Indianapolis Community Requirement
Requirement structure
Students must take one course in any part of the University that involves active engagement with the Indianapolis community.
The Indianapolis Community Requirement (ICR) is a Core Curriculum requirement that involves students in a wide range of reciprocal community partnerships wherein they can integrate classroom knowledge with active experiences in the Indianapolis community. All Butler students entering in fall 2010 or later must complete at least one ICR course before graduation. The ICR can be satisfied through designated courses in the core curriculum, in the student’s major, or taken as electives.
The service-learning pedagogy (academic learning linked to relevant community service) provides one model for ICR courses, but courses based on models from the SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities) project or the Critical Listening initiative of the CCC can also satisfy the ICR. For faculty and staff interested in creating an ICR course, please go to the Partnership with Faculty page for course detailed guidelines.
Student learning outcomes
- To have an active learning experience that integrates classroom knowledge with activities in the Indianapolis community.
- To use an experience in Indianapolis to further the individual student’s understanding of the nature of community and the relationship between community and the student.
- To further students’ commitment to service and ongoing involvement as community actors.
Learning outcomes used for assessment
- Students will engage in learning that integrates academic content with significant activities alongside Indianapolis community partners.
- Students will connect the active learning experience to enlarge their understanding of community and public good in a pluralistic society.
- Students will demonstrate a commitment to ongoing community involvement and citizenship.
More information about ICR
The ICR involves all participants—students, faculty, staff, and community members alike in the learning process.
For short videos about the philosophy underpinning the ICR component of our Core Curriculum, and/or for student testimonials about their impact, see the Stories of Student Engagement page.
To see answers to Frequently Asked Questions about ICR and service learning more generally, see the FAQs page.
For the most exhaustive and authoritative information about ICR policies and procedures, please see the Core Operating Manual.
Faculty Director, Indianapolis Community Requirement
Sociology and Criminology – LAS
I am Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Butler University. Before coming to Butler, I earned a dual-title Ph.D. from Purdue University in sociology and gerontology. I then spent at year at the University of Missouri as a postdoctoral scholar in the Research Center for Human Animal Interactions.
My research interests include the roles of women and mothers, health and body weight issues, and social psychology. I teach a variety of courses including; families, international crime, gender, race, and crime, health and society, aging and the life course, and gender and society.
My research is currently funded by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). This research examines mothers’ perspectives of the benefits of interscholastic activities of their high school students. This is a 10 year longitudinal study that begin in the fall of 2019. I also host the podcast, MOMent with Mom, with members of the NFHS.