Mississippi State University Service-Learning Course Designation Process – EXISTING COURSES
In an effort to ensure that all Mississippi State University (MSU) courses receiving the service-learning (“S”) course
designation have received consistency and quality in review, the Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning
Excellence (CASLE) in conjunction with MSU’s Community Engagement Committee has designed the following
service-learning designation process.
Obtaining the service-learning course designation is strongly recommended in order to alert students to this
unique experiential learning pedagogy and to formally identify service-learning course opportunities within the
department, extension services, student affairs, or the veterinary college.
The approval process for Existing Courses is as follows:
1. Faculty wanting to propose a service-learning designation to an existing course in their department complete
the Service-Learning Course Designation Form.
2. The Service-Learning Course Designation Form is signed by the department chair (or equivalent) and sent to
the Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence (CASLE) via email at
courses@servicelearning.msstate.edu.
3. The request is reviewed by the Service-Learning Advisory Committee (SLAC) using the service-learning course
criteria as stated on the Service-Learning Course Designation form.
4. When the course is approved for the service-learning (“S”) designation, the Center for the Advancement of
Service-Learning Excellence will notify both the MSU Registrar’s Office (via the Section Change form) and the
faculty member regarding this approval. If approved, the searchable attribute “S” with the course section
number is added to the course display on the master schedule. Additionally, on the student transcript the
comment, “This is a service-learning designated course” will be added. In the event that a request is not
approved, the SLAC will provide the instructor with an overview of concerns regarding the service –learning
requirements of the course.
5. Faculty should allow for one month from submission to final approval and notification by the SLAC.
6. Adding the service-learning course designation to an existing course does not require the approval of MSU’s
University Course and Curriculum Committee (UCCC) as the course has already been approved by the UCCC.
However, should the use of service-learning pedagogy change the course more than 25% in design, a course
modification will need to be completed and submitted to the UCCC. It is assumed that once the servicelearning course designation is granted, no further course approval will be needed for the service-learning
designation unless the faculty member changes the course design with respect to the service-learning over
25%. Faculty will ultimately decide when a request for a course modification is necessary.
Mississippi State University Service-Learning Course Designation Process – NEW COURSES
In an effort to ensure that all Mississippi State University (MSU) courses receiving the service-learning (“S”) course
designation have received consistency and quality in review, the Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning
Excellence (CASLE) in conjunction with MSU’s Community Engagement Committee has designed the following
service-learning designation process.
Obtaining the service-learning course designation is strongly recommended in order to alert students to this
unique experiential learning pedagogy and to formally identify service-learning course opportunities within the
department, extension services, student affairs, or the veterinary college.
The approval process for New Courses is as follows:
1. Faculty wanting to propose a service-learning designation for a new course in their department complete the
Service-Learning (SL) Course Designation Form and the UCCC forms and accompanying materials.
2. While the UCCC course paperwork is running through the approval system (i.e. faculty, college, etc.) the
Service-Learning Course Designation Form is signed by the department chair (or equivalent) and sent to the
Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence (CASLE) via email at
courses@servicelearning.msstate.edu.
3. The request is reviewed by the Service-Learning Advisory Committee (SLAC) using the service-learning course
criteria as stated on the Service-Learning Course Designation form.
4. When the course is approved for the service-learning (“S”) designation the Center for the Advancement of
Service-Learning Excellence (CASLE) notifies the faculty member in writing regarding this approval. The faculty
member will attach this approval to his or her UCCC materials to be submitted when the final paperwork goes
to UCCC. It should be noted that both the UCCC and the SLAC may review the materials at the same time, thus
speeding up the approval process.
5. Once approval is given through the UCCC, the faculty member will then complete the Section Add Request EForm in Banner and send the completed form to Dr. April Heiselt (ah384). CASLE staff will review this form
and forward it to the appropriate Associate Dean for approval and final forward to the Registrar’s Office.
6. In the event that the service-learning designation is not approved, the SLAC will provide the instructor with an
overview of concerns regarding the service –learning requirements of the course. The instructor may
continue to submit the course to UCCC as a regular course designation.
7. Once the Registrar’s Office receives final approval the searchable attribute “S” with the course section
number is added to the course display in the master schedule. Additionally, on the student transcript the
comment, “This is a service-learning designated course” will be added.
8. Faculty should allow for one month from submission to final approval and notification by the SLAC. All other
deadlines for UCCC proposals should be followed.
9. It is assumed that once the service-learning course designation is granted, no further course approval will be
needed for the service-learning designation unless the faculty member changes the course design with
respect to the service-learning over 25%. Faculty will ultimately decide when a request for a course
modification is necessary.