1Running head: CASE STUDY THREE

6CASE STUDY THREE

Case Study Three: Service-Learning Katherine M. KnightLoyola University Chicago

Service-Learning Program AnalysisService-learning in higher education today looks a lot different than it has in the past, though higher educations main obligation to take care of societys needs remains the same (Jacoby & Associates, 1996). According to Jacoby and associates (1996) the definition of service-learning in higher education today requires that students engage in activities that address human and community needs together in combination with reflection and reciprocity (p. 5). Through this case study, five service-learning programs at different universities are described, compared, and integrated with literature on effective and significant service-learning experiences. The service-learning programs discussed are DePaul Universitys Steans Center for Community Based Service-Learning and Community Service Studies, Northwestern Universitys Center for Civic Engagement, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)s Center for Community Learning, University of San Franciscos Center for Public Service and Common Good, and University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)s Student Leadership Development and Volunteer Services.Service-learning Program DescriptionsDePaul Universitys Steans Center for Community Based Service-Learning and Community Service has a mission based on the entire institutions Catholic and urban mission (Steans Center for Community-based Service-Learning, n.d). The Steans Center mission sets out to develop mutually beneficial relationships with community organizations to engage DePaul students in educational opportunities grounded in Vincentian values of respect for human dignity and the quest for social justice. Programs offered in the Steans Center include: a variety of paid and un-paid internships at DePaul, within the Chicago community, nationally and globally; a Service Speaks day-long conference including presentations by students, faculty and staff; the ENGAGE coalition of DePaul departments which program curricular and co-curricular opportunities for shared service experiences; and the student run service organization, DePaul Community Service Association (DCSA). Finally, scholarships are available through the Steans Center for students who have shown exceptional commitments to service and service-learning programs.Northwestern Universitys Center for Civic Engagement commits to service-learning through an integration of academics with meaningful volunteer service, research, and community partnerships and provides support and programming for current students, faculty, staff, and alumni (Center for Civic Engagement, n.d.). With over 12 different service programs offered, some of the unique opportunities to highlight include: a program dedicated to accessible voter registration resources, NU Votes; the Engage Chicago summer field study program; a Civic Engagement academic certificate program; a one-year Civic Engagement Fellowship; and specific Graduate Engagement Opportunities to link graduate coursework and active citizenship. The Center for Civic Engagement has its own advisory board, both in the city of Chicago and the city of Evanston. Northwestern has dedicated advisors specifically for service-learning opportunities, and has dedicated space for service-learning presentations and meetings. Lastly, the Center for Civic Engagement has a commitment to conduct and publish research on specifically on service-learning. The Center for Community Learning at the University of California Los Angeles outlines in its mission, the commitment to good citizenship through service-learning, internships and other community-based learning experiences (Center for Community Learning, n.d.). Undergraduate resources and programming are highlighted, as well as a separate development program for faculty to enhance the knowledge of service-learning connections in academia as well as course development training for faculty who want to develop new service-learning courses or revise existing ones. Undergraduate service-learning programming consists of: internship courses; Civic Engagement and Disability Services minors; service-learning courses; the Aston Scholars program consisting of a select group of senior students committed to paid research on civic engagement; and several AmeriCorps affiliated programs. The Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good at the University of San Francisco (USF) defines service-learning as threefold, including service experience, classroom experience, and intentional reflection (Service-Learning, n.d.). USF differentiates service-learning from other types of learning and community service activities by focusing on equally benefiting the provider and the recipient of the service. Distinctive programs within the Center for Public Service and the Common Good include two masters degree tracks: one in Public Affairs and one in Urban Affairs. In addition, USF provides resources to direct students towards careers in public service. Lastly, USF offers additional programming including, but not limited to, scholarships, fellowships, teacher training and faculty seminars, and global service-learning programs.The final service-learning program selected for this analysis is the Student Leadership and Volunteer Services department at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) (Student Leadership and Volunteer Services, n.d.). Located in the neighbor served by Jane Addams, UIC service programs help students develop a sense of responsibility to the community through intentional, educational, interactive, and reflective experiences. UIC sets to differentiate service-learning from volunteering and community service through the following programs: a service-learning speaker series; the UIC annual day of service; Student Service and Leadership Awards; and Get Involved Service Experience, or GIVE. Program ComparisonsThough the five programs selected for this analysis are from two different areas of the country and have very different institutional make-ups (public, private, religious, etc.), the five service-learning programs have several similarities. For example, with the exception of Student Leadership and Volunteer Services at UIC, all other programs are housed in their own service-learning department. These stand-alone departments show that those four institutions (USF, Northwestern, DePaul, and UCLA) highly value service-learning as part of the institution, that they dedicate special time and services solely to this form of experiential learning. Second, all five programs have developed their own missions apart from, but still linked to, the institution as a whole. Lastly, all but one of the service-learning programs (UIC) offer services for undergraduate students as well as faculty, staff, and the community. Despite the several similarities between the five service-learning programs selected, there are also several differences between the opportunities offered. While the majority of the programs offer classroom-related service opportunities, the capacity that those courses are offered are very different. UCLAs Center for Community Learning offers two minors worth of service related coursework, whereas USFs Center for Public Service and the Common Good only offers masters level coursework and tracks. Northwestern, UIC, and DePauls websites do not state they offer any specific coursework on service-learning. Another difference between the five programs is that some institutions practice research specifically related to service, and service-learning activities. Northwestern and USF encourage students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to complete and publish research on community-based activities, where UCLA, DePaul, and UIC do not. Finally, and most obvious, is the difference in the variety and breadth of program offerings between all five programs. UIC has a limited offering of large group services events, where DePaul and Northwestern have a variety of large group, individual, and small group service-learning options. Course IntegrationJacoby and associates (2006) and Honnet and Poulsen (1998) detail that the two most important components of service learning are reflection and reciprocation, matching service providers with those who need service. In order for students to have a true experiential service-learning experience, they must reflect on the service they are doing and how it relates to the course, position, or organization they are completing it for. Reciprocation happens when the students and the parties served both benefit from the service-learning. Both sides are working with each other, as opposed to for each other. Four out of the five programs selected for this analysis state in a variety of different ways the importance of mutual benefit, a form of reciprocity, in their service-learning opportunities. Surprisingly, only two of the five institutions (UIC and USF) reference any form of reflection when discussing service-learning opportunities. Though this reflection may be included in individual course descriptions and syllabi and the remaining institutions, there is no emphasis on overall reflection to be found on the program websites.One of Howards (1993) principles of good practice for service-learning programs is to rethink the faculty instruction role (pp. 6-7). This principle requires those leading service-learning programs and activities to mix pedagogical methods for instruction. The two California schools, USF and UCLA, have resources specifically for faculty to use when developing service-learning coursework. USF offers help on constructing learning outcomes for service-learning activities, and UCLA has books, downloadable resources, and one-on-one assistance in creating a successful service-learning course. Finally, Furco (1996) details the differences between service-learning, volunteering, community service, internships, and field education. The main difference between these five different types of services is rooted in what the programs put more emphasis on. Where pure service-learning places an equal emphasis on service and learning, community service and volunteering place more emphasis on service and internships and field education put more emphasis on learning. All five programs selected for this analysis claim they have service-learning components. However, whether these programs contain true service-learning experiences is up for debate. For example, UICs Student Leadership Development and Volunteer Services department emphasizes reflective experiences through service-learning, all programs listed appear to be heavily volunteer based, as indicated by the title of the department.ConclusionThe five programs selected for this case study from Northwestern, UIC, USF, UCLA, and DePaul all had excellent commitments to the reflective and reciprocal elements of service learning, in addition to specific faculty resources for creating significant service-learning experiences. However, there is some dissonance between the five programs as to what service-learning looks like, and at times, these programs do not align with definitions set forth by Jacoby and associates (2006), Honnet and Poulsen (1998), and Furco (1996). I believe, the biggest challenge today is creating a true service-learning program that addresses many, if not all of the principles laid out by Howard (1993) that make programs mutually beneficial for all involved while integrating service with learning throughout the course of the class, program, or organization.

ReferencesCenter for Civic Engagement | About. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.engage.northwestern.edu/about/index.htmlCenter for Community Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.uei.ucla.edu/communitylearning.htmJacoby, B. & Associates. (1996). Service-learning in higher education: Concepts and Practices. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Furco, Andrew (1996). "Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education." Expanding Boundaries: Service and Learning. Washington DC: Corporation for National Service. 2-6.Honnet, E.P. & Poulsen, S.J. (1998) Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service and Learning, The Johnson Foundation Howard, J. (1993).Community service-learning in the curriculum. In J. Howard (Ed.), Praxis I: A faculty casebook on community service-learning. (pp. 3-12). Ann Arbor: OCSL Press.Service-Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.usfca.edu/templates/centers_mccarthy_inside.aspx?id=2147494075Steans Center for Community-based Service-learning. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://steans.depaul.eduStudent Leadership and Volunteer Services - Service. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.uic.edu/depts/sldvs/service.shtml