Service learning is beneficial to various stakeholders, including students, community partners and faculty and professional staff.
STudent benefits
- Provides an opportunity for students to identify and dissect biases and stereotypes, empowering them to build a new framework for understanding.
- Builds a reputation for students as innovative and engaged learners from a range of disciplines.
- Enhances work-force development and students’ employability through applied learning and real-life experience.
- Encourages civic engagement and social responsibility, and decreases effects of cultural and political apathy.
- Offers opportunities for students to learn and practice leadership skills.
- Assists in the development of critical thinking skills.
Community benefits
- Leads the region through the introduction and engagement of new ideas, products, and services throughout the region with curriculum engagement and student innovation in the service of our stakeholders.
- Adds value to businesses and agencies with student innovation, energy and creativity.
- Meets community-identified needs.
- Provides access to university resources.
- Contributes to a culture of innovation, unconventional thinking and problem solving.
- Engages the community in mutually supportive endeavors.
University benefits
- Builds human capital by expanding and strengthening student experience.
- Enhances the reputation of the University as an engaged campus committed to regional support, student growth, and economic development.
- Provides strong experiential education in line with the University's mission for a high-quality education.
- Provides opportunities for strong partnerships with stakeholders throughout the region.
- Prepares high-quality graduates who are better prepared to enter the workforce, which serves to entice potential students, both domestic and international.
Faculty and professional staff benefits
- Generates opportunities for research and publishing through use of the growing service-learning education pedagogy.
- Supports professional development by engagement of faculty and students as both teachers and learners in creative and innovative practice.
- Promote tenure and funding opportunities for service learning designated courses.
- Enhances potential for strong faculty/student relationships.
- Increases engaged student participation in class, and increases students’ ability to internalize course material through application of objectives.