Service-Learning Course |
Community Experience Course |
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DefinitionAt 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
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DefinitionCommunity 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
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Step 1: Submission
Faculty complete and submit the CCESL Course Designation Form.
Deadlines to submit the form for designation are:
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.
All SLC/CEC Instructors are required to:
*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:
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:
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.
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