University of Richmond

410 Westhampton Way

Richmond, VA 23173

http://www.richmond.edu/

CAMPUS AT A GLANCE & KEY FACTS

The University of Richmond blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research, and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions. A nationally ranked liberal arts university, Richmond offers a unique combination of undergraduate and graduate programs through its schools of arts and sciences, business, leadership studies, law and continuing studies.  

The University of Richmond has a long, rich history of community involvement, and students, staff, and faculty engage through consistent volunteering, community-based learning and research, one-time service projects, summer fellowships, and more. Community-based learning classes connect students to communities for the purpose of deepening learning through multiple modes, including service learning; collaborative projects with community partners; clinical education, student teaching, and internships; bringing community collaborators into the classroom; and study trips and immersive engagement with community experts. Students also volunteer in the local community through one-time service opportunities, the Community Work Study program, and through student organizations, teams, and clubs. 

Interesting Tidbit: Richmond's Bonner Scholars program hosts 100 Bonner Scholars--making it one of the largest programs in the country! 

Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,164

BONNER PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Type of Program: Bonner Scholars 

Year Began: 1992 (first full class of Bonners arrived in 1993) 

Bonner Program Website: https://engage.richmond.edu/programs/scholars/index.html

Where is the Bonner Program located: The Bonner Center for Civic Engagement

Number of Bonner Students: Richmond's Bonner Scholars program hosts 100 Bonner Scholars

Highlighted Bonner Specific Programs: 

• Bonner 101/102 is the orientation program for New Bonners during their first year, starting with Bonner 101 in the Fall. During this orientation, students build community among their peers, learn about the mission, goals, and principles of BSP, and explore different service organizations in Richmond before applying to a 3-year internship with one organization. Students also serve on a temporary basis with one organization. Bonner 101 begins in the fall semester with a two-day, overnight experience typically held the first or second weekend of classes, known as New Bonner Orientation.

During the first five weeks of the second semester, new Bonners participate in Bonner 102 to learn strategies intended to help them thrive as a new intern. They will also spend time learning about fulfilling their BSP requirements during their summers and while studying.

• First Year Trip (FYT) is held in the spring, and typically, first year Scholars and Bonner staff participate in a 3-5 day service excursion to Washington D.C. 
• Bonner Exchange is a 1-2 day cornerstone activity in which sophomore Bonners build community and reflect on the nature of civic engagement with Bonners from other colleges and universities in Virginia.
• Junior Journey is the cornerstone event for juniors in the Bonner Scholars Program. This event takes place off-campus, and serves to as an opportunity for Bonners to reflect deeply on their values, purpose, personal stories, and consider how all of those things inform their civic engagement in the city of Richmond.  During Junior Journey, Bonners focus on articulating personal values and creating a "personal purpose statement" to guide their leadership and engagement. Once they have identified values, participants are able to use what they learn to tell personal stories about how they show up as members and active leaders in their communities.
• Senior Retreat is an optional overnight retreat held off campus. There are some planned activities, some intentional alumni engagement, and some unscheduled, relaxing time to be together and escape the grind of the semester! Senior Retreat is free for participants, and BSP staff attends -- comfortable lodging, delicious meals, transportation, and good times are provided.

• Academic Integration Requirement serves as a way to facilitate academic connections among Bonner Scholars' engagement in the community, their respective areas of study, and select student learning outcomes. This multi-semester process facilitates their preparation for, engagement with, and intentional reflection upon a class of their choosing. After first-year Bonners spend a semester exploring engagement with the Richmond community in the Fall, they reflect on certain student learning outcomes: understanding the ways that difference, privilege, and power work on individual and systemic levels, broadening and deepening one’s thinking of complex and interconnected social issues, and lastly clarifying their own civic identity. Then, Bonner Scholars select from a pool of pre-approved classes that span multiple issue subjects, disciplines, and schools. During their sophomore or junior year, students participate in the class of their choosing and submit a reflection focused on integrating classroom learning with their engagement in the community. After the class, they submit one significant artifact that showcases their learning (e.g., a required assignment) as well as an academic transcript demonstrating that they have received full credit and passed the class.

CAMPUS-WIDE ENGAGEMENT AT A GLANCE

• Community Work Study - The Bonner Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) offers all University of Richmond students with Federal Work-Study (FWS) awards the opportunity to engage with a variety of work experiences through our offices and community partners. Community Work Study students are eligible to earn their awards as a biweekly paycheck by working with one of our community partner organizations or in the CCE’s main office.
• The Faculty Engagement Team supports and encourages faculty in several ways. Faculty Fellowships are awarded to faculty seeking to learn more about community-engaged learning pedagogy with colleagues. Some special fellowship groups are formed to target a particular issue area or initiative. Course Support Grants encourage community-engaged classes by funding honoraria for guest speakers, transportation costs, and more. Faculty Excursions and Events provide shared learning and networking opportunities.
• Civic Fellows - The Bonner Center for Civic Engagement supports four summer Civic Fellowship Programs – the David D. Burhans Civic Fellowship, the Deborah L. Marsh Civic Fellowship, the F. Amanda DeBusk Civic Fellowship, and the Abby Brown Ayers Civic Fellowship – all under the umbrella of the UR Summer Fellowships Program. The Burhans, Marsh, DeBusk, and Ayers Civic Fellowships provide funding for students completing otherwise-unpaid or nominally paid, academically grounded 8-10 week internships in the nonprofit or government sectors.
• Politics and Voting - There are numerous ways to explore politics through University of Richmond's programming and community partnerships. Richmond's School Board meets regularly in the City Council Chambers of City Hall. The Bonner Center for Civic Engagement and the Office of Alumni and Career Services sponsor regular excursions to School Board and Richmond City Council meetings. The CCE, in conjunction with departments and student organizations across campus, also hosts a series of programming during each election season. Voter registration information and resources/voting guides are available through our office.
• Community Partners in Residence - The nonprofit sector demands significant commitments, making it difficult for nonprofit professionals to have the time and freedom necessary for in-depth research, reflection, and exploration on the major challenges their organizations face. To help address this challenge, the Community Partner-in-Residence Fellowship (CPiR) provides space, time, and thought partnerships to fuel inquiry, encouraging the exploration of creative solutions and ideas that Richmond nonprofit change-makers may not have the opportunity to fully consider within their daily work activities. The Bonner Center for Civic Engagement delights in providing space for, and engaging with, the Community Partner-in-Residence Fellow(s) as they address an important issue facing the greater Richmond community.

KEY CONTACTS

University President: Kevin F. Hallock

Bonner Program Staff: 

• Blake Stack, Associate Director, Student Engagement and Director of the Bonner Scholars Program 
• Ei Noe, Assistant Director, Student Engagement and Bonner Scholars Program
• Caroline Glover, Assistant Director, Student Engagement and the Bonner Scholars Program
• Emilia Hodal, Administrative Coordinator, Student Engagement and Community Relationships

Other Center Staff: 

• Dr. Amy Howard, Senior Administrative Officer, Equity and Community
• Dr. Sylvia Gale, Executive Director, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement

2022-23 Senior Program Associates:

• Anum Merchant
• Kristin Santana
• Luis Marquez