Running head: CASE STUDY #2

Case Study #2: Service Learning Programs in Higher Education

Patrick McHale
Loyola University Chicago

CASE STUDY #2

Case Study #2: Service Learning Programs in Higher Education

Part I: Describe
I identified and analyzed five different service-learning programs in higher education. I
chose the institutions based on including ones from different geographical locations in the
country and my own career interests. The five programs I chose are (1) Georgetown Universitys
Service and Social Justice Program (www.georgetown.edu/campus-life/service-and-socialjustice), (2) University of Wisconsin-Madisons Morgridge Center for Public Service
(morgridge.wisc.edu/students-service-learning-courses), (3) University of California-Los
Angeless Center for Community Learning (www.uei.ucla.edu/communitylearningabout.htm),
(4) University of Floridas Center for Leadership & Service
(www.leadershipandservice.ufl.edu/faculty_staff/service_learning/), and (5) University of
Michigans Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning.
Georgetown Universitys Service and Social Justice program provided the least amount
of detail of the five programs I researched. The page provides opportunities that are available
across various fields. Further research has led me to believe that each discipline and academic
department is responsible for providing these opportunities and they bear more of a separate
responsibility in promoting these opportunities. One unique aspect of the program is the visible
incorporation of alumni and the opportunity for current students to connect with them and vice
versa in the non-profit industry.
University of Wisconsin-Madisons Morgridge Center for Public Service was certainly
one of the best presented programs of the five I researched. The resources provided by the
program are very clear and contain most if not all necessary information for interested
individuals. With opportunities to meet with service-learning advisors, developing a

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transportation plan for a service-learning experience, and learn more about service-learning
classes, the program has a very well-developed approach to get students involved with types of
learning experiences.
For the Center for Community Learning at University of California- Los Angeles, the
program is yet another elaborate and well drawn out central resource for service-learning at the
institution. Along with providing a clear purpose and list of service-learning courses to enroll in,
there are other ways the program involves less experienced students. They have the Astin Civic
Engagement Scholars program, where current students actively conduct research in civic
engagement during their senior year. Again, utilizing the alumni and benefactors of the university
relating to service-learning not only provide organizational support, but financial support as well.
University of Floridas Center for Leadership & Service is a very prominent aspect of the
institution, with eight individuals on staff. Their focus is within strengthening students, faculty,
and the community. The especially have a great amount of information for faculty members who
are interested in service-learning course opportunities in their field to instruct. The staff provides
resources in the form of an FAQ section on the website, requests for presentations by the staff,
and already well-established service programs to get involved with.
Finally, Michigans Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning is another
program with a very informative and inviting website, similar to Wisconsin and Florida. The
program prides itself on holding partnerships with various service organizations in the
community and connecting them with students, faculty, staff, and alumni. With local, distant, and
even abroad service opportunities available to the Michigan community, the program has
resources to make service-learning a very accessible and desirable aspect of the institution to be
a part of.

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Part 2: Compare and Contrast

Transportation: For several campuses across the country there may not be many local
service-learning opportunities for students. The result of this without transportation can lead to
disinterest of having service-learning opportunities that are the same every year or having no
service-learning at all. This is especially the case for institutions with a campus that is considered
isolated from outside communities. Transportation is a key resource for maintaining connections
between the students and the community.
For example, University of Michigan provides transportation for off-campus sites,
including Detroit through free bus transportation and using the programs vehicles to personally
drive to the site after verifying their service-related activity. University of Wisconsin does not
allow students to drive their vehicles, but they will pay for university cab fares if the site is
outside the range of public transportation. I believe efforts like these to get students involved in
the community speak volumes as to how much the institution understands and supports the
concept of service-learning.
Connections With Outside Groups: Having professional partnerships with service
organizations in the community is very beneficial for both sides. The service organizations, such
as animal shelters and park districts, benefit from having a more consistent and dependable level
of volunteer support of students. The institution benefits from the partnerships because it makes
the experiences much more accessible to students.
For example, University of Florida partners with Florida Alternative Breaks to give
students service-learning opportunities during university breaks in the academic year. UCLA
abides by a set of principles for good community-campus partnerships, with the first principle
stating, Partners have agreed upon mission, values, goals, and measurable outcomes for the

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partnership (Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, 1998). University of Michigan even

has a United States map that pinpoints the location of all community partners, giving the
institution a very large reach outside of the physical campus itself.
Part 3: Integrate
Cristine Cresss work on service-learning provided a very straight-forward introduction
of the topic, terminology, relevance in a local and global context, and the challenges that face it. I
spent the most time reflecting on the last aspect. According to Cress, the greatest single
resistance voiced in service-learning classes is the argument that service is volunteerism and, by
definition, cannot be required (pg. 10). I was curious to see how the institution programs I
researched acknowledge and/or address this argument. One main strategy universities have used
is breaking down the service learning opportunities by major. For example, for service-learning
courses at University of Wisconsin, a nursing student can search for service-learning courses
related to the nursing field. Connecting service-learning with an individuals career or personal
interests is a great first step in introducing students to a more desirable outlook of servicelearning
Howards Principles

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Work Cited
Center for Leadership and Service. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2016, from
http://www.leadershipandservice.ufl.edu/
Morgridge Center for Public Service. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2016, from
https://morgridge.wisc.edu/students-service-learning-courses
Service and Social Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2016, from
https://www.georgetown.edu/campus-life/service-and-social-justice
The Edward Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved February
22, 2016, from https://ginsberg.umich.edu/
Undergraduate Education Initiatives (UEI) Center for Community Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 22, 2016, from http://www.uei.ucla.edu/communitylearning.htm