
Service Learning can be integrated into most courses. The Academic Senate considers a course to be a Service Learning course if the community service component relates to the academic learning objectives. It should be integrated with the academic content through reflection, and accounts for no less than 15% of the course grade.
There are service learning courses in all four colleges. From first year undergraduates to graduate students, service learning can be integrated into most courses. The Academic Senate considers a course to be a service learning course if the community service component relates to the academic learning objectives of the course, is integrated with the academic content through reflection, and accounts for no less than 15% of the course grade.
While internships, or field placements, tend to focus solely on student learning, community Service Learning emphasizes the advantages to both the student and the recipient of the service activity (Furco 1996). Service Learning focuses on both the service the community needs and the instructor's learning objectives: both the community needs and the student's learning needs are met.
Benefits include:
Contact the Office of Service Learning at 750-4055 and speak with Carol Cujec, Service Learning Faculty Director, (ccujec@csusm.edu) about integrating Service Learning into your course or contact Jill Litschewski, Director of Internships and Service Learning, (jlitsche@csusm.edu) to discuss possible community partners.
Faculty who would like to request a new Community Partner must submit a New Community Partner Form.
In order for courses to appear in the database, they must have the Service Learning attribute in Peoplesoft. If this was not selected when the course was created, the attribute can be edited after the fact by submitting this Service Learning Designation Request form. Once the form is submitted, the course should appear on the Service Learning and Internship Database within 1-2 business days.
Contact the Office of Internships and Service Learning by email servicelearning@csusm.edu or contact the Service Learning Faculty Director, Carol Cujec at (760) 750-7009 or ccujec@csusm.edu.