Preference
Worksheet
What is Service-Learning?
Service-Learning is experiential learning that links meaningful, real-world community service projects to an academic course.
- The hands-on volunteer experience meets a defined community need and enhances student learning.
- Service-Learning courses include reflective assignments in which students demonstrate their understanding of course content.
How to Get Involved in Service-Learning
- Review the information on the Get Involved page
- Check out the Service-Learning Courses at the Cortland Registrar’s Webpage
- Contact an instructor who teaches or who has taught Service-Learning
- Contact John Suarez, Coordinator of Service-Learning,
- Learning Commons, Memorial Library, SUNY Cortland
Benefits of Service-Learning
Benefits of Service-Learning to the Community
- Contributes to meeting the special needs of citizen groups
- Improves town-gown relations
Benefits of Service-Learning to Students
- Improves chances for academic success
- Improves students’ leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Improves students’ retention rates: Students tend to not drop out of college
- Increases chances of securing scholarships
- Improves post-graduation earning power (6 to 7% higher starting salary)
- Develops a "greater appreciation for diversity"
Other benefits to students may include
- “Test-driving” a career
- Increased networking abilities
- Recognition
- Altruistic satisfaction
- Better time-management skills
Benefits of Service-Learning to the College
- Improved community relations
- Helps fulfill the college’s mission statement
- Meets the curricular and altruistic interests of students
- Helps meet the pedagogical interests of faculty
Benefits of Service-Learning to Service Agencies
- Widening the pool of volunteers
- Allows agencies to expand service plans
- Allows agencies to undertake special projects
The Process
During the first week of the semester, SL instructors will provide classes with an orientation to Service-Learning objectives and requirements. Students will also receive information that profiles our partnering agencies.
Choosing a Service-Learning Agency and Position
In many service-learning courses, such as Academic Writing in the Community, students may have the opportunity to choose their community service from a wide range of agencies. To help students in classes such as these, the Career Services Office holds Civic Engagement Fairs in Corey Union on the first Thursday of the first week in the fall and spring semesters. At the Fair, students chat with agency gather information about specific agencies by chatting with agency supervisors. Students can then prioritize their community service choices for submission to instructors. In these classes, students usually receive their first choice.
Getting Started
Students then arrange to meet with staff at their assigned agencies to introduce themselves, to discover the specifics of their new position, and to work out a schedule.
Students begin Service-Learning work after that. Instructors will ask students to maintain records of their work, and may require that students write reflective reports and essays, and participate in classroom discussions and exercises on Service-Learning experiences.
Hours
The amount of time that a student devotes to community service varies with the course.
The Extra Service-Learning Credit
SUNY Cortland recognizes participation in a service-learning class by giving four credits to students passing designated Service-Learning courses. At the present time those four credit courses are offered by the English Department in designated freshman composition courses of Academic Writing in the Community I and II (CPN 102 and CPN 103). Students interested in taking composition courses with a Service-Learning component should make sure to sign up for them during registration.