my way of thinking"

A Sampling of Courses

Introduction to Civic and Global Leadership

Civic & Global Leadership

An interdisciplinary examination of the theoretical and analytical tools essential for an understanding of civic engagement and leadership. Topics focus on typical problems faced in the context of community change, including, but not limited to, framing social issues; qualitative and quantitative field research methods; socioeconomic, cultural, political, and global structures underlying poverty; the social change model of leadership development; human capabilities perspective; and cross-cultural communication.

CIVC 101

The Politics of Development and Foreign Aid

Politics

An introduction to the major political, social, historic, and economic reasons for development and underdevelopment in the Global South. This course explores the theoretical approaches of neoliberalism, dependency, human capabilities, and post-development, as well as topics such as gender, globalization, non-governmental organizations, sustainability, and foreign aid policies. International, national, and local institutions and actors involved with development processes are investigated, as well as questions of power, representation and accountability in both donor and developing states.

POLS 280

Health Psychology

Psychology

This course examines psychological issues surrounding physical health and medical care. Theories from personality and social psychology are applied to topics such as stress-related diseases, exercise adherence, coping with illness, interpersonal relationships and health, doctor-patient interactions, dying, and the hospital environment.

PSYC 227

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Civic & Global Leadership

Programs of Study

Students select one of two certificate tracks Civic & Global Leadership:

Contact

Jim Peterman

Professor of Philosophy and Director of Civic Engagement

jfpeterm@sewanee.edu

Bishop's Common 201, Ext. 1482

Civic Engagement

Where purpose meets service

Collaborate and learn with your campus and community. Learn while doing, explore careers, and invest in the people around you. The Office of Civic Engagement facilitates partnerships between campus and community members to develop the relationships, knowledge, and skills that improve our common life across the South Cumberland Plateau.

Get Involved

Integrated Program in the Environment

6 majors, 6 minors, 13,000 acres

Sewanee's Integrated Program in the Environment is one of the premier collections of environmental offerings in the country. A working farm, a 13,000-acre forest, and well-funded internships offer opportunities to apply your classroom learning. An expansive curriculum—including natural and social sciences as well as the humanities and fine arts—offers students multiple pathways for appreciating the ecological complexity and wonder of the earth we inhabit.

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Wm. Polk Carey Pre-Business Program

Equipped with skills, prepared for success

Business at Sewanee means you’re combining the best of liberal arts education with on-the-ground learning opportunities. From internships to honors programs, you’ll learn a values based ethical system, a broad knowledge of culture, interpersonal skills, and the ability to adapt to change. Leading M.B.A. programs and top CEOs believe a liberal arts curriculum is the best preparation for a successful career in business.

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European Studies

Ancient Greece & Rome or the Middle Ages & the Renaissance

European Studies is a full semester of study abroad and offers the unique experience of studying in a variety of locations in Europe. Students choose between two academic options: ancient Greece & Rome or Western Europe in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

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