Components for Service Learning Courses
- Introduces students to research problems and community partnerships that address a significant need in our community, region, country, or the world.
- Prepares students for service by studying theories and gaining academic knowledge relevant to the problem.
- Prepares students for service by orienting them to the problem and the context in which they will work.
- Uses readings and discussions to connect learning to College-Wide Educational Objectives. (See APPENDIX C1)
- Provides opportunities for students to express value commitments and disciplinary knowledge in an authentic, real-life setting.
- Enables students to personally connect with people involved with the issue to which the service is directed. Ideally, this will include a relationship with persons directly affected.
- Relates to programs with long-term commitments to the communities and issues they address.
- Includes sufficient contact time and duration to allow students to build relationships with people facing the issue and to develop deep understanding.
- Includes students, faculty and community partners.
- Requires written and oral reflection activities.
- Critically analyzes the theories, structures and assumptions of students’ academic disciplines in the context of the service experience.
- Helps students to link their values and academic learning to other parts of the curriculum and co-curriculum.
- Encourages students to evaluate their personal values and commitments, and to grow in discipleship and toward a mature Christian faith.
- Helps students develop a theological understanding of vocation that enables them to contextual their faith.
