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Bunting Center plays pivotal role in preparing
students for lives of signi cance
On a quiet weekday in the summer with few students on
campus, Kristin Harper ’92 was working on big plans for
the future. Harper is planning out new programs in her role
as director of BSC’s Bunting Center for Engaged Study and
Community Action—programs designed to draw students
into meaningful service as part of their academic experience at
Birmingham-Southern.
“There is an urgent need for thoughtful, engaged citizens
in our country. Those who succeed in addressing some of
society’s biggest challenges will be those who can communicate
effectively, are willing to understand and appreciate multiple
perspectives, and are able to solve problems creatively,” Harper
said. “We are looking for even more ways to encourage students
with a broader perspective and empower them with the skills
of engaged learning and dialogue.”
That’s the strength of the Bunting Center, which was founded
a decade ago thanks to generous support from Dr. Peter ’66 and
Derry Bunting ’69. The Buntings, who are still committed to
the ethical and intellectual growth of BSC students, decided to
build on the groundbreaking work of former BSC Chaplain Dr.
Stewart Jackson, who pioneered service learning in the 1980s.
Today, hundreds of BSC students get hands-on experience
with dozens of community partners from as close as College
Hills and as far away as Africa. Some experiences are simple—a
chance to help build houses with Habitat for Humanity, or
tutor local kids, or to learn about civil rights on an overnight
trip to Montgomery. But the real goal is to go beyond basic
volunteering to build relationships with community members
so that students’ world views are expanded and collaborative
partnerships emerge to address community challenges together.
To that end, the center has evolved and grown over the years;
it is now part of the Krulak Institute for Experiential Learning,
Leadership, and Civic Engagement, which provides a “one-stop
shop” for students looking to get involved in their community
or to travel. Here are some of the exciting new changes
happening right now:
Poverty studies
This spring, Birmingham-Southern joined the Shepherd
Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, a network of 23
schools committed to integrating the study of poverty with
the liberal arts. The membership aligns with BSC’s brand-new
Distinction in Poverty Studies, which requires participating
students to take an introductory course and complete an
internship and a senior capstone in poverty studies.
The Shepherd Consortium connects BSC students to more
than 120 internship-granting organizations addressing poverty
around the country. Because of this association, the college was
able to expand its Hess Fellows program by adding ve poverty
internships through the Shepherd Consortium. This summer,
BSC’s rst ve Hess Poverty interns worked in Charleston, W.
Va.; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; and Baltimore. In addition to
THE POWER OF GIVING