SteansCenter Project

Meeting Interview

Chad Williams

January 29, 2008

One quarter before the actual quarter beings, The Academic Development Department (ADD) will send correspondence via email or telephone calls to various professors of target courses to see if there is interest in participating in the Community-based Service Learning (CbSL). It should be noted that some courses require CbSL, and others are recruited for the program. From this correspondence, information is gathered to see what learning objectives that the students can get out of the CbSL. Community Development Department (CDD)makes visits to community based organizations (CBOs) seeking volunteer support. There is no formal process for the interview; each interviewer does it differently; there is no formal documentation of this process. For some, it could be just notes. The project is determined by collaborating between ADD and CDD to match the CBO wants to course work at DePaul. The departments work together by matching faculty (ADD) to the relationships developed with the community (CDD). CDD uses the Assist Based Approach for picking CBO’s. It is assistance that can be empowering for things the CBOs already do well. This is in contrast to a Needs Based Approach – such as what the CBO needs. The courses are matched to the CBO’s and the number of student volunteers needed is determined.

DePaul then sends out the Junior Year Experiential Learning (JYEL) courses to students.

Once students are in class, placements speakers from the SteansCenter(2 or 3) are assigned to each class to tell about the CBO program matched to the class. By a simple raising of the hand, students volunteer to participate after the presentations. If there are more volunteers than slots to fill, a lottery system chooses the students for the program. Each student then is given a Blue Information Sheet (BIS) which has their name and contact information on it. This sheet is used to post information in the site grid pdf file.

This BIS is kept in the coordinator’s office for the quarter; later it is boxed and kept for perhaps 5 five years or more.

Each course has a coordinator (s); reflections from students; evaluations from both faculty and students.

The project management data is stored in the excel file which is accessed each day and also in the internal office network; the site grid pdf file which is used by staff and students as it has contact information for the coordinator to ensure the student went to the CBO; BIS – some students add and drop.

Some of the biggest issues that come up on the projects are developing site grids and issue tracking (student not on site; help desk type inquires).