A Decade of Learning Through
Service
The Portland State University Experience
Steve Johnson, Ph.D.
Fulbright Fellow
Social Research Institute
Chulalongkorn University
Institutionalizing Civic Engagement at Portland State
University: Agents and Architects of a Flourishing
Democracy
Portland State University



Urban (Metropolitan) Institution
25,000 students - 2/3 Undergraduate
Diverse Student Body - Age, gender,
experience
Size & Scope of Service Learning
Commitment
 Annually, 7800 students formally
participate in CBL courses
 Over 400 faculty involved
 1000 community partners
Goals of PSU’s Education Reform 1990s

To fulfill the urban mission (Let knowledge serve the
city)





To be supported by local community as some
traditional forms of support decreased.
To lower drop out rate
To find a reputation niche, not a major research
university
More opportunity for students to gain applied
experiences
To return to earlier education framework (John
Dewey etc.) to produce citizens as well as wage
earners.
Civic Mission of University

A major force behind the interest in the civic mission
of universities is the desire of the academic
community to re-establish a link between education
and the general quality of community life.
 To create public good by graduating students who
have a sense of responsibility to be active citizens,
whatever their political values may be, and by being
active to create more effective community
governance
Why the Civic Mission is Important
Putnam’s Theory





Citizens in America less engaged in community
life since 1960s
Also there is less social capital
The two are related
A society with dwindling civic engagement,
social capital, and trust is not efficient
People are not only less involved but when they
are it is more contentious
What is social capital?




If physical capital is wholly tangible, being embodied in
observable material form,
and human capital is less tangible, being embodied in
the skills and knowledge acquired by an individual,
social capital is less tangible yet, for it exists in the
relations among persons.
Example, a park that is safe in a neighborhood vs.
having to secure it with police
Working Together
 DeToqueville
accurately predicted that
America would face a crises. If people did
not work together to solve problems then
the government would need to create
more and more rules, more and more
bureaucracy.
 The most expensive governance involves
governing individuals who only look out for
themselves
Community Governance: need to
facilitate wisdom of Crowds
 Government
becomes facilitator of
community problem solving
 Citizens need new civic skills and
knowledge to be effective citizens
 Many social and environmental problems
can’t be solved without participation (chart)
Community Problem Solving:
hardware and software solutions
Problem
Hard solution
Defensive spending
Soft solution
Crime
Community policing
War
Police
Security systems
Prisons
Sewer system
Collection/
incineration
Pentagon spending
Child care
Private providers
Commuting
More/better highways
Property loss/
Health care
Insurance
Water pollution
Waste
Storm water disconnect
Recycling
Diplomacy
“welfare” spending
extended family
Neighbors
car pooling
Flex car
Mass transit
Neighborliness
Barn raising
Preventative health
Social network support
care giving
The Value of an Education
 To
Get a Job, but also
 Develop social network
 Be willing and able to be a good and
effective citizen
The Importance of “weak Ties”
 The
value of an education at, for example,
Harvard is as much or more about the ties
one makes as the actual education
 Bridging social capital as well as bonding
Variety of Experiential Education






Volunteerism
Community Service
Internships
Field Education
Community Based Learning
Service Learning
What it is and is not





If students remove trash from a stream: they are
providing a service to the community as
volunteers
When students remove trash from a stream,
analyze what they found,
share the results and offer suggestions for the
neighborhood to reduce pollution,
and then reflect on their experience
That is Service Learning
Definition of Service Learning

A teaching and learning approach that
integrates community service with academic
study to enrich learning, teach civic
responsibility, and strengthen communities.

National Commission on Service Learning
Outcomes of Service Learning





To assist students to see the relevance of the
academic subject to the real world.
To enhance self-esteem and self-confidence of
students.
To increase the civic skills of students.
To better prepare students for their careers
Link learning in the classroom to learning in the
community
Additional Social Goals of Service
Learning
 To
expose students to societal
inadequacies and injustices and empower
students to remedy them
 To provide cross-cultural experiences for
students.
 To enable students to help others, give of
themselves, and enter into caring
relationships with others.
Capstone Examples

CBLExamples/EXAM
PLES OF
CAPSTONES
copy.doc
Structure of Service Learning at PSU
Over-All Structure
 General




Education Requirements
Freshman Inquiry (80% some community
involvement)
Sophomore Inquiry, Gateway to the 27 upper
division Clusters
Upper Division Clusters
Senior Capstones (6 credit classes)
Upper Division Clusters















American studies
archaeology
Asian studies
classic Greek civilization
community studies
environmental sustainability
European studies
family studies
freedom, privacy, & technology
global environmental change
healthy people/healthy places
knowledge, rationality and
understanding
Latin American studies
leadership for change
media studies











medieval studies
middle east studies
morality
nineteenth century
popular culture
professions & power
renaissance studies
science in the liberal arts
sciences - humanities
sexualities
women's studies
Administration

Center for Academic Excellence




Provide faculty support (mini grants and dept. grants)
Civic breakfasts, other speakers etc.
Advocate for change, e.g. Tenure review
Campus Compact--national organization
 University Studies Office
 Senior Capstone Coordination office
Institutional Perspectives on Service
Learning
Benefits to Higher Education
Institutions
 Keeps
some students in school
 Helps with Career choice
 Connects student, faculty and community
in work toward a common good
 Strengthens public support –
postsecondary education as a public good
Faculty Perspective
 Forces
faculty to rethink teaching methods
 Service Learning can be unpredictable
 Brings up uncomfortable dialogue about
difficult issues
 Forces faculty to think across discipline
boundaries
Community Partners
 Currently
1000 partnerships
 GIS-based Partners database
Community Partner’s Motives for
Involvement
 Teaching
students about NPO world and
the current issues
 Inspiring an activist spirit
 Keeping students in the community
 Positive impact on clientele, especially
youth
 Access to special expertise; capacity/skills
not otherwise available
Principles of Partnership
Development








Discuss a set of agreed upon goals
Discuss measurable outcomes for the partnership
Establish ways to share resources
Establish a method to have accessible communication
Provide a mechanism for feedback
Recognize the opportunities the partnership provides that
otherwise could not be done
Provide plenty of time for planning
The partnership will develop and evolve overtime
University as Incubator of Civic Ideas






Students and artists precipitated development of
Portland neighborhood system
College Housing Northwest, in a class, now multi-million
operation
First Curbside recycling program
Urban Greenspaces Program
Alternative Transportation Program
Food First and Diggable Cities Program
Student Perspective







Lack of familiar structure--open ended,
unpredictability
Standards of evaluation different
Working in groups can be difficult
Scheduling difficulties
Different realities of Student life and “real life
work”
Lack of civic skills or different perspectives on
working for the public welfare
Political and personal issues
Civic Skills and Knowledge
CIVIC CAPACITY MATRIX
Types of Capacity
Beliefs/Values
Levels of Activity
Individual
Group/Team
Beliefs/values
Knowledge
Skills
regarding
self-interest, selfconfidence
Sense of personal efficacy
Sense of personal responsibility
Attitudes regarding service to society
Theories
of moral development
Theories of care and justice
Theories of adult learning
Theories of adult development
Interpersonal
Ethical
Capacity
Beliefs/values
regarding efficacy of group
activity
Belief/values regarding diversity
Self-confidence and sense of efficacy when
working in groups/teams
Role
theory
group behavior
Theories of diversity
Motivation theories
Collaboration
Small
Conflict
Beliefs/values
Organizational
Planning
Theories
Coordination
regarding role of organizations
in society
Efficacy of organizational activity
Organizational
theory & behavior
of organizational leadership
Comparative value of different types of
organizations (community groups,
political parties, voluntary assoc., etc)
communication
for self-reflection
resolution
leadership
Group decision-making
Group presentation
Team
Project
management
Coaching
Mentoring
Facilitating
Beliefs/values
Community/ Society
regarding society,
public/private domains
Beliefs/values regarding social change, i.e.
sense of fatalism, confidence about the future,
attitude toward politics, etc.
Public
governance
processes/structures
Theories of community/society
Origins of modern liberalism
Understanding of comparative role of
economics, sociology, political science,
anthropology
Public
participation
facilitation
Use of quantitative/ qualitative
techniques for decision-making
Organizing and sustaining communitycentered activities
Meeting
© Morgan, D., Williams, D., & Shinn, C. (2000).
Assessment
 Students
 Faculty
 Partners
 Community
Student Perspective
CBL/Capstone Student Perceptions of Community
Based Learning
I w as volunteering in the
community bef ore taking this
course
39%
68%
I w ill continue to volunteer in the
community af ter this course
76%
My community w ork in this
course benef ited the community
79%
This course connected w hat I
learned to real lif e situations
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CBL outcomes for Student career goals
3.7
3.6
3.57
3.5
3.4
3.35
3.3
3.2
3.1
3.05
3
2.9
2.8
2.7
Enhanced "real
world"
communication
Helped problem
solving skills
Clarified career
plans
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree
Faculty Outcome on Professional
Development
4.4
4.29
4.25
4.2
4
3.8
3.67
3.58
3.6
3.4
3.2
Change in teaching
strategies
Relationship w /
students enhanced
Leadership skills
enhanced
Helped focus my
scholarship
1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disagree, 3. Neutral, 4. Agree, 5. Strongly Agree
Influence of CBL on Partner’s Mission
60%
52%
50%
43%
40%
33%
29%
30%
24%
20%
14%
10%
10%
5%
0%
Enhanced
service
offerings
New
More clients
connections
served
with other
groups
More
services
offered
New insights
about our
organization
Other
influences
More
No influence
leverage of
resources
Partner’s Awareness of PSU
60%
50%
48%
40%
33%
30%
33%
29%
20%
10%
10%
5%
0%
Learned about Know w ho to
Increased
More involved Taking classes
programs
call for
know ledge of
in PSU
information PSU resources
activities
Other
Community Partner Challenges
35%
33%
30%
25%
19%
20%
19%
14%
15%
14%
10%
5%
5%
0%
Staff time
demands
Project time
insufficient
Students not Students didn't
w ell prepared perform as
expected
Mismatch
Other
Effective Partnerships (HUD)








Joint exploration of goals and interests and limitations
Creation of a mutually rewarding agenda
Operational design that supports shared leadership,
decision-making, conflict resolution, resources
Clear benefits and roles for each partner
Identification of opportunities for early successes for all;
shared celebration of progress
Focus on knowledge exchange, shared learning and
capacity-building
Attention to communications patterns, cultivation of trust
Commitment to continuous assessment of the
partnership itself, as well as outcomes
Lessons Learned: How to Develop and
Integrate Service Learning
Planning for Service Learning: first
questions






What are the expected learning goals?
How does service learning help students reach those
goals?
What will be the teaching role of community?
What will be evidence of mastery of content?
How will the impact on student learning and
development be measured?
How will the impact on community capacity be
measured?
Ways to Engage Campus







Survey faculty interests
Review course syllabi for examples of service learning
Support campus discussion to understand and define terms and
create a common language of engagement
Analyze internal grant applications and sabbatical reports
convene faculty who have engagement projects and support them
as early adopters
Hold focus groups across academic units
Hold town meetings that bring faculty and community together
Ways to Involve Faculty (1)

Tie service learning to scholarship and research
 Invite engaged faculty to present seminars and
workshops to their colleagues
 Support their attendance at regional and national
conferences about engagement
 Provide stipends to support new or expanded projects
 Highlight engaged faculty and their projects in campus
publications
Ways to Involve Faculty (2)

Establish an annual award for faculty achievement in
civic engagement
 Invite scholars of civic engagement to speak on campus
 Collect data on civic engagement outcomes and share
the analysis
 Bring community representatives into campus events
and campus discussions.
Things to Keep in Mind for Students










Time pressure
Work load
Competition
Lack of control over some aspects of the project
Role ambiguity
Conflict between personal beliefs and student role as an
organizational member
Conflict between team members
Lack of communication among peers/work team
Lack of understanding about the nature of the work project
Lack of feedback on project performance
Issues Working with Community Partners












Clarity on course goals and objectives
Number of students
Student time availability and restraints
Demographic profile of students
Faculty involvement
Level of supervision
Expectations of partner’s responsibility
Timeline and product clarity
Human subjects review
Legal issues
Ethical issues
Safety issues
Ways to Move Ahead

Increase visibility-internally & externally






Assess, document, publicize
Recruit allies – PR, development, IR, alumni,
community leaders
Celebrate successes- Let partners and students
tell their stories
Be political – searches, curricular reform,
accreditation, strategic planning
Link to learning goals & faculty development
Link to public support - demonstrate education’s
role in creating public good
Summary: Some Lessons Learned











Build from early Adapters
Maximize the community role in learning process
Provide students with training, supervision, monitoring, evaluation
Understand and build upon the differences in learning in classroom and
learning in the field
Use internal and external incentives (grants, promotion review)
Assume a scholarly approach working with faculty
Value different disciplines and pedagogical approaches
Consider having faculty rather than staff lead the way
Explore one or more requirement such as capstone
Use education or other faculty to develop pedagogic alternatives
Tie program development directly to Institution mission
Resources







Corporation for National And Community Service,
http://www.cns.gov/
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse,
http://search.servicelearning.org/
Center for Academic Excellence, Portland State University,
http://www.pdx.edu/cae/
Metropolitan Universities, http://muj.uc.iupui.edu/
Campus Compact, http://www.compact.org/
American Democracy Project,
http://www.aascu.org/programs/adp/about/default.htm
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health,
http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/
EXTRA SLIDES
Examples of Capstones

Developing Assets in Homeless and Disadvantaged
Populations

Effecting Change

Effective Environmental Education

Employee Surveys for Understanding and Addressing
Workplace Issues

Empowering Communities with GIS and Asset Mapping

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Criminal Justice
Interventions
Civic Leadership

Family Mathematics

Collaborations: Boys and Girls Club


Communities, Public Housing and History
Forgotten in the Heart of Portland: Engaging the Reality
of Old Town

Community Psychology

Gay Rights, Television, Film and Social Change

Contemplative Practice and Civic Engagement

Girl Power

Creating a Community Vision: Portland 2030

Global Portland - Hmong

Creative Industries: Creating an Ad Campaign for Biking
Advocates

Global Portland - Somalia

Global Portland, Bantu Resettlement

Art and Social Change

Asset Mapping with GIS - Empowering Communities

Ballot Initiatives, Society and the Environment

Bicycle Barriers: Alternative Transportation Issues in
Portland

Business Strategy in a High Tech Start-up

Caribbean Studies

Change for the Common Good: AmeriCrops


Creativity, Culture and Community

Grant Writing for Environmental Advocacy

Cross-Community Connections

Grantwriting for Social Change

Design, Development and Delivery of Interactive Media
and E-Learning

History of Chinese People in the Pacific Northwest
Examples Of Capstones

Hunger and Homelessness: TeamWorks for
Change

Next Generation Civic Leadership

Oral Histories: Valley Migrant League

Hunger in the City: In Search of Community
Food Security

Outside In: Art, Community and Empowerment,
Art and Homeless Youth

Immigration and the Workforce I

Placemaking with the City Repair Project

Influencing Public Policy: Lessons Learned from
Tobacco Prevention

Preserving LGBTQ History

Inside Out Prison Exchange

Public Relations for Non-Profits

Linking the Generations: Communication, Aging
and Society

Sexual Assault in the Community and on the
College Campus

Linking the Generations: Communication, Aging
and Society

Sexual Minority Youth: Their Stories and Needs

Social Justice for Adolescents

Spirituality of Being Awake

Sustaining Oregon's Communities and
Landscapes

Marketing and Retention for an Educational Notfor-Profit

Media Activism and Social

Medieval Portland

Training Needs Assessment and Delivery

Meditation for Global Healing

Volunteer Stream Monitoring

Monumental Women: Portland's History on the
Web and on the Ground

Wetland Ecology and the Arts

Working with Immigrant Students

Music for Social Change.

Nature in the Neighborhood