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Community-Engaged Teaching

Community engaged teaching

 

 

Community-Engaged Course Types

Service-Learning Course
Community Experience Course

Definition

At WCU, Service-Learning Courses employ service-learning pedagogy throughout the instructional design of a credit-bearing course. These courses integrate critical reflection and purposeful community service as central teaching strategies to achieve the goals listed below. SLCs require a minimum of 10 hours applied to the service work during the term and more typically involve 15-30 hours. The service may involve direct, indirect, research, or advocacy approaches.

Service-Learning Pedagogy Main Goals

  • Deepen students’ knowledge of academic course content
  • Create benefits for the public, addressing a community-identified need
  • Strengthen students’ sense of civic responsibility to local, regional, national, or global issues

Definition

Community Experience Courses are credit-bearing courses in which faculty meaningfully incorporate one or more community-engaged components from a range of possibilities such as intensive field education placements to volunteerism, site visits, or other innovations. The common theme in CECs is that one or more of the course activities engage students with community partners in reciprocal, collaborative, and respectful exchanges around community issues.

Community Experience Course Main Goals

  • May be broad and/or diverse
  • Expose students to issues and skills outside of the classroom
  • Generate understanding about community issues from individuals with lived or practical experience

  

Criteria

Service-learning courses may occur in any discipline, major, or at any level. All designated SLCs at WCU embody the principles and practices of service-learning pedagogy and the growing field of community engaged teaching and learning.

  • Reciprocal benefits to community, faculty, and students
  • Direct link between the service project(s) and course learning objectives
  • Community service project(s) that address a need identified by the community partner and offer significant immersion for the students; a minimum of 10 hours of work applied to the service and ideally 20 or more
  • Preparation for the service project, including information about the community partner and the related social issue(s)
  • Structured, rigorous reflection integrated throughout the course to deepen the connection between the service experience and academic course content, to facilitate understanding of community engagement, and to explore personal learning
  • Partnership and ongoing contact between faculty member and community partner(s), with the partners’ knowledge being incorporated into the education
  • Grading procedures that assess the students’ knowledge and critical analysis of the experience vis-à-vis the course learning objectives (not for the service alone)
  • Opportunity for community partners to provide feedback about the project(s), students, and the service-learning process
  • The WCU Statement of Service-Learning included in the syllabi (see below)
  • Release of liability form signed by students (facilitated by faculty, form provided by CCESL)
  • Direct Service - students learn about the community partner and clients through volunteerism at the site.
  • Indirect Service - the partner brings a community problem to the students, who primarily work on the project off-site throughout the semester.
  • Research & Advocacy - students gather information about an area of interest for the partner or work to create awareness or action regarding a community need.

This class is designated as a Service-Learning Course (SLC). At WCU, SLCs integrate critical reflection and purposeful community service as central components of the course to achieve the following goals: deepen academic learning outcomes, address a need identified by the community, and enhance students’ sense of civic responsibility to local, regional, national, or global community needs. Community organizations serve as co-educators with the faculty member. The community service hours in SLCs count toward WCU’s SPARK Award Program. To learn more about how you can become involved in the SPARK Award Program and other community service opportunities, please contact WCU’s Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL).

Though some Community Experience Courses may incorporate elements of service-learning, they are not designed with service-learning methodology. Instead, CECs may focus more on other methods of experiential learning or serve as incubators for new approaches to community-engaged learning.

  • Reciprocal benefits to community, faculty, and students
  • Interaction with community partners
  • Instruction to help students contextualize the community experience
  • Collaboration and respect
  • Site visits to non-profit organizations or government agencies
  • Field education placements in nursing, education, and other disciplines
  • Volunteer service activity with a community partner

Examples of WCU SLC Courses

  • Department - School of Art and Design, Interior Design
  • Course Title - Junior Studio II-SLC IDES 356-01
  • Instructor - Shelby Hicks, MFA
  • Community Partners - Area Agency on Aging and Jackson Village Apartments

Service Project/Reflection - Students designed a remodeling project of both residences and the community space. Students interviewed residents, measured the spaces and researched (case studies) on aging in place, social determinants of health, and WELL Building Standards. The students created new spaces using this information. As part of the reflection component, students presented their designs to the Board and Jackson Village residents, as well as maintained a reflection journal.

  • Department - Philosophy and Religion Department
  • Course Title - Religion, Suffering, and Moral Imagination-SLC PAR 354-01
  • Professor - Dr. John Whitmire
  • Community Partners - Community Table, Project F.I.R.E, Cornbread and Roses, Catman2, Meals on Wheels, REACH

Service Project/Reflection - Students conduct individual direct service over the course of the semester with a variety of agencies, following the agency lead on what is needed. Through being in dialogue with individuals who are in need of some assistance and the other volunteers for those organizations, the class conversations about different philosophical, religious, and literary approaches to making sense of and responding to suffering are personalized, affective, and grounded.

 

SLC & CEC Course Designation Process

Step 1: Submission
Faculty complete and submit the CCESL Course Designation Form.

  • request designation for a SLC or CEC (~10 minutes to complete)
  • or to communicate interest in teaching a SLC or CEC (~3 minutes to complete)

Deadlines to submit the form for designation are:

  • October 1-7 for Spring courses
  • February 1-3 for Fall & Summer courses

These deadlines are selected so that courses can be approved and then officially tagged within Banner prior to start of class registration for the upcoming term. Submissions will gladly be accepted after these deadlines, but faculty are highly encouraged to apply according to the timeline listed above.

When submitting the form for designation purposes, you will need the following:

-descriptors for your course (title, number, etc.)
-brief description of intended or potential community project/interaction
-draft version or working copy of course syllabus

Step 2: Review
After receiving the submission, the CCESL Review Committee will evaluate it for the required service-learning and community experience elements. 
Courses retain their designation for ONE ACADEMIC YEAR. All faculty will be kindly reminded to resubmit the brief designation form on an annual basis to assist WCU with tracking changes and keeping course design current with practices within the field of community engagement. CCESL will provide feedback and collaborative consultation (if desired) for any courses that submit for designation and do not initially meet criteria for the requested designation.

Step 3: Designation In Banner
If approved, CCESL notifies the faculty member, Department Chairperson, and Administrative Support Associate (ASA) and provides instructions for the ASA to tag the course Banner prior to Advising Day and the start of course registration.

Step 4: End of Term Confirmation
CCESL will contact faculty toward the end of the course term to confirm basic information about the implementation that occurred during the semester such as names of community partners, brief update on the service project/community experience, and final syllabus. For SLCs, CCESL will also provide a brief survey for students, faculty, and community partners regarding their service-learning experience and outcomes.

 

Risk Management & Logistics Resources

All SLC/CEC Instructors are required to:

  • Distribute the student safety packet to course participants (Download Student Safety Packet)
  • Collect signed copies of the two enclosed waiver forms from each student
  • Store the signed copies of the enclosed waiver forms
  • Review safety tips with students and report any incidents to CCESL
  • Comply with the WCU Student Code of Conduct
  • Travel in pairs or groups as much as possible; if traveling alone, tell a classmate or friend about your service site/location and the (approximate) time you expect to return to campus.
  • Drive carefully.
  • Keep your cell-phone handy in case of emergencies, such as the breakdown of your car; however, do not use your cellphone while operating a vehicle.
  • Dress appropriately and if in a virtual environment, adhere to appropriate social standards (i.e. consider your apparel, background, noises, etc.)
  • Use appropriate language.
  • These are substance-free activities. Do not consume alcohol, regardless of your age, and do not perform services under the influence of illegal substances.
  • Follow all rules and/or guidelines of the agency for which you are serving
  • Do not engage in activities beyond the scope of your service project.
  • Do not give agency clients a ride in a private motor vehicle.
  • Do not engage in or tolerate talk or behavior of a sexual nature; and if you feel harassed, tell your agency supervisor, course instructor, and/or the service-learning project coordinator.
  • Do not enter into an amorous or sexual relationship with a client during the term of your service.
  • During the term of your service, do not engage in any type of private business activity with a client which may compete with your service-learning activity.
  • Do not have contact with anyone in the service setting in a harmful and/or violent manner.
  • Inform the agency representative of any problems that occur while you are performing services.
  • If you feel uncomfortable with or unsafe at your current service site, contact your course instructor, project coordinator, or the Center to report your concerns and to request an alternate site.

*Prohibited Activities*: There are certain activities that Western Carolina University students, faculty and staff may not perform in the course of their service learning/community service projects. The prohibited activities include:

  • Aiding or engaging in partisan political activities
  • Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes
  • Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, or engaging in any form of proselytizing
  • Activities that pose a significant safety risk to participants
  • Assignments that displace employees

First call 911 or appropriate service. If on campus, WCU Campus Police can be reach at 828.227.8911 for emergencies and 828.227.7301 for non-emergencies.

Community experience/service-learning participants—including students, faculty, and community partners—involved in any unusual incident (risky or hazardous situation) related to a WCU project should submit a report to CCESL. The report should include the following information:

  • Student’s name and contact information
  • Agency’s and site supervisor’s name
  • Faculty member’s name
  • Date and location of incident
  • Synopsis of incident

CCESL manages and loans out vehicles to support service activities. These vehicles are fully subsidized by CCESL for the purpose of service-learning and accessible to all University employees. University Policy 30 states that when University-owned/operated transportation is provided, only employees (including student employees) who have received special training are allowed to be the drivers.
Learn more

In addition to CCESL vans, there are several additional transportation options for students to travel to service sites: personal vehicle, walking, carpooling, and public transportation. It is recommended that faculty collect students’ cell phone numbers ahead of departure. REMINDER: All students must sign the "Transportation Release and Informed Consent Form" in the student packet. 

This optional timesheet made available through CCESL helps students, faculty, and community partners keep track of activities at the service sites and provides some measure of accountability. Students can also count their service hours towards the Spark Award, tracking them in Engage.

Course Development Resources & Best Practices

CCESL has developed a step-by-step guide for how to design a SLC, as well as a tool to facilitate project development with community partners.

Download the SLC Quick Guide.
Download the Project Scope Info Sheet.

For in-depth resources, peer reviewed articles, and podcasts about community-engaged learning, view the
Hunter Library Community-Engaged Learning Research Guide

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