Advancing Service-Learning

1. 2007 Academic Affairs Faculty SymposiumUnicoi State Park and Conference CenterMarch 30 -31, 2007Service LearningBreakout Group ReportTrish Kalivoda and Shannon Wilder, Facilitators

2. Advancing Service-Learning The Scholarship of Engagement And Civic Engagement

3. Our Group • Paige Carmichael, Vet Med • Joe Crim, Instruction • Dale Gauthreaux, Terry College • Mark Huber, Terry College • Trish Kalivoda, Public Service & Outreach • Jessica Muilenburg, Public Health • Jenny Penney Oliver, Education • Claire Robb, Public Health • Shannon Wilder, OSL

4. Literature-Based Definition of Academic Service-Learning • Course-based, credit-bearing educational experience in which students • Participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs, and • Reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of personal values and civic responsibility • Source: Bringle, R. & Hatcher, J. (1995)

5. Characteristics of Academic Service-Learning • Applies the course content to a community need. • Has an impact on 3 learning dimensions • Academic • Civic • Personal: values, role in the world,How the discipline affects the world • Provides opportunities for exposure and interaction with diverse populations

6. Characteristics of Academic Service-Learning • Provides opportunities for written and other forms of reflection about the experience and the impact on the three learning dimensions • Is not volunteer work – It is “intentional” • Is Contextualized • Is Practice-Based: An engagement in the learning and practice process

7. Current Activities • School, College, and individual faculty member Activities • Office of Service-Learning • Advisory Board • Service-Learning Interest Group • Global Service-Learning Interest Group • Service Learning Fellows Program • Curriculum Committee • Faculty Recognition • Student Recognition • Collaboration • Nuts and Bolts of course approval • Risk Management Committee

8. Advancement Opportunity 1 • Certificate of Civic Engagement - a Portfolio of Service-Learning Experiences • Course-based and Non-course-based • Service-learning project • Community-based research project • Directed Community Service • Web-Based Portfolios that include: • Samples of student work in courses or outside of courses • Faculty member certifies with grade or commentary • Demonstration of impact on community - letters with economic impact statement • Capstone question: What did you learn across the three dimensions?

9. Advancement Opportunity 2 • Course Identification of Service-Learning Courses • Ability to tag classes (CAPA) • An Umbrella Course Number • Provides faculty flexibility to test and develop a service-learning project • Allows the student to design a project with appropriate course credit • Facilitates school and college involvement and support of service-learning

10. Advancement Opportunity 3 • Establish Intentional Links and Incentives to Existing Community/University Partnerships • Use the Archway Professional model with One Athens • Provide a mechanism or portal to link community needs to campus resources • Encourages links between different categories of faculty members (academic, public service, clinical, research)

11. Measures to Assess • Number of Certificates • Quantification of participation: students & faculty • Student web-based portfolios with quantitative and qualitative data - writing pieces • Base-line data and later post-interaction data on faculty, students (NSSE), and community • Economic impact studies: Have students cost out: Dollars saved to the community partner • If community had to paid for the service, it would have cost...

12. Resources Needed • Credit to faculty members (in all career tracks) for sponsoring service-learning • Ways to Expand the Scholarship of Engagement Grants: Larger dollar amounts • Vet school is offering a match for these grants • Clinical faculty: get them out of the clinic and into the community.

13. Impact on Faculty Members • Opportunities • Can catalyze faculty transformation: working in communities can inform and transform faculty research and teaching • Allows for faculty innovation • Could create opportunities to secure non-state funds to support instruction • Creates opportunities for faculty collaboration across disciplines and career tracks (e.g. academic, public service, clinical) • Provides opportunities for exposure and interaction with diverse populations • Costs • Time and Effort • The learning curve in implementing a new service-learning project