Jennifer Pigza

Since 2005, I have provided leadership to the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA) at Saint Mary’s College of California as the Director (June 2015-present) and Associate Director (July 2005-May 2015). CILSA is an academic department whose mission is to be a catalyst in creating and sustaining transformative educational experiences inspired by the Catholic, Lasallian, and Liberal Arts traditions through partnerships with students, faculty, staff, and community partners. We aim to be a national leader in the scholarship, theory, and practice of community engagement. We advocate, inspire, model and support.

As Director, I collaborate with senior leadership across campus, students, faculty, staff, community partners and funders to strengthen existing programs and seek further ways to integrate service-learning, community-based research, internships, and engaged leadership with traditional academics and co-curricular programs. CILSA's portfolio includes academic and logistical support to all community engagement courses as part of the undergraduate core curriculum, faculty development for community engagement, the MICAH Summer Fellowship program in collaboration with the University of San Diego, and year-long leadership and service programs including Engaged Learning Facilitators, Social Action Leadership Team, and Jumpstart. Key responsibilities of the director include:

• Departmental vision and leadership
• Program development and supervision
• Fiscal management and resource development
• Engaged teaching, learning and scholarship
• National and regional leadership and professional development
• Recognition and reporting
• Campus-wide collaborations

Prior to Saint Saint Mary's College of California

My professional experience began in the non-profit sector through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, a full-time domestic service program akin to the Peace Corps. I then proceeded to work at three colleges and universities: the University of Vermont, Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, and the University of Maryland. I worked in traditional student affairs areas, as well as community service-learning and civic engagement. This section provides a summary of my expertise and experience from 1990 through 2005. A full resume is available upon request.

 Faculty Development & Support

• Mentored service-learning and CBR faculty in curriculum development and critical reflection strategies.
• Established training and development network with over 10 living and learning communities; assisted in institutionalizing service-learning as a requirement in programs including the arts, pre-med, and honors.
• Collaborated with center for teaching excellence to provide instructional improvement grants; disbursed over $20,000 to service-learning initiatives.
• Managed and taught an undergraduate teaching assistant program serving faculty in multiple disciplines.
• Designed and delivered faculty training on service-learning, student development, cross-cultural issues in service-learning, community-based research, and developing partnerships.
• Created faculty handbook for service-learning for two institutions; managed library and syllabi resources.

Community Partnership

• Provided leadership to semester-long Campus Compact Engaged Campus grant project in which students, faculty, staff and community partners explored the meaning and actions of an engaged campus.
• Developed agency orientation program to encourage community-university partnerships.
• Coordinated web-based database linking over 600 community agencies with potential volunteers.
• Maintained relationships with over 20 non-profit agencies who hosted full-time volunteer interns.

Co-Curricular Service & Leadership Development

• Advised student service organizations, including an organization involving over 500 active members and an alternative break program involving 100 students.
• Lead campus-wide service events involving 200-500 students, faculty, staff and community.
• Designed week-long immersion experience for first-year students linking service and leadership.
• Taught three-credit service-learning course “Leadership and Community Service.”
• Assisted in the development and facilitation of a three-day student retreat linking service and leadership.
• Provided direct support and training to America Reads*America Counts, student leadership programs, resident life, and fraternity and sorority life.

Management & Supervision

• Coordinated service-learning assessment of students in curricular, co-curricular, and work-study settings.
• Managed day-to-day operations, budget, purchasing, scheduling, publications, and annual reports.
• Supervised course instructor, graduate staff and interns, and undergraduate staff and interns.
• Provided leadership during nearly 100% staff turnover, two reorganizations and three moves in two years.
• Assumed colleagues’ responsibilities during six maternity leaves in four consecutive years.

Student Affairs

• Provided leadership to student activities, group advising, leadership development and collaborative programming. Initiated lecture, film and discussion programs focused on issues of diversity and social justice; gained faculty support for course integration of co-curricular programs.
• Coordinated student and family programs for groups of 400 and 1,800 students at two institutions. Executed transition to technology-assisted advising and course registration.
• Served as individual hearing officer, judicial board advisor, trainer of resident assistants and judicial board members, and member of graduate student academic honesty board. Redesigned student handbooks and policies. Focused on educational outcomes of the judicial process.
• Created programming to support commuter students. Implemented system-wide transition of 650 properties and landlords to new web-based housing and roommate search service.

Community & Faith-Based Organizations 

• Served two years as a full-time domestic volunteer, first as a parent aide to low income families involved with social services, and then as a trainer to women opening child care businesses in their homes.
• Worked as area director responsible for full-time volunteers, community partnerships, and recruitment in four cities; designed faith formation experiences; managed finances and payroll.