Re: Model for 4th Credit Option

Mary,

Although you are looking at a 4th credit for Poli Sci, i offer our experience 
at SUNY Cortland's Writing Program as a source of possible ideas.

We designed SL variations of our 2 freshman composition courses.  Students can 
take any combination of SL or "traditional" composition courses.  In each SL 
case, students are given a 4th credit for their efforts.  Studenst give 30 
hours of community service, and 10 percent of their final grade (a "letter" 
grade) is based on the quality of that service, as determined by comments made 
by the agency rep on the students' Time Logs.

In addition, students have much more writing.  This semester, for example, 
students write a weely SL journal; they prepare for, and write about, a 
"Roundtable Discussion," which involves a visit by at least one agency rep.  
Students are also presenting a "poster session" at our annual "Scholars' Day" 
Conferences in April.

During the 2000-2001 academic year, students received their 4th credit by 
pairing composition with a one-credit service-learning "course."  We convinced 
Registrar to go along with this through the enthusiastic support of our 
Director of the Writing Program and our English Dept. Chair.

Compensation is a _very_ tender issue, Mary.  Currently, upper administration 
does not accept our claim that SL (specifically, in our case, in composition) 
requires more work.  Of the 5 folks teaching composition through SL, 4 were 
part-timers until this Fall; now one is a part-timer.  Not one of us 
full-timers is on tenture-track, so the compensation issue - aggravating to 
begin with - continues to be a sore point.

However, we do feel that students deserve their 4th credit; responses from our 
agency partners has been almost 100 percent _positive_.  (Why do i feel like 
i'm preaching to the choir?)


i hope that this rambling note has been helpful, Mary.

john


>===== Original Message From Mary E Ridgway <maryr@uta.edu> =====
>I  am seeking information and insight in developing a 4th credit opiton
>model for integrating service learning into the curriculum. The Department
>of Political Science is drafting a proposal for consideration by our
>Undergraduate Assembly.
>
>Questions:
>
>Does anyone  have a good model for a 4th credit option?
>
>How are workload issues resolved - are faculty  who may have 10 students
>signed up for the 4th credit option attached to a Political Science course
>receiving workload credit for the 4th credit option?
>
>How many times are students allowed to sign up for a 4th credit option?
>
>Is it pass-fail or A-F?
>
>Does it count toward academic requirements in the major or degree or
>anywhere? Ours would probably be elective credit in the major with re: to
>Political Science.
>
>Any information, strategies for winning approval of this model, ideas for
>smooth implementation, traps and pitfalls  that I have failed to consider
>would all be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Mary R
>
>Mary Ridgway, Director
>Center for Community Service Learning
>"Linking Service and Learning"
>B18 Davis Hall
>817-272-2124

John Suarez
Writing Instructor
Writing Program Service-Learning Coordinator
English Department
SUNY Cortland
P.O. Box 2000
Cortland, New York  13035
(607) 753-2320