Service Learning Course Development: Developing Community Partnerships That Work

1. Service Learning Course Development: Developing Community Partnerships That Work Maureen Rubin California State University, Northridge maureen.rubin@csun.edu

2. Who is out there in cyberspace? • Using the chat feature, please let me know who is attending today. • If you have already engaged in a community partnership, please let me know the main challenge you faced. • If you are new to service-learning, what’s your main challenge regarding community partnerships?

4. Most important question for faculty-- • What are your desired student learning outcomes? • WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR STUDENTS TO LEARN? • Primary Goal • Understanding of Course Content • Value Added Goals • Understanding Related Societal/Professional Issues • Awareness of and Involvement with Community • Commitment to Service • Career Development • Self-awareness, Sensitivity to Diversity, Sense of Ownership • Improved Communication and Critical Thinking Skills • Leadership, Values, Taking Responsibility, Perseverance

5. Don’t want to preach to the choir We’re all aware of the benefits of community partnerships: • Fulfills part of higher education’s responsibility to its community. • Many positive effects of students’ academic and personal development. Makes learning relevant. • High Impact practice that boosts retention and graduation rates. • Helps community organizations increase the quality of service to their clients. • Enhances the ability of both the university and the community organization to achieve their missions.

6. What makes a good partnership? • Honoring the role of the community as co-educator. • Collaborating on all aspects of course design. • Having all parties understand the desired student learning outcomes and have a clear role in guiding students toward achieving them.  • Recognizing community voices in defining needs, faculty expertise in developing projects to address defined needs, and students' voices in implementing community learning projects. Cal State Northridge Center for Community Engagement http://www.csun.edu/csl/

7. So that means definitions must be clear Volunteerism – Describes people, who of their own free will and without pay, perform service or do good work. This can be done on a regular or sporadic basis with any community. Volunteers perform whatever tasks need to be done. Internships/Practicum/Field Work – Capstone academic experiences through which students implement material covered in a series of classes. Students’ service should give them opportunities to use the knowledge and skills that have attained and should resemble entry-level employment as much as possible.

8. Community service-learning • Academic study linked to community service through collaborative planning and structured reflection and so that each reinforces the other. • Service-learners should perform service that will advance mutually agreed upon student learning outcomes. • The community service may be direct service to people in need, community outreach and education, research or policy analysis. • Regular and vigorous reflection is on-going, not just at mid-term and finals time.

9. Finding community partners • Where are they? • They are located throughout your community but you and the University might have to network to find them: • Build a database. • Go to community meetings (United Way). • Learn about existing coalitions. • Ask faculty who they know and work with. • Visit schools, small businesses, specialty groups. • Make it easy for them to find you. • Create web applications. (but be sure to work with risk management).

10. Resources that can help you may exist in your community

11. It’s just like match.com • If you were searching for a date, you would be required to complete an extensive questionnaire before a match is proposed. • The potential consequences of not conducting an extensive screening process is much worse than a bad first date, because they last an entire semester. • Researching compatibility is a MUST • Is there a shared understanding of “who we are” as a partnership entity? Janke calls it a “partnership identity.” Janke, Emily • Defining Characteristics of Partnership Identity in Faculty Community Partnerships, • Information Age Publishing, 2009

12. Here’s a sample of what to ask from California State University • Organization Name • Type of Organization ( Adult Education, Faith Based, Government, High School) • Partnership Contact and Title • Address • Phone • Email, FAX, website • The whole request form can be found at: http://www.servicelearning.org/sample_form_template/request-initiate-campus-community-partnership

13. Community issues addressed

14. Have students indicate availability and community members indicate requirements • Ask how many hours will be required of a student • Ask what those hours are • Student schedules have to accommodate community partner needs • Everyone is asking for trouble if they don’t. Students often overestimate their availability and underestimate their outside activities.

15. Determine what sort of majors community partners need – they don’t think BROADLY

18. Planning for the first meeting

20. Community collaboration planner Community Partner • Briefly describe your organization: mission, main interest, population served, organizational structure, budgets. • What do you see as the potential benefit for the community from students performing these service activities? • What are the most important lessons your organization can teach college students? • List three service outcomes (representative activities that you would like students to perform) at your organization and describe them to the students and faculty members.

21. Community collaboration planner Faculty Members and Students • Describe the course in which community-service learning will be used. • List your top three student learning outcomes (the three most important things you want to learn or have your students learn during the service learning experience) and describe them to your community partner. Both Partners • Find at least three intersections where the faculty and student goals and the community partner goals can coalesce. Keep talking and negotiating until this is accomplished.

22. What will students do? • Is there a meeting of the minds? A “partnership identity? • Very important to see if community partners have a realistic understanding of the type and level of service that it expected. • Consider: • Is the service the right level for the class? • Is it something that can be done in one semester? • Will students address on-going needs or work on a special projects? • Will the faculty member’s student learning objectives be advanced through this service? • Do both parties agree on student learning outcomes?

23. Would you allow… • Students to pick up trash at a site? • Under what circumstances? Please type your criteria using the chat feature.

24. Would you allow… • Students to help litigants fill out forms for court appearances? • Under what circumstances?

25. Next step: Having a conversation With basic outcomes are defined begin working toward agreement on several points. • Placing Students • Scheduling • Site Procedures • Training and Orientation • Planning activities • Communicating • Evaluating All decisions don’t have to be made at the first joint planning session. BUT they should be made together as soon as possible.

26. Placing students • Who assigns students to sites? Faculty member or student? • Get information from community partner and distribute to students on the first day of class. Include brochures or descriptions with syllabus • Invite the community partner to come to class at the next meeting to describe the organization/project/clients? • Same assignment or rotation?

27. Scheduling • How long will the service component of the class last? Start date______ End date_____ • How many students will go to this site? • How many times a week will they come to the site? • How many total hours will be required of each student? • What are the on-site check-in and check-out procedures. • Make a sign up grid. • Can missed days be made up? How?

28. Revisit student schedule planners with community partners • Ask how many hours will be required of a student • Ask what those hours are • Student schedules have to accommodate community partner needs • Everyone is asking for trouble if they don’t. Students often overestimate their availability and underestimate their outside activities.

29. Plan student recruitment • Have all potential community partners come to first class • Bring literature • Make a presentation • All students time for q & a with potential partners • If a representative of the community partner can’t attend, pass out literature. But it is not a good sign of their recognition of what the students need from them.

30. At orientation, cover site procedures • What are the on-site check-in and check-out procedures • How will students track their hours? • Are there transportation or parking problems? • Is public transportation available? • What should students wear? • Who will be the on-site supervisor? • Will students be driving a company car? • Where will students work? Will all materials/equipment be provided? • Will students be asked to purchase anything? Will expenses be reimbursed?

31. Plan ahead • Background checks • TB tests • Special training • All of these take time • When can you communicate with next semester’s students? • Find out and contact them as soon as possible to deal with site requirements

32. Training • Where and what kind of orientation is planned? • In class or on site? • How long? • One shot or continual? • Stress importance of attendance. • Any special training? Can it be part of the class? • Schedule a meeting between the on-site supervisor and the students as early as possible.

33. Student orientation • Presentation on agency mission, main interest, population served, organizational structure, budgets, programs and services. • Introduction and break out sessions with site supervisors. Provide job descriptions. • Rules and regulations: privacy; state, local and federal laws (i.e. privacy, reporting, harassment). • Emergency procedures including who to contact. • Tour the site.

34. Sample common sense rules for students • Ask for help when in doubt. • Be punctual and responsible. • Call if you’re going to be late or absent. • Respect the privacy of everyone at community site. • Show respect for everyone you meet. • Be appropriate, courteous and kind. • Dress modestly and safely. • Be flexible; community needs aren’t always predictable.

35. Stricter guidelines • DO NOT report under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • Do not loan money. • Do not make promises you can’t keep. • Do not tolerate any sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior. • Do not engage in business relationship. • Do not tolerate any verbal exchanges that might show discrimination of any kind. • Do not enter into any personal relationships.

36. Community partners must be trained -- just like students • Require designated representatives of all community partner organizations to attend a substantive training session prior to the start of the semester. • No other way to assure that rules, regulations and expectations are shared and understood. • Include time for faculty and community partners to work together to shape the class and its service experience.

37. Planning activities The first day of service What “ice-breakers” will be used to introduce students to their on-site clients? It’s like 6th grade! The last day of service What is the plan for closure and recognition of participants? Everything in between Just like teachers, service-learning students need “lesson plans.”

38. Communicating • The number one problem and the number one solution. • How will communication between faculty members, students and community partners be maintained? • Be specific • Exchange contact information for every contingency

39. Evaluating and assessing • In service-learning, every party evaluates every other party. • What indicators or outcome measure will be used? • Students evaluate placement • Students evaluate faculty • Community supervisors evaluate students • How will the partnership as a whole be assessed? • How will needed adjustments be made?

46. Risk management • Complex and campus specific but: • Community sites should identify and put inherent risks in writing (facility hazards, location concerns, client or personnel issues) • Make a plan to communicate these risks to campus official and to students • Make a plan on how future risks will be identified and communicated

47. Sample forms • Sample forms are available at: • http://www.csun.edu/communityengagement/ • Look under “Risk Management Support for Service-Learning Courses” and “Risk Management Forms for Students” to see how my university handles the issue.

49. Additional Resources: National Service Learning Clearinghouse • http://www.servicelearning.org/ • Search for many articles under “community partnerships” • By discipline ( Community Partnerships for Health) • By issue (economic development) • By type of Higher Ed (faith-based) • By country

50. Partnerships that Work: the Stories and Lessons from Campus/Community Collaborations Author:  Charlene J. Gray Author:  James M. Heffernan Author:  Michael H. Norton Publication Date:  n.d. Publisher:  Campus Compact