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COBA Professor Recognized for Empowering Students Through Experiential Learning

March 7, 2025
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd

By Tory Josey

Higher education thrives on the dedication of faculty who integrate academic community engagement, known as service-learning at other institutions, into their curriculum to foster not only academic growth but also meaningful student experiences. Janis Warner, an associate professor in the Department of Management, Marketing and Information Systems at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) was recently recognized for her commitment to community engagement by the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Through Higher Education with the Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education – Instruction Award.

For the past 16 years, Warner has led the Systems Design & Analysis course as an Academic Community Engagement (ACE) class, incorporating real-world clients into the curriculum. Through a long-standing partnership with the university’s Small Business Development Center (SHSU-SBDC), students in her class take on the role of consultants, working directly with businesses and nonprofit organizations to address their technology-related challenges.

“My goal is to provide students the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to a real-life experience while helping the local community following the SHSU motto, ‘The measure of a Life is its Service,’” Warner said.

Kim McLerran, the small business advisor at SHSU-SBDC, works closely with Warner every semester, as the SBDC shares clients with her students. McLerran spends 50-60 hours each semester assisting with classwork by reviewing status reports, providing feedback, coaching students and judging the client project presentation competition.

The impact of this partnership has been profound. Over 600 students have participated, providing over 6,000 hours of consulting to more than 30 businesses and nonprofits. Their work has led to tangible improvements, such as enhanced information system applications, increased operational efficiency, expanded market reach and strengthened community engagement. Ultimately, these efforts contribute to the success of local businesses and nonprofits, reinforcing the vital role they play in sustaining the college town’s economy and social fabric.

Janis Warner (right) with her class.

“When the students are working with real people, their sense of commitment and accomplishment is stronger because then it’s not just a theoretical case that has no impact on a real business or organization,” Warner said. “Many students have said to me that by participating in an ACE course they can better see how the classroom concepts are applied in a real context, and that is critical thinking at its finest.”

Warner believes that experiential, community-engaged learning is essential in shaping students into not only competent professionals but also as drivers of positive change within their communities. Her course offers students the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills in real business scenarios while fostering a sense of social responsibility.

“Huntsville has been home to many of the students for a few years, so the students gain a sense of understanding and pride by helping the community continue to be successful. That sense of understanding and pride can carry over to their careers wherever they work and live,” she said.

Warner will be recognized for this achievement during the Gulf-South Summit’s annual meeting in Nashville in March.

The Gulf-South Summit aims to promote networking among practitioners, research, ethical practices, reciprocal campus-community partnerships, sustainable programs and a culture of engagement and public awareness through service-learning and other forms of civic engagement.

Academic Community Engagement (ACE) is a teaching method that combines community engagement with academic instruction. This pedagogy encourages students to use the skills, knowledge and dispositions learned in the classroom to collaborate with community partners to contribute to the public good. SHSU offers hundreds of ACE courses within an academic year.

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