The e-digest is also intended to be a useful resource to help service-learning faculty inform and advise students about the Service-Learning Program while also providing insights and information useful to their teaching, research, and scholarship.

The e-digest will be disseminated a few times a year, so if you have information (news, events, and/or opportunities) that you would like to share with your service-learning colleagues and partners, please let us know and we’ll be happy to post it on our Web site and the e-digest.

News and Events

The Service-Learning Program now has a new Web site. Please take a moment to visit the Web site, see our new look and what’s going on in the MSU Service-Learning Program.

MSU Service-Learning Scholar Awarded for Contributions to Department

Dr. Mary Beth Henry, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Ecology and Service-Learning Scholar was recognized by Dean Ada Beth Cutler and department colleagues for dedication and service to the College of Education and Human Services. In addition to her leadership role in guiding the Family and Child Studies program through a transition to a new department, Dr. Henry was also recognized for her tireless work as a founding member of the Service-Learning Program and her efforts to create many successful community partnerships. Dean Cutler also noted that “Dr. Henry’s achievements in service-learning have benefited students, faculty, and the Montclair community and resulted in MSU’s national recognition in the field.” Kudos Dr. Henry for recognition well deserved!

Service-Learning Welcomes Three New Faculty Fellows

The Service-Learning Program is pleased to announce that three new Faculty Fellows (see below) joined the Service-Learning Program during the 2004-05 academic year. We are very excited to have these new fellows in the program and hope that you will welcome and support them as they take their first steps on their journey into service-learning.

Dr. Todd Kelshaw is an Assistant Professor in Communication Studies. Dr. Kelshaw joined MSU in 2002 and his research generally concerns deliberative group decision-making, with particular concern for democratic policymaking in civic contexts.

Dr. Valerie Sessa is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department. Dr. Sessa has her doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and prior to joining MSU in 2003 was a research scientist with the Center for Creative Leadership. This fall Dr. Sessa taught two service-learning courses on leadership theory and development to freshmen enrolled in a leadership freshman experience course.

Dr. Maura Lockhart is an adjunct professor in the Psychology Department. Dr. Lockhart has her doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and is anindependent consultant specializing in change management, business processes improvement, and non-profit strategic planning. This fall Dr. Lockhart taught two service-learning courses on leadership theory and development to freshmen enrolled in a leadership freshman experience course.

January Workshop and Faculty Meeting

The Service-Learning Program held a workshop and faculty meeting during the winter break in January. The workshop titled: Integrating Reflection and Assessment in Service-Learning: A Case Study of the Scholarship of Learning was conducted by Dr. Patti Clayton of North Carolina State University. As Coordinator of NCSU’s Service-Learning Program and Assistant Director of the Faculty Center on Teaching and Learning, Dr. Clayton focused on an innovative model of critical reflection and offered some insights into the extraordinary opportunities that service-learning offers for the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Following the workshop, MSU's Dr. David Keiser along with Dr. Clayton facilitated a lunch time discussion on service-learning research and proposed some ideas for using service-learning as a gateway to scholarship.

Service-Learning Students Engaged in Service with the Community

This fall close to 300 MSU service-learning students were engaged in service in the Montclair community participating in a broad range of service projects and issue areas. Through their service students are: Tutoring literacy and math to elementary school children as part of the Montclair Public Schools’ achievement gap program; mentoring students from Glenfield Middle School through the MSU Emerging Leaders Program; conducting writing workshops in the Montclair High School as part of the Writers Room Project; coaching residents at PineRidge senior community on how to use computer and internet technology; and conducting an environmental audit of MSU’s new recycling program. While these are just a few of the projects that students are participating in, they do show the significant contribution that service-learning faculty and students are making to address the needs of the Montclair community.

America Counts

Also this fall the Service-Learning Program in collaboration with the Office of Student Financial Aid launched an America Counts tutoring program. America Counts is a Federal Work Study (FWS) program that allows the federal government to pay 100 percent FWS student's wages if he or she works as a math tutor for local schools and community-based organizations. In this initiative, over 50 MSU work-study students participated in STAR Calculations, a math program that is part of the STARS after-school program in Montclair Public Schools.

For more information about America Counts Click Here.

Service-Learning Students Challenge the Achievement Gap

In the Spring of 2004, Jordan Fullam and Andrea Vecchione participated in Montclair State University’s Service-Learning Program while enrolled in a required English Education course. Through this experience, both students witnessed the achievement gap and were inspired to research and organize events in response. By the summer Jordan contacted Andrea about a proposed organization, Students for Equality in Education/Student Leaders in Education (SEED/SLED), which was to commence with a symposium featuring keynote speaker Dr. Pedro Noguera. Since then they have received positive support and interest in the organization, including affiliation with the Center of Pedagogy and the Montclair Education Association, and Citizen Scholarship awards with the Center for Community-Based Learning. Jordan and Andrea plan to continue with the SEED/SLED organization with the goal of bringing their research into surrounding school districts.

Upcoming Conferences

International Conference on Civic Engagement and Service Learning: "Universities, Students and Community"

This conference will address the civic mission of higher education, focusing on the links between universities, students and the wider society. It will explore issues such as embedding service learning activity in academic programs, civic education, volunteerism and participative democracy, as well as tackling practical issues of implementation, curriculum design and assessment.

The Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute on Experiential Education

An Executive Program for Deans, Directors, Faculty, and Administrators

Focusing on service-learning, as well as other forms of experiential education, such as cooperative education, study abroad, undergraduate research, leadership development, and related programs.

Hosted by the Center for Experiential Education and Academic Advising (CEA), College of Arts and Sciences.

Teams or individuals from four and two-year colleges are encouraged to apply to the Summer Institute, located on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Participants work on developing strategies to strengthen their campus's efforts to promote learning outside and inside the traditional classroom. Features include plenary and small group sessions, individualized curriculum, pre-consultation and follow-up, distinguished faculty and keynote speaker Etienne Wenger. Lodging is in comfortable houses within walking/biking distance of the Institute.

Grants and Call for Proposals

The National Society for Experiential Education has a call for proposals for its 34th annual conference to be held October 27-30, in Philadelphia, Pa.

Interested in publishing an article on Service-Learning? Here are a couple of journals you might want to consider.

The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning

The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning is a national, peer-reviewed journal consisting of articles written by faculty and service-learning educators on research, theory, pedagogy, and issues pertinent to the service-learning community.

The Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

The Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning encourages all instructors to engage in the discussion of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), and to become involved in the sharing of knowledge and learning about the teaching-learning process. The Journal provides a publication outlet for research in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and an on-line forum for engagement with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Publications and Articles