Successful service-learning is a partnership among community organizations, instructors, students, and SL staff. Each partner has different goals and roles, so communication is essential.
THE COMMUNITY PARTNER (CP) will…
Designate a SL supervisor to serve as the liaison with the instructor and the Service-Learning students, and often with SL staff.
- Discuss SL project goals and details with instructors
- Orient students to the organization’s rules, policies, procedures, methods and operations, community issue, and population served.
- Check-in formally with the instructor and students at regular intervals (recommended: beginning, middle and end of semester).
BSU-SERVICE-LEARNING STAFF will…
- Cultivate and support instructor, students, and community partner (CP) relationships
- Identify, recruit, and orient CPs whose needs match class learning objectives
- Provide orientations, trainings, and roundtables about Service-Learning
- Provide guidance to facilitate student placement through classroom visits and templates
- Provide contracts and forms that clarify responsibilities and increase accountability
- Support and troubleshoot with students, CPs, and instructors
- Maintain regular contact with CPs, instructors, and students (at beginning, middle, and end of semester). E-mail upcoming opportunities and information
- Seek and respond to feedback from CPs, instructors, and students
INSTRUCTORS will…
- Set learning objectives for the service experience that relate to course objectives
- Identify community issues or service that relates to the class
- Contact CPs to discuss course goals, service expectations, and timelines
- Adapt syllabus, class assignments, lecture examples, and class discussion to include links between course concepts and service experience.
- Outline for students the SL expectations and requirements, CP orientation dates, deadlines for starting service, and evaluation guidelines
- Maintain regular contact with CPs (recommended: beginning, middle, and end of semester)
STUDENTS will…
- Attend CP orientation, if required
- Track hours, if required
- Respect rules, regulations, and confidentiality standards of the organization
- Participate in reflection discussions and assignments
- Complete service expectations, complete service, and wrap up with the CP