For Faculty

Welcome!

If you have thought of adding an experiential, service component to your academic courses or if you would like to design a service learning travel course, please allow us to assist you in your efforts.  Since the Center has a database of established agencies eager to have student volunteers, we can make the crucial contacts necessary for the smooth and efficient running of a service learning course.  We can also suggest national and international organizations that specialize in university service learning courses should you want to develop a travel course with a service component.

On this site, you will also find information about developing a service learning syllabus, links to databases of syllabi, information on publishing your research in peer review journals and agencies that make grants in this field.  It is our goal to assist you in making civic engagement and service learning  an enriching experience for you and your students.

The Center has a Minor in Civic Engagement and Social Entrepreneurship, an 18 credit, interdisciplinary minor with core courses in business, writing, cultural competency and a list of electives.  If you have a course you would like to add to the electives, please contact Professor Roberta Rosenberg at rrosenb@cnu.edu.

We look forward to working with you!

"Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities."

-Learn and Serve, America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse

Thoughts from a CNU Professor

When I wanted to add an S-L component to my leadership class, I contacted the Center for Service Learning for guidance.  After discussing the course requirements, Center Staff reviewed the list of Community Partners and connected me with a great fit.  Because of the support that I received, I was able to incorporate Service-Learning into my class in a way that was seamless, professional, and successful for all participants.

Dr. Elizabeth Gagnon

Leadership and American Studies

Opportunities for Faculty

  • Browse the SERVICE DATABASE of agencies, organizations, and schools to find an opportunity of interest, or contact the Center to discuss a new community partnership.

3.  Books on Social Entrepreneurship and Service Learning
4.  Mentoring in America: A Summary of Research
5.  Articles on Service Learning

6.  Faculty Toolkit for Service Learning in Higher Education

Additional Useful links
Service Learning links

CNU Service Learning Across the Disciplines
(Recent / Current Examples)

Department

Description

Course

Instructor

Accounting

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. 10-15 student volunteers prepare taxes and efile for low income taxpayers in the community and students/staff.

TAX PREP FOR ACCT401+ STUDENTS

Prof. Gabriele Lingenfelter
Biology

BIOL 306: Environmental Conservation: Students analyze mercury, tree plantings, and other environmental issues.                                                         ENVS 519 Restoration Ecology: Students work on wetland restoration.

BIOL306 Dr. Rob Atkinson

Communication Studies

Students enrolled in the Persuasion (COMM 325) course participate in a group project designed as a service-learning experience. Student teams design a fundraising activity whose proceeds to toward the Communication Studies endowed Scholarship fund.

COMM325

Dr. Michaela Meyer

Civic Engagement and Social Work

Service fully integrated into the curriculum.

SOWK302, SOWK403, SOWK260, SOWK 211, SOWK493, SOWK383

Dr. Carolyn Ericson
Civic Engagement and Social Work

ULLC-100: Practicing Social Justice 

Provides an examination of the concepts of oppression, injustice, empowerment and social justice.  Along with developing and analyzing historical, personal and worldview concepts of oppression and injustice, students are challenged to develop concepts of empowerment and social justice that combat oppression and injustice.  Participation in class, campus and community assignments, service projects and functions help students understand and be involved in the practice of social justice.

ULLC-100 Prof. Cheryl Mathews

English

English 311: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Partner: Newport News Public Schools: Sedgefield Elementary School CNU undergraduates are assisting Sedgefield Elementary School teachers by tutoring students who speak English as a second language

ENGL311

Dr. Peter Snow

English

In English 355 (Writing for Nonprofit Organizations), we partner with local nonprofits. Each student is responsible for 10-15 hours of volunteer work (basically designed to expose the student to the work of the individual nonprofit he or she has selected

ENGL355

Dr. Jean Filetti

English

Each student in English 354 (Public Relations writing) does a public relations campaign for an on or off-campus organization during the semester.

ENGL354

Dr. Roberta Rosenberg

Government

ULLC 100 Good versus Evil: Ethics Crime and Criminal Justice" was a First Year Seminar that required freshmen students to complete 24 hours of volunteer activity in the local community. Volunteer service is to be accomplished in any activity of interest.

ULLC100

Dr. Peter Carlson
Government

 

This Community Service Internship provides opportunities for students to serve the community and explore a possible career field. Interns serve in any government or non-profit organization for 1-3 credit hours.  Students serve 25, 50, or 75 hours respectively. Service may be accomplished in various organizations of interest as approved by the instructor. GOVT 291 Dr. Peter Carlson

History

A number of history majors participated in the State-Department sponsored initiative to bring American students to Morocco. These students helped to host Moroccan students when they visited Virginia in the summer of 2006 and, by spending 4 weeks in Morocco.

MOROCCAN EXCHANGE

Dr.  Andrew Falk,

Dr. Eric Duskin,

Dr. Phil Hamilton

Leadership

L220 Foundations of Leadership Studies: “Project Gadfly.” Students organized events for the campus and community, seeking to “awaken the masses” about a particular issue and inspire action. Projects attracted hundreds of attendees, hundreds of signatures on petitions, and raised hundreds of dollars.

LDSP220

Dr. Robert Colvin

Management

MKTG 320 - Marketing Research: A semester long group project requires the students to find a business and conduct a survey of the basic marketing attributes of the products and/or services the company sells.

MKTG320

Dr. Robert Hasbrouck

Management

MGMT 440 small business institute: student work in groups and perform a complete business analysis of a small entrepreneurship. The final report provides several recommendations that are aimed to help the business to be more profitable and successful.

MGMT440

Dr. Patrick Walker

Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures (MCLL)

This Spanish 321 class (Techniques of Translation and Interpretation), as part of their final group projects in Fall 2007, translated documents from English into Spanish for two non-profit organizations.

SPAN321

Dr. Elaine Miller

MCLL

Upper level students participate in a voluntary project of Service Learning at Denbigh High School every Thursday from 2-4:15pm. I have a contact in the guidance dept with whom I correspond.

UPPER LEVEL SPANISH STUDENTS TUTOR AT DENBIGH HIGH SCHOOL

Prof. Ingrid Edery
MCLL

“LIFE ON THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN BORDER SINCE 1950:LITERARY, ARTISTIC, & CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES OF IMMIGRATION”

This freshman seminar is a three credit course designed to provide students the opportunity to explore and discover how life on the border between Mexico and United States has literary, artistic, social, political and economic effects in our life in America.  Students work with immigrants in the Hampton Roads area who are currently facing these issues as part of a service-learning community project.

ULLC-100 Prof. Ingrid Edery

PCSE

CPSC395, a CS outreach course

CPSC395

Dr. Lynn Lambert

Psychology

Psychology 312 Educational Psychology has a component where the students are required to spend time in the classroom where they serve as volunteers or teacher assistants.

PSYC312

Mrs. Patricia Hochnadel

Sociology

Prerequisite: SOCL 392 (Fall and Spring)  The practicum in sociology consists of 150 hours in an approved community setting.  Its purpose is to give students the opportunity to correlate theory with practice.  Written work includes a log and a final paper synthesizing the student's experience.  Practicum must be approved by the department before the student registers. *Same as ANTH 491*

SOCL491

Prof. Cheryl Chambers

Teacher Preparation

Practical Service in Public Schools up to 150 hours

MAT FIELD EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT

Ms. Deborah Farina

Teacher Preparation

Math 570: 12-hour field experience. Students enrolled in the Math 570 (The Teaching of Math) course complete 12 hours of tutoring students at McIntosh Elementary School. The McIntosh students are selected because they are having difficulty in math.

MATH570

Ms. Deborah Farina
Phoenix Project: Service Learning through course curriculum, focused on Southeast Newport News Community. Social Entrepreneurship: This is a new Minor that will prepare students to combine best business practices with meaningful community work. International Partnership: CNU service and service learning opportunities through our signature program in Ecuador. CNU Connect: For students who desire to engage local agencies, schools and organizations throughout the semester.