Community Service 1
Community Service-Learning
Course Outline and Syllabus
Thank you for enrolling in
the Community Service 1 - Community Service-Learning course (Com S 1). The time you spend on community
service-learning activities should be some of the most rewarding time you will
commit to a class while at Fresno State.
The following information will help you understand why community
service-learning can be such an important and enriching experience. You will also find enclosed the
Community Service 1 course outline.
This document specifies course requirements and should give you a
greater appreciation of the benefits of community service-learning. Please read this information
carefully! Your grade and,
more importantly, the value of your service experience, will depend heavily on
this material.
For further information on
the Students for Community Service program (SCS) or any of the Community
Service courses you can contact the SCS staff at:
Civic Engagement and Service Learning
California State University, Fresno
2555 E. San Ramon M/S SB 120
Fresno, California 93740-8034
(Office located in the Science 1 Building, Room
136)
Phone: (559) 278-7079 Fax: (559) 278-7634
Email:
chrisf@csufresno.edu *Web
Page: http://www.csufresno.edu/scs
*The SCS Website contains
valuable information on service opportunities, course requirements, forms and
more.
Mission and Philosophy
of SCS
The Students for Community
Service program is dedicated to promoting the value and importance of community
service and service-learning to students, faculty and staff of the
university. The Community Service
1 course is just one of the many initiatives sponsored by SCS. The SCS program was developed upon the
belief that, as part of a complete educational experience, community service-learning
can foster students' academic learning, personal and career development,
strengthen their sense of community, instill a "civic ethic", and
build leadership skills. In
general, SCS is committed to fostering a life-long service ethic in our students,
which will stimulate and enhance their educational experience.
Why Should You Get
Involved In Community Service?
Community service provides a
variety of unique benefits to the students, the community and to the
organizations where students volunteer.
It is very common that volunteers get much more out of their service
experience than they expect. Also,
the community gains resources and services vital to addressing many societal
problems.
One of the mottoes SCS uses
is "Give a little. You'll
get back so much more." This is especially true for the
personal benefits derived from community service. It has been shown that service activities have a unique way
of developing leadership skills, a sense of community, self-esteem,
communication skills, appreciation of diversity and other personal
characteristics. In terms of
career growth, many service activities provide the opportunity to explore
potential careers, experience the "real-world" of their chosen career
field, develop professional skills and contacts, build their resume, and put
into practice the information they have learned in academic settings.
With respect to academic
development, when compared to students who do not take part in service
activities, students involved in service work typically: achieve better grades;
stay in school longer; graduate at higher rates; show a greater interest in
graduate studies; and report higher levels of satisfaction with their
undergraduate education and career choice. Research has shown that student learning, personal skills
and professional development will increase when students invest more of their
out-of-class time and energy in educationally purposeful activities such as
community service (Astin, et al, 2000).
Benefits of being involved
in community service-learning are not limited to the student. Any meaningful community service
assists a specific individual or group.
Whether it is building a home for the working poor, serving victims of
chronic or terminal illness, tutoring children, helping to preserve and protect
our environment or any other service work, there is a person or group who
ultimately benefits from your time.
Without volunteers these services would not be provided and the people
receiving the services would not be enriched. In addition, when you reach out and help one person, there
is a ripple effect that results in benefits to the entire community.
Finally, the organizations
where you conduct your service work also benefit enormously. Nonprofit agencies typically have very
limited budgets, yet client needs continue to expand. Volunteers can make significant contributions to these
agencies in their attempt to deal with the complex and growing needs of
society.
Capitalizing On Your
Service Opportunity
Community service provides a
great opportunity to enhance your educational, personal, and professional
development. Like any opportunity
it is up to you to make
the most of this experience. It is
up to you to choose the service placement that best matches your individual
goals and interests. The material
discussed in class serves to supplement the experiences gained from your
service work. The class also
provides a basis for academic learning related to your service experience. Because this class is experientially
based, your involvement in and out of class is critical to the learning
process.
The most critical component for making your service experience a valuable one is choosing the right service site. Below are guiding questions that can help you find a service activity which will provide you with the most meaningful experience possible. You will be asked to justify why you have chosen to serve at a particular site(s) based on these types of factors.
¥ Explore several different opportunities before choosing a service site. You will have many choices where you can do your hours and each site has many volunteer opportunities, so explore your options.
¥ Find a service opportunity that relates
to your academic major and/or career goals. This is a great
opportunity to understand how the theory you learn in the classroom can be
applied to problems in the work environment. It is also an excellent opportunity to explore new careers,
build your resume, and to develop your network of professional contacts.
¥ Consider different service work than
you have done in the past. Explore different service organizations;
learn about various issues confronting our community; experience individuals
who come from different age, gender, socio-economic and/or cultural backgrounds
from your own. The time you
provide will give you a chance to experience and learn about new people, events
and issues.
¥ Look for a service opportunity which
addresses an issue you are personally concerned about. Are you
concerned about the environment, at-risk youth, crime/violence, the elderly,
the poor, disadvantaged communities, education, health or any other societal
issues? Use your service hours as
a way to become involved in an issue that you have a passion for.
¥ Treat this opportunity like you
would an important job. Be committed to your work! Just because it is a volunteer job does
not mean your obligations are decreased.
In fact, your obligation to the agency and the people you serve make
this an extremely important commitment.
Be on time, perform your work to the best of your abilities, dress
appropriately and always try to do a little more than is required. The volunteer work you do will be the
basis on which you build professional contacts and job skills. If you perform your work poorly and
don't take the position seriously, it will negatively reflect on you, the
university and the SCS program. On
the other hand, if you do well in your volunteer work, it can be a springboard
to future opportunities, including references, part-time work or full-time
career opportunities.
¥ Regularly discuss your volunteer
work assignment(s) with your supervisor. If you wish to be involved
in specific activities or projects at your agency, don't hesitate to ask. If your service work is not what you
envisioned, talk to your supervisor about ways to make your service experience
more beneficial for you and the agency.
Many times supervisors willingly involve volunteers in new projects if
they know you are interested. Students
should carefully read and complete the ÒLearning PlanÓ distributed at the beginning of the semester for
details on other responsibilities and guidelines.
Course Syllabus
Course Instructor
Chris
Fiorentino, Director
Students
for Community Service
Fresno,
California 93740-8032
(Office
located in the San Ramon 3 Building, Room 113)
Phone:
(559) 278-7079 Fax:
(559) 278-7634
Email:
chrisf@csufresno.edu Web
Page: http://www.csufresno.edu/scs
Class Schedule
Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 12:15
p.m., San Ramon 6, Room 10
Instructor Office
Hours
Meetings with the instructor
or SCS staff are on an appointment basis.
Drop-in appointments are allowed when the instructor/staff are
available. Please phone the SCS
Office to arrange an appointment.
Students are also encouraged to communicate with the instructor using
E-mail.
Course Description and
Desired Learning Outcomes
The Community Service 1
course is designed to provide an exceptional community service-learning
experience where students apply their academic knowledge and skills to
community based issues and needs.
This hands-on experience will be combined with a series of lectures and
discussions that cover issues related to students' community
service-learning. Guest speakers
and readings will be used to acquaint students with a variety of topics related
to their service activities. In
addition, students will take part in regular reflection activities where they
will critically analyze their personal service experience from a number of
different perspectives.
Through the course, students
will gain a greater understanding and appreciation of a variety of community
service-learning related topic.
Each studentÕs service experience will provide them with a unique set of
learning opportunities. The
following is a list of some of the major learning outcomes of this course.
Career Development: The
relationship between service and career will be covered. Students should gain an understanding
of the career development process, career exploration through community
service, and the role of community service in resumes, cover letters and
interviews.
Professional and Service
Ethics: The critical role of confidentiality, referral, and legal
obligations of individuals involved in service activities will be covered and
students should be able to appropriately apply these concepts to their own
service setting.
Leadership: What
does it mean to be a Òleader?Ó The
differences between business and personal leadership will be discussed. Techniques for the development of
personal leadership skills and how service is related to leadership will be
covered.
Diversity Awareness: We live
(and serve) in a highly diverse world.
Understanding and being sensitive to aspects of gender, culture, ethnicity,
socio-economics, and age is an important outcome of the course.
Communication Skills:
Establishing effective, personal communication is important to all human
interaction. Students should
understand how to apply key components of effective personal communication in a
service setting.
Understanding Social
Issues: What are some of the most significant social issues
experienced by our community? An
understanding of these issues should include: an awareness of the issues; the service
delivery systems which address those issues; some of the root causes of those
issues; the role volunteers play in addressing those issues; and how, as an
individual, you can have a positive impact on those issues.
Personal and Professional
Development Through Service: Gaining an understanding of how service
can be a valuable tool in personal and professional development will be a major
focus of the course.
Service-Learning in
Education: The unique role service-learning can play in educating and
helping students develop will be covered.
Students should be able to describe how service-learning differs from
general volunteerism or other experiential-based learning approaches.
Civic Ethic and Civic
Engagement: From the course and their service
experience, students should be able to discuss some of the characteristics of
what constitutes citizenship and civic engagement A greater understanding and internalization of the terms
Òcivic-ethicÓ and Òcivic engagementÓ is a goal of the course.
Various writing requirements
and regular reflection activities will provide students with opportunities to
relate their individual service experiences to the information covered in
classes, with the goal of improving service and learning outcomes.
Attendance Policy
Class attendance is
required. Please use professional
courtesy by arriving and departing from class at the proper time. Semester evaluation (grade) will
reflect absences, tardiness and lack of participation in class discussion. Any student having more than two
absences will automatically receive a non-credit for the course. (Two tardies
will equal one absence.) One
absence can be made-up by completing an additional 3 hours of community service
work, on top of the minimum course requirements. The final two class sessions are required and must be
attended by all students.
Required Readings/Text
There is not a required text
for the Community Service 1 course.
From time to time the instructor will distribute selected written
material. Students will be required
to read this material and be prepared to discuss the content.
Instructor Policies
Students are expected to
complete all course requirements by the deadline indicated for each
assignment. Barring catastrophe,
no late papers will be accepted.
It is the responsibility of each student to personally turn in all
required forms and papers. Please
do not ask or allow other students or your agency supervisor to turn in paper
work required for the course.
Additionally, students should be sure to keep copies of all completed
forms and papers.
Incomplete grades will only
be given when 2/3rds of the course requirements have been completed prior to
the end of the semester. Students
must formally request an Incomplete in writing, prior to the last day of the
class and should personally discuss this option with the instructor at least
two weeks before the end of the semester.
Course requirements and
schedule are subject to change by the instructor in the event of extenuating
circumstances.
Academic Integrity and
Protocol
The University has a policy
on Cheating and Plagiarism as well as a policy regarding appropriate student
conduct. These policies may be
reviewed in the California State University, Fresno Catalog or the Schedule of Courses.
Students with disabilities
that may effect their work in this course should meet immediately with the
instructor so that reasonable accommodations for learning and evaluation within
the course can be made. The Office
of Services to Students with Disabilities is located in the Madden Library,
Room 1049. They can also be
reached by phone at 278-2811.
Staff of this office can assist you with arrangements and special
services.
Community Service 1
Units
Community Service 1 credits
can be used as elective units and, therefore, may help fulfill graduation
requirements. Students can sign-up
for 1, 2, or 3 units of credit per semester. Students may only enroll in one course section, 3 units
maximum and may not repeat the course.
Grading
All students are graded on a
Credit/No Credit basis. Letter
grading is not an option.
Course Requirements
All students must attend the
weekly seminar/class meeting. In
addition to the weekly seminar, students will be required to perform a minimum
number of hours of volunteer community service with an approved nonprofit
agency. These hours must be
performed during the semester in which the student is enrolled in Com S 1. All hours must be completed by the last
week of regular classes.
1
unit of credit requires weekly class meetings plus 15 hours of service.
2
units of credit require weekly class meetings plus 30 hours of service.
3
units of credit require weekly class meetings plus 60 hours of service.
Please note: Com S 1 credits and service hours do
not count towards any major requirements, internship requirements or
independent study credits in other departments, unless approved in writing by
the department in question. You
may not count service hours for other courses towards the requirements of this
course or vice-versa.
In addition to class
meetings, service hours and assignments, all students are required to complete
a ÒCelebration PaperÓ due at the end of the semester. This paper provides students a final opportunity to reflect
on their community service-learning experience. Specific requirements of the paper are detailed later in
this outline.
MINIMUM COURSE REQUIREMENTS
All students in Com S 1 are graded on a Credit/Non-Credit
basis. In order to receive credit
the student must:
u Attend the weekly class meetings. (See
attendance policy above.)
u Be an active part of class
discussions and complete all class assignments, including journals and peer
responses to other studentÕs journal entries.
u Fulfill and verify the completion
of the appropriate number of service hours listed above.
u Complete a ÒCelebration PaperÓ on
your service experience. (See below for details.)
u Attend the last regular class
meeting and ÒfinalÓ.
If you do not fully
complete all of the above requirements by the appropriate deadline you will
receive a Non-Credit grade for the course.
Finding a Volunteer Service Position
There is virtually no limit
to the types of service positions available. If you work as a volunteer
(unpaid), your activities are community service oriented, and the agency you
serve is a nonprofit organization, you should be able to count the hours for
this class. There several ways for
you to access information on volunteer opportunities.
You are encouraged to select
a service assignment that will provide you with the best experience
possible. (Carefully read the
section titled ÒCapitalizing On Your Service OpportunityÓ that appears earlier
in this outline.) Don't be afraid to "shop
around" for the best opportunities.
However, you should be sure to arrange your service experience by the
fourth week of the semester.
Agencies often have waiting lists for volunteers, or it simply takes
many days or weeks just to reach the correct person in an agency. Start contacting agencies you are
interested in right away!
A new website which provides a searchable database of
local service opportunities is now available. This database is updated regularly, is growing and is the
best resource in the region for finding volunteer opportunities. The website address is
http://www.volunteerfresno.org. All students should visit this site.
The SCS Office maintains a Community
Service Information Binders with
information on a variety of service opportunities with agencies throughout the
San Joaquin Valley. This directory
contains information on many service agencies in the region. This resource can be found in the SCS
office, San Ramon 3, Room 113..
Remember that there are
literally thousands of different volunteer service opportunities available. There are major related opportunities
available in virtually all fields, from Anthropology to Zoology. There are even a number of unique and
rewarding opportunities for service right here on-campus.
Please note that there are a
few types of service activities that are not eligible for Community Service
1 credit. While we do not
discourage students from being involved in these types of activities, you
may not use these types of service work to earn course credit. These types of service include, but are
not limited to:
u Paid
work of any kind;
u Volunteer work for a private, for-profit company;
u Work for
any private individual or family not directly associated with a nonprofit
agency;
u Work for
a political candidate or campaign.
You may work for an elected official but you can not work on any
type of campaign or election effort.
u Work for
a Church or religious organization that specifically includes evangelizing or
proselytizing. (Completing your
service work with a religious organization is allowed, however, that service
can not include the above activities.)
Also, you may not count
hours for this course that you have volunteered prior to signing up for Com S
1.
Feedback Letter
Representatives from
nonprofits around the area have told us how valuable it is to hear from
students regarding their service experience. The agencies appreciate input on their programs and use that
information to improve their work with future volunteers and improve their
operations. It is also considered
appropriate etiquette to thank an agency for the opportunity to serve and learn
at their site.
One assignment for the
course is to write a letter to your site supervisor(s) providing them with
feedback about your experience and your thoughts about their organization. Sharing things you learned about the
organization, the issue(s) addressed, growth experiences you had as well as
thanking them for the opportunity are all appropriate. If you have any suggestions or constructive
criticism for the agency, please feel free to share this information in a
highly professional, appropriate and positive manner.
You will be provided with
guidelines for this letter towards the end of the semester.
CELEBRATION PAPER
In
order to help students reflect on their service assignment and better synthesize
their experience, students are required to write a ÒCelebration PaperÓ. For all
students in Community Service 1, the Celebration Paper must be approximately 3
pages in length (minimum of 600 words).
It is called a ÒCelebration PaperÓ because students should use it to celebrate
their experience and learning.
This celebration of learning, or reflection, can deal with all aspects,
positive and negative, of your community service work and the Community Service
1 course. (Remember, you can learn
from negative experiences just as much as positive ones.) You should write about your personal
reaction to your overall Com S 1 experience, but should concentrate on the
service experience. In writing the
paper, you should consider some of the following questions:
¥ How did this experience affect you intellectually and/or
emotionally?
¥ What did you learn about yourself?
¥ What did you learn about others in our community?
¥ Did you learn something about an issue or service agency
that is particularly interesting or new to you?
¥ What will you do in the future to address the problems you
now recognize in our community?
¥ Was this experience everything you expected? If not, how was it different?
¥ What were the negative and/or positive aspects of your volunteer
experience? What did you learn
from each?
¥ What types of benefits (academic, personal, professional)
did you gain? Please explain.
¥ Do you feel you had an affect on a person, group of people,
or problem in our community? How
and why?
¥ Is there anything you would change about your service work?
You must address the following question as part of your Celebration
Paper:
¥ What impact will this experience have on your future? In other words, how has the service experience changed you?
Where appropriate, students
are encouraged to note formal references.
You may cite any of the following that are relevant to your service work
and your paper: Agency brochures
or materials; newspaper or magazine articles; journal articles; textbooks or
academic material from other college courses; other published material such as
videos. You may also use quotes
from agency supervisors or people you served through your volunteer work. Please indicate references with the
appropriate citations.
Double space is acceptable,
no larger than 12 font print.
Typed is strongly preferred and suggested, but a legible
handwritten paper is acceptable.
If your paper is too short you will not receive credit for the paper or
the course.
Tentative Weekly Schedule
Week
1 Overview
of course and review syllabus.
Handout forms. Video:
ÒBradyÕs KidsÓ
Week 2 Discuss: service site selection and placement;
Reflection Project requirements; how to get the most out of your service
experience.
Week
3 Review service site placements. Service Ethics and
Altruism. Handout Reading
Assignment: ÒBlind ManÕs GiftÓ and ÒDoing Well by Doing GoodÓ.
Week 4 Diversity
and inter-cultural communication.
Com S 1 Learning Plan and Service Site Justification Form are due.
Week
5 Stone
Soup tour, 1345 Bulldog Lane, Suite 4 (corner of Bulldog Lane and Sixth
Streets, approximately one block west of Bulldog Stadium).
Week 6 Group
reflection Ð Little Miss Sunshine.
Handout Reading Assignment:
Leadership Paper.
Week
7 Leadership
and Service. Assignment I: First set of journal entries due.
Week 8 Altruism.
Handout Pay It Forward assignment.
Week
9 No
Class. Time provided to rent/view
ÒPay It ForwardÓ.
Week 10 No
Class. Time provided to rent/view
ÒPay It Forward and write ÒPay It ForwardÓ Reflection paper.
Week
11 Service
Continuum. Civic Engagement and
Civic Ethic. Assignment II due:
Pay It Forward reflection due.
Week 12 Career Development, American
Humanics and other post Com S 1 service opportunities.
Week 13 Debate on Mandatory Service.
Week
14 Typically no class due to Thanksgiving or Spring Break
Week
15 Preview
and work on group reflection projects.
Assignment III and Reflection Paper due.
Week 16 No Class. Final Exam Prep
day.
Final
Group reflection project
presentations. Verification of
all service hours due.
revised 7/11/06 cf