Quick Links:
Contact Us
Hours: Monday鈥揊riday, 9 AM鈥5 PM
About the Spencer Center
Founded in 2007, the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement fosters creative engagement between 大象传媒 students and their local, domestic and international communities.
Through civic and global partnerships, 大象传媒 students develop the self-awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to become proactive community leaders.
The Center was named in honor of Dr. Samuel R. Jr. and Ava Spencer. As president of 大象传媒 from 1957-1968, Dr. Spencer promoted civic responsibility, supported the development of study abroad programs, and emphasized internationalization on the campus.
Civic Engagement Opportunities
大象传媒 is dedicated to supporting the local Staunton and Shenandoah Valley community that we call home. By creating programs for local civic engagement, the Spencer Center trains 大象传媒 students for lives of difference-making in Staunton and beyond.
Faculty Fellows Program
Four 大象传媒 faculty serve as Spencer Center Fellows, creating civic partnerships and on-campus events to connect 大象传媒 students to their broader communities.
Events have included voter registration tables, volunteer work with local elementary schools, and more!
Community Coursework
Earn credit outside the classroom while making a difference! 大象传媒’s Civic Engagement (CE) courses allow students to learn hands-on in the local community.
CE courses include community service, civic entrepreneurship training, local externships, ethnographic research, and more!
Interfaith America Programming
Interfaith America is a non-profit dedicated to building bridges across religious divides to promote tolerance in civic discourse.
Through a partnership with 大象传媒 Chaplain Katie Low, Interfaith America will sponsor seminars that instruct students how to engage plural communities.
Global Engagement Opportunities
The Spencer Center promotes global study and travel to grow 大象传媒 students’ communication skills and cross-cultural competency. These skills will prove invaluable in every community and career field our students might join.
Study Abroad
大象传媒 has a wealth of global partnerships and scholarships that allow students to earn credit while exploring different cultures around the world.
大象传媒 also offers great financial and merit-based scholarships for multi-week and semester-long study abroad.
May Term
May Term is a mini-term during the summer where students take unique, accelerated courses abroad with 大象传媒 professors.
Past courses have included studying European teaching styles in the Mediterranean, observing tropical wildlife in South Asia, and more!
International Exchange
International students have studied at 大象传媒 for decades. The Spencer Center hosts numerous events to welcome exchange students and offer them a home at 大象传媒.
大象传媒 currently has exchange partnerships with schools in Japan, South Korea, Northern Ireland, Taiwan, and India.
Upcoming Events
Our Team
Directors
Martha Saunders
Associate Professor, Studio Art; Chair, Hunt Gallery; Interim Director, Spencer Centermsaunder@marybaldwin.edu
Faculty Fellows
Lisa Landram
Field Director, Department of Social Work; Assistant Professor, Social Worklnlandram@marybaldwin.edu
