| California
State University, San Bernardino
Response to the CSU Academic Senate
Regarding AS 2471-99
Governor Gray Davis’s proposed
Community Service Graduation Requirement
The following is a response to the CSU Academic Senate Resolution
2471-99 regarding the Governor’s proposal to require community
service for graduation for undergraduates in California public institutions
of higher education.
WHEREAS in his call for mandatory community service, the Governor
has outlined the following desired outcomes:
- Students would develop a "service ethic," which
includes an understanding of the importance of contributing
to their communities.
- Students would contribute time to the state as a "return"
to the taxpayers of California; and
WHEREAS in his call for mandatory community service, Education
Secretary Gary Hart outlined secondary desired outcomes:
- Students would be able to help address many pressing social
problems.
- The university could enrich students’ educational experiences
by linking classroom work to the broader community;
- The university could provide students with an introduction
to the helping professions and possible careers in public service;
and
WHEREAS research (Stukas, 1999) suggests that when students are
forced into community service rather than choosing to participate,
achievement of these outcomes is compromised; and
WHEREAS the desired outcomes are more likely to be achieved when
a planned and incrementally implemented, campus and community sensitive,
and academically sound service-learning program is put in place;
and
WHEREAS the cost of implementing a compulsory service-learning
program for approximately 14,000 students would be prohibitive and
the impact of such a sudden influx of students into community settings
would be detrimental to the development and maintenance of university
and community partnerships; and
WHEREAS the administrative and risk management burden of implementing
such a large scale program would overburden the infrastructure of
the campus; and
WHEREAS having a governor mandate academic curriculum usurps the
authority of the campus curriculum review process and sets a disturbing
precedent for academic freedom; and
WHEREAS the faculty and students have not been adequately consulted
in the development of this initiative; and
WHEREAS CSUSB has a strong and growing track record of student
involvement in service which has already demonstrated success without
the need for a mandate; and
WHEREAS even if the campus were ready to implement such an initiative,
there are a large number of technical and logistical issues that
would need to be researched and addressed for meaningful student
experiences to be offered; and
WHEREAS although a planned service-learning program has the potential
to provide mutual benefit to the community, the university, and
students, a community service program like the one proposed has
the potential to deviate from the academic mission of CSUSB;
Be it RESOLVED that CSUSB make a commitment to providing students
and faculty with various OPPORTUNITIES and INCENTIVES to participate
in meaningful service-learning experiences.
A service-learning approach to teaching and learning provides educational
experiences under which students learn and develop through active
participation in organized service experiences that meet actual
community needs and that are coordinated in collaboration with the
university community. Service experiences are directly integrated
into students’ academic or programmatic curriculum and structured
time is provided for students to reflect on and articulate what
they experienced and learned during the service activity. These
activities provide students with opportunities to apply newly-acquired
knowledge and skills in real-life situations, enhancing what is
taught at the university by extending student learning beyond the
classroom and into the community. Service-learning activities also
help to foster civic participation and improve the quality of life
in the communities served.
(Modified from the Commission on National Community Service —
now the corporation for National and Community Service). In Richard
J. Kraft and James Krug, "Review of Research and Evaluation
on Service Learning in Public and higher Education," Chapter
24 of Richard J. Kraft and Marc Swadener, Building Community:
Service Learning in the Academic Disciplines. (Denver, CO; Colorado
Campus Compact, 1994.)
RESOLVED that these opportunities be voluntary rather than compulsory;
and be it further
RESOLVED that those faculty and staff who are interested in service-learning
be offered rewards for participating in such activities. |
