UNIVERSITYofLOUISVILLE
______________________________________________________________________________
College of Arts and Sciences
Office of the Dean
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
Office: 502-852-6490
Fax:
502-852-6888
DATE:
July 31, 2007
MEMORANDUM TO:
Thomas R. Jackson, Jr.
Vice President for Student Affairs
FROM:
J. Blaine Hudson
Chair, Task Force to Review the International Service Learning
Program
RE:
ISLP Task Force Report
In March 2007, four African American students from the Department of Pan-African Studies
(PAS), while participating in the International Service Learning Program (ISLP), were left behind in
Belize while other ISLP participants, nearly all of whom were not African American, departed for home.
Over the next several weeks, this incident prompted charges of racism, was investigated by the Division
of Student Affairs, found its way into the local media, provoked student demonstrations demanding the
firing of an ISLP volunteer from her non-ISLP related job, and generated a large volume of print and
electronic mail and meetings both praising and condemning ISLP.
The formal investigation concluded that: “(1). the program itself needs review . . . (2) procedures
in the airport were inadequate for handling the check-in crisis; and (3) senior leadership left key decisions
to volunteer staff who were neither trained nor prepared to handle the magnitude of the task” (Jackson to
Willihnganz, April 2, 2007). The Provost accepted these findings, issued apologies and restitution to the
affected students, and suspended ISLP pending further review.
Our Task Force was appointed (roster attached) on May 21, 2007 and charged to “Conduct a
thorough review of the program and address the following”:
1. Whether the program should be reinstated and, if so, when it should be reinstated.
2. The academic focus of the program, including the mission, goals and objectives of the
program; the role various departments play in an interdisciplinary project of this sort; and the
expected learning outcomes of the program.
3. The staffing of the program, including the role of diversity in choosing the faculty and staff
who administer the program; the need for paid and unpaid staff responsible to Student
Affairs; and a requirement for appropriate training for everyone involved in the program.
4. The funding of the program.
ISLP Report
Page 2
Pursuant to our charge, the Task Force met on June 4 and 18, and July 9 and 16. Based on these
discussions, our review of the available historical information concerning ISLP and our review of kindred
programs at other institutions, the Task Force found as follows:
1. There are significant gaps in the formal records pertaining to the International Service
Learning Program since its inception in 1997 (with the first venture to Barbados). Despite
the familiarity of some Task Force members with the program, these gaps make it impossible
to reconstruct a complete history of how the program was financed, organized and
administered.
2. Notwithstanding these gaps, it is clear that what ISLP accomplished in Barbados and Belize
was significant—and that Dr. Strenecky and all associated with the program over the years
should be commended for their outstanding work, creativity and commitment. The medical
components in recent years, in particular, were extremely effective in meeting the health
needs of small communities in Belize—and, at the same time, creating unique opportunities
for the training of medical, nursing and dental students.
3. While ISLP was effective in achieving its key goals, the absence of adequate (or any) CAR
funding, staff and administrative support in recent years—coupled with an increasingly
ambitious program and a growing number of program components—had two far-reaching
consequences: a) a program too large and too complex to be administered without the
assistance of students and volunteers; and b) a program that operated on the margins of or in
the institutional “space” between units and that drew funding from many different parts of the
University and from many non-University sources (and the inevitable influence of “donor
interests”, good and bad).
4. It is also important to distinguish between study abroad programs and ISLP—and to
understand clearly the strengths and weaknesses of each model. For example, study abroad
programs are built around formal relationships with academic institutions in other countries,
based on collaboration between our faculty and theirs, through which our students (and
sometimes theirs) earn academic credit either from those institutions and/or the University of
Louisville. These programs are often an extension of specific undergraduate and graduate
degree programs, and can be as narrow or as broadly interdisciplinary as those programs. In
contrast, ISLP, by its very nature, has been built primarily around relationships with
governmental agencies and institutions, and sometimes private economic interests. These
relationships with folks in power “opened many doors” and facilitated the achievement of
service learning objectives. However, as we learned in Barbados, they also made ISLP far
more “political” than politically neutral which can be problematic in countries where the
ruling political party changes at least once or twice in most decades.
Based on these findings, the Task Force wishes to submit the following recommendations:
1. ISLP should be reinstated, effective Fall 2007, under the Division of Student Affairs.
2. ISLP should be resourced adequately, i.e., ISLP should have a permanent coordinator or
director, support staff, general fund budget and facilities. Extramural funding and fundraising (for current use or endowment) should be pursued as means of augmenting the
financial base of the program.
3. As long as ISLP has an academic component and is offered for academic credit, the role of
faculty and the academic units needs to be formalized. One means of so doing is the
ISLP Report
Page 3
formation of a standing ISLP Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from the
Division of Students Affairs and the colleges/schools participating in ISLP. This Committee
could, at the discretion of the Vice President for Student Affairs, be augmented by ISLP
supporters not otherwise affiliated with the University.
4. The use of persons—who are not members of the permanent ISLP staff, or who are not
compensated by ISLP, or who are not designated as faculty group leaders (who may be
traveling at their own or their home department’s expense)—in leadership roles in ISLP
should be discontinued. If such persons or other non-participants travel with ISLP in the
future, they should have no formal role in the administration or operations the program.
5. Ultimately, the availability of resources will determine the “size” of ISLP. However, the
practice of structuring ISLP around very large groups operating in multiple locations should
be discouraged, if not discontinued altogether. Rather, a clear limit should be set on the
number of students and faculty able to participate in each ISLP trip and there should always
be at least two faculty group leaders.
6. With smaller groups, ISLP can still accomplish its broader objectives by traveling more
often—e.g., with each travel group targeting a particular section of the host country and/or
emphasizing a particular type of service learning activity. For example, Spring Break may be
the optimal time for some groups; Summer or Christmas Break may be optimal times for
groups pursuing other projects.
7. Our perspective on international service learning should be truly “international.” ISLP has
been a “Belize” program in recent years but should not be limited necessarily to one country
in the future. For example, there is no reason (other than resources) why service learning
programs could not be developed in countries in which the University currently offers study
abroad and/or exchange programs. Likewise, there is no reason why a more traditional study
abroad program could not be developed in Belize—distinct from or complementary to ISLP.
8. The Division of Student Affairs should ensure that ISLP is a diverse program with respect to
race, gender and all other dimensions of diversity recognized by the University—in its
staffing, participants, the academic departments sending groups under its auspices, et al.
9. Permanent staff and faculty associated with ISLP should receive on-going diversity training
focusing on the dynamics of working with and in diverse groups as well as regular exposure
to the histories and cultures of the nations to which ISLP travels. ISLP student participants
should receive a structured pre-trip orientation that provides them with a sound working
knowledge of the history and culture of the nation they will visit—as well as of the dynamics
of working with and in diverse groups such as ISLP.
10. Prospective ISLP faculty group leaders should first travel as “faculty scholars” (i.e., without
responsibility for students) and submit a detailed plan for their proposed service learning
project before being able to lead ISLP groups on future trips.
11. The Vice President for Student Affairs, in consultation with ISLP Staff and the ISLP
Advisory Committee, should establish minimum qualifications for student participants in
ISLP. Participating departments may choose to add
12. Each ISLP activity should be assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively each year, with a
written report to the Vice President for Student Affairs.
ISLP Report
Page 4
13. All other ISLP policies, processes and practices should be reviewed and revised, if
appropriate, before the next international adventure.
14. Complete and accurate records of ISLP should be maintained in the Division of Student
Affairs.
If additional information or clarification would be helpful, please let me know. Let me add that
the active members of the Task Force, including those who contributed their thoughts by e-mail, did an
outstanding job.
cc:
Shirley C. Willihnganz, Executive Vice President and University Provost
Members of the Task Force
ISLP Report
Page 5
Task Force on the International Service Learning Program
Task Force Membership
Chair
Dr. J. Blaine Hudson
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
(502)852-2234
jbhuds01@louisville.edu
ISLP
Dr. Bernard Strenecky
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
College of Education and Human Development
Faculty
Dr. Thomas Clark
School of Dentistry
Dr. Michael Cuyjet
Associate Dean, Graduate School
College of Education and Human Development
Dr. Joy Hart
Department of Communication
Dr. Margaret Pentecost
College of Education and Human Develop
Students
Seth Ernstberger
Jasmine Reeves
Staff:
Connie Shumake
Office of the University Provost
Michael Anthony
Staff Support:
Laura Mercer
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
Cheryl Utz
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs