Our Service-Learning Program collaborates with faculty and instructors to integrate service-learning into numerous and diverse courses offered at WSU. We provide varying support and resources to help faculty offer their students a unique experience that includes the many benefits of service-learning. The CCE also supports students using the GivePulse platform—exploring service opportunities, signing up for projects, and tracking their service hours.

Download the flyer about Service-Learning.

We're excited to share that the GivePulse community engagement platform is now integrated with Canvas! This new feature allows faculty and students across all campuses to connect with community service opportunities, track service hours, and reflect on their experiences, all within Canvas. We encourage faculty to follow these simple steps and edit their Canvas course settings, making GivePulse visible and accessible to students directly within their course space. This helps ensure students can fully engage with community-based learning opportunities through the integrated platform.   

The WSU Registrar’s Office classifies courses with a “C” designation when they have a service-learning or community engagement component. The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) manages the process, and the “C” is warranted if service-learning activities (1) Are directly relevant to course content and goals, (2) Address a community-identified need, and are constructed to mitigate any associated risks; (3) Benefit the community (broadly defined) and, as appropriate, provide an opportunity for collaborative partners to receive associated products and/or be involved in the evaluation of the activity; (4) Provide, as expressed in the syllabus, opportunity, and method(s) for students to reflect on what they have learned through their service-learning experience, how it relates to course content, and how it impacts the community; and (5) Options ensure that no student is required to participate in an activity that creates a religious, political and/or moral conflict. 

The Characteristics of Civic Engagement ensure that civic engagement is ethical, inclusive, mission-aligned, and community-centered. Each criterion plays a key role in safeguarding the integrity and purpose of civic engagement activities. CCE’s “Characteristics of Civic Engagement” provide a shared understanding and definition of what civic engagement entails, including activities that 

1. Meet community-identified goals or concerns and/or advance the work of a non-profit or public organization other than WSU
2. Benefits a historically excluded population and/or serves the public good
3. Require a commitment of time/effort
4. Does not support or incite violence, hatred, or discrimination
5. Does not replace or compete with an existing campus service
6. Does not actively promote a specific faith or solely serve members of a religious group or political organization
7. Does not provide direct financial benefit to a for-profit organization. 

Service-learning plays a leading role in the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement because it exemplifies how institutions integrate meaningful community partnerships directly into teaching and learning. 

The Community Engaged Scholars (CES) program creates a multidisciplinary "community of practice" for faculty interested in developing course(s) that integrate service-learning. This initiative fosters student success and retention by implementing the high-impact practice of service-learning. CES is in direct alignment with the “active engagement in learning” focus area.

Faculty benefit from participating in the Community Engaged Scholars (CES) program because it equips them with the best-practices, tools, resources, and support to integrate service-learning teaching methods successfully into their courses. This innovation creates a high-impact learning environment that connects students directly with local community identified needs, fosters critical reflection, and a deeper understanding of course content. These workshops help faculty across all disciplines design impactful learning experiences that enhance course content, foster civic responsibility, and build strong community partnerships. Additionally, service-learning improves student engagement and provides faculty with professional development opportunities that enrich their teaching and scholarship.

The Engaged Scholar Newsletter is a bi-annual newsletter that highlights and celebrates the successes and ongoing developments in service-learning and community-engaged scholarship at WSU. It features stories about faculty, community partners, and students involved in service-learning projects, shares updates on best practices, and provides insights into how engagement efforts align with WSU’s mission and goals.

View Past Newsletters