Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence (CRTLE)
Office of the Provost, Division of Faculty Affairs
Center for Service Learning
What is service learning?
Service learning integrates community service into academic coursework, whereby students engage in classroom activities and reflection related to the performance of local service projects within the course.
More than a volunteer opportunity, service learning benefits both the student and the community partner through reciprocity of needs, which furthers the students’ educational goals while promoting civic responsibility.
From focused collaboration with classmates and the community partner, to practical, real-world application, along with reflection and assessment, the learning process becomes a much richer and more well-rounded experience.
MISSION
The mission of the Center for Service Learning is to enhance classroom learning and civic responsibility through community engagement. Service learning is essential to that mission.
About
The CSL’s purpose is to work with faculty and help them incorporate a service component into their courses, working directly with a nonprofit agency, and based on the agency's needs. We accomplish this through one-on-one consultations, workshops, a Faculty Fellows Program, and numerous events and resources. The service learning projects within the courses offer opportunities for students to experience a culture of learning in a real-world setting to enhance their course learning and marketable skills. During these learning experiences, there is a focus on civic engagement and social...
Starr Robinson
Starr Robinson, a communications technology senior, says one of her most valuable UTA classroom experiences has been building a website for a new organization that helps individuals who were wrongly convicted, like the organization’s founder. She says the pressure of doing right by her client far exceeds the pressure of any other assignment. “My jaw dropped when the founder told us her story,” Robinson says. “I want to make sure this is pretty much perfect. We have to give it our all.” (Courtesy of UTA Magazine)