Re: Service Learning in Developmental Education Courses

I am also at the point of program development of establishiing policiiies
for service-learning. Our faculty committee would like some models. 

Some of the questions we have are:
        Can a course be designated service-learning if the service is
optional?
        Is there a minimum number of service hours required to assure the
quality of the learning?
        Does working on political issues or elections count as
service-leaarning? What about student teaching?

As you can guess some of these questions arose from a s-l survey we
conducted. It was amazing what was turned in even though we had an explicit
definition of s-l included. Our goal is to have courses listed in the
catalogue as S-L, just as we have courses designated W writing courses,etc.

Thanks
Diane

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary E Ridgway [mailto:MARYR@uta.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2002 3:05 PM
To: 'service-learning@csf.colorado.edu'
Subject: Service Learning in Developmental Education Courses


The goal of enrolling 500,000 more students in Texas higher education by
2015 is one of four established by the state's new Closing the Gaps plan. To
help accomplish this goal, Texas colleges and universities have been asked
to develop and implement service learning courses and service learning
components in existing courses at each institution that enable students to
serve in mentoring/tutoring roles with at-risk youth. 


I  am very interested in learning if there are some good models in place for
service learning components in developmental reading, writing or math
classes. We are developing service learning components in our college
learning  course and our college adjustment course. I would appreciate
learning  more about what others are doing in these areas.

Thanks,

Mary R

Mary Ridgway, Ph.D. -  Director
University of Texas at Arlington
Center for Community Service Learning
"Linking Service and Learning"
B18 Davis Hall
Box 19124
Arlington, TX 76019
817-272-2124-phone
817-272-7626-fax
maryr@uta.edu
www2.uta.edu/ccsl