The Community Research Seminar, SOC 316, taught by Rob Rosenthal, was the first service learning course offered at Wesleyan. In the fall community groups and agencies submit proposals for projects they would like researched. A Wesleyan faculty panel reviews the proposals and selects four projects. Teams of four students carry out research projects during the spring semester. These may involve social science, natural science, or arts and humanities themes. The first two weeks of the course are spent studying the theory and practice of community research. Working with the community groups, the teams design and implement research projects. Throughout the semester, the course convenes twice weekly to discuss research methodology and to track problems and progress in the individual projects.
