CCSL Director
Dr. Shirley Theriot
Director, Center for Community Service Learning
Director’s Message
Welcome to the Center for Community Service Learning (CCSL)! Here you will find numerous resources to assist you as you engage in service learning across all disciplines at The University of Texas at Arlington. Since the beginning of its existence in the fall of 2001, the Center has empowered many faculty and students to experience the power of combining academic course outcomes and field experiences in collaboration with our community partners.
What is service learning? It is a philosophical orientation to teaching and learning, which encompasses content, individual learning styles and preparation for responsible citizenship in a democracy. Each service-learning implementation option within an academic course must reflect the academic outcomes of each discipline.
The CCSL’s purpose is to serve as liaison between instructors of specific disciplines and active learning in community contexts. We offer support, resources, and placement opportunities to enable students to experience a culture of learning in a real-world setting, in addition to their University classrooms. During these learning experiences, there is a focus on civic engagement and social responsibility. This ultimately ensures reciprocity as all participants (students, faculty, and community partners)learn from each other.
In additiion, we offer professional development to faculty by national and international experts in the field. The Center offers instructional and mentoring support to faculty, who integrate service-learning experiences. The CCSL also honors deserving students with Service-Learning Ambassadors Awards.
Our Center celebrates collaborations with over 200 community partners, 58 adacemic majors, over 50 courses integrating service learning, approximately 1,000 students serving more than 20,000 hours, and a core of over 35 faculty members who are committed to service learning.
We invite you to explore the web site and discover how service learning can enhance student learning and an appreciation of civic engagement in a democracy. We would enjoy meeting and visiting with you in our office in B13 Davis Hall or email me at Theriot@uta.edu.
Dr. Shirley Theriot, Director
CCSL Mission, Objectives and Goals
Mission
The mission of the Center for Community Service Learning is to enhance learning and civic responsibility through community engagement. Community service learning is essential to that mission.
Objectives:
- Engage students at UTA in at least one community service-learning experience prior to graduation.
- Offer a continuum of community service opportunities at UTA, including a wide variety of community service-learning experiences, as well as extra-curricular and co-curricular community service experiences.
Goals:
- To develop an infrastructure to support community service learning.
- To develop a critical number of faculty members willing to engage in community service learning, aid their colleagues in developing future community service-learning courses, and to promote community service learning on the campus.
- To develop programs that meet the needs of the students, in partnership with students and the community.
- To develop programs that meets the needs of faculty, students, and the community, in partnership with students and the community.
