Hello friends:
As I read the post about the Ayn Rand Institute's internship, I found
myself thinking I would welcome reading the results of the work of these
interns. As our good friend Danika Brown has suggested, the work of the
institute demands our "critical attention."
One of the methods for strengthening the service movement is to listen
to the critical voices and uncover the areas in the movement that need
to be addressed. Sometimes in my own passion for advancing the dialogue
on service, I lose a balanced perspective. Others who ask the question,
"why," help me to re-examine my work and to find areas which need new
approaches and/or discussion. Danika is absolutely right saying we need
to pay attention to the work of the institute. I would add that we
should welcome their work.
Since it is the end of another academic year and I am in a particularly
reflective mood, and since those who don't know me well don't know how I
value service as a way to integrate one's personal and professional
values, let me respond to the work of the Rand Institute.
Mandated service is indeed a "slippery slope." If anything emerges from
the discussion about mandates, I hope it is that institutions will
carefully examine the need for preparation, the intended outcomes and
quality results, and the impacts mandates have on students,
institutions, and communities. I assume we all agree that to blindly
mandate service is an arrogant and dangerous approach to instilling
service as a value--personal or institutional.
When institutions choose to mandate service as a graduation requirement,
a number of things can be accomplished. First, a statement is made that
service is a defining characteristic of that institution. Let's not
forget the tripartite purpose of higher education--service, teaching
excellence, research. Second, education becomes more relevant by
generating and applying knowledge to real world issues. This
accomplishment is critical to returning higher education institutions to
their institutional roles as public intellectuals. Third, mandated
service is a tool for institutions to distinguish their education. For
example, at religiously affiliated institutions, service is promoted as
an expression of Faith, at public institutions, service becomes a method
for developing citizenship, and at other institutions service serves as
ways to develop and/or promote leadership, social justice, social
change.
As a course based mandate, service is emerging as a valid and reliable
method for learning and teaching. Just as faculty mandate research,
group presentations, assigned readings, and class discussion as methods
for learning course content, so too can service help students
understand content within a unique contextual environment.
Historically, faculty and institutions have mandated how students will
learn, why are we now saying service shouldn't be a mandated method for
learning? Why wouldn't one invoke an innovative and proven method for
learning?
Peace, and Happy Summer,
Jaimie
-- ******************************************************************** James Birge Executive Director Pennsylvania Campus Compact 800 North Third Street Harrisburg, PA 17102 (717) 232-4446 (phone) (717) 231-2795 (fax) jbirge@paccompact.org www.paccompact.orgThe tragedy of life is not death; it is destined for us all. The tragedy of life is to die with convictions undeclared and service unfulfilled. Ernest L. Boyer, Sr.