Faculty Resistance to S-L

I offer two ways to counter faculty resistance. [I am not in favor of forced 
involvements for faculty, students, or community members.]

I have always admired Ira Harvaky (U Penn) and his  method of taking potential 
s-l faculty to lunch to talk with them about service learning and community 
based research. I think of this as an Each One--Teach One approach. I, too, 
have found the impassioned nature of one's own fulfillment in such work has a 
way of enticing others to join in.  A shared sandwich and a shared ideal make a 
nice combo platter! 

One way to approach resistant faculty is through impassioned students. I 
suggest that students invite faculty to come with them to a service site to see 
what they are doing and what they are learning hands-on. [As a teacher I'm 
always cheered by students'invitations to come see one of their play 
performances or sports events. Why not expand this to other areans of college 
life?]  Of course, we as faculty can do the same thing, invite the other prof 
to join us for an afternoon or evening on site. A student invitation carries a 
great power and an implied compliment.  A student who introduces a respected 
teacher to a community member has provided the access link that thwarts most 
faculty from getting involved.

Both these suggestions recognize that a fully blown service project can look 
overwhleming to someone who has not participated in the development over time. 
I use these tactics to welcome and to personally disclose the levels of 
commitment and time along with the richness of the reward in terms of learning 
of and sharing in communities. 

The service learning I have done in prisons and drug treatment centers has been 
greatly enhanced by widening the circle of faculty who have particpated. It 
also paves the way for turning projects over as we age.

--patricia





Patricia E. O'Connor, Associate Prof., English, 312 New North, Georgetown 
University, Washington, DC 20057    oconnorp@georgetown.edu  202 687 7622  
FAX: 202 687 5445   
websites: Personal homepage:  http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/oconnorp
Prison Outreach homepage: http://www.georgetown.edu/outreach/vps/pops/ 
Visible Knowledge Project:
http://crossroads.georgetown.edu/vkp/index.htm