About the Course
Professor Bio
Unique Course Components
About the Course
| University | Semester | Year | Course | Department | Instructor(s) | Students Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cincinnati | Spring | 2026 | Doing Good Together– Student Philanthropy Studio | Honors / College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning / College of Cooperative Education Professional Studies | Flávia Bastos, Robin Selzer | 15 students |
Professor Bio
Flávia Bastos is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Arts and Humanities. She has edited and published books and several articles and has lectured extensively in the United States and abroad. Her leadership roles in academia include Graduate Program Director in the Art Education program, founder of the Latino Faculty Association, Executive Director of the Emeriti Association, Interim Associate Dean of the Graduate School, and Provost Fellow. Her most recent book Promoting Civic Engagement through Art Education was published by Routledge in 2025. She received the University of Cincinnati Foundation 2024 Rieveschl Staff of Merit Award for her pioneering a student philanthropy course at the university. www.flaviabastos.com
Robin Selzer, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Consultant with more than 22 years of experience in student engagement, strategic program management, and university operations. Recognized throughout her career for exceptional performance, she has received multiple leadership awards and is widely respected for her deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Dr. Selzer holds a PhD in Higher Education Administration from Loyola University Chicago, along with master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati. Her research and professional interests span women’s leadership, social justice education, intercultural development, pre-health advising, and Gallup CliftonStrengths. She specializes in qualitative research methods, including autoethnography, collaborative autoethnography, phenomenological interviewing, and scholarly personal narrative. Her publications include a book chapter on the use of the Intercultural Development Inventory with first-year pre-med students, contributing to the Handbook of Research on the Efficacy of Training Programs and Systems in Medical Education. www.RobinSelzer.com.
Unique Course Components
- Interdisciplinary course within the Honors Program, Professional Development, and Art Education Departments.
- Offered in collaboration with UC Foundation, with the Foundation funding part of the course.
- The use of the term “studio” reflects creative ways of experiential learning, and it is borrowed from design and the arts to emphasize the process of developing and implementing an idea or concept.
- Students work in diverse teams to “interrogate socio-cultural problems in organizational environments (that lead to philanthropies) in the United States to understand societal needs outside their own.”
- Each student creates a Values Board, a critical assignment in preparation for the Public Narrative assignment (story of self, story of us, story of now) where students define their values, and explain how their giving can be guided by their own passions, and how those values and passions align with the community.
- Student teams orally deliver their persuasive “Public Narratives” that communicate the value of philanthropic organizations to stakeholders as an exercise of leadership aimed at motivating others to join in action on behalf of a shared purpose. The narrative incorporates the stories of others as well as the student’s own. Student teams will create a Public Narrative based on their chosen philanthropic organization to advocate for a cause and compete for funding. Organizations to be funded are determined by a vote following the presentations.
- One of the two texts used by the class is a free PDF: The Twenty Something Philanthropist by UC DAAP Graphic Design student, Kiley Gawronski.
- Among other Philanthropy Lab tasks such a pre-course survey and giving goals, students receive course credit for emailing an invitation to President Pinto, encouraging him to attend the Giving Ceremony.
- At the end of the semester, each student records a short video reflection (1–2 minutes) that synthesizes their key takeaways and overall experience in the course. The video briefly addresses what students learned about philanthropy and community engagement, how the experiential components of the course—including reflection journal, site visits, teamwork, community engagement—influenced their understanding, and what insights they are carrying forward.