Service Learning and Civic Engagement: Changing the Way We Educate Students

Service Learning and Civic Engagement:Service Learning and Civic Engagement:Changing the Way We Educate StudentsChanging the Way We Educate Students

“We challenge you to assure that the next year’s entering students will graduate as

individuals of character more sensitive to the needs of community, more competent to

contribute to society, and more civil in habits of thought, speech, and action.”

Wingspread Group Report on Higher Education (1993)

“At a fundamental level, Dewey declared that Americans, as citizens, must be engaged both

in thought and in action. He argued that education is the key to civic engagement.

Therefore, institutions of learning must adequately prepare students for such activity

and should be viewed as microcosms of society that should model community

behavior.”

Thomas Ehrlich, et. al., Civic Responsibility and Higher Education (2000)

“Too many of us have become passive and disengaged. Too many of us lack confidence in our capacity to make basic moral and civic judgments, to join with

our neighbors to do the work of community, to make a difference. Never have we had so many

opportunities for participation, yet rarely have we felt so powerless….In a time that cries out for civic action, we are in danger of becoming a nation of

spectators.”

National Commission on Civic Renewal (1998)

“Because some college students reflect the pattern of the larger society toward civic

disengagement, one of the roles of higher education should be to find ways to renew and strengthen the commitment of students to civic life. It is critically important for the leadership of higher education to call on their institutions to

play an active role in civic renewal.”Karla Gottlieb and Gail Robinson, A Practical

Guide for Integrating Civic Responsibility into the Curriculum (2002)

Higher Learning CommissionHigher Learning Commission (NCACS) (NCACS)

Criterion Five: Engagement and Service1. The organization learns from the

constituencies it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations.

2. The organization has the capacity and the commitment to engage with its identified constituencies and communities.

Criterion Five: Engagement and ServiceCriterion Five: Engagement and Service

3. The organization demonstrates its responsiveness to those constituencies that depend on it for service.

4. Internal and external constituencies value services the organization provides.

Amy Driscoll, Carnegie Foundaton For Amy Driscoll, Carnegie Foundaton For The Advancement Of Teaching, 2006The Advancement Of Teaching, 2006

Carnegie’s New Classification for Carnegie’s New Classification for Campuses Engaged With CommunityCampuses Engaged With Community

• New elective classification:– Community Engagement

• Describes the collaboration between higher education institutions and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.

Amy Driscoll, Carnegie Foundation For Amy Driscoll, Carnegie Foundation For The Advancement Of Teaching, 2006The Advancement Of Teaching, 2006

Carnegie’s New Classification for Carnegie’s New Classification for Campuses Engaged With CommunityCampuses Engaged With Community

• Community Engagement may achieve the following:– Enhanced teaching and learning of relevant

curriculum– Expanded research and scholarship– Preparation of engaged citizens– Response to societal issues– Contributions to the public good– Strengthened civic responsibility

What is Service Learning?What is Service Learning?

AACC’s Definition of Service Learning

The combination of community service and classroom instruction, with a focus on

critical, reflective thinking as well as personal and civic responsibility.

How do you define civic responsibility?

AACC’s Definition of Civic Responsibility

Active participation in the public life of a community in an informed,

committed, and constructive manner, with a focus on the common good.

• Basic components of service learning:– Academics– Service– Reflection– Civic Engagement/Responsibility

• Think of service learning as the vehicle for civic engagement to occur.

AACC Research Brief 01-3AACC Research Brief 01-3

Service Learning in Community Colleges: Service Learning in Community Colleges: 2003 National Survey Results2003 National Survey Results

• Nine out of 10 colleges responding to the survey either offer or are interested in service learning.

• Seventy-two percent of colleges that offer service learning include it in social science disciplines, and many colleges also include it in education, science, health, and languages. On average, colleges offer service learning in six different curricular areas.



• Seventy-six percent of colleges with service learning indicated that it is a course requirement, but usually for only a small number of courses.

• On average, colleges that provide service learning offer it in 18 different courses annually and involve 424 students in service learning projects.



• Colleges have an average of 14 full-time and six part-time faculty teaching courses with service learning components.

• Most faculty participate in service learning because of their personal commitment and mentoring by other faculty.



• Service learning programs are most often administered by a service learning director or coordinator or by individual faculty members in different disciplines.

• Most colleges rely on institutional funds to implement service learning initiatives. Other key areas of support come from the Corporation for National and Community Services and Federal Work-Study funds.


Institutionalizing Service Learning in Institutionalizing Service Learning in Community CollegesCommunity Colleges

• Increase the involvement of college administrators (including faculty leaders) in the program.

• Increase faculty awareness of the program and developing the skills to put service learning to use.

• Focus on incorporating as many best practices as possible to reach service learning institutionalization.

AACC 2006 Research Brief 05-3AACC 2006 Research Brief 05-3

Transcending Disciplines, Reinforcing Transcending Disciplines, Reinforcing Curricula: Why Faculty Teach With Service Curricula: Why Faculty Teach With Service

LearningLearning• Service Learning coordinator is the primary

individual who motivates faculty to include service learning in their courses

• Student’s learning of core competencies is the primary outcome that motivates faculty to include service learning in their courses

Transcending Disciplines, Reinforcing Transcending Disciplines, Reinforcing Curricula: Why Faculty Teach With Service Curricula: Why Faculty Teach With Service

LearningLearning• Faculty are not motivated by any particular

institutional support but rather by the benefits service learning provides to students and by the civic engagement opportunities service learning creates for students

AACC 2006, Dr. Mary PrenticeAACC 2006, Dr. Mary Prentice

Study of Student Civic EngagementStudy of Student Civic Engagement

• Service Learners who reported having taken two or more service learning courses compared to non-service learners:– Service learners who had taken multiple service learning

courses were statistically more likely to score higher on questions relating to participatory citizenship activities.

– Participatory citizens: participate “in the civic affairs and social life of the community.” These people organize the food drive to which personally responsible citizens contribute (Westheimer and Kahne, 2004).

Thank You!Thank You!

• “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

– Margaret Mead

Exercise 3.9 (Page 34)Higher Education’s Role in Promoting Citizenship

“We [higher education] educate a large proportion of the citizens who bother to vote, not to mention most of the politicians, journalists, and news commentators. We also educate all the school administrators and teachers, who in turn educate everyone at the pre-college level. And we do much to shape the pre-college curriculum through what we require of our college applicants. In short, not only have we helped create the problems that plague American democracy, but we are also in a position to begin doing something about them. If higher education doesn’t start giving citizenship and democracy much greater priority, who will?” (Astin 1995)

Exercise 3.9 (Page 34)Higher Education’s Role in Promoting CitizenshipReflection Questions

• Do you think that our educational institutions are preparing students for a life of engaged, democratic citizenship?

• What specifically can higher education do to give citizenship and democracy greater priority?

• How can students and faculty play a leadership role?

• How can service learning and civic engagement relate to institutional accreditation standards?

Higher Learning Commission: Criterion FiveHigher Learning Commission: Criterion Five

• You have been named the president of Civic Community College and have one year to prepare for an accreditation site visit. Your institution’s regional accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, has a new criterion on service and engagement that each higher education institution must meet.


• You need to document and provide evidence that the college is engaged in the local community. Where do you begin?


• Which programs do you look at?• Who should help you collect the needed data and examples?• How will you measure your college’s level of engagement?• How will you show the accrediting team that your college

meets Criterion 5?• Would your students agree with your findings?• Would your community partners agree with your findings? • Your Board?• Will criterion five be part of your college’s mission and

strategic plan?

Documents

Service Learning and Civic Engagement: Changing the Way We Educate Students