Institutionalization of Service Learning in Higher Education

Introduction Service is often included in the mission statement of institutions of higher education, but the importance of service is seldom as evident in their work as are teaching and research (Holland, 1997). There is, however, a revival of interest in the role that service can assume in higher education. Critical examinations have suggested ways in which greater emphasis on the scholarship of service can change the nature of faculty work, enhance student learning, better fulfill campus mission, and improve town-gown relations (e.g., Boyer, 1994, 1997; Bringle, Games, & Malloy, 1999; Eggerton, 1994; Harkavy & Puckett, 1994; Rice, 1996). The late Ernest Boyer stressed that higher education should develop scholarship connected to and integrated with community service. He noted, The academy must become a more vigorous partner in the search for answers to our most pressing social, civic, economic, and moral problems, and must reaffirm its historic commitment to what I call the scholarship of engagement (Boyer, 1997, p. 11). Boyer's charge to develop the scholarship of engagement challenges higher education to consider community involvement in a more active, deliberate fashion. In order to do so, higher education must "build important collaborative partnerships, improve all forms of scholarship, nurture the support of stakeholders, and contribute to the common good" (Bringle et al., 1999, P. 12). Institutional changes that support the scholarship of engagement include intentionally clarifying mission in a manner that produces increased congruence between mission and practice, examining how the curriculum can better reflect community engagement, investing in infrastructure that supports community engagement, developing new models for assessing successful engagement in the community, and adjusting the roles and rewards of faculty so that faculty work in the community is recognized and supported (Bringle et al., 1999). When transformation of the work of colleges and universities on the scholarship of engagement occurs that is integr al, enduring, and meaningful to all stakeholders, then service learning will be institutionalized. Those in higher education engage in many types of service (e.g., to the disciplines, to students, to the institution). One of the most salient manifestations of the heightened attention to service has occurred in its integration with teaching in the form of service learning. Service learning is defined as a "course-based, credit-bearing educational experience in which students (a) participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and (b) reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility" (Bringle & Hatcher, 1995, p. 112). Service learning is compatible with the renewed interest in developing the scholarship of engagement through collaborative work that is consistent with the mission of institutions (Boyer, 1997; Holland, 1997, 1999; Rice, 1996; Zlotkowski, 1999). Service learning engages students in active, relevant, and collaborative learnin g and is an effective way to enhance student learning, student development, and commitment to future civic involvement (Markus, Howard, & King, 1993; Sax & Astin, 1997). Thus, service learning is a smart choice for institutions of higher education because it enhances student achievement of core educational outcomes (Markus et al., 1993; Osborne, Hammerich, & Hensley, 1998) and enhances faculty satisfaction with teaching (Hammond, 1994). Increasing the role of community service as a means for civic education also makes sense to the degree that it is a socially and morally responsible choice (Harkavy, 1996, 1998; Hatcher, 1997). As such, service learning is a good choice for institutions of higher education. Many institutions are increasing emphasis on service as an integral aspect of higher education. …