Critical Engagement Projects

In the Adult and Continuing Education doctoral program, the dissertation has been recast as rigorous, sustained intellectual inquiry across the curriculum. To emphasize its refocusing of doctoral research on practice, this activity has been named the "Critical Engagement Project." All research is a reflection on practice, but often practice is viewed abstractly, commodified, objectified without reference to social, cultural, or political context. The Critical Engagement Project will ground research in critical reflection on biography--day-to-day experience--and foster significant engagement with the world.

The Critical Engagement Project will be undertaken throughout the curriculum and will be grounded in the life experiences of each student. Its modes of expression can be varied both in terms of format (not limited to text, but using a variety of media) and in terms of organization (ranging from a number of smaller, interrelated works to a larger, integral text).