Success and Challenge: Building a Sustainable Service-Learning Program

1. Success and Challenge:Building a Sustainable Service-Learning Program Rich Harris, Director James Madison University

2. What Does Success Look Like? Campus Compact Building A Service-Learning Pyramid www.compact.org/faculty/specialreport

3. James Madison UniversityService-Learning History • 1986-1991 – Community Service-Learning - founded and developed by Cecil Bradfield (Sociology) and Ann Myers (Social Work) • 1992-1995 – Seeking direction • 1996-2002 – Planning and implementing a program • 2003-2005 – Budget cuts and creating a void • 2006-present – Institutionalizing service-learning

4. What Was Learned? • Link service-learning to the university mission • Do your homework – discover and implement best practices • Pick your campus champions and have them represent the program • Identify constituents and involve them in the development process • Designate leadership with dedicated time and funding to engage the campus in service-learning development • Be realistic – develop pilot programs and evaluate their success

5. More Learning • Develop a plan • Link service-learning to the institution’s mission • Define service learning and program goals • Identify who will be involved, roles and benefits • Identify program structure and resources needed • Identify and create partnerships • Link Academic and Student Affairs • Present institutional choices

6. JMU Service-Learning Today • The JMU Mission • Service-Learning Defined • Service-Learning Goals • Programs and Partnerships • Administrative Structure and Funding

7. Rich Harris, Director Community Service Learning Fiscal Assistant Julie Slifer Administrative Assistant -Debbie Fox- Student Office Assistant Student Office Assistant Associate Director for Community Programs -Walt Ghant- Associate Director for Domestic and International Programs - Lorelei Esbenshade- Graduate Assistant Service Learning - - Alternative Spring Break Graduate Assistant - Service Coordinators (7) Aging Services Community Wellness & Environment Disability Services Early & Elementary Ed Hunger & Housing Special Ed Youth & Adult Ed Outreach Program Coord. Information Technology Coordinator Undergraduate student Federal Work Study Alternative Spring Break Coordinators (2) Alternative Spring Break Leaders (40-50) Community Service-Learning Organizational Chart

8. Community Service-LearningFunding Sources • Tuition dollars • Student fee dollars • Federal dollars • America Reads • Community Based Federal Work Study • Expendable account • Endowment account • Fees for service – Primarily ASB • Provost office – faculty development

9. Next Steps for JMU • Expanded community and JMU educational partnerships • Moving towards civic engagement by service-learning progression • Exposure • Understanding • Action • Institutionalized of faculty support and development – Expanding understanding, breadth and depth of service-learning

10. Integrating Service-Learning Into a Course Action Research Service-Learning Course Service-Learning Component Service-Learning as an Option

11. JMU Faculty Support • Placement service and classroom visits – www.jmu.edu/csl/serv-ops/placements • Customized service-learning placement and course development • Classroom reflection facilitation and support • Workshops, training and funding in partnership with Center for Faculty Innovation • Departmental specific training and workshops • Brown bag lunches for faculty support • Service-Learning faculty blackboard site • CS-L library and web site • Individual consultation • Advocating for faculty in the tenure process

12. Service-Learning and Tenure • Teaching • Generally the most supported • Support and reward for course development • Teaching evaluations increase • Service • Credit for community service • “Packaging” of service activities • Research • Service-Learning pedagogy • Service-Learning in the specific discipline • Faculty mentors • Scholarly Activity at JMU

13. How Students Benefit • More engaged - learning comes alive • Aids in academic and vocational decision making • Reflective thinkers and learners • Better prepared for the world they will live in – people, ideas and skills • Path to civic engagement • Exposure • Understanding • Action

14. What Holds Service-Learning Together at JMU? • Linked to the JMU mission • Part of the JMU culture based on 20 year history • Partnerships • JMU involvement in the community • Student and Academic Affairs • Multiple offices in all programs • Faculty development in learning communities • Strong student leadership • Institutional service-learning “home”, funding and support services – CS-L department coordinates these • Ongoing development and change

15. Pitfalls • Overreaching resources – human, time and budgetary • Lack of a future plan • Lack of ongoing institutional support and dollars for an ongoing program – faculty development • Lack of partnerships • Making service-learning the responsibility of just one office or group rather than engaging the entire campus

16. Questions? For More Information Contact: Rich Harris, Director Community Service-Learning James Madison University harrisra@jmu.edu 540-568-3463 www.jmu.edu/csl