Virginia Commonwealth University
Service Learning

Service-Learning Associates Program

The Service-Learning Associates Program assists interested faculty in creating and facilitating service-learning courses. The program will:

  • Provide training on the critical components of a service-learning course.
  • Offer a learning community with other faculty also developing service-learning courses.
  • Assist in the identification of community service sites that match course objectives.
  • Allocate $1,000 in your name to your department to assist in the development of your course.

You also can develop service-learning courses without participating in the program. The Division of Community Engagement staff will provide technical assistance to support you in implementing this innovative teaching strategy. Contact the service-learning coordinator at (804) 827-8215 for guidance.

How do I develop a service-learning course?

  1. Contact the service-learning coordinator at (804) 827-8215.
  2. Submit an application [Word document] to reserve a space in the next Service-Learning Associates Program series. During each series, service-learning associates meet for seven, 90-minute sessions a semester

Learn how to:

  1. Determine the service-learning capabilities within your course.
  2. Ensure that each service-learning course meets the university’s definition of service-learning by following the procedures described in Guidelines and mechanism for Service-Learning Designation.
  3. Ensure service-learning courses are coded accordingly in the course maintenance form generated by your department.
  4. Identify community partners that fit your course objectives. If the partner is new to service-learning at VCU, they will receive an Agency Recruitment Letter [Word document] and a Community Partners Application [Word document].
  5. Establish a working relationship with your community partner through a Community Partners Application [Word document]. To further launch your relationship, visit the site supervisor prior to the semester to collaborate on student projects.
  6. Define service-learning and its purpose within your course syllabus.
  7. Adapt a Service-Learning Student Contract [Word document], which outlines the students’ service-learning obligations for your course.
  8. Establish a procedure to collect service hours completed by each student. A Service-Learning Student Weekly Record Form [Word document] can be attached to the syllabus that requires the site supervisor’s signature or you can establish a timesheet maintained at the service site and collected at the end of the semester.
  9. Become acquainted with the evaluation materials that must be completed for each semester.

If you have 20 or more students in your course, you also may request an undergraduate Service-Learning Teaching Assistant to assist with the logistics of your service-learning course.