Friends,
Thanks for the great response to the question of Service-Learning as
a graduate program. Follows is a compilation of what I have
received so far. At the end is abstracts of messages from which
this information is pulled, including e-mail addresses.
Vanderbilt: although not a service-learning program per se, it has a
program in Educational Leadership with faculty experienced service
learning practitioners and 5 doing research on service learning.
SUNY Stony Brook: A program geared toward professionals in service
learning in the Masters of Social Work. Although not a
service-learning program exactly, it is about student development in
the areas of community service.
Mankato State University, MN and University of Colorado, Boulder:
These are programs in Experiential education with opportunities for
service learning.
University of Louisville: Ph.D. program in Urban and Public Affairs,
recently awarded two urban community service grants from the U.S.
Dept. of Education, with a specific urban community service track.
Colorado State University: has a 1 credit workshop approved for
their Higher Ed program, with plans to integrate a second (and
possibly a first) year course.
Ohio State: one of the practicums has an service learning focus.
Seattle University: Master in Teaching program which focuses on
service learning.
University of Massachusetts, Boston: College of Public and Community
Service has been doing service learning long before anyone used the
term.
Also suggested by phone: College Student Personnel programs such as
at Colorado State, Washington, Oregon (Corvallis), Western Illinois.
Public Administration programs. Also suggested was a Philanthropic
degree somewhere in Indiana.
----
From: gilesde@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu (Dwight E. Giles, Jr.)
I have tried to monitor this informally and I know of no graduate
program in service-learning per se. Most of the master's theses and
doctoral dissertations that I know of are in schools of education. I
am presently working with about 4 graduate students who are doing
their dissertations on service learning. Two of those are here in
Peabody College at Vanderbilt in the graduate program in Educational
Leadership/ while there are no graduate courses on service-learning
there are faculty who are experienced service learning practitioners
themselves, and there are about 5 of us who do research in service
learning. In Educational Leadership is a faculty named John
Braxton, you might contact him directly via e-mail or phone at
(615) 322 8000.
--- From: Michelle Davis <michd@pobox.upenn.edu> WWW: http://pobox.upenn.edu/~michd/ The only Graduate program I am currently aware of that is most specifically geared toward professionals in service learning is a track in the Masters of Social Work Degree Program at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. It truly isn't a program about "service -learning as you might define it, however it is about student development in the areas of community service. The telephone number is (516)444-2139. Good luck. I would also highly recommend any of the Americorps National Service Programs or VISTA programs to give you a solid foundation as well as very practical experience in service-learning.---- From: "Whitcomb, Geoff" <geoff_whitcomb@ms1.mankato.msus.edu> While I do not think there are any such programs, there are two schools that have graduate program in Experiential Education. I am completing my Master's Degree in Experiential Education here at Mankato State University in Mankato, Minnesota; the other school is the University of Colorado at Boulder. This has been an outstanding program, because of the latitude that is allowed in designing one's own course of study. The school operates on a quarter system, and the major is 51 credits. I have also been able to be a part-time AmeriCorps member during my studies, where my position as the university Service-Learning Program Advisor has fulfilled my wishes for learning and experience. I also know that next year there will be a 20-hour Grad Assistantship as the Service- Learning advisor, although the deadline for applying to the school is June 1.
I think it is important to get a degree that is broader in nature than a specifically S-L oriented one would be, as the job market for the graduate is potentially larger. College Service-Learning positions are often those which are involved in two or more student services, i.e. Greek Life and S-L, Orientation and S-L, etc. A change in the national political climate this fall could also spell the beginning of the end for the national S-L movement. An Experiential Education degree teaches one the philosophical and pedagogical bases for both Service-Learning and Adventure Education, and puts one in touch with students from all over the country and world.
If you or your students are interested in finding out more, please contact either the M.S.U. Educational Leadership department at (507) 389-1116, or myself at (507) 389-2153 work, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., or 625-8976 home.
---- From: John Gilderbloom <JIGILD01@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU>
PROJECT DIRECTOR HANDS (Housing and Neighborhood Development S. Chair, Center for Sustainable Urban Communities 502-852-8557
Our Ph.D. program in Urban and Public Affairs might be of interest to you. I have asked the coordinator to send you information on the MPA and Ph.D. program. The program has a number of research assistantships to do service learning. We also have been awarded two urban community service grants from the U.S. Department of Education totaling 3 million dollars over the past 4 years. One of my doctoral students just completed a Ph.D. dissertation on "Town and Gown Relationships: Urban Community Service." Our program does offer a specific urban community service track. Our tracks are as follows: (1) public administration, (2) urban planning and development, (3) research methods for public policy and (4) infrastructure.
---- From: "Michael Stifter, Assoc Manager" <AGGIE_ASCMGR@sacc.colostate.edu> I spent this past semester researching this very same thing for a practicum I did in the Office of Community Services here at CSU. We wanted to integrate our Higher Ed Admin program and so I researched schools that had an s-l focus. Guess what? I found hardly a trace of anything.
However, we have been fortunate to get a 1 credit workshop approved for our Higher Ed program and we also are integrating a second year course and possibly a first year. Other programs you may want to check out are Social Work programs that sometimes have a social issues focus. One in particular is at SUNY-Stony Brooke. This is a new program and Mel Goldstein is the director of it. It sounds like an excellent program and may come as close as it gets to a preparatory program. Someone also mentioned the Higher Ed program at The Ohio State having one of their practicums that were s-l focused as part of their curriculum.
---- From: martinc@SNYONEVA.CC.ONEONTA.EDU There is a graduate program at Seattle University that is a Master in Teaching program which focuses on service learning, might be able to more info via their home page at http://www.seattleu.edu/ As I recall my discussion with someone from Seattle when first I heard of this program, you do not need an undergraduate degree in education to be accepted into the program.
--- From: John_Sarvey@city-year.org (John Sarvey) Try the College of Public and Community Service at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. It's a very innovative, a progressive college started by very dynamic and committed faculty. They've been doing service-learning long before anyone used the term service-learning. The graduation requirements are competency-based and provide opportunities for students to get credit even for prior experience by demonstrating a level of mastery for particular competencies. I don't have the number but they're listed.
--------------------------------------------------------- Renee Buchanan Service Learning Bennion Community Service Center 101 Union, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT 84112 801/581-4811 801/585-3034 (fax) rbuchan@ssb1.saff.utah.edu