Samford University has received a Bringing Theory to Practice grant from the Charles Engelhard Foundation of New York City to take part in a national project to foster student health and civic development through engaged learning.

Developed in partnership with the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the program provides start-up grants to more than 60 universities across the nation to participate.  Samford’s grant is $5,000.

“The project is another example of Samford’s continuing commitment to providing transformative learning experiences for all students,” said Dr. David W. Chapman, dean of Samford’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences.

The grant will enable Samford to incorporate additional emphasis on such areas as health behaviors, service learning and greater civic engagement into its core curriculum courses, said Dr. Rosemary Fisk, associate dean of arts and sciences.  Samford faculty are working this summer on ways to implement these features into the core courses this fall.

The core curriculum provides an academic foundation for a student’s liberal arts education regardless of major field of study.  All freshmen are required to complete the core, which includes courses in communication arts, cultural perspectives, Biblical perspectives and concepts of fitness and health.