Faculty Resources

Sylvania SS 215 | 971-722-4419 | FAX: 971-722-4959

Report the Service-Learning Hours & Impact from your Course

CLICK HERE for the online reporting form or you can email Joshua Liebschutz.

Newly Developed!

Check out our Service-Learning Best Practices for PCC!

Getting Started!

Successfully incorporating service-learning into your course will take thoughtful pre-planning. Remember that service-learning is not intended to be more work for you or your students. It is not an additional component; rather it is an experiential method of teaching course concepts. The success of your students meeting the course learning objectives and making a difference in the community depends upon a well-integrated package of syllabus, orientation, reflection, and assessment.  The Service-Learning Staff can help you with any and every step of the process.  We are here to help you!  Please take advantage of us!

    1. Review the PCC Service-Learning web site for an overview of service-learning and services the service-learning staff can provide.
    2. Schedule a meeting with the faculty coordinator for your campus to discuss: learning goals for your course, types of service-learning projects, whether to require service or have it as an option, how many hours the students will perform, prospective community partners, and more.
    3. Be sure to ask for your course to be listed in the Service-Learning section of the class schedule. This will not only allow your course to appear twice in the schedule, but also alert students to the service option. We will also place a footnote on your course under the discipline listing.
    4. As you teach your course, be sure to check in with the service-learning staff and your community partners to see how things are going.
    5. At the end of the term, be prepared to turn in your student forms and other tracking information to your campus Faculty Coordinator or the Service-Learning Program Office (SY SS 215). (Common tracking information includes: community partners worked with, number of students engaged in service-learning, number of hours of service, general course information.)
To Begin...
  • Consider the course learning objectives (CCOGs) for the course.
  • What objectives could be met through service rather than a traditional assignment? Is there a research paper where real-life experience would enhance the opportunity?
  • Try to articulate in writing what you want your students to gain through the experience and how will that be of service to the community.
Selecting Projects
Identify community needs that may be appropriate for meeting your learning objectives. You may have your own ideas for potential community partners, you can review the opportunities posted in the Community Connector, and you can meet with the service-learning staff to brainstorm ideas.
  • Community Connector
  • Meet with partners (site visits with the SL Coordinator, on your own, visit at service fairs)
  • Are you meeting real community needs?
  • Have you asked the partner if that is what they need?
  • Will all students serve with the same partner? Same type of partner? A few select partners? Any site?
  • If you want, you can have a custom list for your course in the Community Connector.
Developing your Syllabus
Students reading your syllabus should be able to identify they are enrolled in a course with service-learning and what that means for them. Be sure to:
  • Clearly explain the link between the service and the course objectives for your students.
  • Provide opportunities for processing the learning that is taking place with the service. Even if service is an option, you can still infuse opportunities for students who did take that option to share their experiences in writing assignments, discussion topics, readings, presentations, and other activities in the course.
  • The grade is for the learning, not the service. Clarify that the students not only need to complete their service hours/project, but also the reflection component to demonstrate the learning. This is how you will assess the students.
  • Provide links to the service-learning website
  • Will you require your students to participate, or have it as an option?
  • How many hours will the students need to serve to meet the learning objectives?
Orientation/Training
In addition to writing about service-learning in your syllabus, you should talk about it in class, ideally within the first week. Students need to know:
  • How to find their service site (direct them to the community connector)
  • How many hours they need to do/What the project will be
  • What forms to turn in
  • What the reflection component will be
  • They should also receive some sort of orientation at the service site.
Supervision
None of our students should be left unsupervised while doing their service. Each site has a volunteer coordinator listed in the Community Connector. That person, or another from the organization will supervise the students while at the service location.
Reflection
Reflection is the key way for your students to make connections between their service and your course learning objectives. Reflection can take many forms such as journals, short papers, guided questions, presentations, videos, photo collages, and more. Other ideas can be found here.
Assessment/Evaluation
You assess the student learning and evaluate their performance for service-learning as you would with other assignments. You are not assigning credit for the number of hours they complete. Rather, you use their reflection work to determine the connections they made to the course learning objectives. You can evaluate their analytical, communication, and critical thinking skills from their reflection papers and presentations.
Keep in Mind

Listing your course in the service-learning section helps boost enrollment, gives students a heads up that service will be a part of the class, and helps students who are actively seeking service-related courses.

Service-Learning is strengthened by interaction between the partner and the faculty member.

Service-Learning Faculty Tool Kit

Resources for the Advanced Practitioner

Join the PCC Service-Learning listserv!

If you are a PCC staff or faculty member and are on PCC's email system you may join the Service-Learning listserv. Here are the instructions:

  1. Log in to MyPCC, click on the "employee" tab.
  2. In the "Communicate" box on the right, click on "Subscribe to mail lists."
  3. Click on the list "service-learn".

Students and community members may also join the listserv but must e-mail the Service-Learning Program of their interest.