Scholar in Residence: an innovative application of the scholarship of engagement

Abstract

Universities are expected to engage with communities for the benefit of both. Based on the definition of scholarship advanced by Boyer in the 1990s, inclusive of the scholarship of discovery, integration, teaching, and application, the School of Nursing and Jewish Geriatric Services, Inc., have instituted a unique collaboration entitled the Scholar in Residence. Unlike traditional agreements between schools of nursing and agencies to provide clinical experience and educate students, this agreement is designed to build scholarship for both university and agency. Outcomes include building opportunities for faculty and staff scholarship at the agency, enhancing the integration of knowledge into practice, intensifying opportunities for the sharing of knowledge by providing opportunities for students to work with faculty and staff on individual projects, and enriching the application of knowledge by providing opportunities for faculty clinical practice and consultation. The Scholar in Residence is a model of collaboration between the university and the community that reflects the mission of the university and provides value to the community agency through strategic engagement of both entities.