Summary of Faculty and Staff Service-Learning Survey | Resources
Courses | The Big "Why" | Handbook

Welcome to service-learning at Meredith College. Within this section you'll find a trove of information and resources selected especially for you. Whether you are firmly committed to service-learning or are in the beginning stages of exploration, here you will find resources that may answer questions or provoke thoughts, deepen your professional development, link you with research, and connect you with supportive Meredith faculty and staff. We hope you enjoy the exploration.

If you have any questions or would like to integrate service-learning into a course, please feel free to contact us or drop by our office in Faircloth 204.

Investment
Faculty Development. Learn from our friendly campus “experts” the basics of service-learning, including what to expect during the first semester and how to incorporate service and reflection into your curriculum.

Course Revision. Course syllabi will need to be revised or developed in order to embed the service experience into the course content so that it becomes a tool for education, not an addition solely for community service.

Community Contact. Appropriate community partners and service experiences need to be arranged and a system for ensuring that the students are meeting their requirements determined.

Student Collaboration. Work closely with two to three student reflection leaders (number dependent upon the size of the course) in order to ensure that the reflection sessions meet the objectives of the course and conform to academic

Student Reflection. Develop a means for structured student reflection outside of reflection sessions, be it reflection papers, a journal, or a reflection piece that is incorporated into a final exam or paper.

Flexibility and creativity. Collaboration with non-profit organizations and students is a fluid and evolving process. Not only will flexibility and creativity help you work through any unexpected challenges, it will also provide a learning experience for both you and the class.

Pay-offs
Engaged Students and Articulated Growth. Students are more engaged in the class material and, through the process of structured reflection, are better able to articulate how they have grown personally, intellectually and academically.

Depth of Thinking. Through structured reflection, students have demonstrated a greater depth of thought when discussing complex issues.

Positive Impact on Community. By working with non-profits that often have limited resources and striving to remedy a community need, you will have a positive impact on both local organizations and the public good.

Opportunities for Community-Based Research. Close contacts with non-profit agencies and a more hands-on approach to social issues opens a plethora of opportunities for community-based research for both you and your students. Whether tackled alone or with a student team, community-based research is a vital, energizing means for exploring topics and linking theory with implementation.

Expanded Professional Development. Service-learning offers you the chance to augment your professional development and dive into an effective pedagogy. New avenues for networking, interdisciplinary collaboration, research, and course content open, enabling you to explore an exciting aspect of academia.