Frequently Asked
Questions
- What is Service Learning? Service Learning is
a teaching/learning method which is rapidly gaining popularity in
schools and colleges across the country. When you enroll in a
Service Learning course at Marquette, it means the professor has
agreed to include a service option in the course. Instead of
writing a research paper or taking an exam, you can choose to
perform community service and then relate that service to the
course material in either a written or oral report. The amount of
credit given for this option is entirely up to the professor and,
therefore, will vary from course to course.
There have been courses at Marquette with a service option for
many years. However, in 1993, Professor Andrew Tallon from the
Philosophy Department was awarded grant money to start the Service
Learning Program, which is currently housed within the Institute
for Urban Life in the 707 Building.
- Will I get a grade for doing community
service? Rarely, if ever, is credit given for the service
alone. You must demonstrate that learning has occurred to have it
count toward your grade. Therefore, before you even start working
at your chosen agency, try to figure out what aspects of the
agency, its clients, or the work itself might connect to the
particular Service Learning course you are taking. Then, while you
are working at the site, keep these things in your mind so you can
relate your service experience to specific course content. We in
the Service Learning Program make every effort to offer you
placements that will in some way link up with the course you are
taking. You must make the effort to find out what those
connections are as you work at the agency. Many professors will
state the learning objectives of the course in the syllabus, which
may help guide your learning. If you are still unsure about how to
connect your service experience to the course, discuss it with
your professor or with a member of the Service Learning staff.
A little advice: Regardless of whether your
professor requires that you keep a journal to record your service
experiences, we recommend that you do so. Taking notes after each
visit to your school or agency and trying to relate what you've
seen or done to the course theories will make writing your final
paper much easier.
- What kind of service would I do? There are
many opportunities to perform service in Milwaukee. The kind of
service you do will depend on the course, your professor's
preferences, your own interest, and the availability of a
particular placement. A list of placements chosen for your course
is located under the "Courses and Placements" link in the "Service
Learner" page of this website.
- How much time will the service take?
Generally professors ask for 20 hours in a semester, which breaks
down to about two or three hours a week. However, sometimes
professors ask for more time. This will depend on the project you
choose. When you look over the descriptions of the placements, the
commitment you are expected to make to that agency will appear on
the bottom of the page. You should consider your schedule and
availability carefully before choosing. In almost all cases the
service should continue throughout the semester. Please do not
quit going to the site before the end of the semester just because
you may have met your professor's hour requirement. The agency is
depending on your help!
- Can I ever be absent? If you must miss a
service day due to illness or emergency, at the very least you
must contact someone at the school or agency.
- How is this different from volunteer work?
The actual work you do at a school or agency might not be
different from what you would have done as a volunteer. However,
your approach to the work should be different from that of a
volunteer. You will be looking more closely at the place, the
people, your experiences, and your reactions to find deeper
meanings that relate to your course content. We call this service
learning because you're at the placement not just to do service
but to learn something about the course you're taking by working
in the community.
- How do I sign up? First, look over the
description of placements that have been tailored to your course.
Choose two or three that appeal to you. Then come to the Service
Learning Sign-Up Night (see Checklist for date, time, and
location). If you're undecided about which placement to choose,
the Student Coordinators can help by giving you information about
a number of different sites. If you can't come to the Sign-Up
Night, you may sign up in the Service Learning office the 707
Building, #303, next to Cobeen Hall, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00
p.m. any day after the official Sign-Up.
Note: Check the date of the Site Orientation before you sign up.
This is a required meeting for you to be able to participate at
that site.
- What happens after I sign up? The Service
Learning Project employs Student Coordinators (SC's) who serve as
liaisons between the placement sites and the service learners. You
will meet your SC if you sign up at Sign-Up Night. S/he will give
you some basic information about the placement, such as when and
where the site orientation will be, as well as some paperwork to
fill out, including a Green Sheet, which is the sign up sheet. If
you sign up at the Service Learning office, you will get the name
and number of your SC then. You should contact that person ASAP to
find out how and when to start your service.
One of your first responsibilities as you get ready to start your
placement is to get the Service Learning Contract signed. You fill
it out and have it signed by your professor, someone at the school
or agency, and yourself. You then turn it in to your professor on
the date listed in your syllabus. Turn it in on time!
- What else does the Student Coordinator do?
The Student Coordinator is your official link to the Service
Learning Program. S/he will orient you to your placement, help you
solve problems with scheduling, transportation, etc., and help you
to reflect on your experiences at the school or agency. S/he will
also be your professor's link to your service work. One time at
the end of semester s/he will report your service hours to your
professor. The time that you spend at your agency, is recorded by
you the Service Learner, onto a timesheet that you will receive on
sign-up night. Turn this timesheet into your student coordinator
on the date specified near the end of the semester. This
information will be compiled by your Student Coordinator and
reported to your professor at the end of the semester. The Time
Sheets are to be turned in to the Service Learning Office (707 N.
11th Street, #303) on the date indicated on your Service Learning
Checklist.
- Can I find my own placement instead of using one of
the "official ones?" Yes, but you should be aware of a
few things if you are going to choose an Independent Placement:
- Regardless of whether you use one of our placements or one
of your own, you will still be part of the Service Learning
Program. This is because you have chosen the service option in
an officially designated service learning course. You'll need
to follow all of the steps for service learning listed on the
Checklist.
- Stop by our office, 707 N. 11th Street, #303, to pick up an
Independent Placement Contract. Fill it out and have your
professor sign it.
- Your professor will have to agree that your selection
adequately fits with the content in her/his course. Get
permission from the professor before you decide to use that
placement.
- When you've decided on your service placement and checked
with your professor, come to the Service Learning office to
sign up.
- If the placement does not work or there are problems with
the site, please notify your Student Coordinator, who will do
his/her best to help out.
- How will I get to my service site?
A number of Service Learning placements are within walking
distance of the campus; others are farther off campus. The UPass
has made it possible for you to get to the vast majority of sites
on a city bus. There are a few placements that cannot reasonably
be reached on the bus. For these you will need to get access to a
car, or go with another Service Learner who has a car.
- Will I be safe if I go off campus to do community
service? Although we have never heard of a crime
occurring to a service learning student while s/he was performing
service in the central city, the possibility is certainly there.
The Service Learning staff is very concerned about your safety, so
we are recommending the following steps to decrease the likelihood
of problems:
- Read the attached safety brochure.
- Get a whistle from Public Safety.
- Go to and from your site with at least one other person.
The Service Learning Student Coordinator who is managing your
chosen placement will help you with this if you let her/him
know you're interested.
- Pepper Spray is legal and available. Before carrying it,
however, take the training course offered by Public
Safety.
- Be aware of your surroundings and make smart decisions.
- What if I start my service and don't like it?
Given the fact that this will be a short-term experience for you,
it's unlikely that it will be too awful to continue. Before you
ditch it, consider whether it will give you information that would
be useful for this course (or maybe for life). Talk over your
issues with your Student Coordinator, and possibly with your
professor. If you simply cannot continue, your Student Coordinator
will help you bow out gracefully and--if there's time in the
semester--will assist you in finding a more suitable
placement.
This was just a sampling of the questions students
have asked about Service Learning. We hope you now understand the
Program a little better. If you have any other questions, please ask
any of our staff by calling the office (288-3262, 288-3264) or stop
by our office located in the 707 Building next to Cobeen Hall.
The Service Learning Program Staff wish you a
semester of
interesting, educational, and fulfilling service...