La Salle University Service-Learning Courses
Criteria and Approval Process
The University's Curriculum Committee has approved the following definition and criteria for a course to receive the
Service-Learning (SL) designation. The Service-Learning Advisory Board has been charged with the responsibility for
reviewing courses both with a current SL designation and for new courses.
The value in having a course designated as service-learning is related to our mission as well as good educational practice.
La Salle's Will to Excel recognizes the importance of SL for our students’ development, and as an educational strategy to
realize its mission. SL fosters critical thinking and problem solving while also encouraging students to examine their
responsibility as citizens "toward responsible engagement with the life of their times." (William M. Sullivan, "The Twin
Elements of Learning: Knowledge and Judgment, " AAC& U's Liberal Education, Vol. 96. No. 3) Moreover, La Salle’s A
Liberal Arts Core for the 21st Century encourages engaged learning practices, including service-learning, under the
“Experience beyond the Classroom” component of the curricular requirements.
As an urban, Catholic university, La Salle seeks to embrace engaged pedagogies as a social and moral covenant. This
suggests taking students beyond a charity model of service to an examination of the structural issues which created the
need for service. Therefore, at its best, SL strives to expose students to the larger systemic issues of justice, and to work
for a more perfect human society.
Service-Learning Definition and Criteria
In order for a course to be labeled a SL course, the following criteria meet both national standards as well as best
practices that have developed at La Salle over the last decade.
Service-Learning:
 is a teaching and learning strategy.
 provides students the opportunity to practice, perform, and observe the theories and practical applications of
course content.
 awards academic credit based on the student’s demonstration of learning course content, and not simply on
participation in the service.
 engages students in a minimum of 5 hours of service during the semester
 includes structured and on-going reflection on the interface of service and classroom experiences through a mix
of writing, reading, speaking, and listening, individually and in groups.
 is most effective with a sustained commitment throughout the semester
 is designed to meet community-identified needs.
Complete these steps to apply for Service-Learning Designation
Draft a 1-2 page document that details how your course includes each of the following:
1. Identify the course learning objectives that will be enhanced through the engagement/service experience.
2. What service will students provide and for what length of time?
3. What reflection methods (minimum of two types) will be used to help students understand the connection
between their service and the content of the course?
4. How will you prepare students for real world engagement that includes cultural awareness, seeing both
community assets and needs, establishing a reciprocal relationship, and growing in these understandings over
time? What role will the community have in the partnership?
5. How will you evaluate the learning that students have derived from the service experience?
Submit your application along with a copy of your syllabus and any related assignment instructions to the Director of
Service-Learning, Tara Carr-Lemke, at carrlemke@lasalle.edu, who will share the materials with the Service-Learning
Advisory Board. To receive the designation for the Fall semester, submit documents by March 15th and for the Spring
semester by October 15th. Once the designation has been granted, the registrar will be notified.
It is also important to confirm that the agency with which you want to partner has been vetted by the university. This
process is conducted to comply with safety protocols. For a list and description of approved sites, go to
http://wp.lasalle.edu/cel/ and follow the Service-Learning link to “Our Community Partners.”
If you would like to use a site that has not yet been approved, please follow these steps:
1. Obtain course approval from the Service-Learning Advisory Board.
2. Submit a site description (name, location, contact information) to Tara CarrLemke (carrlemke@lasalle.edu) and Regina Gauss-Kosiek (gauss01@lasalle.edu).
3. Allow one month for a site visit and memo of understanding to be completed by University Ministry and Service.
a. A representative of University Ministry and Service will contact the site and set up a time to meet and
tour the facility. During the visit, the site is inspected for basic safety measures and the contact person is
asked some basic questions to verify that they understand the role they play (verifying hours, evaluating
students, and helping with reflection if necessary).
b. Once the site visit is complete, a site audit form will be completed with basic descriptions of the facility,
roles that are available, and if there are any concerns or recommendations for a specific site, i.e. travel
during the day, do not take public transportation alone at night to this location.
4. You will be contacted when the process is complete and your students can begin to work at the site.