Success and Challenge:
Building a Sustainable
Service-Learning Program
Rich Harris, Director
James Madison University
What Does Success
Look Like?
Campus Compact
Building A Service-Learning Pyramid
www.compact.org/faculty/specialreport
James Madison University
Service-Learning History
• 1986-1991 – Community Service-Learning founded and developed by Cecil Bradfield
(Sociology) and Ann Myers (Social Work)
• 1992-1995 – Seeking direction
• 1996-2002 – Planning and implementing a
program
• 2003-2005 – Budget cuts and creating a void
• 2006-present – Institutionalizing service-learning
What Was Learned?
• Link service-learning to the university mission
• Do your homework – discover and implement
best practices
• Pick your campus champions and have them
represent the program
• Identify constituents and involve them in the
development process
• Designate leadership with dedicated time and
funding to engage the campus in servicelearning development
• Be realistic – develop pilot programs and
evaluate their success
More Learning
• Develop a plan
– Link service-learning to the institution’s
mission
– Define service learning and program goals
– Identify who will be involved, roles and
benefits
– Identify program structure and resources
needed
– Identify and create partnerships
– Link Academic and Student Affairs
– Present institutional choices
JMU Service-Learning Today
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The JMU Mission
Service-Learning Defined
Service-Learning Goals
Programs and Partnerships
Administrative Structure and Funding
Community Service-Learning
Organizational Chart
Rich Harris, Director
Community Service Learning
Fiscal Assistant
Administrative Assistant
Julie Slifer
-Debbie Fox-
Student Office
Assistant
Associate Director for
Community Programs
Student Office
Assistant
Associate Director for
Domestic and International
Programs
-Walt Ghant- Lorelei EsbenshadeGraduate Assistant
Alternative Spring Break
Graduate Assistant
Service Learning
Service Coordinators (7)
Aging Services
Community Wellness &
Environment Disability Services
Early & Elementary Ed
Hunger & Housing
Special Ed
Youth & Adult Ed
Outreach
Program
Coord.
Information
Technology
Coordinator
Undergraduate
student
Federal Work
Study
Alternative Spring
Break
Coordinators (2)
Alternative Spring
Break Leaders
(40-50)
Community Service-Learning
Funding Sources
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Tuition dollars
Student fee dollars
Federal dollars
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America Reads
Community Based Federal Work Study
Expendable account
Endowment account
Fees for service – Primarily ASB
Provost office – faculty development
Next Steps for JMU
• Expanded community and JMU educational
partnerships
• Moving towards civic engagement by service-learning
progression
– Exposure
– Understanding
– Action
• Institutionalized of faculty support and development –
Expanding understanding, breadth and depth of servicelearning
Integrating Service-Learning Into a Course
Action Research
Service-Learning Course
Service-Learning Component
Service-Learning as an Option
JMU Faculty Support
– Placement service and classroom visits –
www.jmu.edu/csl/serv-ops/placements
– Customized service-learning placement and course
development
– Classroom reflection facilitation and support
– Workshops, training and funding in partnership with
Center for Faculty Innovation
– Departmental specific training and workshops
– Brown bag lunches for faculty support
– Service-Learning faculty blackboard site
– CS-L library and web site
– Individual consultation
– Advocating for faculty in the tenure process
Service-Learning and Tenure
• Teaching
– Generally the most supported
– Support and reward for course development
– Teaching evaluations increase
• Service
– Credit for community service
– “Packaging” of service activities
• Research
– Service-Learning pedagogy
– Service-Learning in the specific discipline
– Faculty mentors
• Scholarly Activity at JMU
How Students Benefit
• More engaged - learning comes alive
• Aids in academic and vocational decision
making
• Reflective thinkers and learners
• Better prepared for the world they will live in –
people, ideas and skills
• Path to civic engagement
– Exposure
– Understanding
– Action
What Holds Service-Learning
Together at JMU?
• Linked to the JMU mission
• Part of the JMU culture based on 20 year history
• Partnerships
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JMU involvement in the community
Student and Academic Affairs
Multiple offices in all programs
Faculty development in learning communities
Strong student leadership
• Institutional service-learning “home”, funding and support services –
CS-L department coordinates these
• Ongoing development and change
Pitfalls
• Overreaching resources – human, time and
budgetary
• Lack of a future plan
• Lack of ongoing institutional support and dollars
for an ongoing program – faculty development
• Lack of partnerships
• Making service-learning the responsibility of just
one office or group rather than engaging the
entire campus
Questions?
For More Information Contact:
Rich Harris, Director
Community Service-Learning
James Madison University
harrisra@jmu.edu
540-568-3463
www.jmu.edu/csl