This chapter explores the ethical, political, and logistical challenges associated with both facilitating community engaged learning (CEL) in higher education and conducting research on the topic. As a type of experiential learning (EL), the overarching objective of CEL is for students to engage in a project developed collaboratively with a community partner that has mutually beneficial outcomes. The chapter critically examines the ethical issues at play for scholars who bear a trinal responsibility to the students who participate in these types of CEL activities, to the people and issues at the heart of community-based endeavours, and to the principles undergirding the critical scholarship they produce about this form of pedagogy. To navigate these positions, individuals must engage in ongoing and authentic reflection about their intentions, perspectives, and actions. The chapter concludes with a call to colleagues to pay greater attention to CEL in the field of communications and media studies; to consider both the potential benefits and drawbacks of participating in CEL; and to be willing to engage in conversations about this ‘hands-on’ pedagogy with the goal of developing our own narratives about, and best practices for, its role in higher education. © 2020, The Author(s).
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