Guilford College

The Center for Principled Problem Solving is dedicated to creating avenues for people to explore and learn about social change and innovation as imagined through the lenses of Guilford’s core values. These core values are Community, Diversity, Equality, Excellence, Integrity, Justice and Stewardship.

For Students

PPS Scholars Program

The Principled Problem Solving Scholars (PPSS) are a select group of rising 2nd and 3rd year
students chosen through a rigorous application process each spring. Coming from diverse
backgrounds and disciplines, scholars complete a year-long sequence of courses and engaged
learning experience that builds their applied knowledge of Principled Problem Solving. The
cornerstones of this program are creativity, critical thinking and practical application. Students selected for the program will receive a $1500 scholarship for the fall and spring
semesters and additional financial assistance of up to $3,000 for summer internship expenses.

Civic Engagement Classes

Two civic engagement classes are offered fall and spring semesters. Introduction to Civic
Engagement provides an opportunity for students new to civic engagement to learn more about
social movements and different ways to be involved in the community. The second class, Civic
Engagement Explorations builds on the first class with the addition of a weekly commitment to service and reflection on the relationship between civic engagement and democracy.

Internships

Internships offer students a unique opportunity to extend principled problem solving beyond the classroom and put Guilford’s core values to work in the world. The Center for Principled Problem Solving serves as a resource to help connect students with opportunities to apply these principles in real-world contexts. View a current list of internships opportunities offered by CPPS.

For Students, Faculty and Staff

Projects

PPS Partnership Project Program offers students, faculty and staff the opportunity to apply for and receive project grants of up to $1000 and administrative support that can be used to address issues in the world through a PPS lens. The variety of partnership projects and project participants can be as diverse as the people that undertake a project.

For students that would like to gain group work and presentation experience, there is a PPS
Partnership Project Guilford Undergraduate Symposium (GUS) track which makes groups eligible
to win $1000 award for best project concept and presentation during the spring symposium.

For Faculty

Faculty Fellowships

The CPPS Faculty Fellowship offers individual faculty members the opportunity to advance the
work of principled problem solving at Guilford in conjunction with a project consistent with the the faculty member’s experience and interests. Possible projects may include but are not limited to a targeted hands-on PPS project, a PPS research undertaking, creating new or retooling existing syllabi to match PPS priorities and/or PPS faculty seminar development.

Development of PPS Learning Objectives for Your Class

Whether working on an old or a new syllabus, CPPS staff can provide tools and assistance to
compliment your disciplinary course content with a PPS focus.