Service-Learning FAQs
Questions About Service-Learning
What is service-learning?
Service learning is an educational approach that integrates community service with academic learning, allowing students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world situations. It involves working on community-based projects or activities that address local needs while helping students develop skills, critical thinking, and civic responsibility.
Key components of service learning include:
Curriculum Connection: The service activities are directly tied to learning objectives, making them an integral part of the academic curriculum.
Active Participation: Students engage directly with the community, often through hands-on projects.
Reflection: Students reflect on their experiences to understand the social, civic, and academic implications.
Mutual Benefit: The service benefits both the community and the students; the community receives support or resources, while students gain practical experience and personal growth.
What qualifies as service-learning?
What Qualifies as Service Learning?
As a formal educational approach, experiential learning requires several elements to count as service learning. Examples of these are if the volunteer activities are connected to the course curriculum and reflecting on the service experience. You can learn more about what qualifies as service learning here.
How is service-learning different than hosting volunteers or interns?
Structure and Supervision: Internships are more structured and often supervised in a professional environment; service-learning is structured around academic goals, and volunteering can vary widely in structure and supervision.
Learning Component: Service-learning is directly tied to academic coursework, while internships focus on professional experience, and volunteering is centered around helping without necessarily a learning goal.
Reciprocity: Service-learning emphasizes mutual benefit, while internships tend to benefit the student primarily, and volunteering mainly benefits the organization or cause.
Can service-learning be done remotely or online?
Yes! Although direct service offers an ideal environment for learning in many classes, others, like research, program development, or marketing, don’t require on-site or direct service. Service-learning can also be adapted for remote or online formats for direct service. This might involve virtual tutoring, digital awareness campaigns, data analysis projects for non-profits, or online workshops and training sessions that address community needs.
What kinds of community partners are involved in service-learning?
Community partners can include non-profits, local government agencies, schools, healthcare organizations, environmental groups, and any other entities that address community needs. Partnerships are usually chosen based on the community partner’s needs, capacity, and fit with available courses.
Working with Service-Learning Students
How should I handle student attendance or participation issues?
What if I have a student who missed orientation?
If you have a student who misses a scheduled orientation, we strongly recommend that you email the student and ‘cc’ the instructor for the course. The message of your email will depend on whether or not the student will still have the opportunity to serve with your agency.
- You can offer the student the chance to attend another pre-scheduled date. Students should have a deadline to respond and understand what happens if they miss again.
- You can schedule an individual orientation.
If you cannot meet individually and a student misses the scheduled orientation(s), please email the student and contact SL staff at 208-426-1004. We will help remove the student from the project.
Students should complete their orientation within the 3rd and 4th week of the semester.
For an example of the communication, see the ‘Missed Orientation Email Template‘.
What if I have a student who never showed up for service?
If a student has not shown up for service at all (which is different than if they showed up but did not finish), you will need to contact the Service-Learning Program so that we can “officially” remove them from your roster. We also strongly recommend contacting the faculty to let him/her know that student never showed up to serve and is no longer registered with your agency.
What if a student started their service but never finished?
We recommend that you first voice the concern directly to the student, via email and/or over the phone. Beginning the conversation with the student allows him/her the opportunity to offer a legitimate reason, if there is one, as to why they did not complete their service.
If the initial attempt is unsuccessful, please send an email to the student and ‘cc’ the instructor of the course. We recommend giving the student a deadline to contact you about the situation and to let them know they will be removed from your roster if they do not respond in the allotted time.
Above all else, please do not feel that you need to go above and beyond to track down student who is no longer serving your agency. Be sure to communicate with the instructor and let us know if we can help. The work you do and your time is too important.
A student is on my roster from two different classes. Will they serve double the hours?
It is up to the instructors of the courses to determine if they will allow the student to serve both projects at one agency. You should be consulted by the student in this situation because the agency must be able to offer an experience that relates to the learning objectives of both classes before approval.
If approved, the Service-Learning Program recommends a reduction of 25% of the combined hourly requirement.
Do orientation hours count for student service?
The instructor of the course your project is matched with decides if orientation hours count toward the students’ total required service hours. Typically, orientation does count. However, for clarification, please ask the instructor.
Can a student continue to serve after their SL requirement is complete?
Yes, please! One of the great values of hosting service-learning students is exposure to potential stakeholders. Community partners commonly go on to hire students who have been introduced via service-learning. If a student is currently engaged in service-learning, however, their service-learning hours and paid service as an employee should not be combined.
Can a community partner employ a service-learning student?
Yes, please! One of the great values of hosting service-learning students is exposure to potential stakeholders. Community partners commonly go on to hire students who have been introduced via service-learning. If a student is currently engaged in service-learning, however, their service-learning hours and paid service as an employee should not be combined.
How do I recognize an outstanding service-learning student?
At the end of each semester, we celebrate and recognize outstanding community partners, faculty and students at our community partner/faculty mixer. When you RSVP for the event, you will be asked to nominate a student or faculty member for this award. We hope you will utilize this nominating process so we can publicly celebrate the outstanding efforts of our students and faculty.
More ways to recognize students and faculty:
Sharing with us the good word. We love to hear about students and faculty who are truly making a difference through our shared work. We also communicate our faculty and student successes with the media both on and off campus.
A kind word is always welcomed. If you have a student who is going above and beyond in his or her commitment, we recommend letting the faculty know.
As for stellar SL faculty, it is a wonderful gesture to contact the chair of the instructor’s department to share just how much you value the instructor’s commitment to the community, as well as the specific impact of his or her involvement on your agency. If you need help connecting with the right person on campus, we are always here.
Can I meet with my service-learning students on campus?
Be our guest, be our guest! If campus is the most effective place to meet with students, you are absolutely welcome to. If you need a room for your meeting, please submit this room reservation form and we will be happy to provide one. If you will be driving to campus, please contact Casey McGee (caseymcgee@boisestate.edu) to receive instructions for free parking.
Growing our partnership
Is there a cap on the number of students I can host per project?
The number of students per project will vary depending on the nature of the project and the capacity of the agency.
The Service-Learning Program strongly advises new community partners to begin with 10 or less service-learning students. This allows the community partner, faculty, and students time to “ease into” the partnership in order to work through any challenges that might arise. This is not a hard-and-fast rule, but we have found this to be very beneficial to most of our community partners. More experienced community partners may wish to increase their cap as needed.
How can I increase the number of service-learning students I host?
- Weigh the pros and cons of managing a larger group of students (i.e. how much staff time can your organization dedicate to managing more service-learners, etc).
- Consider going up incrementally, adding 5 to 10 students per semester, so you are not suddenly overwhelmed by service-learners.
- Consider feedback from current service-learning students about their experience before increasing the number of students in the same project
Can my organization market our partnership with Boise State University?
Service-Learning exists through the establishment of reciprocal relationships which benefits both the agency partner, through student service, and faculty partner, through the placement of students in meaningful service. We understand that in addition to student service hours, one of the benefits to our community partners may be a marketable relationship with Boise State University’s Service-Learning Program.
Below is our policy and guidelines for marketing your relationship with the Service-Learning Program at Boise State University. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact the Coordinator for Faculty and Community Engagement at 208-426-5722.
- Policy:
The goal of any marketing of the partnership between the Service-Learning Program at Boise State and a community partner should be to demonstrate, either to the organization’s clients or the community at large, the benefit of this partnership to meet a critical community need.
Guidelines:
Any marketing materials must:
- Be clear that the partnership is between the Service-Learning Program at Boise State University, not the university at large
- Be honest about the extent of the relationship (i.e. “through the Service-Learning Program, Boise State students provide X amount of hours each semester to individuals, elders, elementary students, clients, etc. in our organization.”)
- Only to be used in times of active partnership and agree, in good faith, to be removed from web and print materials if the community partner becomes inactive for more than one semester.
Please note that due to Boise State University guidelines, community partners cannot use the Boise State logo on website or print materials.
Can I also host students in internships?
Sure! Internships do have different requirements and expectations, so reach out to the following offices to learn more.
Boise State Career Services
BSU Career Services provides resources to help students find internships, including job and internship boards, career fairs, and one-on-one career counseling.
Boise State Career Services
Internships through Specific Colleges and Departments
Many colleges and departments within BSU offer tailored internship programs. For example:
College of Business and Economics: Internships at COBE
School of Public Service: Internships at SPS
College of Engineering: Internships at COEN
School of Social Work: Field Experience
Risk and Liability
What liability and risk considerations do I need to make to prepare for working with Service-Learning students?
- Risk Assessment and Management:
Conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify potential hazards associated with the activities and develop strategies to mitigate these risks.
Establish and enforce safety protocols to minimize the risk of accidents or injuries. Emergency Procedures: Have clear procedures in place for handling emergencies, including medical emergencies, natural disasters, and other unexpected events.
- Supervision and Training
Ensure that students are adequately supervised during their service learning activities.
Training: Provide necessary training to students to prepare them for their tasks and to ensure they understand safety procedures and organizational policies.
- Insurance Coverage
Ensure the organization has adequate general liability insurance to cover any accidents or injuries that might occur during the service learning activities.
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU):
Boise State establishes MOUs that outline the responsibilities of both the University and the Community Partner, including liability issues. If a service occurs remotely and does not involve direct contact with clients, it is considered low-risk.If the service occurs at your service location or involves interacting with clients, potential risk increases.
- Waivers and Releases
Have students sign waivers or release forms that acknowledge the risks involved and release the organization from certain liabilities.
- Communication
Ensure there is clear communication between the community partner, educational institution, and students regarding expectations, responsibilities, and procedures.