Current Issue: Transformative Social Impact
A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research
doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025
eISSN: 3066-8239 (online)
Volume 2 Issue 1 - Early Access
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Photovoice in a Medical Sociology Classroom: A Case Study on Experiential and Ethical Engagement by JoAnna Boudreaux, University of Memphis
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Equity Policy as a Guidepost: Using the PA Common Ground Framework to Complement Efforts to Improve Student Belonging by Katrina Struloeff and Megan MacDonald, University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education
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Threatening the Social Work Pipeline: A Policy Analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s Proposals to Reclassify MSW & DSW Degrees Ashley Sanders, Saginaw Valley State University
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Elementary Educators' Experiences Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices: Process, Integration, and System Change in Rural Pennsylvania Schools by Thomas Bonner, Jr. and Elana M. Evans, Gwynedd Mercy University
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Building Bridges Between Business Schools and Communities: A Framework for Reciprocal Engagement by Jonathan H. Westover, Western Governors University
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High-Impact Practices as Organizational Change Strategy: A Framework for Institutional Transformation and Community Engagement by Jonathan H. Westover, Western Governors University
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Strategic Stakeholder Integration: Reimagining Business School-Community Partnerships Beyond the Consulting Model by Jonathan H. Westover, Western Governors University
Received December 10, 2025; Accepted for publication December 29, 2025; Published Early Access January 2, 2025
Title: Photovoice in a Medical Sociology Classroom:
A Case Study on Experiential and Ethical Engagement
Authors: JoAnna Boudreaux, University of Memphis
Abstract: Medical Sociology courses often require students to engage with complex and emotionally charged issues such as health inequities, structural violence, and access to care. For many undergraduates, these topics may feel distant and abstract, while for others they may feel uncomfortably close to personal experience. This pedagogical case study describes the design and implementation of a photovoice assignment in an undergraduate Medical Sociology course to address this tension. Using a structured visual reflection assignment guided by the SHOWeD method, students photographed everyday environments and objects to connect sociological concepts to lived and observed realities while maintaining control over personal disclosure. Drawing on instructional reflection and analysis of student photovoice submissions and peer thematic work, the case illustrates how students engaged with recurring themes related to food inequality, chronic illness and caregiving, environmental and infrastructural conditions, and collective responsibility. Rather than offering generalizable outcomes, this case highlights how photovoice functioned as an experiential pedagogical strategy that supported participation, sociological reasoning, and ethical engagement within a single course context. The case study offers a practical and adaptable model for instructors seeking to incorporate visually grounded experiential learning into courses addressing health, inequality, and social structure.
Keywords: Medical Sociology, photovoice, undergraduate education, health inequities, experiential learning, SHOWeD method, pedagogy, structural violence, visual methods, health disparities
doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.7
Suggested Citation:
Boudreaux, J. (2026). Photovoice in a Medical Sociology Classroom: A Case Study on Experiential and Ethical Engagement. Transformative Social Impact: A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research, 2(1). doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.7
Received December 10, 2025; Accepted for publication December 20, 2025; Published Early Access December 22, 2025
Title: Equity Policy as a Guidepost: Using the PA Common Ground Framework
to Complement Efforts to Improve Student Belonging
Authors: Katrina Struloeff and Megan MacDonald,
University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education
Abstract: This white paper examines how equity-centered policy tools can function as guideposts for advancing student belonging when integrated into structured improvement work. Drawing on a qualitative action research study of an Equity in Student Belonging Inquiry Community convened by Catalyst @ Penn GSE, the paper explores how educators interpreted and enacted Pennsylvania’s Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education (CR-SE) competencies within their local contexts. Framed by critical conceptualizations of belonging as relational, political, and structurally produced, the study situates continuous improvement as a promising yet insufficient approach for equity work unless paired with explicit attention to power, identity, and systemic inequity.
Data sources included observations of inquiry community meetings, semi-structured interviews with ten experienced school and district leaders, and artifacts documenting shifts in policy and practice. Findings indicate that participants used the CR-SE competencies to establish shared language, legitimize equity-focused work, and strengthen collective accountability. Educators described how the competencies supported deeper inquiry into belonging, informed professional learning and curriculum decisions, and provided justification for equity-oriented initiatives. At the same time, participants highlighted challenges related to uneven implementation, policy instability, and the risk of superficial compliance when equity tools are not embedded in sustained learning structures.
The paper argues that policy alone is insufficient to drive equitable change and that improvement work must be intentionally designed to surface structural inequities and elevate practitioner and student voice. By examining the Catalyst Inquiry Community Model, this study offers insight into how equity-centered improvement communities can support educators in translating policy intent into practice. Implications are offered for educators, leaders, policymakers, and researchers seeking to align equity policy, collaborative inquiry, and systemic efforts to improve student belonging.
Keywords: equity-centered policy, student belonging, culturally relevant and sustaining education, continuous improvement, structural inequity, practitioner voice, collaborative inquiry, implementation challenges, educational equity, systemic change
doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.6
Suggested Citation:
Struloeff, K. and MacDonald, M. (2026). Equity Policy as a Guidepost: Using the PA Common Ground Framework to Complement Efforts to Improve Student Belonging. Transformative Social Impact: A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research, 2(1). doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.6
Received December 10, 2025; Accepted for publication December 20, 2025; Published Early Access December 22, 2025
Title: Threatening the Social Work Pipeline:
A Policy Analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s Proposals to Reclassify MSW & DSW Degrees
Authors: Ashley Sanders, Saginaw Valley State University
Abstract: Recent federal student loan reforms proposed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) would redefine “professional degree programs” for purposes of federal borrowing limits, excluding Master of Social Work (MSW) and Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degrees from eligibility for higher loan caps. This policy analysis examines the potential consequences of reclassifying social work degrees as non-professional, with particular attention to educational access, workforce sustainability, and equity. Guided by a normative, advocacy-oriented evaluative framework and an ecological lens, the analysis draws on federal rulemaking documents, workforce projections, accreditation standards, and existing research on student debt and enrollment behavior. Findings suggest that reduced federal loan access may suppress MSW and DSW enrollment, disproportionately affect first-generation, low-income, and BIPOC students, and exacerbate behavioral health workforce shortages. The analysis concludes that the proposed reclassification risks undermining both social work education infrastructure and community well-being, and it offers policy-relevant considerations to better align loan reform with workforce and equity priorities.
Keywords: social work education, graduate student loan policy, behavioral health workforce, education access and equity, professional degree classification, MSW/DSW reclassification
doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.5
Suggested Citation:
Sanders, A. (2026). Threatening the Social Work Pipeline: A Policy Analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s Proposals to Reclassify MSW & DSW Degrees. Transformative Social Impact: A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research, 2(1). doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.5
Received November 24, 2025; Accepted for publication December 17, 2025; Published Early Access December 19, 2025
Title: Elementary Educators' Experiences Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices:
Process, Integration, and System Change in Rural Pennsylvania Schools
Authors: Thomas Bonner, Jr. and Elana M. Evans, Gwynedd Mercy University
Abstract: This qualitative phenomenological study examined how elementary educators in two rural east-central Pennsylvania counties perceive the implementation of trauma-informed practices (TIPs). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 participants (3 administrators; 10 teachers) who implemented TIPs for at least one year. Analysis followed a hybrid coding approach (deductive alignment to SAMHSA's principles with inductive codes for emergent ideas) and second-cycle thematic synthesis. Findings, organized by three research questions (implementation process; curricular integration; system-level change), showed (a) Implementation as transformation, driven by leadership modeling, peer coaching, and a shift from consequence-first to connection-first; (b) Curricular integration through safety, voice, and choice, with teachers embedding predictable routines, brief regulation breaks, and options for task response; and (c) System shifts, including reframed walkthroughs, strengthened staff coherence, and early evidence within the first year of calmer classrooms and improved relationships. Nine teachers described initial challenges balancing instruction with decoding trauma responses; all three administrators emphasized coaching and consistency. Implications include phased rollouts, coaching structures, and observable indicators that align TIPs with pacing and standards. Limitations include a single-region sample and self-report data. The study contributes practitioner-ready guidance for sustainable TIP implementation in K-6 settings.
Keywords: trauma-informed practices, elementary education, SAMHSA principles, qualitative phenomenology, rural schools
doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.4
Suggested Citation:
Bonner,T & Evans, LM (2026). Elementary Educators' Experiences Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices: Process, Integration, and System Change in Rural Pennsylvania Schools. Transformative Social Impact: A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research, 2(1). doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.4
Received October 10, 2025; Accepted for publication November 9, 2025; Published Early Access November 11, 2025
Title: Building Bridges Between Business Schools and Communities:
A Framework for Reciprocal Engagement
Authors: Jonathan H. Westover, Western Governors University
Abstract: Business schools increasingly recognize their responsibility to serve communities beyond producing graduates and research. This article examines emerging models of reciprocal community engagement in business education, where universities and community organizations collaborate as genuine partners rather than following traditional service-provider relationships. Drawing on service-learning scholarship and organizational partnership literature, the analysis explores the landscape of university-community collaboration, organizational and community impacts of engagement initiatives, and evidence-based approaches to building sustainable partnerships. The article synthesizes research on reciprocal engagement strategies including collaborative project design, capacity-building exchanges, and sustained relationship infrastructure. Forward-looking recommendations address institutional commitment frameworks, partnership governance models, and systems for continuous learning. The synthesis offers practical guidance for business school administrators, faculty, and community organizations seeking to develop mutually beneficial relationships that enhance educational outcomes while addressing authentic community needs.
Keywords: reciprocal engagement, community partnerships, service-learning, business education, university-community collaboration, mutual benefit, civic engagement, partnership governance
doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.1
Suggested Citation:
Westover, Jonathan H. (2026). Building Bridges Between Business Schools and Communities: A Framework for Reciprocal Engagement. Transformative Social Impact: A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research, 1(2). doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.1
Received October 20, 2025; Accepted for publication November 10, 2025; Published Early Access November 12, 2025
Title: High-Impact Practices as Organizational Change Strategy:
A Framework for Institutional Transformation and Community Engagement
Authors: Jonathan H. Westover, Western Governors University
Abstract: High-impact practices (HIPs)—structured educational experiences characterized by active learning, faculty mentorship, peer collaboration, and authentic application—have demonstrated effectiveness in improving student retention, learning outcomes, and degree completion. While early HIP scholarship focused primarily on individual student benefits, this conceptual framework positions HIPs as comprehensive organizational change strategies that reshape institutional cultures, resource allocations, faculty reward structures, and community partnerships. Drawing on foundational student development theory, meta-institutional empirical studies, and organizational change scholarship, this framework examines how systematic HIP implementation catalyzes transformation across multiple institutional dimensions simultaneously. The analysis synthesizes evidence on HIP design principles, organizational consequences, and implementation strategies, with particular attention to equity considerations often marginalized in educational innovation discourse. Rather than claiming comprehensive literature coverage, this framework offers a bounded synthesis connecting student success research, organizational theory, and civic engagement scholarship to illuminate HIPs' multidimensional transformative potential. The framework concludes that institutions treating HIPs as isolated pedagogical techniques miss their fuller capacity to advance educational quality, equity, and public purpose simultaneously—but that realizing this potential requires structural commitments extending far beyond curricular additions.
Keywords: high-impact practices, organizational change, student engagement, educational equity, community partnerships, undergraduate retention, institutional transformation, experiential learning
doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.2
Suggested Citation:
Westover, Jonathan H. (2026). High-Impact Practices as Organizational Change Strategy: A Framework for Institutional Transformation and Community Engagement. Transformative Social Impact: A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research, 2(1). doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.2
Received October 30, 2025; Accepted for publication November 15, 2025; Published Early Access November 17, 2025
Title: Strategic Stakeholder Integration:
Reimagining Business School-Community Partnerships Beyond the Consulting Model
Authors: Jonathan H. Westover, Western Governors University
Abstract: Business education confronts a pedagogical paradox: widespread endorsement of stakeholder capitalism rhetoric alongside curricula that rarely provide authentic stakeholder integration experience. This article examines how reciprocal university-community partnerships can serve as pedagogy for stakeholder management—teaching students to navigate complex stakeholder environments by operating within them rather than analyzing them abstractly. Drawing on stakeholder theory, organizational partnership scholarship, and social value creation frameworks, the analysis develops a business school-specific model distinguishing reciprocal engagement from the extractive consulting paradigm that shapes student expectations. The framework synthesizes evidence on partnership approaches across business disciplines (accounting, finance, marketing, operations, entrepreneurship), revealing how each creates distinctive value propositions for community organizations while developing domain-specific competencies. Organizational implementation strategies address tensions unique to business schools: managing corporate and community partnerships simultaneously, navigating capitalism critiques, leveraging alumni networks and executive education as partnership infrastructure, and measuring multidimensional value in analytically rigorous ways. The article positions business schools as civic economic development actors whose community partnerships can demonstrate stakeholder capitalism in practice while building regional prosperity, challenging the assumption that business education must choose between academic rigor and public purpose.
Keywords: stakeholder capitalism, community partnerships, business education, social value creation, reciprocal engagement, civic economic development, stakeholder integration, business pedagogy
doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.3
Suggested Citation:
Westover, Jonathan H. (2026). Strategic Stakeholder Integration: Reimagining Business School-Community Partnerships Beyond the Consulting Model. Transformative Social Impact: A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research, 2(1). doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.2.1.3
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