Minor Course Change Form for

Service-Learning Course Designation

Course Prefix/Number/Title ______

Person Completing Form ______Date ______

Phone ext. 4-5639 Email address:

In an attachment, briefly address each of the following questions (3 page maximum):

  1. How will the course introduce students to the principles of service-learning?
  2. What service assignment(s) will students be expected to complete? (Identify activities and/or work products expected.)
  3. What community need(s) will the service address?
  4. What course objective(s) will the service address?
  5. What is the minimum number of hours that students will be expected to serve? (10 hours is the minimum for service-learning designation)
  6. Identify potential community partner(s). If not known, describe criteria to be used to select partners. If no community organizations will be directly involved, describe how students will work with community members.
  7. How will students be prepared for their service activities?
  8. What activities will students be required to complete in order to integrate the learning derived from service with subject matter outcomes?
  9. How will student learning from service be evaluated?

Approvals:

Department Chair ______

SignatureDate

College Dean ______

SignatureDate

AVP ______

SignatureDate

If there are substantial changes in any of the above responses, a new form shall be submitted.

9/20/06

Guidelines for Service Learning Curriculum Change Form

1. How will the course introduce students to the principles of service-learning?

Students in this course will work with international community members who are associated with a non-profit organization or the SJSU campus community. Students will engage in activities that will not only provide assistance to the international community members, but also give the students a chance to learn about people’s cultures. For example, this year, students will work with 16 of the neediest immigrant groups in Santa Clara to put together a display panel regarding each group’s culture, history, and contributions to Santa Clara. Through this activity students will not only help the community members prepare a display for the county, but also learn about the cultures of these various groups. Thus, this activity combines both the giving and the receiving aspects that define service-learning.

2. What service assignment(s) will students be expected to complete? (Identify activities and/or work products expected.)

See above with respect to the activity for this semester. Each semester different activities will be planned, depending on the needs of the organization. Various contacts have been made with the Santa Clara Office for Immigrants, SAL, and International Studies on campus. Every semester the International Studies office hosts an international week. David Rudel, Director of Study Abroad, and I have discussed that if an activity cannot be coordinated in which my students would work with a non-profit organization off-campus, then they can work on helping to develop and prepare for the International Week (for which help is always needed). The type of work students would be engaged in include preparing posters about the various countries represented, manning the booths, answering questions about international studies abroad, etc. This type of work would again require the students to both learn and to give.

3. What community need(s) will the service address?

The activities proposed would provide the much needed service of integrating foreign (non-native) members of our community with established members of our community (i.e., most of our students). Through our students’ interaction with the “foreign” community, perceived support mechanisms will begin and the “foreign” community members will (hopefully) feel a greater sense of inclusion.

4. What course objective(s) will the service address?

The course objectives addressed through the service is an understanding of emic and etic differences of cultures. By interacting with the “foreign” community members, our students will gain exposure to understanding how cultures are unique and how they are the same. The students will also be exposed to different values endorsed by different cultural groups and thus, hopefully, gain an appreciation for these differences.

5. What is the minimum number of hours that students will be expected to serve? (10 hours is the minimum for service-learning designation)

Because the field of cross-cultural psychology requires a strong theoretical basis, a great deal of emphasis will be placed on readings and discussion. Therefore, only 10-15 hours of service work will be required. It is hoped that after the students have been exposed to “foreign” community members, they will have a taste for the exciting world beyond SJSU and be enticed to engage in more learning about cultures and choose to study abroad.

6. Identify potential community partner(s). If not known, describe criteria to be used to select partners. If no community organizations will be directly involved, describe how students will work with community members.

Santa Clara Office of Human Relations – Richard Hobbs

SJSU International Studies & Study Abroad – David Rudel

Studies in American Language – Cassie Piotrowski

Jewish Federation – Russian Immigrants – Lynn Osband

Criteria to select partners: Availability of activities that would provide both a service to foreign members of the community and an opportunity for our students to learn about culture.

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