Service Learning Course Development and Approval
4253.1 Definition of Service-Learning
Service-Learning at Wright State University is a teaching and learning pedagogy that engages faculty, students, and community members in a partnership to:
- Achieve academic learning objectives
- Meet community needs
- Promote civic responsibility
- Reflect on the learning experience
4253.2 Service-Learning (SRV) Attribute:
To carry an SRV attribute, the course or section must be designed to include service work that:
- meets course learning objectives;
- involves a reciprocal relationship between the faculty member/s and one or more community partners to:
- identify the service objectives,
- plan the project and
- establish the student orientation requirements;
- actively engages students with one or more community partners;
- involves students in reflection activities that integrate the learning from the service experience with the course content;
- provides faculty members and community partners the opportunity to share feedback about the service project.
4253.3 Service-Learning Intensive (SRVI) Attribute:
To carry an SRVI attribute, the course or section must be designed to meet the objectives of the SRV designation and
- engage students in a minimum of 20 hours of service,
- link at least 50% of the course grade to the academic products of the Service-Learning experience and
- engage all participants (students, faculty members and community partners) in reflection and feedback activities that integrate the learning from the service experience with the course content.
4253.4 Procedure for Service-Learning Course Attribute Application
Service-Learning (SRV) and Service-Learning Intensive (SRVI) attributes may be obtained for courses or sections of courses. Faculty members or departments may consult with the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center for assistance in developing service-learning courses and applications for the attributes.
The process for application is as follows:
1. Application for an SRV/SRVI attribute must be made via Course Inventory Request (for new course proposals) or Course Modification Requests (for adding an attribute to an existing course) in the Course Workflow system. The full approval process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, so applications should be submitted well in advance of the beginning of registration for the term in which the course will first be offered.
2. Once an application has been submitted into Workflow, it will be reviewed for recommendation/approval by the department curriculum committee, the department chair, the college curriculum committee, the college dean, the Provost’s Office, the Director of Service-Learning, and the University Curriculum Committee (UCC).
3. Once the final decision has been rendered, UCC will communicate to the academic department and the Office of the Registrar all courses and sections to receive SRV or SRVI attributes, along with the information needed for the CRN note.
4. The SRV/SRVI attribute will remain in place until a Course Modification Request is completed to remove it.
