Welcome Faculty and Instructors!
Welcome to the Center for Civic Engagement faculty support pages. The fact that you are here suggests your interest in community engagement and more specifically service-learning as a teaching strategy. We would like to offer our support and expertise to facilitate whatever type of community engagement meets your academic and course goals. In addition to working with many local community agencies and organizations, check out the opportunities we offer to collaborate with a network of partners outside the Palouse region through our distant service learning opportunities.
Please feel free to navigate through the links provided here and take advantage of the knowledge and experience of others. If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment to discuss further the possibilities of a service-learning/ community engagement component for your class, research, or scholarship agenda, please contact Vernette Doty at vdoty@wsu.edu.
WSU's Community Engagement Classification
| In December, 2008, WSU was named among 119 national university and college recipients of the 2008 “Community Engagement Classification” from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The Washington D.C.- based foundation selection recognizes higher education institutions that demonstrate excellence in “alignment between mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.” The award is issued by the Carnegie Foundation as part of an effort “to encourage more higher-education institutions to reach out to the world around them.” (WSU News service 12.12.08) WSU was selected for the honor in the dual categories of curricular engagement and outreach and partnerships and lauded as a university that engages faculty, students and community in mutually beneficial and respectful collaboration. For examples of WSU faculty engaged scholarship, click here. |
Develop a Service-Learning Course
The Center for Civic Engagement works with faculty and instructors to develop methods for assisting students in thoughtfully integrating their community experiences into course assignments and discussions. We intend for each service-learning experience to enlarge students’ view of the world, challenge their assumptions, and invite them to further engage their intelligence and imagination while learning from and in partnership with the larger community.
Our goal is to develop and sustain opportunities and projects in community-based organizations that fulfill a community need while advancing student attainment of course goals and learning objectives. Our job is to serve as a liaison between students, faculty and instructors, and various members of the community. Below are some best practices for getting students started with their service experience.
Introduce service-learning to the students in the first weekService-learning may be a new concept for some students. While relevant information is also documented in the syllabus, a best practice is to introduce and discuss service-learning within the first two weeks of class to underscore its connection and relevance to the course content and its capacity to offer dynamic experiences to students. This is a good time for a CCE representative to come and present in your class.Create a syllabus that reflects service-learning as part of course designA syllabus for a service-learning course should include the following components:
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What is service-learning?
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Why service-learning is valuable?
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Why service-learning is a key component of the course?
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How service-learning will work in this particular course?
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This section should include an explanation of what the service learning option or requirement for the course will entail, and of course, all assignments, presentations, etc. pertinent for the service-learning option or requirement.
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The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) offers WSU students, faculty, campus departments, and community partners opportunities to share knowledge, skills, and resources for the benefit of student learning and the well-being of our communities. The CCE facilitates service-learning experiences as part of academic curricula and will be working with each class to provide appropriate community-based and/or civic leadership experiences for students.
Information and Resources
Nominate and/or view people who have shown exemplary committment to service. Visit the Recognition page.
For more information please contact Vernette Doty, Academic Program Coordinator, at (509)335-3271.
