Service Learning Procedures
Service Learning Responsibilities
Service-Learning Procedures
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for service-learning students should:
• Have a 2.0 or better GPA
• Have a willingness to serve while actively reflecting upon the service
• Be open to learning in new and unexpected ways
• Be enrolled in a course that offers service-learning
• Design a one or two credit service-learning independent study with a faculty member and a Cahill Center staff member
Program Enrollment and Academic Exchange
Service-Learning is offered primarily through existing courses. Faculty members choose to integrate service-learning into their courses either as an option or as a requirement. Service-Learning, then, becomes a major component of the course in which it is offered. Faculty members who require service-learning have built it into the course along with other requirements such as research papers, examinations, etc. As an option, service-learning is usually offered as one of a choice of a few assignments such as a research paper or project.
Students enroll in service-learning, whether performing it as an option or a requirement, only after meeting with the service-learning staff in the Cahill Center and moving forward with registration procedures. The staff then works with students to develop appropriate service-learning placements. Students must meet the following requirements in order to be placed and remain in good standing with the Service-Learning Program:
• Complete the Participant Profile
• Complete the Participation Contract
• Attend an Orientation session
• Obtain the Learning Agreement, Timesheet, Calendar
• Determine learning objectives with the service-learning faculty member
• Understand clearly the academic assignment that will be given in conjuction with the service-learning placement
• Complete the Learning Agreement and return it to the Cahill Center
Reflection
"the capacity for reflection is what transforms experience into learning." (Hutchings and Wutzdorff) Reflection is an integral component of the service-learning process.
All students who are enrolled, either as an option or a requirement, in service-learning whether they have been placed through the Cahill Center or have secured their own placements (conversions), must attend scheduled reflection sessions during the semester they are placed. The sessions are planned and facilitated by Cahill Center staff. From time to time, faculty members, community partner representatives and student aides help facilitate the sessions.
The Service-Learning Course
Students who have signed up for service-learning as an option within their respective courses will then be enrolled in the Service-Learning Course (ZINT 010-01). This course carries zero (0) credits and is graded pass/fail. This course will appear on the formal academic transcript.
Grading and Evaluation
As the service-learning placement nears completion, the following evaluations take place:
• Students are evaluated by their supervisor at the community partner organization.
• Students' academic assignments (done in conjuction with service-learning) are evaluated and/or graded by their course professors.
• Students complete the Participant Assessment of the community partner organization including the responsibilities they held.
The Service-Learning Staff will:
• interview students who express an interest in the program
• counsel students in linking their interests, skills and goals to service-learning positions
• facilitate orientation sessions for all students
• develop partnerships with community organizations and agencies to secure positions for students
• work with organization and agency representatives to assure appropriateness of positions
• recruit faculty participants for the program
• work closely with faculty - service-learning course instructors - to maintain academic integrity of the program
• create and design appropriate promotional materials
• publicize the program through a variety of media
• maintain records for institutional and other reporting
• meet each semester with the Cahill Center Advisory Committee to review Service-Learning initiatives, policies and procedures
• facilitate reflection sessions for all service-learning students
• serve as a resource for all service-learning constituents - students, organization and agency representatives and faculty - on service-learning practice, philosophy and history
Service-Learning students will:
• visit the Cahill Center and meet with service-learning staff to discuss placement possibilities
• complete the Participant Profile and Participation Contract
• attend scheduled orientation sessions
• review learning objectives with class professor
• visit prospective placement site for an interview and accept or decline a position if it is offered; repeat process if necessary
• prepare a resume and cover letter if requested by prospective placement
• complete the Learning Agreement and return it to the Cahill Center
• report to placement at day(s) and time(s) agreed upon with site supervisor
• notify service-learning staff of placement start date
• perform duties and tasks as agreed upon with site supervisor
• perform agreed upon number of hours during the semester and note them on the Timesheet
• understand that the same level of professional conduct is expected from a volunteer position as from a paid position
• take advantage of the learning opportunities at the site
• adhere to all regulations and procedures of the organization or agency
• maintain confidentiality where necessary
• notify service-learning staff immediately of any problems or concerns at the site
• attend scheduled reflection sessions
• complete related academic assignment given by course professor
• use semester of service as a springboard to a lifetime of learning, service and civic engagement
Service-Learning faculty members:
• meet with service-learning staff to discuss offering service-learning
• choose how to integrate the service component into their courses
• include service-learning in the course syllabus
• select the academic exchange (e.g., in lieu of a research paper, students perform X hours of service-learning and complete a related acaemic assignment such as a reflective journal and/or a class presentation) for courses offering the service-learning option
• permit Cahill Center staff to deliver brief in-class presentations
• authorize or reject the appropriateness, for learning purposes, of selected placements
• choose, in consultation with service-learning staff, appropriate number of service hours to be performed by students in service-learning courses
• establish with students sound learning objectives to be met during placement
• complete Learning Agreement with student
• monitor students' progress during placement
• notify service-learning staff of any problems or concerns with students or placements
• notify service-learning staff of any noteworthy satisfactions or successes with students or placements
• visit community partner organizations or agencies as time permits
• help facilitate reflection sessions as time permits
• recommend potential community partner organizations or agencies to service-learning staff
• serve on Cahill Center Advisory Committee if invited and as time permits
Service-Learning site supervisors:
• provide a safe environment in which service-learning students can work and learn
• orient students to the site - its mission, operation, history and role in the community
• introduce students to appropriate staff
• provide training as necessary
• complete Learning Agreement with students
• assign students meaningful work
• provide students with adequate supervision
• be available to students, as schedule permits, as a resource for information about the mission, history, etc. of organization or agency
• engage students, as schedule permits, in discussion relevant to organization's mission and the wider social implications thereof (e.g., a site supervisor of a student working in a public defender's office might decide, over a coffee break, to discuss capital punishment because of its immediate relevance to a case and its current interest as a social issue.)
• challenge students to work, think and learn in new ways
• assure ethical practices and conduct for students
• evaluate students' performance for use in faculty assessment of students' learning
• serve on Cahill Center Advisory Committee if invited and time permits
Service-Learning Responsibilities
The Service-Learning Staff will:
• interview students who express an interest in the program
• counsel students in linking their interests, skills and goals to service-learning positions
• facilitate orientation sessions for all students
• develop partnerships with community organizations and agencies to secure positions for students
• work with organization and agency representatives to assure appropriateness of positions
• recruit faculty participants for the program
• work closely with faculty - service-learning course instructors - to maintain academic integrity of the program
• create and design appropriate promotional materials
• publicize the program through a variety of media
• maintain records for institutional and other reporting
• meet each semester with the Cahill Center Advisory Committee to review Service-Learning initiatives, policies and procedures
• facilitate reflection sessions for all service-learning students
• serve as a resource for all service-learning constituents - students, organization and agency representatives and faculty - on service-learning practice, philosophy and history
Service-Learning students will:
• visit the Cahill Center and meet with service-learning staff to discuss placement possibilities
• complete the Participant Profile and Participation Contract
• attend scheduled orientation sessions
• review learning objectives with class professor
• visit prospective placement site for an interview and accept or decline a position if it is offered; repeat process if necessary
• prepare a resume and cover letter if requested by prospective placement
• complete the Learning Agreement and return it to the Cahill Center
• report to placement at day(s) and time(s) agreed upon with site supervisor
• notify service-learning staff of placement start date
• perform duties and tasks as agreed upon with site supervisor
• perform agreed upon number of hours during the semester and note them on the Timesheet
• understand that the same level of professional conduct is expected from a volunteer position as from a paid position
• take advantage of the learning opportunities at the site
• adhere to all regulations and procedures of the organization or agency
• maintain confidentiality where necessary
• notify service-learning staff immediately of any problems or concerns at the site
• attend scheduled reflection sessions
• complete related academic assignment given by course professor
• use semester of service as a springboard to a lifetime of learning, service and civic engagement
Service-Learning faculty members:
• meet with service-learning staff to discuss offering service-learning
• choose how to integrate the service component into their courses
• include service-learning in the course syllabus
• select the academic exchange (e.g., in lieu of a research paper, students perform X hours of service-learning and complete a related acaemic assignment such as a reflective journal and/or a class presentation) for courses offering the service-learning option
• permit Cahill Center staff to deliver brief in-class presentations
• authorize or reject the appropriateness, for learning purposes, of selected placements
• choose, in consultation with service-learning staff, appropriate number of service hours to be performed by students in service-learning courses
• establish with students sound learning objectives to be met during placement
• complete Learning Agreement with student
• monitor students' progress during placement
• notify service-learning staff of any problems or concerns with students or placements
• notify service-learning staff of any noteworthy satisfactions or successes with students or placements
• visit community partner organizations or agencies as time permits
• help facilitate reflection sessions as time permits
• recommend potential community partner organizations or agencies to service-learning staff
• serve on Cahill Center Advisory Committee if invited and as time permits
Service-Learning site supervisors:
• provide a safe environment in which service-learning students can work and learn
• orient students to the site - its mission, operation, history and role in the community
• introduce students to appropriate staff
• provide training as necessary
• complete Learning Agreement with students
• assign students meaningful work
• provide students with adequate supervision
• be available to students, as schedule permits, as a resource for information about the mission, history, etc. of organization or agency
• engage students, as schedule permits, in discussion relevant to organization's mission and the wider social implications thereof (e.g., a site supervisor of a student working in a public defender's office might decide, over a coffee break, to discuss capital punishment because of its immediate relevance to a case and its current interest as a social issue.)
• challenge students to work, think and learn in new ways
• assure ethical practices and conduct for students
• evaluate students' performance for use in faculty assessment of students' learning
• serve on Cahill Center Advisory Committee if invited and time permits
