The Center for Community Development and Social Justice (CCDSJ) facilitates the academic service-learning program at the University of Lynchburg. We are committed to assisting faculty, students, and community partners with the development, implementation, and evaluation of their service-learning course activities. Please contact ccdsj@lynchburg.edu for assistance with the proposal form, to schedule a consultation before submitting, and/or at any point in your academic service-learning activities.
Service-Learning Course Criteria and Link to the Intent to Propose a Service-Learning Course Form
We have a passion for connecting student learning and impact around community-defined needs — and so do members of the Lynchburg faculty. If you are a faculty member who is interested in seeking the service-learning designation for your course or seminar, then you are precisely where you need to be. This meaningful process is an important way to actualize your commitment to social, economic, and/or environmental justice through the creation of a service-learning course.
To get started:
- Visit the University of Lynchburg Service-Learning Criteria and Course Proposal Information Google Doc. This document contains:
- Criteria and guidance for proposing a credit-bearing course or seminar.
- The link to the Intent to Propose a Service-Learning Course Google Form.
- Both Google documents require University login credentials.
Proposals may be submitted at any time during the calendar year; however, due to the availability of some reviewers during the summer and winter term, we only review proposals during the fall and spring academic semesters. If you had a course with the service-learning designation in a previous academic year, then you will need to complete this process.
Community Engagement Learning (CEL) Initiative
Service learning is one of many types of community-engaged teaching and learning modalities. Made possible through a grant-funded collaboration between the CCDSJ and the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) in the University Experience and Student Success Division, we are passionate about engaging with faculty and students to incorporate community-engaged teaching and learning experiences throughout the University.
Faculty — do you teach a course that does not meet the requirements as a service-learning course and incorporates community-engaged learning in another way? Please contact Sharon Foreman (CCDSJ) and Cindy Ferguson (CCE) so we can learn more about your community-engaged learning story!
Reinvigorating Service-Learning at the University
In the 2020-21 academic year, the CCDSJ updated the guidance, process, and proposal form for credit-bearing courses seeking the service-learning (SL) designation. These revisions and efforts were made possible by the wealth of information and resources provided through the grant-funded Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) Initiative which is a collaboration between the CCDSJ and the Center for Community Engagement in the University Experience and Student Success Division.
Upon approval of the revised credit-bearing SL course guidance, review process, and proposal form by the Educational Policies Committee (EPC), the University faculty unanimously approved these materials. Materials on this page represent the current official policies and procedures for credit-bearing SL courses at the University, effective July 1, 2021.
