Service-Learning Participation by Student Results in Broad Community Impact
Tuesday, October 27
Written by Karen Hunt
Moscow, Idaho – A Faculty Engagement Survey conducted at the University of Idaho and other regional colleges and universities found that service-learning courses not only impact the students and faculty members involved, but also impact the community and bridge the gap between the two.
The survey, conducted by the Washington Campus Compact, showed that more than 73 percent of undergraduate students and 50 percent of graduate students at the University of Idaho participate in a service-learning course.
"Service-learning courses engage students in community service activities with intentional academic learning goals and provide opportunities for critical self-reflection that connect to their academic disciplines," said Suzi Billington, director of the Career Center, which houses the University of Idaho’s Service-Learning Center that coordinates many service-learning opportunities on the campus.
The top three community issues addressed by University of Idaho service-learning courses include environmental issues, cultural awareness, and education/literacy. Students in these service-learning courses have partnered with community agencies, such as Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Friends of the Clearwater, Backyard Harvest, and Moscow Recycling, to address environmental issues. They also have made an impact on Idaho and the region through projects that engage them in fish monitoring, riparian area management, creating “green design” remodel plans for local non-profits, conducting bicycle traffic studies for city transportation committees, organizing recycling campaigns and assisting ranchers with designing wildlife refuges, among other projects.
In addition, with increased support for diversity and cultural awareness, University of Idaho services-learning classes also have partnered with the Confederate Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Education Department; the Boise Basque Museum and Cultural Center; the university's annual Tutxinmepu Pow Wow; and Universidad Autónoma de la Cuidad De Mexico.
Service-learning projects involve students in a multitude of community issues – many of which are new to students. The projects open their eyes and helps them become involved in solving community needs.
“Service-learning is truly a win-win situation; students benefit from engaged learning and the community partners benefit from energetic young adults who give their time and expertise to solve a need within the community,” said Billington.
The survey, which was handed out to 47 campuses across California, Colorado, Hawaii / Pacific Islands, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington, found that using service-learning based courses provide students career-specific skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and a reflective judgment.
More than 100 University of Idaho faculty members responded to the survey, ranking the university in the top three for highest respondents among the schools that received the survey. Of the faculty who responded, 68 percent have incorporated or are interested in incorporating service-learning into their courses, and 91 percent of the 32 faculty who currently use service-learning courses are planning to continue using the courses.
The University of Idaho has been on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the past three years for both its community service projects and its service-learning courses and opportunities.
The Faculty Engagement Survey Project identified current faculty service-learning and community-based research practices; possible strategies to motivate and support new faculty to do service-learning and/or community-based research; best practices by which to support faculty who already incorporate service-learning and community-based research into their work; and the potential impacts of service-learning and community-based research on faculty, students, campuses and communities. To learn more about the survey, visit www.wacampuscompact.org.
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About the University of Idaho
Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s flagship higher-education institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year; the University of Idaho is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Foundation ranking for high research activity. The university’s student population includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars. Offering more than 130 degree options in 10 colleges, the university combines the strengths of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.
About Washington Campus Compact
Established in 1992 and hosted at Western Washington University, Washington Campus Compact and its membership of 35 two- and four-year colleges and universities are committed to providing meaningful experiences for students to become active, engaged leaders in their communities, furthering the civic and public purposes of higher education and strengthening communities. WACC is an affiliate state office of Campus Compact, a national organization comprised of more than 1,100 higher education institutions committed to the civic and public purposes of higher education.
