Making the Transition to Collaborative Service-Learning

From Planning for Higher Education: Making the Transition to Collaborative Service-Learning
by Angela Lewellyn Jones, Jeff Stein, and Pamela Kiser. Abstract: "Elon University is presented as an exemplar of how administrative, student services, and faculty support are needed for the appropriate planning and implementation of collaborative service-learning. Citation: Angela Lewellyn Jones, Jeff Stein, and Pamela Kiser. 2008. Making the Transition to Collaborative Service-Learning. Planning for Higher Education. 36(4): 17–22.

Academic service-learning is based on the value of university-community partnerships. But what about campus partnerships? Who on campus best understands and most effectively administers academic service-learning programs? Locating service-learning programs solely in academic affairs or student affairs departments certainly simplifies the process. But the traditional approach of assigning all things academic to faculty and all things cocurricular to student affairs neglects two fundamental academic service-learning principles: (1) the interconnected nature of psychosocial and cognitive development in transformative education, and (2) the democratic and collaborative underpinnings of academic service-learning pedagogy.