Institutionalizing Service Learning and Civic Engagement

Paul Sather, Director, Service Learning Academy

Deborah Smith-Howell, Associate Vice Chancellor & Dean

www.unomaha.edu/servicelearning

UNO’S MISSION

As Nebraska’s metropolitan University, UNO is characterized by its strong academic foundations and creative community relationships that transform and improve the lives of constituents, the region, and the nation.

UNO’S THREE STRATEGIC GOALS

Goal 1—UNO will be recognized as a student-centered metropolitan university

Goal 2—UNO will be recognized for its academic excellence as a leading metropolitan university

Goal 3—UNO will be recognized for its outstanding engagement with the urban, regional, national, and global communities

INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT

• Mission and Vision • Defining UNO as a “Metropolitan University” • Carnegie Elective Classification

• 2006--Initial group with designation • Both curricular AND Outreach & Partnerships

WHY ?

Need for institutional identity

Building on traditions and culture yet creating a vision and opportunities for the future

HOW?

• Beginning in 1997, campus focus on strategic planning

• Key faculty in Social Work, English, and then working with the Center for Faculty Development saw opportunities

• Seven courses offered in 98-99; over 150 in 2011-2012.

• 133 students participating in 98-99; 1700 in 11-12.

• Value-added to the community since 98-99, over $7.8 million.

• Service-learning courses offered in all six academic colleges and the graduate college.

HISTORY OF SERVICE LEARNING AT UNO

THE FACULTY ROLE A study of 45 colleges and universities (Bell et al., 2000) found that the strongest predictor for institutionalizing service-learning on college campuses is faculty involvement in and support for service-learning.

Why is faculty involvement so important?

• to ensure course quality

• to sustain work over a period of years

• to win administrative support

• to open the door to other kinds of institutional engagement (e.g., recruitment, research)

UNO SERVICE LEARNING ACADEMY: ROLE AND ACTIVITIES

Established Fall 2005 as independent office with full-time director

Provide Faculty and Community Partners Support

K-12 Partnerships

Recipient of local, state, and national grants & contracts

PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES

• Interdisciplinary Days of Service • Faculty Seminars (North, South, K-12, ) • Civic Participation Projects

• Debate Watch • Deliberative Polling• Culture Walks • Newspapers in Curriculum

BENEFITS OF SERVICE LEARNING:UNO

• Visible enactment of institutional mission as metropolitan university;

• Public commitment to the community; • Regional and national recognition; • Enhanced student satisfaction; and • Enhanced student learning.

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• UNO is nationally recognized for its engagement efforts:

• “Community Engagement Classification” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (2006)

• President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll - with distinction (2009)

• UNO’s Service Learning Program recognized as an “Academic Program to Look For” among 42 programs nationally by U.S. News and World Report

• “Honorable Mention,” Washington Center’s Higher Education Civic Engagement Award

• Top 25 “Best Neighbor” colleges and universities among 125 institutions who participated “Saviors of Our Cities: A Survey of Best College and University Civic Partnerships”

SUCCESSES

NEXT STEPS

• Scholarship of Engagement Initiative • Student Service-Volunteer-Leadership

Coordination and Programming • IARSLCE Annual Conference, Omaha, 2013 • CUMU (Coalition of Urban & Metropolitan

Universities) Annual Conference 2015

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UNO Community Engagement CenterGroundbreaking October 24, 2012

For more information

Paul Sather

psather@unomaha.edu

Deborah Smith-Howell

Dsmith-howell@unomaha.edu