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St. John Fisher College

Preface

“Service-learning offers the promise of allowing higher education institutions to articulate their missions, to engage students more deeply in the learning process, to develop meaningful relationships

with their host communities, and to educate men and women to take leadership roles in a changing world.” (Butin 2005, p. 203)

St. Jonn Fisher College has a history of service with the success of the Service-Scholar and First Generation Scholar programs and formation of Students With A Vision and Center for Community Engagement. In the Spring of 2006, two of St. John Fisher’s leading service-scholars, responding to the positive benefits they had received from their experience, met with faculty members and proposed that service-learning be made available to all students. In the Fall of 2006, the Curriculum and Instruction Committee created and dispatched the Service-Learning Advisory Board (SLAB). Using a developed Community-Based Service-Learning Proposal, SLAB was awarded the LeChase Family Fellowship and received a donation by Charlie Constantino, Trustee to fund the first two years of SLAB’s five-year plan. In spring of 2009, we applied for and were awarded the Corporation for National and Community Service Learn and Serve America Higher Education grant to fund a three-year program. As only 20 were awarded out of 250 applicants nation-wide, this was quite an honor. We were the only individual award in New York State. In the spring of 2011, the college supported a new Center for Experiential Learning, and in the Spring of 2012, fully funded a Community-Based Service-Learning, communicating the college’s commitment to service and experiential learning.

We are excited about this opportunity to implement our vision: to provide service-learning opportunities to a larger and more diverse group of students while re-enforcing the core mission of the college. By extending the classroom into local agencies and neighborhoods, the Community-Based Service-Learning Program will reaffirm and broadly institutionalize the concept of service as an essential component of Fisher’s mission, values, and goals.

This handbook was created to support faculty interested in integrating service-learning into existing courses or creating new service-learning courses in their respective disciplines. It will provide nuts and bolts tools for “doing” service-learning as well as explore the theoretical and conceptual issues surrounding this pedagogy. For further questions, a copy of this handbook, or service-learning consultation and service partnership contacts, please contact Dr. Lynn Donahue, Coordinator, Center for Experiential Learning and Community-Based Service-Learning. And welcome to the Service-Learning community!

Best,

Dr. Lynn DonahueCoordinator, Service-Learning Program and Center for Experiential LearningSt. John Fisher [email protected]; 585-385-7342Pioch 103C

2 Community-Based Service-Learning Faculty Manual | St. John Fisher College

mailto:[email protected]

Introduction and Definitions


Definition of Community-Based Service-Learning

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to cultivate students' intellectual, civic, and professional development, meet the needs of our community partners, and provide opportunities for faculty development. Specifically the community-based service-learning program will facilitate the creation of new service-learning opportunities embedded in college coursework, develop and enhance college-community partnerships, meet real community needs and student learning goals, and provide logistical and pedagogical support for interested faculty. Definition of Community-Based Service-Learning:

Community-Based Service-Learning (CBSL) at St. John Fisher College integrates service projects in academic courses to enhance student learning, teach civic responsibility, address community needs through meaningful service, and strength communities. This service moves beyond the traditional understanding of community service, charity, or volunteerism through its integration in academic courses and incorporation of meaningful service and student learning.

St. John Fisher College Service-Learning Advisory Board (SLAB)

Service-Learning Website: http://www.sjfc.edu/academics/servicelearning/

CBSL Showcase Website: http://www.sjfcservicelearningshowcase.org/index.html

CBSL Faculty Resources Website: http://slfisherfacultytraining.weebly.com


http://slfisherfacultytraining.weebly.com/

http://www.sjfcservicelearningshowcase.org/index.html

http://www.sjfc.edu/academics/servicelearning/


Criteria for a Service-Learning Course and/or Project

Community-Based Service-Learning at St. John Fisher College combines service objectives with learning objectives to address real community needs. To uphold academic rigor, reciprocal benefit, and “best practices,” the following criteria must be met for a course to be given a Service Learning (SL) attribute for course registration and service-learning designation under course name.


MEANINGFUL SERVICEThe "service" component addresses a stated community need.Service is collaboratively developed, reciprocally beneficial, adds value to the community, is challenging for the students, and sustainable.Service hours are between 15 and 40 hours per semester.

STUDENT LEARNINGThe "service" component addresses one or more course goals.Grades are given for the accomplishment of course goals through service, not for service hours.The rationale, definition, and expectations of service are clearly communicated to the students.

REFLECTIONReflection assignments connect course content with service using the service as “text”.Assignments encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and new understanding.Reflection occurs before, during, and/or after the service and service outcomes are shared in class.

Service-Learning Options

Types of Service-Learning

Client Support

Students work directly with clients and/or within the functioning of an agency. For example, students might assist with the recreational activities in a nursing home and learn to work collaboratively with other students, support staff, the residents and their families.

Capacity-Building Projects

Students become knowledge-producers, not just consumers, through the creation of a tangible product. One example would be for students to create an informational booklet on health-care services in the community or conduct research on a topic. Booklets could then be reproduced for distribution.

Service as a Required vs. Optional Course Component

With the required component, students are required to engage in some form of service (individually or with a group) and complete reflective assignments related to the service experience.

With the optional component, service and accompanying reflection are offered as an alternative to a quiz, particular readings, other experiential learning activity, or a research assignment.

Number of Hours:

The minimum number of hours is 15 hours The average number of hours is 20 Full-integrated service-learning can require 30-40 hours Hours can include client support and project creation and on and off-campus work.


Sampling of Service-Learning Partnerships and Projects

Arts and Sciences:1. AMST 273: American Social Justice – Jennifer RossiStudents will identify and work to address genuine needs in Rochester refugee communities in partnership with Saint’s Place, Mary’s Place, and Catholic Family Services.2. BIO 101: Environmental Studies – Mike BollerIn partnership with Cobblestone School, students will develop and host a Sustainability Fair on topics like organic waste composting, water conservation, and population growth.3. CHEM 316L: Analytical Chemistry II Lab – Irene Kimaru & Kim ChichesterStudents will conduct water analysis of Genesee River and soil testing for lead. 4. COMM 263: Digital Media and Online Communication – Jeremy SarachanStudents will create social media and online communities for the Center for Youth, Cobblestone School, and South Wedge Farmer’s Market.5. PSYCH 233: Industrial & Organizational Psychology – Tim FranzStudents will create, implement, and analyze an employee satisfaction and diversity recruitment survey for the Advocacy Center and NeighborWorks.6. PSJS 250P5: Social Change through Service – Lee ChaseStudents will provide education to participants of Red Cross Next Generation Leaders Program, School Without Walls Foundation Academy, and Catholic Family Center Sanctuary House.

Education:7. EDUC 313 01 & 02: CI & A Primary Literacy – Sharon ChristmanStudents will design and create new learning center “makeovers” for partner City schools.8. EDUC 440 01 & 02: Collaboration for Inclusion –Sue Hildenbrand & Dan KellyStudents will research topics of interest for parents of children with exceptional needs through a partnership with the Advocacy Center.9. ITED 422 01: Diversity in American Society - Jim WoodStudents will provide client support, educational workshops, and informational documents for the Early College International HS after-school program; CP Rochester, and AIDS Care.

Management:10. MGMT 325: Promotions Management – Ray ShadyStudents will create promotion campaigns for Clinton Avenue small businesses: Zak’s Avenue; Vitality Juice Bar, and NY & Co. Jewelry & Coin.11. MGMT 221: Introduction to Marketing – Monica HodisStudents will collaborate with Rochester small businesses to develop a marketing plan.

Pharmacy:12. PHARM 4220/ITDY 310: Introduction to Medical Missions – Christine Birnie

Students will engage in either a medical mission trip overseas or a local health care project such as support to an inner city health clinic.

13. PHARM 5526 01: Pharmacy of Cancer – Amy ParkhillStudents will provide client, research, and educational support for families and individuals impacted by cancer in partnership with Teens Living with Cancer and Hope Lodge.


Continuum of Service at St. John Fisher College

1. Volunteerism and Community Service: Focus is on community and the service. No integration with academic courses.

2. Field Education and Internships: Focus is on student and learning. Has academic component, but not always integrated with an academic course.

3. Service Scholars and First Generation Scholars: Focus is on both the community and the student. No integration with a 3-credit academic course.

4. Community-Based Service-Learning: Focuses is on both the community and the student with reciprocal benefit as a goal. Service is integrated with a 3-credit academic course.


Service-Learning

Student/Learning

Community Partner/Service

Internships &

Field Study

Service Scholars &

1st Gen. Scholars

Volunteerism

A Sampling of Theories that informs CBSL

3 Types of Service-Learning (Morton, 1995) Charity - transfer of resources to those in need Project - working together to address a problem Social Change - empowering the disenfranchised to change the system

Problem-Based Service-Learning: “PBSL engages students working in teams in the solving of real, community-based problems. Through PBSL, students are presented with problems and asked to seek authentic and viable solutions” (Gordon, 2003).

Neuropsychology and the Brain: Learning is profoundly influenced by the social relationships individuals engage in and is enhanced by “emotionally resonant, challenging situations involving multiplicity of inputs that allows students to make connections among ideas and experiences (Caine and Caine, 1997 as stated in Gordon, 2003).

Constructivism: Knowledge is not fixed, but “socially constructed” by individuals’ interactions with others and their environment. Cognitive conflict is the stimulus for learning and determines the natures of what is learned (Savery and Duffy, 1995).

Dewey and Freire: Their theories of the importance of experience, reflective activity, citizenship, community, and democracy informed the emergence of service-learning (Giles and Eyler, 1994). While many of their theories overlap, they depart on the ideological purposes of education and Freire engaged in critical reflections of race, class, and power.

Kolb: Illustrated the importance of combining individual action with reflective thinking to develop greater understanding of course content through an Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1994).

Social Change Model of Leadership Development: Increasing students’ ability to take initiative and serve as leaders during the service-learning process can occur through the incorporation of three leadership principles: Community, Collaboration, and Common Purpose (Higher Education Research Institute of UCLA, 1993)


Growth of CBSL at SJFC

In 2011-2012, about 650 Fisher students met community needs in 38 course sections (across the disciplines) with 22 faculty and 25 active community partners. The number of courses has more than doubled since our first pilot year in 2008-2009 (which had 15 courses and 243 students).

2008-2009 (Pi-lot Year)

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

# SL Students# SL Course Sections


Fisher students: 360

Course Sections : 23

Faculty: 14 Community

Partner Projects: 42


Course Sections: 38

Faculty: 28Community


Course Sections: 38 Faculty: 21 Community

Community-Based Service-Learning at St. John Fisher College Program Goals

Students:

Students: Student groups from service-learning courses engage in two types of activities: 1) Direct Client Support and 2) Capacity-Building Projects.

Student Impact: Students will benefit from opportunities for deeper academic engagement and solving of community problems through critical thinking.

__________________________________________________________________

Community:

Community Partners: CBSL at Fisher creates sustainable, reciprocally beneficial service-learning partnerships with about 50 nonprofit organizations in the city of Rochester, NY.

Community Impact: The CBSL will supports three impact areas identified by the United Way as severely affected by the economic downturn: Health Care (and Wellness), Housing (and Economic Development), and Youth Services (and Education).

__________________________________________________________________

Faculty:

Faculty: The CBSL program draws on existing SL courses and generates new courses within the School of Arts and Sciences (Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and the Humanities), School of Education, School of Business, and School of Nursing.

Faculty Impact: Faculty will benefit through enhancement of teaching, community partners, and research and scholarship.


Institutional Goals

College-Wide: Service-learning will be available in the core and in all schools and majors. The growth of campus service initiatives will be included in the college strategic plan.

Research and Publication: Service-learning will become a research and publication avenue for Fisher faculty and will be rewarded in the tenure process.

Community Issues: SL will address the most pressing issues impacting Rochester, NY through sustainable and interdisciplinary projects.

A Center: Center for Experiential Learning, under the Office of Academic Affairs, run by a FT Director, has been approved for 2011-2012 and is fully funded by the college for 2012-2013. A Center will function as an umbrella for service, service-learning, and other community-based experiential learning and serve to facilitate communication among diverse initiatives.

Student Participation & Leadership: Formal mechanisms will be in place to encourage student participation (transcript notation) and create service leadership opportunities (Service-Learning Assistant)

Institutional Impact

Recruitment: Extends presence in Rochester community; results in media coverage; attracts students interested in service; recruits prospective students of color.

Retention: SL leads to enhanced engagement with students, faculty, and staff which can lead to increased retention.

Diversity Mission: Many service-learning projects involve students working with others who differ from typical Fisher student and can break barriers.

Alumni Support: The annual giving data shows that students who have participated in service programs are considerably more likely to donate when they graduate.

Job-Ready Graduates: Service-learning results in job-ready skills, “real world” experience, and networking opportunities.

SJFC Mission and Catholic Heritage: Service-learning is central to Fisher’s mission, its Catholic tradition, and the Fisher experience.


Community Partners – The Service


What Our Community Partners Have to Say

Top Areas of Impact on the Community Partners

1. Relationship-Building: Built positive relationships through SL. (72%)2. Research: Research data will be useful and valuable for our org. (72%)3. Information: Client support provided valuable information. (67%)4. Outreach and Marketing: Products will enhance our outreach and/or marketing. (61%)

1. Student Attitude: Had a positive attitude and were open to learning. (100%)2. Student Communication: Used communication skills well with clients and staff. (83%)3. Student Reliability: Were reliable and followed through in their assigned work. (82%)4. Planning, Communication, and Training: I am satisfied with the planning process,

communication process, and training, orientation, and oversight (78%, 78%, & 78%)

Community Partner Feedback

Teaching and Learning Institute at East High School for Diversity in American Society: "The St. John Fisher students served as role models to our high school students, most who will be the first generation of their family to go on to college. Fisher students tutored TLI students and offered information about the college experience. In turn, TLI students helped Fisher students learn about the realities of urban teenagers, dispelling many of the stereotypes about city schools.NeighborWorks for Advanced Statistics: “The reports created by the SJFC students will be used to inform reports and presentations to funders, our board of directors, staff, and community stakeholders. Their ability to analyze the data collected in our Brooks Landing neighborhood was very useful as we do not have the software or the staff capacity to do so within our organization.Lumiere Photo for Introduction to Marketing: “I was blown away by your presentation and written proposal representing a marketing plan for Lumiere Photo's "Free The Photo" campaign. I felt that both the presentation you made as well as your written proposal was very professional. I feel my company has benefited greatly by your observations, analysis and implementation plan.”

Other: "This was BY FAR the best team of students that we have had from SJF -- they designed a tool for

teaching American Sign Language -- were independent, creative and interacted well with our consumers."

"This opportunity continues to provide an opportunity for people who live here at St Johns to be reminded of their intrinsic value as human beings, and wise sages, and as advisers for young people. It also undoubtedly grows students’ ability to empathize, demonstrate compassion, engage in dialogue with people different from them, and appreciate the stigmas and challenges associated with aging in our nation.


Mission: Students’ SL work contributed to fulfilling our organization’s mission. (93%F; 92%S)

College Partnership: SL has

allowed us to effectively

Our Community Partners Community-Based Service-Learning

The partnerships listed below were developed to meet community agency’s needs and academic goals of a course and were created based on 1) the need for client support and/or capacity-building within Health, Housing or Youth, 2) location within or serving the city of Rochester, and 3) the resource capability to work with students.

Youth

The Advocacy Center Center for Youth Cobblestone School East High School (AVID, RASA) Red Cross - Next Generation Leaders

Program Monroe Avenue YMCA (After-School; Teen

Center) Rochester City School #12, #3, #39, #25, #3,

and #2 Rochester Early College International

School Sanctuary House Community Center Child Care

Health Care

AIDS Care Hope Lodge American Red Cross CP Rochester Monroe County Department of

Environmental Services and Pure Water Division

St. John’s Home St. Joseph Neighborhood Center South Wedge Farmer’s Market Alliance for the Great Lakes Teens Living with Cancer Human Touch Initiative

Housing

Bethany House Catholic Family Center (Refugee Assistance;

Sanctuary House, Liberty Manor) Dining Room Ministry NeighborWorks Rochester Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality

Network (RAIHN) Saint's Place Sojourner House Volunteers of America - Residential

Services Mary's Place

South East Neighborhood

Highland Park Neighborhood Association Southeast Area Coalition (SEAC) South Wedge Planning Committee Upper Monroe Avenue Neighborhood


http://www.uppermonroeavenue.org/

http://www.swpc.org/

http://www.myseac.org/

http://www.highlandparkrochester.org/

http://www.marysplaceoutreach.org/mpo/

http://www.voawny.org/

http://www.sojournerhouse.org/

http://www.saintsplace.org/

http://www.frontiernet.net/~raihn/

http://www.frontiernet.net/~raihn/

http://www.nwrochester.org/

http://www.thirdpresbyterian.org/outreach-service/drm/drm_home.shtml

http://www.cfcrochester.org/

http://www.catholicworker.org/communities/Commdetail.cfm?Community=89

http://www.humantouchinitiative.org/

http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/SupportProgramsServices/HopeLodge/index

http://www.greatlakes.org/

http://www.swfarmersmarket.org/

http://www.sjncenter.org/

http://www.stjohnshome.com/

http://www.monroecounty.gov/des-purewaters.php



http://www.cprochester.org/

http://www.redcross.org/

http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/SupportProgramsServices/HopeLodge/index

http://www.aidsrochester.org/

http://www.community-childcare.org/

http://www.cfcrochester.org/pg/sanctuary-house

http://secondary.rcsdk12.org/echs/site/default.asp

http://secondary.rcsdk12.org/echs/site/default.asp

http://www.rcsdk12.org/rcsd/site/default.asp

http://www.rcsdk12.org/rcsd/site/default.asp

http://www.rochesterymca.org/monroe/

http://www.rochesterredcross.org/

http://www.easthighschool.net/

http://www.cobblestone.org/

http://www.centerforyouth.net/

http://www.advocacycenter.com/

3 C’s for Working Effectively with Community Partners

Commitment:

1. To long-term, sustainable relationships.2. To meeting community partners’ needs (not just student learning goals) and mutually

beneficial outcomes.3. To collaborating with vs. providing service to the community.4. To flexibility and considering change as an opportunity.

Strategy #1: Hear the “voices from the community,” commit to understand the organization’s needs, and design courses around those needs if possible. Clarify the desired outcomes.

Strategy #2: If possible, continue partnerships from past courses and continue projects worked on during prior semesters.

Communication:

1. Within a student-professor-organization triad that includes face-to-face time.2. That’s frequent, open, honest, and consistent in order to build trust and clarify goals,

expectations, and resources.3. About the issues that impact our partners, an important step in finding solutions.

Strategy #1: Facilitate good communication from the beginning by holding pre-semester planning meetings with the partner and course instructor and communicate expectations to students in-class.

Strategy #2: Use a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to clarify expectations, pre-defined criteria of project development, and the project plan with benchmarks and a time-line. The completed MOU should be passed around to all involved.

Strategy #3: Require students to request feedback from their partners on product drafts or their client support work and keep partners updated throughout the semester. Provide student reflection and debriefing opportunities in-class.


Compatability:

1. Between the students’ course learning goals and the needs of a community organization.2. Between the students’ skill sets, culture, and academic schedule and the demands, culture, and

schedules of the community partner.

Strategy #1: Determine the skills needed to meet the community’s needs and ensure students have what is minimally needed or will develop these skills within their course.

Strategy #2: If relevant, provide opportunities for students to write on the complexities of the social issues impacting their community partner and integrate this understanding into their project. Have them learn about contextual issues and root causes. Discuss the abilities/strengths of the organization/community with students to shift perception from members as deficient and needy.

Strategy #3: Provide opportunities for students to learn about their community partners’ goals and needs and match this knowledge to course learning and project ideas. Encourage students to be receptive to modifying their ideas to line up with the needs of the organization. Focus on “collaboration with” vs. “service to.”

COURSE APPLICATION QUESTIONS

1. Commitment: How will you demonstrate commitment to your community partner and to creating mutually beneficial outcomes?

2. Communication: What processes will you integrate into your planning and course to enhance communication within the faculty-community partner-student triad?

3. Compatibility: How will you build compatibility between the students’ skill sets, course learning, culture, and academic schedule and the needs, demands, culture, and schedules of their community partner?


Community Impact Assessment Primary Questions

Please assess the impact of students' Service-Learning Capacity-Building (CB) product (e.g. marketing plan, social media design, research report, training materials) using the scale provided. If this section is not relevant, please check Not Applicable.

Usefulness: Students' CB product will be used within our organization or program in the near future.Quality & Professionalism: Students produced professional and high quality work.Essential: Students provided contributions that we would not otherwise have completed at this time.Other Contributions: Students' presence resulted in benefits other than the finished product (e.g. provided new ideas and perspectives, helped us better understand our program needs).

Please assess the impact of students' Service-Learning Client Support (CS) (e.g. tutoring, one on one training, educational workshops, sharing a meal, interviewing). If this section is not relevant, please check Not Applicable.

Needs: Students' Client Support met the particular needs of our clients identified before the semester began.Information and Skill Development: Students provided valuable information and/or supported client's skill development.Relationship-Building: Students built relationships with clients through service-learning that were meaningful.Essential: Students provided a particular service to our clients that we would not otherwise have received at this time.Other Contributions: Students' presence resulted in benefits other than the intended client support (e.g. provided new ideas and perspectives, helped us better understand our program needs).If applicable, can you describe in more detail how the products (or service) you received will meet your needs and be used within your organization? What was the most valuable contribution?

If the product (or service) did not meet your needs, won't be used by your organization, or you're dissatisfied with the outcomes can you please describe why?

: SL students were reliable and followed through in performing their assigned work.

Student Attitude: SL students had a positive attitude and were open to learning.Student Communication: SL students used communication skills effectively with staff and clients.Student Ability: SL students seemed prepared for their experience and applied the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish their service goals during the semester.

What information or process changes would you suggest to improve the experience?


Students – The Learning


What Fisher Students Have To Say:

Top Areas of Impact on Students

1. Added Meaning: I gained knowledge, skills, or awareness that has added value and meaning to this course. (97%)

2. Applied Learning: SL helped me understand how course concepts can be applied to everyday life. (97%)

3. Cooperation: SL strengthened my collaborative skills as a team member and taught me how to work well with supervisors (97%) and clients/ customers.

4. Communication Skills: I was able to communicate effectively with clients and supervisors. (97%)

5. Responsibility: SL strengthened my ability to be accountable for my work (97%)6. Civic Engagement: SL Strengthened civil and social awareness, desire to serve, and social

responsibility. (Average of 87%)

Student Feedback

Diversity in American Society: “I am more aware of the needs around the City of Rochester.” “I’m aware of many more resources in the community that I can share with families of future students.”Advanced Statistics: “This project gave me meaningful hands-on experience with the data and how to use different types of analyses. It was rewarding to help a local company organize their data in order to help communities in Rochester.”Introduction to Marketing: ““This service-based learning experience was hands down the most beneficial learning tool I have ever participated in.” “True learning takes place when a student encounters something new… It [made] want to put my best foot forward and show what I am capable of. Without question, this was the most demanding project I have been involved in. It gave me hands on experience and a taste of what the field is like in the proverbial “real world.”Social Change through Service: "I learned that just because someone grew up in a different environment than you, and may have a different skin color or ethnicity, doesn't mean that you can't share similarities. I was blind to the fact that we may have things in common."

Others: "The service helped me better understand class sessions and readings because actually working

with a family got me to understand course material first-hand." "It made (me) more aware of the inequity of schools and helped

me want to change that problem. I learned how the issues we talk about in class are real life problems that people experience on a daily basis."

"I realized that people who are in need are sometimes just like me. I had preconceived notions of what type of person may need to live in a shelter. It was eye awakening."

"This experience has made me feel more motivated to help others."


1. I’m interested in doing SL as part of future courses. (78%F; 75%S)

2. I plan on doing further community service after semester ends.

Reflection & Assessment

Reflection is about deriving meaning and knowledge from the experience and is central to service-learning. Reflection is the link that connects service with the learning and learning with the service. Use reflection to question students' assumptions about the cause and the solutions of social problems and if relevant, their responsibilities as citizens of a democratic society. Reflection can also be used to check perspectives, biases, concerns, and lessons learned. Students' grade must be for reflection of the experience and not for experience alone.

WHEN?

Before Service: Examine beliefs, assumptions and attitudes; Provide context and cultural awarenessDuring service: Share observations and concerns; Ask for and receive feedback; Solve problemsAfter Service: Evaluate impact of service; Assess personal growth

Adapted from Reflection in Higher Education Service-Learning, Kara Connors and Sarena D. Seifer, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, September 2005

Service-Learning Assignments

Integrative PapersProblem Solving PapersStudents investigate a social problem related to their service-learning assignment by defining the problem, analyzing root causes, indentifying the stakeholders, identifying alternative policy solutions and recommending a policy to be pursued. "Research" is not confined to the library, but includes interviewing experts working to deal with the issue in the field.


Theory Application PapersStudents indentify a particular theoretical perspective or concept and then use the experiences with community service to "test" the theory. Students argue for or against key points of the theory with examples from their experience.

Case StudiesCase studies can focus on individuals, on the service project itself or on the agency's role in meeting the needs of community members. Students can develop case studies to be used in class discussions.

Service-Learning Self-AssessmentAssign a final paper to evaluate students' service-learning experience using criteria identified for effective experiential learning. Students can discuss personal growth and critique the program and the placement.

Agency AnalysisStudents analyze the agency they worked with using appropriate organizational frameworks and evaluation tools. They combine their observations with information about who is served, how policies are made, where funding is obtained and future plans for the organization.

Book ReviewStudents select a book to review and to incorporate their critique with a discussion of their service-learning experience.

PortfoliosA portfolio is a collection of documents and other forms of evidence of student achievements, specifically as they relate to learning plan objectives.

Items to be included in a portfolio Documents drafted or written (article reviews, book reports, office reports, pamphlets or flyers). Written analysis of problems, issues, options or other assessments. Finished projects (videotapes, graphics, charts, spreadsheets, training programs, photos, marketing plans, research/project results, pamphlets). Lists of projects completed, presentations made, and training completed, all supported by date, location and organization. Annotated bibliography or copies of readings related to course objectives.

Learning objectives should be clearly stated at the beginning of the course and a plan to achieve those goals should be developed by each of the service-learning students.

Class PresentationsClass presentations can be an effective way to help students synthesize the material they have gathered during their service-learning placements. The presentations can be short, three-minute updates throughout the semester or a longer presentation at the end of the semester. Presentations can be individual or group based, and can include inviting community members. PowerPoint can be used to create a visual, enhance the oral delivery, and incorporate photographs from the service experience.


Most of this material was taken from Eyler, J., Giles, D.E & Schmiede, A.A Practitioner's Guide to Reflection in Service Learning. Vanderbilt U, 1996

In-class Reflection Exercises

Discussion: Have guided discussion questions in large or small groups that challenge students to critically think about their service experiences. Artistic: Find articles, poems, stories or songs that relate to the service students are doing and create and discuss questions around relevant social issues. Role Play: Use case studies or scenarios for students to act out and discuss something they did not know how to handle during their service in the community. Have the students role play appropriate and inappropriate responses to the situation. Mapping: Ask students to create a map that shows how their service-learning experience connects to larger issues at the state/national/global level and how community involvement fits. Letters: Write letters-to-the-editor or to government officials that address issues important to the community organizations with which they are working and that can inform the general public.

Adapted from the Career and Community Learning Center at the University of Minnesota (www.servicelearning.umn.edu).

Service-Learning Journals

Journals can be open ended and personal or structured as critical reflections integrated into the curriculum. Below are some sample questions:

Sample Questions:

What happened today? What were the effects of what you did? How does what you were observing at your site relate to course content? What were your first impressions? What is different than what you expected? What are the biggest challenges faced by your organization? Write your journal from the perspective of someone else in the organization . Create an advertisement about your service site describing its need, target audience, outcomes. Describe your worldview. How has your service experience influenced this view?Sample Critical Questions:

Deepening Personal Explorationo Did you have an emotional reaction? o Did this experience remind you of past experiences? o Were you proud or disappointed by your reactions?

Seeking Evidence to Defend Claims o How did you know that? o What background/research lead you to this conclusion?


http://www.servicelearning.umn.edu/

o How could you have obtained more data?

Dealing with Differing Views o How do you think people of different life experiences would feel? o What is the opposing viewpoint to your opinion? o How do we decide which position is correct?

Evaluating the Effect of the Community o Who benefited from our efforts? o Who might oppose such a project? o Could the community suffer any negative effects? o What will long-term impact of your project be?

Eyler, J., Giles, D.E & Schmiede, A. A Practitioner's Guide to Reflection in Service Learning. Vanderbilt U, 1996

Assessment

Formative Assessment: Problem-Solving Papers Theory Application Papers Service-Learning Self-Assessment

Summative Assessment: Final Written Reflection Class Presentations Portfolio Resource Manual

Faculty Impact Assessment Link: https://sjfc.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_d0R28yl0rvwLuBuCommunity Impact Assessment Link:https://sjfc.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1BopKbqQsUurB5y

COURSE APPLICATION QUESTIONS

Assignments and Reflection: What will constitute the reflective “learning” component that links course content with service to support personal, professional, academic, and civic? What might you use on an on-going basis to keep a pulse on the work students are doing?

Assessment: How will you measure whether the service-learning component improved learning outcomes? How can you determine that students’ client support and capacity-building products are of quality?


https://sjfc.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1BopKbqQsUurB5y

https://sjfc.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_d0R28yl0rvwLuBu

Reflection & Assessment Summary:

1. Problem Solving Papers: Students investigate a social problem related to their service-learning assignment by defining the problem, analyzing root causes, etc.

2. Theory Application Papers: Students indentify a particular theoretical perspective or concept and then use the experiences with community service to "test" it.

3. Case Studies: Focus on individuals, on the service project itself or on the agency's role in meeting the needs of community members.

4. Service-Learning Self-Assessment: Evaluate students' service-learning experience using criteria identified for effective experiential learning.

5. Agency Analysis: Students analyze the agency they worked with using appropriate organizational frameworks and evaluation tools.

6. Book Review: Students select a book to review and to incorporate their critique with a discussion of their service-learning experience.

7. Discussion: Have guided discussion questions in large or small groups that challenge students to critically think about their service experiences.

8. Artistic: Find articles, poems, stories or songs that relate to the service students are doing and create and discuss questions around relevant social issues.

9. Role Play: Use case studies or scenarios for students to act out and discuss something they did not know how to handle during their service in the community.

10. Mapping: Ask students to create a map that shows how their service-learning experience connects to larger issues at the state/national/global level.

11. Letters: Write letters-to-the-editor or to government officials that address issues important to the community organizations with which they are working.

12. Class presentations: Students summarize and present the results of their service-learning work and academic linkages.

13. Portfolio or Resource Manual: A collection and evaluation of students’ semester-long work.


Dissemination and Celebration

Create opportunities to recognize and thank work done by students and community partners (e.g. Reception).

Disseminate results of service work to community partner. Determine who will hand over the finished product (students, faculty, Coordinator?).

Possibly provide opportunities for students to share their outcomes with each other and with the college community (e.g. Service-Learning Showcase Site, Social Justice Fair)


Student Challenges and Solutions

Ambiguity of out-of-classroom experience: Frequently the problems that emerge are due to students being unprepared for the ambiguity of out-of-classroom experiences. There are problems of procrastination, intimidation, and unwillingness to confront authority figures when a placement deviates from the plan. Scaffolding the service-learning experience and providing a forum for reflection and debrief can alleviate some of this.

Reinforce bias and stereotypes: Problems of mixed motives, trivialization of service, and deficiency and pity views of the community are also potential issues that arise in SL that may be avoided with proper planning. Biases and stereotypes may also be reinforced. Students can be guided to look beyond and beneath the obvious to get at the root causes of social problems. Assignments can be integrate into the course that allow students to examine issues from many perspectives rather than generalizing from one or two encounters.

Communication: Open avenues of communication for students are essential. Student should know whom they can talk to and how issues can be handled expeditiously. They should follow-through with partner communication and provide updates and opportunities for feedback on drafts of products to ensure quality outcomes. Examples of open avenues of communication include:

Reflection – student journals or classroom discussions are a ready source of information about how a placement is going. Classroom surveys – Asking students to respond to a set of questions about their service-learning assignments two or three weeks after they begin their work in communities can also help identify problem areas. Electronic conduits – Creating a chat room or an interactive web site with regular reporting-in requirements is a way of staying in contact with students. Calls to community supervisors – Often a call to a service site can be used to identify gaps between what is in a service-learning contract, what students report, and what actually seems to be happening. Faculty observations – While going out into the community and seeing students at work is very time intensive, such visits provide a wealth of information and valuable opportunities to talk with community supervisors. Student Communication Leader: Appoint one student per group to serve as “the communication leader” whose job is to communicate and follow through with the community partner and to arrange partner meetings. Professional Communication Training: Suggest to all students that sufficient lead time is necessary for scheduling meetings, that phone calls may be preferred over e-mail (or vice versa), and that their partners are busy and thus, students may need to attempt a contact their partner more than once. Benchmark Assignments – Required benchmark assignments, mid-semester and end of the semester meetings with community partners, and drafts before a final product is due can increase the quality of students’ work.


Absences: Students are required to complete their service commitments. If they know they will miss a commitment, they are expected to give advance notice to their community partner contact person, and to reschedule if appropriate. If a student's absence is chronic, we ask the community partner organization to contact the instructor. The service-learning component should not be seen as an add-on that the student must “work around.” Instead, the service should be fully imbedded in the expected learning outcomes therefore preventing a student from “opting out.” Make sure that you provide them a safe forum for communicating to you issues they are confronted with.

Adapted from Morgridge Center for Public Service “Service-Learning Challenges & Solutions for Instructors.”

Logistics: Students may also experience challenges with logistics like scheduling of orientation and client support hours and transportation to the service site. Here are a few suggestions:

Orientation: To arrange an on-site orientation, ask students to decide on 2-3 times that everyone in a project team is available within a two-week period and have the communication leader or instructor contact the partner to arrange a meeting that works for everyone. Scheduling: The Community Project Proposal will outline important dates and times that should be helpful in scheduling client support hours and regular partner meetings. Many community partners are willing to hold an orientation and follow-up meetings during class time on-campus. Lynn Donahue can help you arrange that.

Transportation: Service-learning is not offered in courses that are exclusively for freshman (who are not allowed cars on campus). For other courses, students can usually carpool and arrange rides to the service site with team members. At times, the bus may be a viable option.



Student Guidelines (How Students Can Benefit)

#1: Challenge YourselfTake advantage of this opportunity to learn about your community, test out potential career options, gain new networking contacts, gain new skills, and learn new things about yourself. You may feel initially uncomfortable at your site. However, the best learning comes from situations you haven’t encountered before. The instructors and class will provide support.

#2: Be On Time and ReliableYour community partner relies on you to be there at the agreed time and counts on you to complete your project. It’s crucial that you show up at your agency during your pre-established work schedule. If you need to be late or miss a work date because of sickness or emergency, please notify your partner right away.

#3: Know your AssignmentMake a good first impression by knowing the project guidelines well and communicating this to your partner during your first meetings.

#4: Create a Quality Product or Service• Apply the knowledge and skills gained in the course to your product or service. • Learn the mission and needs of your community partner. • Be flexible – sometimes your ideas won’t meet the community partners’ needs. Listen and be

willing to modify your product if that’s the feedback you’re receiving.• Update your partner on your progress & ask for feedback on your work and submit drafts to

make sure you’re on track.

#5: Use Professional Verbal and Nonverbal Communication• When arranging a meeting, call or e-mail with enough lead time. • If your partner contacts you, return the call or e-mail promptly. • Seek help when you need it; If you have questions, ask. • Good eye contact, strong hand shake, and clear voice conveys confidence.• Dress appropriately. You are a representative of Fisher.

#5: Follow the Agency’s Expectations and Policies • Use formal names unless told otherwise. • Avoid gossip and protect your own and others’ privacy and confidentiality. • Never engage in, or tolerate from others, verbal exchanges or behavior that may be perceived

as discriminatory or sexual.

#6: Reduce BarriersWhen you enter the community, ignore stereotypes of community, be open minded, and be positive and have fun! You will reduce barriers and increase understanding.


There’s Safety in Number:

Plan Ahead• Map out your route so you know where you’re going for your first visit. Find out where to park.• If you’re concerned, please ask your supervisor for suggestions on staying safe.• Be cautious and use common sense (i.e. keep doors locked). When you can, travel with others.

Communication• Communicate to someone your destination and time of return.• If you feel uncomfortable for any reason, please let your instructor or supervisor know. • Please report any incidents to your instructor or supervisor.•

Boundaries• Don’t give a client a ride in a personal vehicle. Don’t give or loan clients money or other

personal belongings. Don’t share too much personal information (phone No., address, etc.)• Don’t visit people in their private homes. Projects will not include activities that require this.

Getting Started:

Contacting your Service-Learning Site:

• A designated Group Communication Leader should call the contact person for the first meeting. Give them your name, course title, and instructor name. Ask when is a good time to meet to discuss the project.

• When leaving a message, make sure to leave your name, number, and a good time for them to reach you. Give them a day or two to get back. Call back if you don’t hear from them.

• Make sure you get directions so you can get to your site at the designated time. Bring your contact information with you.

First Visit and Future Communication:

• The first meeting should be an orientation to the agency. Listen carefully to agency expectations. Please ask questions about policies or expectations you’re not clear on.

• During your first meeting, determine your weekly schedule and start and end date. Determine how often you’ll be meeting during the semester. Your schedule should be honored throughout the semester.

• Plan on also going over expectations of the course assignments, your responsibilities at the site, and project ideas.


Service-Learning Impact Assessment SERVICE-LEARNING IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Community-Based Service-Learning, St. John Fisher CollegeThe Service-Learning Impact Assessment is designed to assess service-learning impact on your classroom studies,development of civic and social responsibility, and development of personal, professional, and work-related skills. Yourfeedback is important to us. Results will be used for publications and reports and will be reported to our funder, theCorporation for National and Community Service. First, tell us a little about yourself.

Gender: male

female

Class Year: freshman

sophomore

junior

senior

Course # & Title:

Semester: fall spring Before this class, I was already volunteering: yes no

Major:

Please assess how strongly your service-learning led to the following outcomes using the scale provided:SA-Strongly Agree A- Agree U-Uncertain D-Disagree SD-Strongly Disagree

ENHANCED CLASSROOM STUDIES:A. Added Meaning: I gained knowledge, skills, or awareness that has addedvalue and meaning to this course.

SA A U D SD

B. Added Understanding: The service experience helped me better understandmaterial from class sessions and readings.

SA A U D SD

C. Applied Learning: SL helped me understand how course concepts can beapplied to everyday life.

SA A U D SD

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:D. Desire to Serve: SL increased my desire to serve my community, to make apositive difference. SA A U D SD

E. Citizenship and Social Responsibility: SL deepened my belief that it is mycivic responsibility to help others. SA A U D SD

F.Social Awareness: Working in community settings developed cross-culturalawareness and understanding of others who are different than me. SA A U D SD

G. Civic Awareness: Service-learning helped me to become more aware of theneeds in the community. SA A U D SD

Please give an example from your service of the greatest positive impact from this category.

Over the semester, how many hours did you spend on the planning/execution of the SL project/client support work?

Ethnic and Racial Background (Optional):American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

White

Two or more races

Race Unknown


Do you have a work-study postion on campus? yes no

(over)

Name of your community partner (non-profit, agency, neighborhood):

Please don't write inthis space.

Race:Ethnicity: Hispanic

Non-Hispanic

Ethnicity Unknown

Year:

3633


SA-Strongly Agree A- Agree U-Uncertain D-Disagree SD-Strongly Disagree

DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCIES:

H. Responsibility: SL strengthened my ability to be accountable for my assignedwork.

SA A U D SD

I. Cooperation: SL strengthened my collaborative skills as a team member andtaught me how to work well with supervisors and clients/customers. SA A U D SD

J. Creative Thinking: SL challenged me to "think on my feet" and come up withnew ways of solving problems. SA A U D SD

K. Communication Skills: I was able to communicate effectively with clients andsupervisors.

SA A U D SD

L. Career Exploration: SL allowed me to explore my abilities and career options. SA A U D SD

SERVICE-LEARNING QUESTIONS

O. Writing assignments, in-class discussions, and/or exercises helped me to reflecton my service work and create connections with the academic coursework. SA A U D SD

S. I plan on doing further community service work on my own. SA A U D SD

T. I would be interested in doing service-learning as part of future courses. SA A U D SD

W. What suggestions do you have for improving supervision, communication, management of project, etc.?

Please direct any questions to Dr. Lynn Donahue, Service-Learning Initiative - Program Coordinator:585-385-7342; [email protected].

P. Service project learning objectives and expectations were made clear. SA A U D SD

Q. I took on a leadership role in the planning and development of the project. SA A U D SD

R. I feel that the work I did through service benefited the community. SA A U D SD


Revised March 2011

Thank You!

M. Self-Confidence: I developed greater self-confidence through helping othersand/or completing meaningful projects.

SA A U D SD

N. Self-Awareness/Understanding: I understand my strengths andweaknesses better after this experience

SA A U D SD

V. Service-learning has changed the way I think about ......

U. Please describe your SL assignment/responsibilites.

3633


Student Service-Learning Agreement

SJFC Community-Based Service Learning Student Agreement and Permission Form

Student Name: ___________________________ E-Mail: ____________________________________ Course: _________________________________ Semester: __________________________________Local Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Local Phone: _________________________Cell Phone: ____________________________________

Student Agreement I, __________________________________ agree to the following as a participant of community-based service-learning at St. John Fisher College:

• I understand the responsibilities of my service project, deadlines, and related course assignments. I will be graded on the learning outcomes and not for service hours. • I acknowledge that there are inherent risks in service-learning. I have been provided with information on the challenges and opportunities of the service site. • I have read the CBSL Guidelines and Expectations given to me in the Service-Learning PowerPoint regarding professional behavior. I agree to behave in a professional and courteous manner and abide by the site’s policies and rules which include avoiding use of electronic devices except for emergency situations, dressing in a professional manner, and maintaining confidence of information about the clients and agency. • I agree to communicate with my supervisor, course instructor and/or the Service-Learning Initiative – Program Coordinator any concerns I have about the service-learning assignment. An alternative site can be made available if necessary. • I understand that the course instructor and agency reserves the right to terminate my service work in cases of negligence or harm. Signature: ___________________________ Date: ____________________

Permission to Use Photographs I grant to _________________________ (your service site) the right to take photographs of me in connection with my service work. I authorize St. John Fisher College to use and publish photographs, with or without my name, for lawful purposes for advertising, evaluation, or other publications in print and/or electronically. I have read and understand the above: Signature _________________________________ Date _____________________________________

Permission to Use Student Work I authorize St. John Fisher College to use and publish copies of my course work related to my service assignment (reflections, final products, Power Points, class evaluations), without my name, for advertising, evaluation, or other publications in print and/or electronically. I have read and understand the above: Signature _________________________________ Date _____________________________________

Emergency Contact Name: ________________________Relationships: __________________ Phone #: ______________


Faculty – Course Planning


What Fisher Faculty Have To Say:

Top Areas of Impact on Faculty

1. Expertise: SL enhances my ability to share my expertise. (100%)

2. Community Partnerships: SL resulted in enhanced community collaborations. (100%)

3. Mission: SL helps fulfill this college's mission. (100%)

4. Course Goals: SL helped accomplish the course goals. (100%)

5. Service: SL contributes to my service to the campus or the community. (93%)

6. Research: SL contributes to my research agenda. (64%)

Additional Faculty Feedback

"Service Learning partners for Diversity in American Society provide opportunities for education majors and other interested students to practice culturally responsive teaching. Direct client contact and mutual capacity building work for partnering agencies deepens future teachers' understanding of the importance of bonding with their communities."

"Service-learning is an effective pedagogical tool for the course material that I teach." "The students get hands on experience with real world problems. The students gained

knowledge of other careers they could have with their degree." "It was a more engaging way of teaching essential concepts. We are using results to go to a

national conference." "My students were able to see the vitality important work done via civic engagement and how

each of them could make a significant difference in the life of another person." "Students wrote a total of 5 grant applications that were strong enough to be revised and

submitted. This could really help the school's infrastructure by freeing up administrators and teachers to address other concerns and providing a blueprint and samples for grants."


3-Steps for Integrating SL in your Course


Preparation:Create meaningful service partners and projects that address a real community need and student learning goals.

Define the course goals want to meet through SL. Decide how service goals will meet course goals and vice versa.

Determine how you will prepare students to tasks, expectations, and social/contextual issues and front-load with knowledge and skills.

Action:Orient students to tasks, expectations and social/contextual issues.

Communicate logistics of students supervision and project benchmarks.

Provide student oversight through in-class meetings, project implementation support, and mid-semester written reports.

Assign reflection assignments to connect service with course content, problem-solve, and reflect about perceptions.

Conclusion and Dissemination:Create opportunities to recognize, honor, and thank work done by students and community partners.

Disseminate results of service work to community partner.

Provide opportunities for students to share results with each other and possibly with college community.

Course Development Planning Questions

Adapted from Problem-Based Service-Learning; Gordon, 2003

Preparation (Beginning of the Semester): In what way will you communicate the service project goals and expectations to the students (i.e. syllabus, handouts, discussion)?

How will you help students with beginning of the semester logistics (e.g. agency orientation, client support hour scheduling, paperwork)?

What learning activities and/or readings might you assign to “front load” knowledge, teach and practice skills, and build confidence?

What client support and/or project activities will take place during the beginning of the semester?

Action (Mid-Semester): How will you “roll-out” the client support or capacity-building project?o Hours of client support per week for how many weeks? Activities students will engage in?o Steps to create the required product (e.g. determine a vision, research information, create a draft)?

How will you check-in and support students’ service-learning work (e.g. in-class team meetings, on-line discussions, benchmark assignments)? How will students obtain feedback from their community partner during the semester and before submitting a final product?

What information do you want to “backfill” to inform and build on the experiences students are gaining at their service site? Are there “models of quality” that demonstrate what you expect?

What reflection assignments (written, oral discussion) will you integrate to link the course concepts with service work, address concerns, and support personal and professional growth?

Conclusion (End of the Semester): What is your plan for disseminating the results of the service-learning (i.e. product delivery to the community partner, resource manual creation, final presentation to the class)? How will you ensure that the partner has received the final product?

If relevant, how might students celebrate their learning and service work (e.g. open showing of videos, on-site reception with community partners?)

Student Leadership: How can you build student ownership of the creation and/or management of the project? How can you encourage and create opportunities for students to take leadership and initiative?

How can you empower students to solve the problems that may arise during their service?


Course Time-Table

Week One: The primary need of the first week is to introduce the service-learning aspect of the course, define it as a rigorous pedagogy and not an “add-on”, and distribute the service-learning information (MOU?). Suggest to students strategies for contacting the agency, professionalism, and working with different populations. Show the Introduction to Service-Learning Podcast and distribute and have the students sign the SJFC Agreement Form.

Week Two: Provide students with social/contextual issues related to their service. When possible, provide background information on the population they’ll be working with. If relevant, provide opportunities for team and community building among students working at a common site. If relevant, problem-solve and role-play around communication techniques they will need and difficult issues that may arise.

Week Three: Ideally, students should make their initial contacts (or be placed with a service site by the instructor) by the second or third week. In-class discussions and on-site meetings may focus on students’ service and learning goals and hopes and concerns and information about their site .

Week Four: Students are working at their site, beginning their client support or capacity-building project, and developing relationships and trust with their community partners and clients.

Week Five through Eight: Students will have various degrees of “success” at their service site and will need in and out of class opportunities (i.e. reflection assignments) to address concerns and link their experiences in the community with course concepts through reflection. Lynn Donahue will contact all community partners to check in and will report feedback to instructors. Faculty should check in with partners regarding individual students and project details related to their course.

Week Nine through Twelve: At this stage, students often communicate their commitment to their site and have developed personal and professional relationships. Potential challenges with supervisors about their projects or with class team members may also crop up and can be discussed. Students should be meeting with their community partner and soliciting feedback on their client work or product development. A draft may be created during these weeks for approval.

Week Thirteen and Fourteen: The last two weeks should focus on finalizing the requirements of their service and service assignments like portfolios and final presentations and final assessments. Students should distribute their “product” or final course assignment to their service sites and instructors. Please contact Lynn Donahue to discuss other arrangements for distributing the final product if needed.


Service-Learning in Your Syllabus

Course Goals:Use the following list to determine how the SL component will help your students accomplish the course goals, strengthen your course in new ways, and lead to additional academic, professional, civic and personal development. You can add these to your rationale of why service-learning has been chosen as an approach to meeting the course goals.

1. Content Learning, Discipline-Specific, Critical Thinking Enhanced meaning of disciplinary learning/subject-matter content Application of course concepts within a real world context Use of service-learning as text and evidence within research, analysis, and writing2. Civic Engagement and Community Learning: Understanding of community, population, diversity, and cultural perspectives Understanding of relevant public policies and historical perspectives Increased civic engagement and activism3. Inter and Intra-personal Learning: Enhanced collaborative learning and effective communication Enhanced professional competencies and working with clients and agency staff. Development of self-efficacy and empathy

Elements:When modifying your syllabus, consider adding the following elements to maintain quality and academic rigor and communicate the link between service and learning.

Course goals specifically related to the service and how SL will help accomplish them. A definition of service-learning (can use the one in this Manual). Service requirement for the course (assignment, reflections, and assessments.) Service expectations and professional behavior guidelines.

Misconceptions: These common misconceptions can be clarified in a syllabus.1. Students’ grade and academic credit is for the demonstration of academic and civic learning,

not for service.2. Experience and learning are not the same. Reflection through assignments and in-class

discussions are used to harvest the academic linkages. 3. The service-learning component is not an “add-on” but will be integrated into the course and

may replace previously existing assignments.4. SL can include client or project-based, on or off campus work, and individual or group service.

COURSE APPLICATION QUESTION:1. Please write your service-learning assignment description as it would appear on your

syllabus including learning and service goals and expectations.

Process Support Ideas:41 Community-Based Service-Learning Faculty Manual | St. John Fisher College

Integrating process support and providing a roll-out plan for students helps you to integrate the academic content with the service, helps students avoid procrastination, and can lead to greater quality. Use the time-line provided in the MOU to make decisions on what activities students should be engaged with at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester and how you might want to support students. Use the Process Support ideas below to determine what would work for your course.

Team Meetings: In-class team meetings to debrief about issues or connection with course content.

Instructor Meetings: One on one meeting in or out of class to debrief, answer questions, and ascertain accomplishment of service-learning goals.

On-line Discussions: Used to debrief about issues or connection with course content in an on-line format (e.g. Blackboard, blog, web site).

Mid-semester report: Used as a benchmark assignments to ascertain goals accomplished and academic content linkages.

In-class Weekly Report: Used to determine accomplishments each week. Could also use to set future goals and reflect on lessons learned.

One-minute paper: Used at the end of each class to generate questions, concerns, and new ideas learned.

Community partner feedback report: Used to gain partner feedback on work accomplished and draft of product, and enhance professional practice.

Back-fill: Academic content in the form of readings, lecture, and discussion to inform and build on students’ service-learning experiences.

“Models of quality”: To demonstrate to students the standards and quality of work you expect.

Faculty Meetings with Partners: After a community partner has been identified, meet with that partner to plan for the semester. After the semester begins, follow through to finalize course and project details. Check-in mid-semester.

Dealing with Changes: Changes and frustrations can be turned into teachable moments. Emphasize to students that working with real issues and real partners/clients is a process that requires persistence, patience, and flexibility to create a professional product/outcome.

Top 5 Faculty Tips for Successful Community-Based Service-Learning


1. Manageable: Start small and seek supportChoose small-scale projects and develop achievable goals. While service-learning will take some additional preparation and work, SL projects should not be an “add-on” but replace previous assignments. Use resources like the Faculty Workbook, service-learning instructors, and Dr. Lynn Donahue for support on developing community partnerships, service-learning projects, and assignments.

2. Student Communication: Maintain communication with students Communicate clearly and early on 1) the importance of the service-learning project for achieving course goals; 2) that SL will be replacing existing assignments; and 3) student expectations like maintaining professional behavior and fulfilling project responsibilities. Include student expectations and parameters of service projects (how many hours, what final product may look like) in syllabus and with handouts. Monitor students’ progress through benchmark assignments and in-class discussions.

3. Partner Communication: Maintain communication with the community partner Touch base with the person who will be working with your students in advance of the course. Discuss how the partnership can be mutually beneficial and the timing of assignments including their fit within the organization’s schedule. Obtain feedback mid-semester and at its conclusion on how the students are performing. Dr. Lynn Donahue can facilitate this communication.

4. Reflection: Create assignments and build in time for reflection Build in reflection assignments and discussions on the challenges and rewards, connections between the service project and course learning, and cross-cultural understanding. Stress students’ grade and academic credit is for the demonstration of academic learning, not for service. Create multiple reflection opportunities at the beginning, middle, and end of the course.

5. Flexibility: Be flexible and create teachable moments Syllabus may need to be modified depending on student experiences and community needs. Changes may occur with community partner schedule and staffing. Student frustrations can be turned into teachable moments. Emphasize learning is a process that requires persistence, patience, and flexibility to create a professional product/outcome.

Service-Learning Faculty Fellow Stipend Recipients (and possible Mentors)

The following Service-Learning Faculty Fellows received a stipend for service-learning course development which included community project integration and support, syllabus modification, and reflection/assignment


development. They participated in training on the integration of service-learning and contributed to data collection and documentation of service-learning outcomes.

Spring 2012:Dr. Jim Bowman - EnglishDr. Jeremy Sarachan - Communication/JournalismLee Chase - Peace and Social JusticeDr. Ryan Thibodeau - PsychologyDr. Sharon Christman - EducationDr. Monica Hodis - MarketingDr. Sue Schultz - Education

Fall 2011:Dr. Jennifer Rossi - American StudiesLee Chase - Peace and Social JusticeDr. Sue Hildenbrand - EducationDr. Sue Schultz - EducationDr. Jim Wood - EducationDr. Monica Hodis - MarketingDr. Christine Birnie - Pharmacy

Spring 2011:Dr. Beth Napoli - Instructional TechnologyGinny Maier - Health SciencesDr. Nancy Bowllan - NursingDr. Jeremy Sarachan - Communication/JournalismDr. Laura Phelan - PsychologyDr. Michael Boller - BiologyDr. Rik Hunter - EnglishDr. Seungwon Jeon - ManagementDr. Tim Franz - PsychologyDr. Todd Sodano - Communication/Journalism

Fall 2010:Dr. Jim Bowman - EnglishDr. Lisa Cunningham - Women and Gender StudiesDr. Lynn Donahue - Peace and Social JusticeDr. Melissa Ghera - PsychologyDr. Susan Hildenbrand - EducationDr. Monica Hodis - BusinessDr. Seungwon Jeon - Business


Faculty Support

The following resources and support are available to faculty interested in integrating service-learning into new or existing courses:

Faculty Fellow SL Stipend: Up to $800 stipend for course development is available depending on factors like newness of course and community partners and number of faculty who have applied.

SL Mini Grants: Mini Grants will be available for faculty or students to apply for up to $150 for service-learning project support (e.g. buses, refreshments, thank-you gifts, event prizes, incentives, project supplies). This used to be called Project Support Stipends.

Community Partners: The Coordinator can facilitate the development of community partners and creation of SL projects in collaboration with course instructors. The instructor will then finalize logistical details and follow-up with the partner mid-semester (with the Coordinators’ assistance). Partners can be developed on your own if they meet the SL criteria (in order to be listed).

Course Development: The Coordinator can provide consultation on creating service projects, modifying syllabus, and developing reflection exercises, assignments, and assessments. Mid-point and post-semester consultation is available.

Faculty Training: One 2-hour training seminar prior to the participating semester is provided and is required for stipend recipients and optional, but suggested, for all others. Mid-semester workshops are often provided on topics of interest to service-learning faculty.

In-class Orientation: A PowerPoint Podcast should be shown to all students to orient them to service-learning definition, expectations, and safety at the beginning of the semester. If requested, in-class student orientation can be provided by the Coordinator.

Resources: Sample service-learning books, example syllabi, tools, pedagogy, and assessment strategies, and community partner literature are available for “check-out” in the Coordinator’s “Service-Learning Library” (Pioch 103C).

Assessment: Assessment support of SL course outcomes through Student, Faculty, and Community Impact Assessments is available. A paper Student IA will be distributed at the end of the semester. A Qualtrics on-line Faculty and Community Partner IA will be distributed (the link) at the conclusion of the semester. Results will be shared with participating faculty upon request.

Promotion and Recognition: Recognition of service-learning outcomes can be provided through highlighting SL work on the Service-Learning Showcase website. Posters can promote new courses before registration. All SL courses are given a SLC Attribute on the Registration page for searching.

Conferences: Funds are available to faculty interested in presenting on the outcomes of their service-learning experience at disciplinary conferences or for professional development at national or local service-learning conferences.


Risk Management

Risk Management within the Community-Based Service-Learning Program:Steps have been taken to decrease risk to the institution by identifying and analyzing risks, implementing measures to reduce risk, and practicing “due diligence”. Risk increases the more the service-learning is sanctioned by the college and by the course (e.g. required component in academic service-learning course). But, liability is reduced through taking appropriate steps as outlined below.

Current protocols to reduce risk and liability: MOU: A Memorandum of Understanding is completed by participating faculty and community

partners that include faculty and partner contact information, the service-learning goals and expectations, how students will be supervised, and a work plan/time-line for the project.

Site Visits: The Coordinator visits all new community partner agencies to preview the location of the site and meet with the staff to discuss community and course needs, project expectations, and safety. Visits are also made to many of the organizations who are returning partners depending on the need.

Student Orientation In-Class: o An Introduction to Service-Learning Orientation Podcast is shown to students during the

first week or two of the semester which includes expectations and safety information. Students are instructed to travel to their assigned site in pairs, use common-sense safety practices, and inform the instructor if they are concerned for their safety at any time.

o All participating students are asked to read and sign a Student Agreement Form which outlines expectations and asks students to agree that they viewed the Podcast and received its information. This form also asks for a photo and student assignment release and emergency contact information.

o Students are provided with the information and skills needed to compete their service-learning work within reason. If a student is not able to perform their service-learning duties (e.g. has a disability) or is highly uncomfortable at a particular service-learning site (e.g. has safety concerns), an alternative placement can be provided.

On-Site Orientation: Students are required to participate in an orientation by their community partner before they begin their service-learning experience. Most of these orientations occur on-site either as a primary or as a follow-up. The orientation will cover organizational mission, issues of safety and confidentiality, and the health and back-ground checks needed by the agency.

Transportation: Students should arrange their own transportation to their service-learning sites and ideally provide their own transportation. Students are advised to travel in pairs.


Faculty Impact Assessment Primary Questions

Indicate your level of agreement/disagreement with the following statements regarding the impact of service-learning (SL):

Question

Course Goals: Service-learning helped accomplish the course goals.

Added Meaning: Students gained knowledge, skills, or awareness that has added value and meaning to this course.

Added Understanding: The service experience helped students better understand material from class sessions and readings.

Applied Learning: SL helped students understand how course concepts can be applied to everyday life.

Leadership: Students developed leadership skills through the development and/or implementation of the SL project.

Creative Thinking: SL challenged students to “think on their feet” and come up with new ways of solving problems.

Social Awareness: Working in community settings developed cross-cultural awareness and understanding of others who are different than the students.

Civic Awareness: SL helped students to become more aware of the needs in the community.

Question

Expertise: SL enhances my ability to share my expertise.

Research: SL contributes to my research agenda.

Service: SL contributes to my service to the campus or the community.

Community partnerships: SL resulted in enhanced community collaborations and relationships.

Mission: SL helps fulfill this college’s mission.

1. The Learning: Please describe the value service-learning added to your course, your students' learning, and/or your professional development.

2. The Service: Please describe the value service-learning provided your community partner. Please include a description of the most impacting capacity-building products your students produced and/or the client support your students provided, and in what ways the outcomes were beneficial.

3. The Reflection: What assignment was the most effective in helping students link the service experience with course content and/or reflects on personal, professional, and civic development (e.g. written assignments, reflective journals, in-class reflection exercises, final portfolios and presentations)?

4. Improvement: If any of the outcomes were not beneficial, which ones were not and why? What is the primary area that needs enhancement to improve the experience for next time (e.g. on-site orientation and supervision, students' project management, SL course assignments and reflection, pre-course faculty training and/or project development support)?


Appendix A: Principles of Good Practice

Excerpted from Howard, Jeffrey, ed., Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning: Service-Learning Course Design Workbook, University of Michigan: OCSL Press, Summer 2001 pp. 16–19.

The following ten principles were created by Jeffrey Howard for the Michigan Journal of CommunityService in 2001. Howard believes that in order to fully understand and authentically integrateservice-learning into coursework, that faculty must adhere to each of these principles equally.

Principle 1: Academic Credit is for Learning, Not for ServiceThis first principle speaks to those who puzzle over how to assess students’ service in the community, or what weight to assign community involvement in final grades. In traditional courses, academic credit and grades are assigned based on students’ demonstration of academic learning as measured by the instructor. It is no different in service-learning courses. While in traditional courses we assess students’ learning from traditional course resources, e.g. textbooks, class discussions, library research, etc., in service-learning courses we evaluate students’ learning from traditional resources, from the community service, and from the blending of the two. So, academic credit is not awarded for doing service or for the quality of the service, but rather for the student’s demonstration of academic and civic learning.

Principle 2: Do Not Compromise Academic RigorSince there is a widespread perception in academic circles that community service is a “soft” learning resource, there may be a temptation to compromise the academic rigor in a service-learning course. Labeling community service as a “soft” learning stimulus reflects a gross misperception. The perceived “soft” service component actually raises the learning challenge in a course. Service-learning students must not only master academic material as in traditional courses, but also learn how to learn from unstructured community experiences and merge that learning with the learning from other course resources.

Principle 3: Establish Learning ObjectivesIt is a service-learning maxim that one cannot develop a quality service-learning course without first setting very explicit learning objectives. This principle is foundational to service-learning. While establishing learning objectives for students is a standard to which all courses are accountable, in fact, it is especially necessary and advantageous to establish learning objectives in service-learning courses. The addition of the community as a learning context multiplies the learning possibilities. To sort out those of greatest priority, as well as to leverage the bounty of learning opportunities offered by community service experiences, deliberate planning of course academic and civic learning objectives is required.

Principle 4: Establish Criteria for the Selection of Service PlacementsRequiring students to serve in any community-based organization as part of a service-learning course is tantamount to requiring students to read any book as part of a traditional course. Faculty who are deliberate about establishing criteria for selecting community service placements will find that students are able to extract more relevant learning from their respective service experiences, and are more likely to meet course learning objectives.


Principle 5: Provide Educationally Sound Learning Strategies to Harvest Community Learning and Realize Course Learning ObjectivesRequiring service-learning students to merely record their service activities and hours as their journal assignment is tantamount to requiring student in an engineering course to log their activities and hours in the lab. Learning in any course is realized by an appropriate mix and level of learning strategies and assignments that correspond with the learning objectives for the course. Given that in service-learning courses we want to utilize students’ service experiences in part to achieve academic and civic course learning objectives, learning strategies must be employed that support learning from service experiences and enable its use toward meeting course learning objectives. Learning interventions that promote critical reflection, analysis, and application of service experiences enable learning. To make certain that service does not underachieve in its role as an instrument of learning, careful thought must be given to learning activities that encourage the integration of experiential and academic learning. These activities include classroom discussions, presentations, and journal and paper assignments that support analysis of service experience in the context of the course academic and civic learning objectives. Of course, clarity about course learning objectives is a prerequisite for identifying educationally-sound learning strategies.

Principle 6: Prepare Students for Learning from the CommunityMost students lack experience with both extracting and making meaning from experience and merging it with other academic and civic course learning strategies. Therefore, even an exemplary reflection journal assignment will yield, without sufficient support, uneven responses. Faculty can provide: 1) learning supports such as opportunities to acquire skills for gleaning the learning from the service context (e.g., participant-observer skills), and/or 2) examples of how to successfully complete assignments (e.g., making past exemplary student papers and reflection journals available to current students to peruse).

Principle 7: Minimize the Distinction Between the Students’ Community Learning Role and Classroom Learning RoleClassrooms and communities are very different learning contexts. Each requires students to assume a different learner role. Generally, classrooms provide a high level of teacher direction, with students expected to assume mostly a passive learner role. In contrast, service communities usually provide a low level of teaching direction, with students expected to assume mostly an active learner role. Alternating between the passive learner role in the classroom and the active learner role in the community may challenge and even impede student learning. The solution is to shape the learning environments so that students assume similar learner roles in both contexts. While one solution is to intervene so that the service community provides a high level of teaching direction, we recommend, for several reasons, re-norming the traditional classroom toward one that values students as active learners. First, active learning is consistent with active civic participation that service-learning seeks to foster. Second, students bring information from the community to the classroom that can be utilized on behalf of others’ learning. Finally, we know from recent research in the field of cognitive science that students develop deeper understanding of course material if they have an opportunity to actively construct knowledge.

Principle 8: Rethink the Faculty Instructional Role


If faculty encourage students’ active learning in the classroom, what would be a concomitant and consistent change in one’s teaching role? Commensurate with the preceding principle’s recommendation for an active student learning posture, this principle advocates that service-learning teachers, too, rethink their roles. An instructor role that would be most compatible with an active student role shifts away from a singular reliance on transmission of knowledge and toward mixed pedagogical methods that include learning facilitation and guidance. To re-shape one’s classroom role to capitalize on the learning bounty in service-learning, faculty will find Howard’s 1998 model of “Transforming the Classroom” helpful. This four-stage model begins with the traditional classroom in which students are passive, teachers are directive, an all conform to the learned rules of the classroom. In the second stage, the instructor begins to re-socialize herself toward a more facilitative role; but the students, socialized for many years to be passive learners, are slow to change to a more active mode. In the third stage, with the perseverance of the instructor, the students begin to develop and acquire the skills and propensities to be active in the classroom. Frequently, during this phase, faculty will become concerned that learning is not as rich and rigorous as when they are using the more popular lecture format, and may regress to a more directive posture. Over time homeostasis is established, and the instructor and the students achieve an environment in which mixed pedagogical methods lead to students who are active learners, instructors fluent in multiple teaching methods, and strong academic and civic learning outcomes.

Principle 9: Be Prepared for Variation in, and Some Loss of Control with, Student Learning OutcomesFor faculty who value homogeneity in student learning outcomes, as well as control of the learning environment, service-learning may not be a good fit. In college courses, learning strategies largely determine student outcomes, and this is true in service-learning courses, too. However, in traditional courses, the learning strategies (i.e., lectures, labs, and reading) are constant for all enrolled students and under the watchful eye of the faculty member. In service-learning courses, given variability in service experiences and their influential role in student learning, one can anticipate greater heterogeneity in student learning outcomes and compromises to faculty control. Even when service learning students are exposed to the same presentations and the same readings, instructors can expect that classroom discussions will be less predictable and the content of student papers/projects less homogeneous than in courses without a service assignment. As an instructor, are you prepared for greater heterogeneity in student learning outcomes and some degree of loss of control over student learning stimuli?

Principle 10: Maximize the Community Responsibility Orientation of the Course This principle is for those who think that civic learning can only spring from the community service component of a course. One of the necessary conditions of a service-learning course is purposeful civic learning. Designing classroom norms and learning strategies that not only enhance academic learning but also encourage civic learning are essential to purposeful civic learning. While most traditional courses are organized for private learning that advances the individual student, service learning instructors should consider employing learning strategies that will complement and reinforce the civic lessons from the community experience. For example, efforts to convert from individual to group assignments and from instructor-only to instructor and student review of student assignments, re-norms the teaching-learning process to be consistent with the civic orientation of service-learning.


Appendix B: Service-Learning Resources

Campus Compact: http://www.compact.org/

Corporation for National and Community Service:http://www.nationalservice.org/

National Service-Learning Clearinghouse:http://www.servicelearning.org/index.php

Service-Learning Syllabi by Discipline: http://www.compact.org/syllabi/

MCC The Service-Learning Office: http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/servicelearning/assistant.htm

Nazareth Center for Service Learning: http://www.naz.edu/dept/servicelearning/

RIT Leadership Institute and Community Service Center:http://campuslife.rit.edu/leadership/

NENA (Northeast Neighborhood Alliance) RIT Partnership (through Learn and Serve America)http://www.rit.edu/cla/nena/achievements.html

U of R Rochester Center for Community Leadershiphttp://www.rochester.edu/College/rccl/

U of R Community Service Networkhttp://sa.rochester.edu/csn/volunteers.html

Brockport American Democracy Project:http://www.brockport.edu/adp/

Niagara University Learn and Serve Niagara Office:http://www.niagara.edu/learnserve/

Buffalo State Volunteer and Service-Learning Centerhttp://www.wnyslconference.org/


http://www.brockport.edu/adp/

http://www.rochester.edu/college/rccl/

http://www.rit.edu/~684www/index.html

http://campuslife.rit.edu/leadership/

http://www.naz.edu/dept/campus_ministry/learn_center.htm

http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/servicelearning/

http://www.colorado.edu/servicelearning/faculty.html

http://www.servicelearning.org/

http://www.nationalservice.org/

http://www.compact.org/

http://www.wnyslconference.org/

http://www.niagara.edu/learnserve/

http://www.brockport.edu/adp/

http://sa.rochester.edu/csn/volunteers.html

http://www.rochester.edu/College/rccl/

http://www.rit.edu/cla/nena/achievements.html

http://campuslife.rit.edu/leadership/

http://www.naz.edu/dept/servicelearning/

http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/servicelearning/assistant.htm

http://www.compact.org/syllabi/

http://www.servicelearning.org/index.php

http://www.nationalservice.org/

http://www.compact.org/

Appendix C: Sample References

Butin, D.W. (2005). Service-learning in higher education: Critical issues and directions. New York, NY: Palgrave/MacMillan.

Billig, S.H. & Furco, A. (Eds.). (2002). Service-learning through a multidisciplinary lens: A volume in advances in service-learning research. Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Canada, M. & Speck, B.W. (Eds.). (Summer 2001). Developing and implementing service-learning programs. New Directions in Higher Education, Number 114, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Carignan, J. (1998). Curriculum and community connection: The Center for Service-Learning at Bates College. In E. Zlotkoski (Ed.), Successful service-learning programs: New models of excellence in higher education (pp. 40-59). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company.

Chapdelaine, A., Ruiz, A., Warchal, J, & Wells, C. (2005). Service-learning code of ethics. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company.

Fredericksen, P.J. (2000, Fall). Does service learning make a difference in student performance? The Journal of Experiential Education, 23(2), 64-74.

Furco, A. (1996). Service-learning: A balanced approach to experiential learning. Expanding boundaries: Serving and learning.

Haannet & Poulsen (1989, October). Principles of good practice for combining service and learning Racine, WI: The Johnson Foundation, Inc.

Howard, J. (Ed.). (2001, Summer). Service-learning course design workbook. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. University of Michigan Edward Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning/OCSL Press.

Jacoby, B. (1996). Service-learning in higher education: concepts and practices. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (2004, October). Partnerships for Higher Education Service-Learning. Retrieved April, 2007, from http:://www.servicelearning.org/article/view/10/1/35/

Sigmon, R.L. (1994). Serving to learn, learning to serve: Linking service with learning. Washington, DC.: Council of Independent Colleges

Weichman, C.M. (1996, February). Investigating community needs: Service learning from a social justice perspective. Education and Urban Society, 28(2), 224-


Appendix D: Service-Learning Advisory Board Members

1. Dr. Lynn Donahue: Coordinator, Center for Experiential Learning; Peace and Social Justice

2. Dr. Jenna Rossi: American Studies (Co-Chair)

3. Dr. Deborah Vanderbilt: English (Co-Chair)

4. Christine G. Bennett: Volunteer Coordinator; Cerebral Palsy of Rochester

5. Dr. Jim Bowman: English

6. Dr. Kathleen Costello: Foreign Language

7. Dr. Miri Pardo: Communication/Journalism

8. Rebecca Priest: St. John’s Home

9. Kyle Reinson: Communication/Journalism

10. Tom Rodgers: Office of Campus Life

11. Dr. Linda Schlosser: Education – Adolescence

12. Dr. James Schwartz: Education – Childhood

13. Sally Vaughan: Office of Community Service/Campus Ministry

Student members on rotating basis


Appendix E: Memorandum of Understanding

Service-Learning integrates community projects in academic courses to meet community needs and enhance student learning. We work with non-profits, neighborhoods, and small businesses within health care and wellness, youth and education, and housing and economic development through client support (e.g. tutoring, training) and/or capacity-building projects (e.g. marketing, technology) across the disciplines. Prior service-learning participants have expressed a desire for clear communication on roles and responsibilities. Completion of this MOU and work plan will help create a well-coordinated project and the information will be passed on to participating students. If questions are already completed (answers will be based on our conversations), please modify/add where needed. Thank you for taking this extra step!

Please return as an attachment to Lynn Donahue at [email protected]. Due Date: August 1 for fall semester; January 1 for spring semester.

For Faculty Fellow Stipend applicants, please send a syllabus when complete.

SEMESTER: START AND END DATECOURSE TITLE: CLASS DAY AND TIME: COMMUNITY PARTNER ORGANIZATION NAME:

FACULTY INFORMATION (To be completed by faculty partner)

1. FACULTY CONTACT INFORMATION: (Name, Title, Department, Address, Phone, E-mail)

2. THE ASSIGNMENT: Please describe the service-learning assignment which should include information like the community partner(s), the anticipated student responsibilities within client support and/or capacity-building projects, and in what way will the service-learning component add value to your course and/or meet the course goals. This assignment description can be added to your syllabus.

3. STUDENT LEARNING: What academic/reflection components will you integrate to help students accomplish the learning and service goals? (e.g. reflective writing, in-class debriefs, course readings, end of semester presentation)

4. STUDENT SUPPORT: What structural supports will you integrate to help students accomplish the learning and service goals? (e.g. team meetings in class, faculty and student calls and written updates to community partners, product drafts and reports integrating partner feedback)

5. COMPONENTS: Please check which best describes your service component:



Required vs. Optional: required optional Number of Hours: 30-40 hours 20-30 hours 15-20 hours Number of participating students: _____

If you have taught this course as a SL course before, what semester/year? ______

Are you interested in applying for a Faculty Fellow course development stipend? yes no

Are you interested in serving as a mentor for faculty new to SL? yes no

COMMUNITY INFORMATION (To be completed by community partner)

1. CONTACT INFORMATION:a) Community Partner Initial Contact: (the person(s) responsible for scheduling and orientation)

(Organization, Name and Title, Address (City, State, Zip), Phone Numbers & E-mail)

b) Community Partner Primary Contact: (the person(s) responsible for overseeing students’ work) (Organization, Name and Title, Address (City, State, Zip), Phone Numbers & E-mail)

c) Can one or both contacts meet in class for an orientation or other meetings?________

2. NEEDS AND ASSETS: Please identify the needs your organization or program have AND/OR future goals (that Fisher students can work to address/acccomplish). This information will help the students understand the importance and necessity of their work.

3. DESIRED OUTCOMES: What are your desired final outcomes that Fisher students will deliver that would meet your needs? If relevant, please provide a job description of students’ responsibilities in order to achieve the desired outcome.

4. STUDENT PREPARATION AND SUPPORT: Service-learning projects usually follow a path of preparation, collaboration with and support by the community partner, and a deliverable or concluding activity. Where relevant, could you provide us with the following information: a) Volunteer requirements for your agency (e.g. background checks, health tests, confidentiality

agreement)b) Support you can provide that is needed for this project (e.g. introduce students to clients, review

drafts, debrief about challenges, provide agency information)c) When and how many times you can meet with students (e.g. 3 times for product creation meetings,

brief check-ins each week, e-mail updates, best times to meet with students during the week/day)d) Other scheduling information (e.g. hours of operation, required training dates)


WORK PLAN/TIME-LINE: (to be completed in collaboration with partner, faculty, and Coordinator)

The most successful projects have developed a work plan and time-line with the following information. Orientation Dates and Project Start and Stop Dates Meetings with clients; Meetings with Partners on-site; Meetings in-class with partners or instructor Project benchmarks (e.g. mid-semester reports, product drafts, event deadlines, research deadlines, etc.)

BEGINNING/MIDDLE OF SEMESTER a. Week 1: (class begins Tues., Sept. 4th

b. Week 2: (9/10)

c. Week 3: (9/17)

d. Week 4: (9/24)

e. Week 5: (10/1)

f. Week 6: (10/8)

g. Week 7 (10/15)

MIDDLE/END OF THE SEMESTER a. Week 8: (10/22)

b. Week 9: (10/29)

c. Week 10: (11/5)

d. Week 11: (11/12)

e. Week 12: (11/19 – Mon & Tues. in session) Thanksgiving Recess

f. Week 13: (11/26)

g. Week 14: (12/3)

h. Week 15 (12/10) Final Exams


EXPECTATIONS

Community Partner: Designate one person to provide oversight to SL students and project feedback and support. Return student communication in a timely manner and discuss concerns with the instructor or Coordinator. Provide orientation on the agency and its clients including standards of professional behavior. Review the course syllabus and assignments relevant to students’ work and discuss, if needed, the

alignment (or misalignment) of course deadlines and the agency’s calendar Complete a Community Impact Assessment if able to at the conclusion of the semester on the impact of

Fisher SL students to improve our program and document the impact. Use reasonable measures to provide a safe working environment (e.g. escort students to car). If needed, request termination of a student’s work in the event of negligence or harm.

Faculty: Provide students with sufficient support and structure through readings, lectures, team meetings, and

assignments to create quality service-learning outcomes. Integrate reflection assignments that enable students to connect the community-based service experience

with academic content and facilitate social, emotional, civic, and professional growth. Include definition of service-learning and details of service-learning assignment in course syllabus. Provide students with an orientation to SL and expectations of professional behavior (Podast). Communicate with your partners during the semester on project expectations and student performance. Participate in the Student and Faculty Impact Assessment to assess impact and improve the process.

Students: Behave in a professional and courteous manner and abide by the site’s policies and rules which include

avoiding use of electronic devices, dressing in a professional manner, preserving confidence of information, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and being on time to the assignment.

Communicate with the supervisor, course instructor and/or the Coordinator about concerns, questions, and if appointments need to be changed. Update the partner on progress and ask for regular feedback.

Learn about the community partner. Commit to observe and learn, maintain a non-judgmental and positive attitude, ignore stereotypes of the community, and break stereotypes of college students.

Coordinator, Center for Experiential Learning and Service-Learning Initiative Identify interested Fisher faculty and Rochester community partners. Assist in the development of mutually beneficial client support and capacity-building projects that meets

community needs and accomplishes academic course goals. Provide faculty training, student orientation information, and community partner training and support. Provide and evaluate faculty course development stipends and project support stipends. Address concerns, trouble-shoot and facilitate effective service-learning during the semester. Monitor and assess impact of service-learning through record keeping and Impact Assessments. Promote positive outcomes through the media, web sites, conferences, and Fisher and local events.

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns. We aspire to nurture community/college partnerships that are reciprocal and sustaining in order to respond to identified needs and build on assets. We strive to create a spirit of collaboration, social responsibility, and respect for all participants.

Thank You!Dr. Lynn Donahue, Coordinator, Service-Learning Initiative and Center for Experiential Learning

Pioch 103C, 3690 East Avenue, St. John Fisher College; 385-7342, [email protected]



Appendix F: Faculty Fellow Stipend Introduction

Introduction:

Congratulations on your decision to integrate service-learning into your upcoming course! Below are Faculty Fellow benefits, stipend requirements, implementation check list, and criteria that are used to designate your course as service-learning (with a SLC Attribute on the registration page).

The attached Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will also serve as your application to become a Service-Learning Faculty Fellow and to receive a stipend for course development. This opportunity is available to all full and part-time faculty.

Benefits of Becoming a Service-Learning Faculty Fellow

Receive up to $800 for training and course development. Stipend amounts will range based on factors such as new vs. returning to SL, required vs. optional, etc.

Receive training and consultation on service-learning theory, pedagogy, and implementation through training workshops and individual support.

Join a community of faculty interested in service-learning that you can dialogue, share ideas, and receive support from.

If interested, become a mentor to future Fisher service-learning instructors through individual support, attendance at trainings, and presentations at campus-wide workshops.

Stipend Information and Requirements:

Deadline: Please return the Memorandum of Understanding (serves as your stipend application) to Dr. Lynn Donahue, Pioch 103C as an e-mail attachment by August 1st for a fall course and January 1st for a spring course.

Syllabus: Please attach a draft or final syllabus with this application.

Stipend Requirements: To receive a stipend, please complete 1-6 below. Half of the stipend amount is distributed at the beginning of the semester and half after the course is complete and after the following requirements are met and considered by a committee of the advisory board.

1) Completion of Faculty Training2) Submission of your final syllabus containing your service project and reflection assignment.3) Distribution of the Student Service-Learning Podcast and Student Agreement Form to your

students at the beginning of the semester.4) Distribution and collection of the Student Impact Assessment and completion of the Faculty Impact

Assessment (on-line survey) at the course’s conclusion.5) Submission of 2-5 examples of student’s SL project (if relevant) and 2-5 examples of the written

reflection assignment.

For questions, please contact Dr. Lynn Donahue at 385-7342 (944-8511-cell), [email protected], and in Pioch 103C.



Appendix G: Project Mini Grant Application

The Community-Based Service-Learning program is able to provide Mini Grant funds to select projects that have a need. For example, mini grants can pay for a pizza party at the conclusion of a workshop series, supplies for craft projects at a children’s event, printing costs for brochures or resource manuals, TY gifts for guest speakers, T-shirts for fund raisers or transportation expenses to service sites. Please provide us with the information below to be reviewed by the Service-Learning Advisory Board Stipend sub-committee.

Students or faculty may complete the Mini Grant request. The instructor should submit a complete application, along with a course syllabus, to Dr. Lynn

Donahue as an attachment at [email protected].

Faculty Name Proposed Course title & number

Address for Reimbursement Form:

Student Names

The Need

a) For what kind of materials, supplies, thank-you gifts, bus, etc. do you need project support?

b) Please propose an estimated total grant amount. (Note: the maximum grant for project support for a single course is $200).

c) What is your budget (provide an itemized list of project support needs a grant would fund)?

The Service

a) Please describe the purpose of the service-learning project/event/deliverable and what is the anticipated outcome?

Reimbursement

Faculty will need to purchase the supplies on behalf of their students. Please save all receipts. Then please submit your receipts and a description of what you purchased the supplies for (if it differs than the information contained in this application), and you will be reimbursed the amount.

I prefer to receive a check in the mail. I prefer the reimbursement to be direct deposited.


For questions, please contact Dr. Lynn Donahue, Coordinator, Service-Learning Initiative and the Center for Experiential Learning at 385-7342 or [email protected].

Faculty Travel Funds Requests for Proposals

All requests must be submitted on this form, completely filled out, and with proper

documentation.

Name Department

Conference/Scholarly Association Dates of Conference Sessions Location Dates of Travel

NOTE: Please attach an official communication describing the academic conference (dates of sessions, pre-conference workshops, etc.).

Will you be delivering a paper at the meeting? YES NO

If Yes, title of the paper

Please include documentation of the paper’s acceptance. If confirmation of acceptance is not currently available, indicate when you will hear; you must provide documentation before funds are disbursed.

If you are not presenting a paper, please indicate briefly the value of this meeting for your professional development as a SL participant.

Please indicate the costs associated with attendance at this meeting. The committee appreciates efforts to economize (e.g. shuttles versus taxis, etc.).

Airfare………………………………………………………………$ Car ( # miles @ 51¢/mile)..……………………………… $ Lodging ............................................................................... $

# nights $/night (maximum $175/night) Meals (Maximum of $45/day)......................................... $

# days $/day Registration ........................................................................ $ Other costs (please list)


TOTAL ...................................................................................... $


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