Faculty Involvement Timeline

Service-Learning Timeline

The following is a brief list of information requested of faculty by the Service-Learning Program. All information contributes to the success of the service-learning experience and the integrity of the program.

1. Students and community partners will be asked to complete an evaluation of their experience. This will be shared with professors for grading purposes.
2. Schedule a date, time, and location of initial presentation by the Service-Learning Program.
   a.   Requests for Fall semester – due mid-late April
   b.   Requests for Spring Semester – due mid-late November
3. Coordinate and confirm community partners and report these sites to the Service-Learning Program. If offering service-learning in a course that is taught yearly, the Service-Learning Program will assume that community partners will remain the same unless otherwise notified by the professor.
4. Schedule dates requesting the Service-Learning Program and/or community partners to facilitate and/or attend reflection discussions.
5. Provide the Service-Learning Program with a current syllabus. Updated syllabi are requested each semester.

Note: If your course requires a service-learning component, this must be submitted with course offerings and designated in the registration catalogue. This is not required if service-learning is optional.

Beginning of Semester

• Attend the service-learning fair.
• Students are required to attend if they are working with multiple partners.
• Faculty are encouraged to attend the fair and to meet with community partners at a lunch held prior to the event.
• Communicate with the Service-Learning Program of any issues in students starting and contracting placements.

Note: The Service-Learning Program makes every attempt to place students with their first preference site of service. This is not possible in every case. Students need to be aware that by ranking placements, they are indicating that they are willing to work with a second or third choice as well.

During the Semester

• If requesting our department to assist with or facilitate reflection discussions, provide department with appropriate questions or topics that you would like addressed. Please request our assistance at least one week prior to discussion.
• Notify the Service-Learning Program of any issues or concerns relating to student experiences at sites.

End of Semester

• Last day for students to post hours online is midnight of the last day of the semester.

Coordination and Communication with XPD

The Service-Learning Program is committed to frequent, effective communication with students, faculty/instructors, and community partners throughout the service-learning experience. To do this, we use the following communication strategies:

• Academic Coordinators – Each faculty member and course is assigned a Student Academic Coordinator from the XPD office. This individual becomes the primary point of contact for students and faculty/instructors.
• Initial Presentations – Initial Presentations (IP’s) are presentations given at the beginning of the semester to introduce students to their service-learning experience. This presentation is given by an XPD student or staff member and covers required forms, procedures, expectations, and mandated reporting. We strive to tailor this presentation specifically to each course. This typically occurs on the second or third day of the course.
• Service-Learning Fair – This fair is held at the beginning of the semester and includes all service-learning partners. Students in service-learning courses are requested (or required) to attend this fair to meet with partners and learn about their organizations. At the fair, students can complete their service-learning contracts indicating their top three choices. Students will be notified this same night as to where they are partnered.
• Posting – The Service-Learning Program is happy to assist faculty/instructors with the process of tracking hours and reviewing reflections. The Service-Learning Program has transitioned to use Canvas as a primary tool for students to report their hours and service work. Academic Coordinators provide regular updates to students, faculty/instructors, and community partners regarding students’ progress. Students and their instructors receive a bi-weekly email update and community partners receive an update once per month. This is done to confirm and verify students’ hour totals
• Email – The Service-Learning Program is available via email at any time. The best way to reach a member of the service-learning staff is by emailing [email protected]. We strive to respond to all messages within 24 hours.
• XPD Office – We welcome visitors to the XPD office which is located in the ASB. Students are encouraged to stop by to talk to a member of our staff with any questions they have or feedback they would like to provide.

Coordination with Community Partners

The Service-Learning program recognizes community partners as co-educators in the service-learning experience. Many of our partners have been hosting CSB/SJU students for decades and consistently provide high-quality learning experiences for students. In order to ensure the best possible experience for students, the Service-Learning program and faculty will seek out community partnerships that fit the learning goals specific to each course. These partnerships require intentional reflection and are designed to be mutually beneficial for both the student and the community partner.

Occasionally, a student may choose to propose an alternate partner for their service-learning project. This can be done by submitting the following information to the Service-Learning program:

1. Confirmation from the faculty member that they approve the alternate partner
2. Contact information (including email) of the site supervisor
3. Confirmation from the site supervisor that they are willing to meet the requirements of a community partner (see Community Partner page)

Transportation and Service-Learning

Transportation is the greatest challenge and barrier faced by the Service-Learning Program. Currently, we have two options for transportation for students:

• The use of a personal vehicle or car pool with a friend or class mate
• The Shuttle