Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Teaching Circle
Introduction
Service-learning and civic engagement has seen a tremendous sea-change at Stockton University in the last 6 years. Originally a supplemental aspect of some faculty’s teaching methodologies when it was first introduced over 20 years ago, it was previously dependent on faculty commitment and community partner buy-in. It also had an exorbitant emphasis on the number of hours that students served. It was offered optionally in some classes and as a more uniform experience in others, and there was little comprehensive evaluation or outcome measures to how students benefit from the modality or how it impacts faculty development.
The Office of Service-Learning has gained a tremendous amount of capacity within the last 5 years. There is currently a full time director, two program assistants, an Activist in Resident and soon to be an AmeriCorps VISTA. There are over 15 student workers who are specially trained to engage with faculty, advocate for students in their service-learning projects be a liaison to our community partners. This has resulted in a huge shift away from counting hours and optional implementation of service-learning. Currently, the office supports developmentally appropriate service-learning experiences for students, as well as project-based learning models (i.e. internships). Faculty have a system of scaffolding that addresses their needs from the stages of their initial interest, to project development, to project implementation, assessment of perspectives and outcomes, up to and including working with senior/veteran (seasoned) faculty to “refresh” their service-learning goals.
Service-learning and civic engagement are defined very specifically for the purposes of this forum. According to the Learn and Serve America National Service Learning Clearinghouse, service-learning is “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.” Civic engagement, according to The New York Times (who has been in the civic engagement business for over 100 years), means, “working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.”
What service-learning means for Stockton University students is theoretical learning that occurs in the classroom, and then is witnessed in the service experiences they have in the community. It means community partners who see Stockton as part of the solution and not part of the problem, and the students as rich with resources. It means students who are connected to a larger world, and bear seriously the responsibility of that connection by leaving it a better place then they found it. Civic engagement certainly means getting students to vote or running for office -- but it also means the simple civics, like utilizing and respecting the community services such as the public library and the public park, attending town hall and school board meetings, paying taxes, and vaccinating your cat or dog. It can be sharing the knowledge with others about how to register to vote, accessing services, or amplify voices in their community seldom heard. All of this translates into additional individual agency for Stockton graduates and real life skills as they enter the workforce. The Stockton Idea notes the true concept of the General Studies ethos in being a liberal arts school - the liberal arts has always been to educate our students to become engaged citizens.
The Need
Stockton University is again facing a “growth spurt” in service-learning and civic engagement across the campus, curriculum, and community. There are currently four programs that include mandatory service-learning within their core courses -- Communications/PR Track, Visual Arts, Health Sciences, and Sociology/Anthropology. In addition to that, courses from the School of General Studies are saturated with service-learning. Consequently, one in seven students at Stockton experiences service-learning per semester, and upwards of 50% experience it at some point in their time at Stockton.
The Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (SL/CE) Teaching Circle would give the University an opportunity to take a macro-perspective on a teaching methodology at a pivotal time in the development of the institution. Outside of the classroom, Stockton is continuously mentioned in the revitalization work of Atlantic City, as well as the addressing of ongoing needs in Atlantic County. Our “town-gown” connection remains strong, and Stockton will only strengthen this commitment as we take a permanent location in Atlantic City. The SL/CE Teaching Circle would come at a crucial time for Stockton University and the professional development of the faculty.
There are currently many ways that Stockton students engage with the community -- internships, observations, fieldwork, practicums, volunteering, and of course, service-learning. One of the main initial tasks of the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Teaching Circle will be to identify the different models in place and what value each model lends for pedagogical and scholarship opportunities for faculty both inside the Circle as well as all faculty at Stockton.
Background Information on Topic/Area
Ultimately, the goal of the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Teaching Circle to is offer all faculty theoretical information, practical application in the classroom and to explore the scholarly aspects of service-learning and civic engagement. This will be accomplished through Guided Readings, Deliberative Dialogues, Literature Reviews, and Resource Collections. A primary goal of this forum is to identify the benefits and challenges of using the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement pedagogy in a Stockton course, and to support faculty who chose to use this with innovative activities and projects to integrate into their classes. An additional important consideration is how to incentivize the service-learning and civic engagement pedagogy for faculty, including exploring potential compensation systems and scholarship frameworks.
Primarily, an Appreciative Inquiry method will be used in the deliberative dialogues of the Teaching Circle. Within an AI method, change begins to happen the moment the first question is asked. Consequently, the very convening of the Teaching Circle will be to consider a list of questions when considering Service-Learning, Civic Engagement and Stockton. Potential questions might include, but are not limited to: What is the next step for the Service-Learning pedagogy at Stockton? What has to be put in place to ensure the successfulness of this endeavor? What are the benefits and losses for faculty when participating in Service-Learning pedagogy? How can Service-Learning be intentional in its actions regarding culture, race, ethnicity, gender, ability, etc. when working with the community?
Goals of the SL/CE Teaching Circle
●Identify current models in place at Stockton that include service-learning and civic engagement, their pedagogical and scholarship opportunities
●Introduce and develop guided readings, deliberative dialogues, literature reviews and resource collections
●Explore how to incentivize the use of these practices in the classroom, including but not limited to compensation and engaged scholarship funds
●Use an Appreciative Inquiry model to consider important questions as it relates to SL/CE
●Invite, facilitate and reflect on a nationally known subject matter expert related to SL/CE (March, 2017)
●Produce a white paper for faculty use summarizing and outlining the knowledge base developed throughout the SL/CE Teaching Circle
Potential Leadership of Circle
Daniel Tome, Director of Service-Learning and a faculty identified from among the interested members
Potential Circle Participants
A call for possible membership (contingently based on the funding of the SL/CE Teaching Circle) went out recently, and the following were faculty that responded positively.
Betsy Erbaugh (SOBL) / Kaite Yang (SOBL)Christina Jackson (SOBL) / David Burdick (SOBL)
Jennifer Barr (BUSN) / Diane Holtzman (BUSN)
Jessie Finch (SOBL) / John O’Hara (GENS)
Potential Circle Member Criteria and Selection Methodology
The teaching circle will be limited to 15 members, and will include an interdisciplinary approach across university schools. The primary criteria for participating in the SL/CE Teaching Circle will be a motivation to learn deeply and richly about service-learning and civic engagement, consider implementation in the classroom, and to provide expertise and knowledge from an individual theoretical framework. The Teaching Circle is not limited to faculty who already integrate service-learning and civic engagement into their curriculums; on the contrary, faculty who have never before practiced this pedagogical method are also very welcome. Their fresh perspectives and inquiries will lend a unique aspect to the circle.
The faculty will be asked to have an informal conversation with the Circle Leadership about their interest and what they potentially bring to the forum.
Time Period for Circle and Activity Timeline
The Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Teaching Circle will meet monthly between September 2016 and June 2017, with additional communication happening via email and a Blackboard course. The culminating activity, a speaker open to the entire community and focused on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, will occur in March 2017.
Timeline for White Paper
A White Paper will be developed on the findings of the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Teaching Circle by the members and disseminated by June 1, 2017.
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