Date
Site Supervisor’s Name
Community Parnter
Partner Address
Dear Community Parnter,
Thank you for agreeing to participate in the title of course community-based learning project at
American University. This letter of agreement confirms what we spoke about on the phone last week / emailed about, etc .
Please take a moment to review the following information, then sign and return.
My Understanding of your organization:
Here the faculty member outlines the mission of the organization and key programs.
My understanding of the needs of your organization with regards to this community-based learning project:
Here the faculty member outlines the scope of the agreed upon project and any specific deliverables.
Example:
“The students will arrive at the center once a week for 4 weeks and interview different members of the Center staff and population. From that information the students will write articles for the Center’s quarterly newsletter. The students will submit each article to the site supervisor for review. They will also take photos at each visit and will receive other pictures from the site supervisor to put in the newsletter. The newsletter will be distributed to all of the residents that the Family Center serves and to the Hampden residents that live within two blocks of the center. The goal of the newsletter is to spread awareness about what programs the Center offers and how residents can take advantage of them.”
Timeline for planning, developing and assessing the project:
Here the faculty member outlines the timeline for the project, and how the student will be assessed on the project. Faculty members may want to consider having the site supervisor offer feedback on the work completed by the volunteers.
Example:
“Each Tuesday in October at 2:30pm, the students will report to the Center. The first week they will interview the Executive Director, then the second week they will interview the Program Director. The third week they will interview a senior citizen who uses the Meals on Wheels program and finally, during the fourth week, they will interview a student participating in the G.E.D. course. After all the interviews are complete, the students will begin writing articles for the newsletter. Three students will be assigned to the Center, so 8 to 10 articles will be printed all together.
Throughout the rest of the semester the students will be working in class to put the articles and photos in newsletter format. All articles and photos will be approved by the site supervisor. After the first two interviews on site the site supervisor will evaluate the students as part of a mid-semester evaluation. I will be evaluating the students’ articles as part of their academic assignments.”
Detailed Expectations and Requirements of the Community Partner, Faculty and Student:

Here the faculty member outlines the role of the community partner, faculty member and students.
Highlight any agreed upon dates and be sure to discuss the partner’s role in orienting the students to the organization.
Example:
“The site supervisor is expected to attend the class meeting on Tuesday, September 24th at 2:00pm to help prepare students for the community-based learning experience. He will provide background about the population served by the Center and why the students’ service is needed. The site supervisor will oversee the students as they interview each party and give feedback as necessary. I will review all articles written by the students. The students are expected to arrive on time and dress appropriately for each site visit. They will be prepared and have done research on the interviewee. You and I will communicate weekly via e-mail or phone to discuss the project and any issues that need to be addressed with the students.”
Thank you for agreeing to partner with American University for this project. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I look forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
X_____________________________
Faculty Member’s Name
Faculty Member’s Title
I have read this Memo of Understanding as well as the course syllabus and I will adhere to this agreement throughout the semester.
X______________________________
Site Supervisor’s Name
Site Supervisor