Templeton Guide to College and Character
-- Purdue University Recognized
Purdue University is recognized in “The Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character Development,” published this month. The Templeton Guide is part of the “College and Character” initiative of the John Templeton Foundation. The guide is designed for “students, parents and educators who know … that character matters.”
The guide covers ten separate categories, and contains profiles of 405 exemplary programs. Included under the category of “Volunteer Service Programs” – which is defined to cover service-learning activities – is Purdue’s nationally-recognized Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS).
On page 97 of the guide, the EPICS program is profiled, with explicit reference to three projects, namely those involving the Homeless Prevention Network, the Wabash Center’s Children’s Clinic, and the Purdue Agricultural Resource Center and Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.
In order to document the vitality of service learning at Purdue, the Templeton Foundation was provided not only with substantial information about the EPICS program, but also with supporting information from five other areas, namely Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Pharmacy Practice, Technical Graphics (now Computer Graphics Technology), and Curriculum & Instruction. The Task Force is grateful to all those involved in achieving this prestigious recognition, and especially to the members of EPICS for their flagship role both on campus and in the field of engineering.
Executive Director to Retire from GLVB
-- Legacy of GLVB Campus Site?
As reported in an article of the Journal and Courier of Friday, October 22, 1999, Esther Chosnek, Executive Director of the Greater Lafayette Volunteer Bureau, will retire on December 31, 1999. The article records many tributes to Esther’s professionalism and her ability to get things done. Esther has been an important catalyst in this community, and a valued supporter of the Task Force on Citizenship Education.
The Journal and Courier article also contained mention of the desire of the GLVB to place a site on campus, so as to work more closely with students, faculty and staff at Purdue in areas of community involvement. While this has not been finalized at the Purdue end, the GLVB is expecting to budget for at least ¼-time of a GLVB staff member to be present on campus during 2000.
If suitable space can be located at Purdue, it is hoped to start this in January 2000. Possibilities include supplementing the GLVB staff person’s time on site with time from the Task Force graduate assistants, and also making the site a focal point for students involved in service activities.
The addition of a GLVB arm on campus would provide a crucial ingredient for enhancing campus-community collaboration in the area of service learning and community involvement. It would also symbolize the commitment and effectiveness of Esther Chosnek, whose advice and support will be sorely missed by the Task Force on Citizenship Education, as well as by many throughout the network of not-for-profit agencies in the community.
Center for Instructional Excellence Workshop, Tuesday, November 30, 1999, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m., Stewart Center, Room 314.
Panel Presentation on Service Learning at Purdue: Professors William C. Oakes (EPICS & Freshmen Engineering), Robert K. Chalmers (Pharmacy Practice), Jonathan M. Harbor (Earth & Atmospherice Sciences), Lynn R. Nelson (Ackerman Center and Curriculum & Instruction), Bernard L. Dahl (Horticulture & Landscape Architecture), assisted by Task Force chair, John Pomery, and Task Force graduate assistants, Nancy Vanaman and Ed Wiercioch.
This workshop will briefly summarize the nature and value of service learning as a pedagogical tool, then survey five of the leading service-learning courses at Purdue, and conclude with some information on current opportunities for service-learning components at Purdue, based on needs assessment of community agencies.
Midwest Consortium Universities as Citizens Colloquium Series, Monday, November 1, 1999, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Allison Mansion, Marian College, Indianapolis.
Dr. Harry Boyte, of the Center for Democracy and Citizenship, University of Minnesota, on “Renewing the Civic Mission of Higher Education.”
The Midwest Consortium is a partnership between Illinois Campus Compact for Public Service, Indiana Campus Compact, Michigan Campus Compact, and Ohio Campus Compact, and is funded by the Corporation for National Service’s Learn and Serve America: Higher Education program. The colloquium will involve an interactive discussion on the challenges facing colleges and universities as they strive to renew their civic missions.
Cost: $20 per person for participants from Campus Compact member campuses, $30 otherwise. Contact ICC to register.
Nominations for Awards:
The Community Service Director’s office receives several requests to support nominations for awards to faculty or students (and occasionally administrators) for exemplary commitment to service learning or community involvement. Often such nominations ask for the signature and support of the President of the university or college.
Some of the recent award requests for nominees include:
The 2000 Thomas Erlich Faculty Award for Service Learning: Offered by Campus Compact to faculty from member institutions for contributing to the integration of community or public service into the curriculum and for efforts to institutionalize service learning. The award is named in honor of Thomas Erlich, former chair of the Campus Compact Executive Committee and former President of Indiana University. The selection criteria include: extensive experience in service learning; evidence of engaged scholarship; and evidence of institutional impact. This is a Presidential nomination, with a deadline of December 3, 1999, and an award of $2,000.
The 2000 Howard R. Swearer Student Humanitarian Awards: Offered by Campus Compact to undergraduate students of Campus Compact member institutions. Candidates must demonstrate evidence of outstanding community and public service during the previous 12-month period and development of an innovative approach to a social, educational, environmental, health, economic or legal issue within a community. (Especial interest is given to students who have connected service with academic study, developed systems to ensure long-term support for the project, or linked service with larger social context through policy work and awareness raising. ) This is a Presidential nomination (one nominee per campus). Five awards, $1,500 per awardee. Deadline: 11/19/99.
The 2000 Michael Schwerner Activist Awards: Offered by The Gleitsman Foundation, five awards of $1,000 each are given undergraduate students nationally each year, and seek “those students who in the spirit of civic activism have taken a leadership role in efforts to solve issues relating to the school itself, the surrounding community or larger concerns, and by challenging inequity and injustice are promoting positive solutions for social change.” (Michael Schwerner was one of three civil rights activists killed in Mississippi in June 1964.) Deadline: 1/14/00.
The 2000 Richard J. Wood Student Community Commitment Award: Offered by Indiana Campus Compact, named in honor of the founding chair of ICC and past president of Earlham College, to an undergraduate member from one of the ICC member institutions who has evidenced a record of community service, development of leadership and advocacy skills, and a determination to build long-term community relationships that positively impact community problems. This is a Presidential nomination. Deadline: 2/14/00.
If you would like more information on any of these awards, please contact the Community Service Director at 494-4515, or by e-mail at .
Indiana Campus Compact grant opportunities:
ICC offers Universities as Citizens Scholarship of Engagement Mini-Grants, traditionally around $1,000 to $2,000, for faculty to assist in development of service learning courses, or of a research project that addresses a community need or advances the field of service learning, or the provision of a direct professional service to a commmunity organization addressing a particular community need. Deadlines are November 3, 1999 and February 9, 2000.
ICC also offers Community Service Mini-Grants to support efforts of college students and organizations to to design and implement community service projects. Such grants have ranged from $100 to $1000 in the past. Deadlines are November 15, 1999, and February 15, 2000.
Contact information:
Postal address: ICC, c/o University Place Conference Cntr, 850 W. Michigan Ave. Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN 46202.
Phone: 317-274-6500. Fax: 317-274-6510.
Web site:
E-mail (Exec. Dir.):.
New Faces on Campus Making a Difference:
Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus has many old hands in the areas of service learning and community involvement, and many newcomers arrive with significant experience. This month we highlight two recent arrivals who are already having an impact on the campus.
Brad Balser, assistant manager at Wiley Hall, came to Purdue from The Ohio State University. Brad arranged ten separate opportunities over the October 23-24 Make A Difference weekend for students throughout the university residences to work with community agencies. On Monday evening (October 26) participants were offered refreshments and a chance to share in a reflective session on the weekend’s experience.
Sara Solloway, program coordinator in the Purdue Memorial Union, working with the Purdue Student Union Board, joined Purdue from Texas Tech, where part of her job involved community involvement for the campus. Sara has been working closely with Esther Chosnek in exploring the possibility of placing a GLVB arm on campus.
Our thanks to Brad and Sara, and to the many other staff members who contribute greatly to the quality of the Purdue undergraduate experience.
Course opportunities:
The Greater Lafayette community has a need for Spanish speaking volunteers who can assist in making the community more accessible to the growing Spanish-speaking segment of the population. One vehicle for interacting with the Latino population and culture is found in Prof. Floyd Merrell’s FLL 490A course, studying Latino culture and requiring involvement with a local Latino group or community. Contact the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature for more information.
Another recent course listing is AGR 499A, “Urban Service Learning,” offered by Dr. Pamala Morris of the 4-H Youth department. For more information, contact the 4-H Youth department in the Agricultural Administration building.
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Spotlight on Community: Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) by Nancy Vanaman
Students from Purdue University make vital contributions to the programs of many local agencies. We are happy to highlight area agencies where student involvement is important to the functioning of the agency’s mission.
Lafayette Urban Ministry is a private, non-profit agency, supported by a group of 44 local churches from 20 different faith traditions. Staff members and volunteers work together offering emergency assistance and compassion to needy families in the greater Lafayette area. During 1998, LUM’s programs assisted 1,600 different families and 2,500 children.
During its 27-year history, Lafayette Urban Ministry has served as a social safety net, providing advocacy and emergency intervention services for low-income families in the Tippecanoe County area. Acknowledging poverty’s impact to rob families of self-respect and a suitable quality of life, LUM’s specific programs target issues affiliated with poverty, such as homelessness, conditions that threaten homelessness and hunger. Eligibility for program services requires that the family’s income level be no greater that 150% of the poverty level. Joe Micon, Director of LUM, estimates that at some point the agency impacts 100% of the 4,000 Tippecanoe County residents who are at poverty level.
Currently LUM has 12 staff members; however, the great numbers of volunteers who partner with the agency to assist needy individuals establishes the strength of the agency. It is noteworthy that last year over 2,000 volunteers donated over 36,000 hours of service through the sixteen programs offered by LUM. Purdue University students made a substantial contribution to the agency, comprising approximately 40% of the volunteer core (or 800 individuals) last year.
In the past, as well as currently, students have assisted in many of the agency’s 16 programs. One example of student involvement is Andrea Carollo, a sophomore in the School of Science. She organized a group of Earhart women to volunteer in the Homeless Shelter. Twice during the semester, for a one-week interval, 4-5 women spent each night at the shelter. During their stay they served food to shelter guests, brought in a meal, assisted with check-in, and assigned bed linens. After their week of service at the shelter, the students led Earhart Hall to donate money to purchase bulk staple foods to stock the shelter pantry.
Describing the impact this service participation had on her personally, Andrea reflected that “working at the homeless shelter and on the food drive has been a humbling experience…I learned that the stereotypical attitude about homeless people is not necessarily true. People who need help are just “regular” people. It will take a lot of people working together to help solve problems – to fix it.” Andrea, preparing for a future in law, states that she will continue to work with the homeless population throughout her life.
In addition to The Emergency Shelter for Homeless, Purdue students have contributed to other programs in a variety of ways including:
- Community Thanksgiving Program. Students assisted in the serving, setting up and clean-up of the yearly community thanksgiving dinner, which is open to the general public, and held at Central Presbyterian Church
- Advocates for People in Need. Students are trained to assist, intervene, and support clients with issues relative to utility bills, landlord disputes and welfare agencies.
- Jubilee Christmas. Students have collected toys and money for the yearly toy drive that enables low-income parents to select gift items, clothing and gift certificates for their children from stocked shelves at toyshops set up in local churches. In 1998, 575 low-income families were able to enjoy the season as a result of this program.
- Summer Camp. Purdue students have worked as counselors at the summer camp program. Girls and boys, 8-11 years olds, from low-income families enjoy a week of camp during the month of June. Camp provides swimming, hiking, crafts, horseback riding and many other new experiences for the children.
Summer Lunch Program – Let’s Do Lunch. Students assist in distributing prepackaged lunches that are provided to children from low-income families living in Bridgeway, Richfield and Countryview apartments. The program director, Mary Anderson, states that with additional volunteer help, the program could be expanded and the number of lunches provided to children would increase.
- Tutoring. During the school year, students tutor K-5th grade children one night a week in Math, Science and Reading.
- Hunger Hike. Students helped to raise funds to help support local hunger relief programs by hiking in the annual 7-kilometer event.
Afterschool Care, the newest LUM program, provides childcare to 30 Lafayette children on location at LUM. In addition to rest, snack and activities, tutors help children with their homework. The program has an array of opportunities for student engagement such as developing and leading special activities, music and art.
For information on volunteer opportunities, faculty, staff and students may contact:
Executive Director, Joe Micon or Program Directors, Mary Anderson and Harry Brown at 423-2691.
LUM is located at 523 N. Fourth Street, Lafayette, Indiana 47901.
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An Excerpt from the Wingspread Declaration on Renewing the Civic Mission of the American Research University, written by Harry Boyte and Elizabeth Hollander.
“The challenges facing higher education go beyond the need to add more service-learning experiences or to reward faculty for community-oriented research. As important as these objectives are, the more fundamental task is to renew our great mission as the agents of democracy. This points to deep strategic challenges: how to tap and free the powers and talents of all elements of our schools – our faculty, our students, our staff, our administrators – for public engagement? How to break down the artifical and arbitrary ‘silo cultures’ that now stifle creativity, connection, and community? How to renew throughout our institutional life and cultures a robust sense that our work contributes to the commonwealth of our communities, our nation, and our world?”
The entire text of the Wingspread Declaration, and its initial signatories, can be found on the Campus Compact web site, at URL:
The Wingspread Declaration was a precursor to the Presidents’ Fourth of July Declaration on the Civic Responsibility of Higher Education. The latter was crafted by Thomas Erlich and Elizabeth Hollander, with advice and input from Derek Bok, Dolores Cross, John DiBaggio, Claire Gaudini, Stanley Ikenberry, Donald Kennedy, Charles Knapp, Edward A. Molloy, Frank Newman, and Eduardo Padron.
It is signed by presidents or chancellors from over 240 institutions of higher education, according to the listing of signatories that follows the declaration at URL: declaration.html.
Task Force contacts:
John Pomery, chair and Community Service Director,Nancy Vanaman, graduate assistant, 765-448-3356,
765-494-4515,
d Wiercioch, graduate assistant, 765-474-4976,
Brenda Allie, secretary, 765-496-6912,
Task Force on Citizenship Education
1310 Krannert Building
Purdue University
W. Lafayette, IN 47907-1310