OSL

2007 Academic Affairs Faculty SymposiumUnicoi State Park and Conference Center

March 30 -31, 2007

Service LearningBreakout Group Report

Trish Kalivoda and Shannon Wilder, Facilitators

OSL

Advancing Service-LearningThe Scholarship of Engagement

And Civic Engagement

OSL

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

OSL 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 responsibilitySource: Bringle, R. & Hatcher, J. (1995)

OSL 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

OSL 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

OSL

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

OSL 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?

OSL 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

OSL 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)

OSL 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...

OSL 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.

OSL 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