Service Learning at Angelo State University - Assignment Example

? Recommendation Report: Service Learning at Angelo Letter of Transmittal Street Address Student City, State, ZIP December 5, 2013 Dr. Brian J. May President Angelo State University 2601 W. Avenue N San Angelo, Texas 76909 Dear Dr. May, Why was the report written? What is its title and additional identifying information? What is the scope of the report? Its purpose? Limitations? What are your conclusions? Recommendations? (this is an appropriate place to discuss matters of concern that need to be raised but not circulated with the report) What action or input is requested? Sincerely, [Student signature] Student typed name Student title Encl, Contents Recommendation Report: Service Learning at Angelo State University 5 Discussion of Problem 6 Partnerships 9 Outreach 10 Curricular Engagement 11 Recommended Solution 12 Table of Figures Figure 1: Kellogg Logic Model (2004) 9 Figure 2: Google search results for keywords service learning and outreach 10 Figure 3: Service Learning and associated skills 12 Executive Summary Hook the reader with a clear explanation of what you want to do Briefly summarize each of the major segments of the report University description Problem Your solution Why now? Recommendation Report: Service Learning at Angelo State University It is no secret that many colleges and universities across the country are struggling to stay afloat. Earlier this year, Moody's Investors Service put out a negative outlook for the industry as a whole and predictions are bleak. According to the New York Times, only about 500 out of more than 4,000 American colleges and universities are considered to have stable enough finances to survive (Selingo, 2013). In order to stay viable, many colleges and universities are putting strong effort into retaining freshmen students whose tuitions contribute a significant proportion of overall revenue (Pullaro, 2010). Retaining these students not only contributes to an educated, productive citizenry, but increases the likelihood of retaining them throughout the remainder of their degree plan. Unfortunately, freshmen students face a wide variety of issues that can affect their ability to maintain pursuit of a college degree, only some of which can be addressed by the university. Tinto (1993) provides some common barriers that affect a student's ability to stay in school. While factors such as intention and commitment are inherent to each individual, the university can provide programs that facilitate positive outcomes. Types of services that could assist in these areas would include programs such as Angelo State University's (ASU) First-Year Experience program to help with the challenges of adjustment, changes in educational expectations, unfamiliarity with the new culture/environment/lived experience, and, very commonly, feelings of isolation. External barriers to staying in school include students' obligations to family and community and students' ability to finance their college attendance, including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses. Helping students address these needs would also theoretically help increase student retention. While the university cannot reduce tuition rates and still remain viable, it is possible for ASU to address some of these internal and external barriers by incorporating a service learning approach throughout the campus community. The concept of integrating instruction with meaningful community service as a means of engaging students has been around for a long time, but it wasn't until 2001 that the first International Conference on Service Learning took place (Historical Timeline, 2013). As it is now defined, service learning refers to programs in which students are encouraged to use what they are learning about in the classroom and apply it to real-world issues that ultimately benefit their communities. Through the service learning process, the students benefit in a variety of ways. They become invested in the community and connect with other students or community members who share their interests. Students become more committed to their career plan as they actively explore their interests, or they discover the need to look into a different path more aligned with their passion at a time when they are still enthusiastic about attending college. Students will also benefit through the improvements that are made to the communities in which many of them live and work. ASU's students and the community that benefits from an integrated approach to learning and serving become more loyal to the university, ensuring further support into the future. Graduates coming out of the university are not only well-educated, but have become civically responsible, setting a good example for the next generation. These attributes of service learning could play a major role in retaining freshmen students at ASU. Service learning and the connection of the freshman student to his university and community is vital to student retention. While there are two major approaches that can be taken to service learning, outreach and curricular engagements, the best approach is a flexible blend at the institutional level. Discussion of Problem Of the more than 7000 students currently attending classes at ASU, a majority of them are first-time, first-generation students. Within this demographic nationally, 80 percent of these freshmen at four-year colleges are retained from their freshman to sophomore year (The College Completion Agenda, 2012). ASU does not publish their retention rates, but it is an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and it is estimated that three of every four students work and receive some form of financial aid (Angelo State University, 2013). Knowing this about the student population makes it possible to make some loose assumptions. Studies regarding the generic demographics of first generation students can provide a fuzzy image of some of the difficulties being faced by today's freshmen students. According to Engle and Tinto (2008), the majority of first generation students are more likely to be female, more likely to be 24 or older, and more likely to be a minority, particularly when located within an HSI such as ASU. These students are four times more likely to quit attending classes within the first year and almost half of them have not achieved their degree within six years of entering college. Freshmen students are also trying to adjust to an entirely different world than the one they've been accustomed to, even if they still live with their parents down the street. Experts note that young people who transition from high school to college immediately enter a world in which everything becomes unfamiliar. Academic expectations are significantly different and social relationships shift (Swenson, Nordstrom, and Hiester, 2008). Like their first-generation counterparts, or exacerbating their first-generation issues, these students are fearful and easily overwhelmed with the college world. Programs to assist students with these issues have been attempted in the past with success. The First Year Experience program was established in 2009 under previous university president Joseph Rallo. It was established to "assist students in understanding the purpose of higher education and in adjusting to the demands of postsecondary education" (Rallo, 2009). This sounds very much in line with the needs of freshmen students identified above, and the initiatives offered in association with this program are effective. On paper, this program should be highly effective in retaining freshmen students. However, the initiatives offered through the program are not as engaging on the ground as they could be. The First Year Experience program still retains the 'official' element of institutional programming. While the focus is on meeting the needs of the freshmen students, the approach is top-down, initiating programs and practices designed to address freshmen needs from the administration out. Most of the goals and recommendations for the program are centered upon institutional collaboration in assisting students. Coordination of departments receiving incoming students and designed to serve these students, required classes and intervention strategies and recommended consideration of additional program initiatives are the bulk of the objectives for this program (Rallo, 2009). The ASU website description of it also provides a sense of the institutional front office for students to navigate in order to find the services they need (Angelo State University, 2013). While this is important and helpful in terms of retaining students, it does not go far enough toward addressing their feelings of isolation or reducing their sense of overwhelm. The school does have a program dedicated to community service as a component of the ASU Center for Student Involvement, but this is not the same type of program as service learning. This program focuses on connecting individual students or small groups with available service opportunities that benefit the San Angelo community. This is an encouraging program and also does a lot to serve the community, but again is dependent upon students taking the initiative to investigate and then take time out of typically already overloaded schedules for no material benefit - no positive grades, no marks on a transcript, time away from family, work, and school responsibilities and still, no extra funds in their wallets. Service learning provides a very natural way for students to transition into the university in a non-threatening way without demanding more of their time than what they perceive is necessary to obtain their degree. In service learning, students engage in projects that combine educational learning with community service. A succinct example provided by the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse is the cleaning of an urban streambed. The act of cleaning it alone would be a community service project. However, "If school students collect trash from an urban streambed, analyze their findings to determine the possible source of pollution, and share the results with the residents of the neighborhood, they are engaging in service learning" (What is Service Learning, 2013). More than just providing the service of cleaning up the streambed, thus perhaps even helping to beautify their own neighborhoods with the potential of also engaging other family members in the project, students are learning how to evaluate water quality, conduct chemical analyses, explore socio-political issues and public policy and likely also experience a deeper connection with other students in their classes without conscious effort. ASU has provided sporadic programs that qualify as service learning as well. A spring break trip to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina had a strong impact on students who went, illustrating the transformative effects such programs can have. “This experience really pushed us out of our comfort zone, me in particular, and I am honored that I was selected to go. It was good to see how other people live and interact with society. In New Orleans there is a feeling you get, it’s indescribable because it’s a silent love for this place that everyone has. It's like you can do anything there because it’s New Orleans, and they will accept you!” (Angelo State University, 2013). Another class assignment given in 2002 pushed three physical therapy students to start up a monthly program designed to assist families with disabilities (Angelo State University, 2013). More than just helping the families, the students learned about business planning, budgeting, scheduling, management, and were able to deepen and broaden their understanding of their chosen field - physical therapy. One student was quoted as saying "This experience has taught me that it takes a lot of planning to pull something like this off, and it has allowed me to have insight into what parents of children with disabilities deal with every day" (Angelo State University, 2013). ASU has a history of seeing service learning projects that work, now it just needs to make that approach systemic. Toward that end, because what comprises a service learning experience can be so broadly defined, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of what comprises an 'authentic' service learning experience. Eyler and Giles (1999) have already provided a helpful list. According to these researchers, authentic service learning experiences are, quote: They are positive, meaningful and real to the participants. They involve cooperative rather than competitive experiences and thus promote skills associated with teamwork and community involvement and citizenship. They address complex problems in complex settings rather than simplified problems in isolation. They offer opportunities to engage in problem-solving by requiring participants to gain knowledge of the specific context of their service-learning activity and community challenges, rather than only to draw upon generalized or abstract knowledge such as might come from a textbook. As a result, service-learning offers powerful opportunities to acquire the habits of critical thinking; i.e. the ability to identify the most important questions or issues within a real-world situation. They promote deeper learning because the results are immediate and uncontrived. There are no "right answers" in the back of the book. As a consequence of this immediacy of experience, service-learning is more likely to be personally meaningful to participants and to generate emotional consequences, to challenge values as well as ideas, and hence to support social, emotional and cognitive learning and development. It is generally agreed there are essentially two major approaches to service learning, which are labeled by Carnegie Community Engagement Elective Classification as partnerships & outreach, and curricular engagement ("Higher Education", 2013). Building service learning through partnerships entails developing collaborative projects between the community and the university. While many universities, including ASU, engage in this type of activity frequently, a service learning approach works toward being mutually beneficial in as many ways as possible. Within this approach, both the university and the community are considered to have equal investment in exchanges, exploration, information sharing, resources, application of findings, and more. This is different from more traditional approaches in which the university essentially directs the project from the top down or in which the community entity funding the project directs it from the outside in to the university. In both of these scenarios, objectives and goals are designed to benefit primarily one half of the partnership with the other half fulfilling more of a service or facilitative role. Service learning through outreach is very similar to forming partnerships in that it facilitates closer interaction between the university and the community, but it is not as active as building partnerships. In this type of service learning, the university makes its resources available to the community including time for researchers to work directly with community members to solve regional problems. This method also clearly serves to benefit both the university and the community as problems become solved and the university builds its knowledge base and regional impact. The third major type of service learning project is through curricular engagement. This method is quite different from the other two in that it is not institution or community organization-led but rather led from within by the faculty, students, and community members. These types of projects often take the form of small group or individual projects, such as the Hurricane Katrina relief project and the relief for families with disabilities project at ASU (discussed above). To determine which of the three of these is most effective, it is necessary to examine their relative merits and drawbacks for comparison and analysis. Partnerships As stated above, building partnerships between the university and community organizations is one of the most obvious forms of service learning and they offer a number of benefits. Through the use of simple logic models such as the Kellogg Logic Model (see Figure 1), universities can ensure community partners have a voice in the planning, action, and evaluation process of collaborative projects and realize measurable results (Kellogg, 2004). Figure 1: Kellogg Logic Model (2004) This is an important element of any university-community service learning project as a means of ensuring that the motivations and objectives of all parties involved are properly represented regardless of the independent levels of experience, understanding of the planning process, or perspectives. Developing and using logic models is an important step in building community capacity and strengthening community voice. The ability to identify outcomes and anticipate ways to measure them provides all program participants with a clear map of the road ahead. May in hand, participants are more confident of their place in the scheme of things, and hence, more likely to actively engage and less likely to stray from the course - and when they do, to do so consciously and intentionally. Because it is particularly amenable to visual depictions, program logic modeling can be a strong tool in communicating with diverse audiences - those who have varying world views and different levels of experience with program development and evaluation. (Kellogg, 2004). With logic models in place to prevent misunderstandings and misalignment in university-community collaborations, all parties are able to claim equal investment in the project and, as each success builds on the last, improves and strengthens collaborative relationships. As the university becomes more and more involved in creating these kinds of partnerships, it builds upon a strengthening culture of service learning that continues to influence faculty and students in an ever growing cycle. Improved personal relationships among the many individuals involved with the university and with community organizations exponentially increase the potential for casual conversations to become active research. One of the biggest drawbacks of this approach has already been hinted at. This is the potential for partnerships to fail though one of a variety of potential factors. Because the most common causes for failure is lack of communication or clarity about expected activities and/or results, a logic model such as the one proposed above is an effective strategy to mitigate some of this risk. Another drawback of this approach is that there is no guarantee that the culture of service learning will grow among the faculty simply because a handful of researchers and administrators within the institution believe in it. Community partners may become confused or upset when their approaches are rebuffed by a non-responsive member of the university. In addition, these types of collaborations do not necessarily open avenues for community researchers to make use of university equipment. In many cases, the direction of contact in developing these kinds of service learning projects is from the university reaching out to the community, at least at first. Outreach As discussed above, when the term outreach is used in service learning circles, it is often used to refer to a means of university-community collaboration in which the university makes it possible for the community to gain access to university resources. Run a search for outreach and service learning and you will find many universities across the country have combined an outreach component with research development offices (see Figure 2). This is because combining these offices is an effective means of providing an avenue through which community members can access the university's vast resources. Figure 2: Google search results for keywords service learning and outreach Keep in mind, resources at a university include not just the equipment and materials the university might have on hand, but also the expertise of the faculty and the resources of the students. Having an actual office that links research and outreach makes it possible for community members to find the resources they require. This office is usually instrumental in getting policies in place to make equipment and material resources available to the community through reasonable routes such as offering a fee schedule to enable chemical testing of samples or a resource center for community members to seek grants or reference material. While this method is more community-oriented than the partnerships, it also depends a great deal more on the community approaching the university. In spite of its name, the university tends to stay contained more firmly within its own space allowing the community to take the initiative and come to it. Because university resources aren't always known to the general public, nor is it generally known that the public can approach the university as a partner in exploring new ideas, the tendency of an outreach program as described to remain within the walls of the university is a major drawback. Marketing campaigns and other efforts can help to make the public more aware of the possibilities, but these are generally not effective strategies alone. Curricular Engagement Curricular engagement is perhaps the most active form of service learning and the most well-known within the general public. ASU has already engaged in these kinds of service learning projects as discussed above with the Hurricane Katrina project and the relief for families of children with disabilities project. We understand [curricular engagement] to be most fundamentally a relational process focused on capacity-building and grounded in the principles of servant leadership: all participants are engaged in relationships not only in which all contribute and all benefit but [also] of mutual learning, growth, and change. For us, mutual transformation through a process of co-creation in the context of a mentoring community is a powerful framework: together, we have undertaken—and are still engaged in—a shared developmental journey that has transformed us, our relationships, our fellow students and faculty/staff, and our program itself.... Ultimately, students best undertake a developmental journey when those who support and mentor them are also striving for growth through the same process. (Whitney, McClure, et al, 2007). There are a variety of ways in which these kinds of projects might be implemented. The boundaries of service learning projects are only limited by the imaginations of the individuals and communities in which they take place. Service learning projects at this level can be individual projects, small group projects, or full class projects. Most require at least a semester to fully engage. The advantages of this approach is that it is immediately engaging for all individuals involved. Students gain a sense of autonomy and investment in the project as they are a part of the initial conception and planning process, just as community members are. Everyone has action items to carry out that contribute to the overall outcome and, if a clear logic model was used, everyone should have a clear idea of the measurement goals and outcomes. As reflected in the student quotes above, these kinds of programs can have a huge effect on the lives of those involved. Communities are changed and students leave the university with a strong sense of community responsibility. Through service learning, students learn a great deal more in a shorter expanse of time than they would have through traditional classroom instruction, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3: Service Learning and associated skills Disadvantages of this approach is that they tend to operate in isolation. One or two instructors may engage in service learning projects, but they tend to work on these projects alone with their students. When this is the only approach adopted by the university, there is very little additional support, little understanding of what other resources at the university might be available to help, and relationships with the community must be re-forged with each new crop of students and each time a faculty member comes into or leaves the system. Without connection among those professors who incorporate service learning in their classes, it is difficult for the university to develop a culture of service learning. Recommended Solution While each of the above approaches to service learning can be very effective on their own, they also each have significant drawbacks that can severely reduce their effectiveness. "Evaluations of service-learning programs have ... found that in order for higher educational institutions to build institutional capacity around service-learning, they need to clearly define their mission and goals, generate multi-level support, invest in faculty development, nurture long-term community partnerships, and integrate service-learning into the administrative structures and policies of the institution as well as the broader curriculum" ("Higher Education", 2013). In other words, the most effective program isn't using any one of these approaches, but using all of them in a blended fashion, incorporating service learning into every level of the university's operations. By incorporating all three of these approaches at once, universities are able to benefit from all of the strong points of each approach while allowing the other approaches to make up for the drawbacks. For example, while forming partnerships is highly effective in engaging the community and encouraging research, it is also primarily university-led research, at least at first, which may discourage the community from feeling as active as it should. However, when coupled with outreach strategies, the university invites an attitude of give and take that emphasizes the concept of partnership and provides the community with a means of initiating research. The strong benefits gained through curricular engagement can be slowed by poor or shallow connections with the community; however, these connections can be forged very easily as a result of continuing efforts at the institutional level to maintain partnership relationships. ASU has the opportunity to build on the good work it's already started. With at least some faculty members already engaging in curricular engagement service learning strategies, they could benefit from an institution-wide connection of support services offices through the First Year Experience program and Community Service programs already available on campus. Increasing the university's involvement with community partnerships on an institutional level will not only strengthen relationships within the San Angelo region, but will encourage more faculty members to engage in service learning within their classrooms as well. This approach will also help community organizations learn more about the university and what it has to offer. Service learning has so much potential to break through the traditional boundaries of teacher and student apathy and connect the university to the community in an indelible way that transcends mere instruction to effect real change. Angelo State University should help lead the way into the future, cementing its place within the community, providing the highest possible service to its students, and producing civically responsible graduates who will continue to support the university will into the future. Works Cited Angelo State University. (2013). Web. "(The) College Completion Agenda." New York: CollegeBound Advocacy and Policy Center, (2013). Web. Engle, J. and Tinto, V. Moving Beyond Access: College Success for Low-Income, First Generation Students. Washington, D.C: The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, (2008). Print. Eyler, Janet and Giles, Dwight. Where's the Learning in Service Learning? Jossey-Bass Publishers, (1999). Print. "Higher Education Community Engagement Quality Practices." Scotts Valley, CA: National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, (2013). Web. "Historical Timeline." Scotts Valley, CA: National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, (2013). Web. Pullaro, Natalie. "Signs of Recovery for Net Tuition Revenue." Business Officer. National Association of College and University Business Officers, (2010). Web. Rallo, Joseph. Retention Initiatives SOAR/FYE/Advising. Angelo State University, November 2009.. Web. Selingo, Jeffrey J. "Colleges Struggling to Stay Afloat." The New York Times. (April 12, 2013). Web. Swenson, L. M., Nordstrom, A., and Hiester, M. "The role of peer relationships in adjustment to college." Journal of College Student Development. 49(6), (2008). Print. Tinto, V. Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press, (1993). Print. "What is Service Learning?" Scotts Valley, CA: National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, (2013). Web. Whitney, B.C., McClure, J.D., Respet, A. & Clayton, P.H. "Service-Learning as a shared developmental journey: Tapping the potential of the pedagogy." Higher education and civic engagement: International perspectives. L. McIlrath & L. MacLabbrainn (Eds.). Burlington, VT: Ashgate, (2007). Print. W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Logic model development guide. Battle Creek, MI: Kellogg Foundation, (2004). Web. Read More