Service Learning Course Designation Form
Use this form to request a Service Learning Course Designation for a new or existing course.
Proposed course title should end with the following designation: /SvcLrn
I. Service Learning Course
337
Dept/Program
Course Number
Political Science
(e.g.
SW
UG
423)
Subject
(PSCI)
Course Title (e.g.
Model United Nations/SvcLrn
Addiction
Studies/SvcLrn)
Short Title (max. 26
Model UN/SvcLrn
characters incl. spaces)
3
Number of credits
Karen Ruth Adams (fall 2014) and Eric Hines (fall 2015 and henceforth)
Instructor name
karen.adams@umontana.edu, eric.hines@umontana.edu
Instructor phone
and e-mail
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete this form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Requestor
Requestor phone
and e-mail
Program
Chair/Director
Other affected
programs
Dean
Please Type/Print Name
Karen Adams
Signature
Karen Ruth Adams
Date
10/23/2014
Karen Adams, 406-214-5451, Karen.adams@umontana.edu
Ramona Grey
Chris Comer
III. UM Service Learning Definition: Service Learning is a method of teaching and learning
in which students, faculty and community partners work together to enhance student
learning by applying academic knowledge in a community-based setting. Student work
addresses the needs of the community, as identified through collaboration with community
or tribal partners, while meeting instructional objectives through faculty-structured service
work and critical reflection meant to prepare students to be civically responsible members
of the community. At its best, service learning enhances and deepens students’
understanding of an academic discipline by facilitating the integration of theory and
practice, while providing them with experience that develops life skills and engages them
in critical reflection about individual, institutional, and social ethics.
IV.Service Learning Course Criteria The University of Montana-Missoula has established the
following criteria for Service Learning courses. In order to receive the Service Learning course
designation, a course must clearly exemplify all of the following criteria:
 Students in the course will provide a needed service to individuals, organizations, schools, or other
not-for-profit or tax-exempt entities in the community.
 The service experience is directly related to the subject matter of the course.
 Knowledge from the discipline informs the service experiences with which the students are to be
involved.
 Activities in the classroom will provide opportunities for students to actively reflect upon what they
have learned through the service experience and how these experiences relate to the subject matter of
the course. Reflection should be imbedded as course assignments and in-class time should be
scheduled to do reflection – both should be clear on the syllabus. Reflection should incorporate
discussion/assignments that help students understand the importance of meeting community needs
through service and civic engagement in a democratic society.
 The course offers a method to assess the learning derived from the service. Credit will be given for
the learning and its relation to the course, not for the service alone.
 Service interactions in the community will recognize the needs of service recipients and represent
reciprocal partnerships between the campus(class) and community partner organization(s).
Community partner(s) should have the opportunity to provide advice and feedback in class on the
nature and value of the service performed by the students.
 Training (by the service agency) and preparation (by the course instructor) ensure that students
perform service activities in a professional manner and that vulnerable populations are not harmed.
 Service options ensure that no student is required to participate in a service placement that creates a
religious, political, or moral conflict for the student.
 In a 3-credit service learning course, students should be required to perform a minimum of 15 hours
of community service per semester (i.e. 5 hours of service per academic credit.) Service hours may
include hours spent in training, preparation, and direct contact with clients.
 If the proposed course is an internship course, the syllabus should clearly indicate not only the
learning objectives that are to be achieved through the service, but also the connection between this
course and curriculum from other courses in the discipline. There should be a clear connection of the
interrelatedness between the service learning internship and previous coursework the student has
taken to prepare them for their service work.
V. Confirmation of Service Learning Course Criteria: Explain how this course meets each of
the following criteria.
Need for service: Describe the community-
identified need and the nature of the service
experience students will be involved in.
Students in PSCI 337 organize and staff the
annual, 2-day Montana Model United
Nations (MMUN) high school conference.
This conference is one of the largest and
longest running high school conferences in
the United States. Each year, 350-400
students from 17-20
Montana and Idaho high schools attend the
two-day conference. Since the conference
began in 1966, more than 10,000 Montana and
Idaho high school students have attended
Montana Model UN (MMUN).
At Model United Nations conferences, students
“represent” countries from across the world.
Like real-world diplomats, they participate in
UN committees such as the General Assembly
and Security Council. By drafting, debating,
negotiating, and voting on resolutions, students
learn to examine international affairs from
different perspectives and experience what it is
like to cooperate to solve to real-world
problems.
Using background materials prepared the faculty
advisors and MMUN staff and posted on the
MMUN website, http://www.cas.umt.edu/mun/,
high school students working in classes or clubs
research their countries and the issues before their
committees, then write papers summarizing their
countries’ positions. They can also attend preconference workshops on resolution writing and
parliamentary procedure.
Model UN conferences are peak academic
experiences. They expose students to
important international issues and challenge
them to develop their research, writing, public
speaking and negotiation skills. In addition,
Montana Model UN gives high school students
a taste of university life. During the two-day
conference, students eat on campus, meet UM
students and foreign exchange students, and
attend talks by UM faculty.
MMUN makes a substantial contribution to
public education. International history and
current events are not part of the required high
school curriculum. By providing teachers and
students with committee and topic background
guides, students in PSCI 337 contribute to the
creation of a more informed local, national,
and international community.
Relation to course content: Describe how the
service experience is related to the subject matter of
the course. How do students apply their classroom
learning in the service experience?
1. Students learn about the United Nations and
its various committees, then staff the
committees at the high school conference.
2. Students learn about international history
and current events, then help high school
students debate these topics at the conference.
3. Students learn to research and write
country background papers and position
papers for in- class committee simulations. At
the conference, they evaluate the high school
students’ position papers for conference
awards.
4. Students learn conference skills, such as
public speaking, resolution writing,
negotiation, and parliamentary procedure, and
practice these in in-class simulations. At the
conference, students serve in various
capacities (secretaries- general, high school
liaison, committee chair, vice chair,
rapporteur, runner/typist) to help the high
school students develop similar skills.
5. Students learn and apply international
relations theory to predict and explain
conference outcomes.
6. Students compare and contrast conference
outcomes to historical and current real-world
events.
Reflection: What opportunities are provided in the
Worksheets, papers, quizzes, discussion. Each
student writes at least 5 papers (a total of about
classroom for students to reflect upon what they
have learned through their service experience? How 20 pages) over the semester.
is service placed within the broader context of civic
The culminating assignment is a debriefing paper
engagement and service to others? Reflection
after the conference in which students are asked to
assignments and activities should be clearly noted
reflect on their participation in the conference and
as such in the syllabus and occur throughout the
to compare the conference debates and outcomes
semester, not just at the end. .
to international relations theories and history.
Assessment: What method(s) are used to assess
Grading of papers and projects (60% of course
grade), quizzes and in-class participation (20%),
the learning derived from the service experience?
and conference participation (20%).
In addition, the debriefing paper asked students to
comment on what they suggest we should do
differently next year to improve the conference
experience.
Reciprocity: How do community partner(s)
provide advice and feedback on the nature and
value of the service performed?
At the conference, the professors and MMUN
Executive Staff (secretaries general, high
school liaison, etc) meet with the teachers as a
group to discuss how the conference could be
improved.
At the end of the conference, the high school
students fill out evaluations explaining what
they learned and rating the competence and
accessibility of committee staff. This
evaluation is used to improve conference
materials and make staff awards.
At the end of the conference, high school teachers
fill out a detailed evaluation of the conference’s
contribution to their students knowledge and
skills. The evaluation is used to improve the
conference the next time around.
Training: What training and preparation will be
provided to assure that that students perform their
service activities in a professional manner and that
vulnerable populations are not harmed?
Service options: What service options exist to
ensure that no student is required to participate in a
service placement that creates a religious, political,
or moral conflict?
Number of service hours required: How many
hours of service per semester are students required
to perform? Provide detailed description of the
service activities to be performed.
The 2013 evaluations are attached for your
information.
PSCI 337 meets for 2.5 hours weekly during fall
semester to prepare students for the service
learning component (the high school
conference), which is held on the Monday and
Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Staffing decisions are based on student
preference, GPA, leadership experience,
performance on papers and quizzes, and
participation in in-class simulations.
At the beginning of the semester, students
are asked to rank their committee and role
preferences. There are many different
committees and roles to choose from, from the
very active (Security Council committee chair)
to the more subdued (General Assembly
runner/expert).
Students must attend all or most of the 2-day
conference, which runs from 9-9 on Monday
and from 9-5 on Tuesday.
Service activities vary by role. Chairs run the
committee proceedings. Vice chairs help the
chairs with rules and resolutions. Rapporteurs
keep track of proceedings on the board so the high
school students know what is going on.
Runner/experts type resolutions and make
presentations on fictitious “crisis” situations.
VI. Community Partner Information: Provide information on the organization(s) that will
provide service placements for students in this course.
Name of Agency/Organization(s)
N/A -- all placements are decided by the
professor in consultation with the Executive
Committee (returning students serving as
secretaries general, high school liaison, etc)
Contact person name(s)
Contact person(s) phone and e-mail
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. The syllabus should
clearly indicate that this is a service learning course and it should include the UM Service Learning
Definition as text within the syllabus. The syllabus should also demonstrate how the above criteria are
satisfied. For assistance in preparing a service learning course syllabus, see
http://www.compact.org/syllabi/ or contact Andrea Vernon, Director of the Office for Civic
Engagement: andrea.vernon@umontana.edu.
VIII. Copies and Electronic Submission: Submit approved original, a copy, and electronic
file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu.
Revised 6/14