As part of the “Serving to Learn, Learning to Serve” initiative, funded by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, more than 60 faculty and staff members from 21 higher education institutions met in Charlotte Feb. 4-6 for an in-depth faculty development institute on service learning. Elon University’s team included Pam Kiser, professor of human services, Scott Glass, assistant professor of human services, and Kathy Manning, director of service learning.
North Carolina Campus Compact, a rapidly growing coalition of college and university presidents established to encourage and support campus engagement in the community, contracted with three nationally known speakers to facilitate the institute. Dr. Robert Bringle, director of the IUPUI Center for Service and Learning, Dr. Gary Hesser, professor of sociology at Augsburg College, and Dr. Andrew Furco, director of UC Berkeley’s Service Learning Research and Development Center, each brought their experience and knowledge to the institute. Topics included core concepts of service learning, building campus-community partnerships, using reflection in teaching, assessing student learning, engaging diverse disciplines and accessing resources. Service learning is a teaching method that integrates community service into course content for enhanced student learning.
Faculty and staff teams that participated in the institute will return to their campuses to implement faculty development workshops on service learning. Each university plans to engage at least five additional faculty, with a potential impact of 100 additional faculty teaching service-learning in the 2004-05 academic year. With an average of 20 students per course, the overall impact could reach 2,000 students across the state.
NCCC member campuses seek to involve students, faculty, and the entire campus in community service to fulfill higher education’s most noble goals of educating citizens, preparing tomorrow’s leaders, and contributing to the life of America’s communities.