An Experiential Learning Requirement for NM Community Colleges

1. An Experiential Learning Requirement for NM Community Colleges Putting “Community” back in Community Colleges

2. Purpose • To explore setting up an experiential / service learning requirement for New Mexico community college students • This means creating or modifying existing service learning (SL) program(s) for use statewide. • Administering program through the New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship authority • To address current funding difficulties • To act as an additional eligibility requirement

3. Essential Questions • Why modify the Legislative Lottery Scholarship? • Why set up such a program? (i.e. justifications) • What similar programs may already exist? • What components would this program need? • What costs / benefits might be realized? • What roles would community colleges play? • How might younger students or community members be involved? • What conclusions can we draw about this proposal?

4. New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship • Since 1996, funds from profits on lottery ticket sales have been used to award over 90,000 college scholarships, resulting in 38,000 have graduated1. • Unlike most federal student aid, the Legislative Lottery Scholarship is not based on need • Therefore, this is an extremely popular option: • 13,619 students used it in the Fall 2010 semester, for example2. • This is out of a total of 142,000 college students in New Mexico, but is still a sizeable amount3. http://www.nmlottery.com/about/scholarships/ http://www.nmvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/lottery-scholarship-report-2013.pdf http://www.nmvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/lottery-scholarship-report-2013.pdf

5. Legislative Lottery Financial Woes • Student demand and tuition costs have risen, but ticket sales remain level. • As a consequence the scholarship fund has exhausted profits and required a funding fix from the NM Legislature1. • This will almost certainly require the NMHED to use its authority to change: • The amount of funding that the scholarship covers or • The eligibility requirements for the scholarship 1. http://dacc.nmsu.edu/fa/status-of-new-mexico-lot.html

6. Alternative Requirements • Many proposed changes to the scholarship requirements are being proposed, such as • Increasing the GPA requirements • Increasing the credit hour requirements • Basing the scholarship on financial need • All of the above would be problematic because: • They tend to be exclusionary and arbitrarily set • In the case of financial need this would mean huge amounts of additional paperwork too • They include no mechanism to help students achieve higher GPA, more credit hours, etc.

7. Service Learning Option • Requiring students to participate in SL does not have previous defects: • Does not exclude based upon academic ability or need • Provides a mechanism to help students enhance skills • Potentially benefits the community in which they serve • May generate grant funding from state, federal, or private sources • May help student employment prospects, or allow some students to earn compensation for work

8. So Why Modify Lottery Scholarship Program? • Already an existing state program with authority to set scholarship requirements • Federal financial aid requirements could not be easily modified • Scholarship fund is having difficulty as presently structured • Some sort of modification will be required to maintain solvency • Significant numbers of students make use of program • 14000 student participants annually would be enough to make a difference in community

9. Justification • Experiential or Service Learning (SL) is a well-recognized educational technique for achieving meaningful student learning outcomes. • Some proponents included Dewey, Kolb, Piaget, Jarvis, and Fenwick (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007, p. 163) • Many community colleges claim service learning is core value • CNM, for example states “serving the community is a core part of our institutional mission” • http://www.cnm.edu/depts/service-learning

10. Other Justifications • Other countries have mandatory service requirements for higher education students • Mexico, for example: • http://www.aacu.org/diversitydemocracy/vol16no4/canton_ramos.cfm • Opportunity for maturation • 42% of students are first time freshmen • 30% of community college students are under 21 • Work experience • Only 62% of full-time students work and go to school • Students may be able to work in this program instead of a less educationally relevant job. http://www.aacc.nche.edu/AboutCC/Pages/fastfactsfactsheet.aspx

11. Community Engagement & Sustainability as Core Values • Many areas of service learning are possible • We are choosing to target those that promote sustainability. • CNM claims commitment to both community engagement and sustainability • CNM Strategic Direction Goal: “Community Success: Lead and support high value workforce and community engagement1” • Committed to “course-level sustainability learning outcomes2” • Service Learning in sustainability would be consistent with both objectives https://www.cnm.edu/student-resources/get-help/cnm-core-values http://www.cnm.edu/about/sustainability

12. Existing programs • AmeriCorps • Perhaps the best known example • http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps • Under auspices of Corporation for National and Community Service • www.nationalservice.gov • Mission: “to provide opportunities for Americans of all ages to help improve the nation through service—making our streets safer, our environment cleaner, our children healthier, and our schools better”* * http://learningtogive.org/papers/paper180.html

13. AmeriCorps Branches • State and National Programs • http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/upload/state_profiles/pdf_2013/NM%20AmeriCorps.pdf • VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) • Primarily serves low-income individuals and areas • http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-vista • NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) • Partnership with non-profits, municipalities, churches, and secular organizations • http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-nccc • Senior Corps • Opportunities for people 55+ years old to serve • http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/senior-corps

14. State / Local Programs • UNM’s Community Engagement Center • http://clps.unm.edu/about/history/ • AmeriCorps style model • Initiatives in about 30 communities/areas throughout New Mexico1 • State, federal, local, tribal • TeacherCorps, FoodCorps, Tribal Service Corps, etc. • “There is no other service corps program in the state of New Mexico with its breadth, comprehensiveness, and community connections.” • Other colleges / universities have similar programs • NMSU’s Service Learning for Educational Distinction (SLED) Program • http://emd.education.nmsu.edu/grant-programs/service/ 1. http://clps.unm.edu/initiatives/

15. Other programs • Non-comprehensive program examples • Numerous local, state, and federal opportunities exist • The EPA’s Office of Solid Waste, for example has the program below: • http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/pdfs/svclearn.pdf • Private/ Non Profit SL Programs with a sustainability component • Navajo Nation Amizade “Global” Service Learning • Partnership with Dine College in Crownpoint, NM • http://amizade.org/programs/locations-to-serve/the-navajo-nation/ • Youth Development Incorporated New Mexico • Early childhood through college level support programs for youth • http://www.ydinm.org/index.php/about-ydi

16. Other private program examples • EarthshipBiotecture Academy • Taos, NM • Sustainable building practices http://earthship.com/academy

17. What components would an SL program need? • Enrollment • Lottery Scholarship participants required to enroll • Partnership with high schools and community colleges to facilitate this • Ultimately the student’s responsibility, however • Identification of skills and interests of participants • Matching students to existing programs, and needs • Based on student existing skills, knowledge, interests • Level of commitment for participants • How much participation should be required at a minimum? • How should service beyond the minimum be credited?

18. What components would an SL program need? • Initial and On-going Orientation / Training • What kinds of minimum training will be needed for participants? • What training will take place on-site? • What kinds of on-going learning support would be needed • i.e. classroom meetings, seminars, web conferencing • How often should this be done? • What kinds of reflection or student work products should be expected of participants?

19. What components would an SL program need? • Partnership with existing programs • As shown, numerous programs exist in NM • But they are a patchwork of funding, needs, and goals • Are there enough programs to absorb available students? • If not, what can be done? • Need job developers / volunteer placement coordination • May have to create waiting lists • Need proposals from partners • Outline goals and make sure consistent with state SL goals • Memo of Understanding (MOU) that specifies • Number of volunteers • Scope of work / educational objectives • Cost sharing

20. Cost and Benefits • Setting up such a program may be expensive • Budgets are already tight for NM Lottery Scholarship fund and for Community Colleges • Grant monies may be available to defray costs • State, Federal, and private monies may be available to help set up a program like this • Funding from programs like AmeriCorps / Corporation for National and Community Service • US Department of Education grants • https://www2.ed.gov/students/involve/service/edpicks.jhtml?src=ln • Many private, non-profit educational grants available

21. Additional Costs & Benefits • Student Time Availability • Students may not have the time to volunteer • Work of family commitments • Class schedules • Time flexibility • Partnerships with schools and possibly employers may address these time conflicts • Distance learning technology and flexible class scheduling can also ease time conflicts • Students may earn money or other benefits because of nature of work • For example, students working in child care might also be able to get childcare services for their own families • Students may be able to earn money for working beyond required hours

22. Role of Community Colleges (CC) • Many colleges already are committed to community engagement and service learning • May have to expand or modify courses offered to support these programs • May have to provide some initial and on-going skills training to participants • Could take an active role in helping to find program participants and place students • Ultimately the college benefits, because the student is able to pay tuition • Some of these volunteer programs may serve CC needs as well

23. Role for youth or community members • Program primarily envisioned for college students • High school students, or college graduates, or seniors could still volunteer in many existing programs • Possible for high school students to earn “credits” for service that could be applied when they go to college • This might mean not having to do SL requirements when first enrolled in CC • Non-college volunteers would still be needed • Organizations can divide up workload more appropriately by age and skill levels

24. Concluding points • Current proposal involves some financial risks, but also a lot of potential benefits • If properly administered it should address existing problems with Legislative Lottery Scholarship • Should also provide great educational and professional opportunities for students • Should be a great benefit to the community and the environment. • Isn’t this what a Community College is supposed to be about ? !