Senior Service Learning (UHON 496)

Click here for pdf version of entire syllabus.

General Description:
In this two-part course exclusively for UHP seniors, students will earn 6 credit hours for enrollment in both Senior Colloquium (3 CR) and Senior Service Learning (3 CR). While we will integrate these two parts of the course as much as possible, students must be prepared to perform work and meet assignments equivalent to earning 6 credits. This means you will be doing the workload of two Honors courses to fulfill this portion of your Honors curriculum. Since this joined course is intended to serve as a capstone experience for Honors seniors, substantial work in terms of assignments and personal effort will be expected of all students.

Service Learning Description
Service Learning represents UHP’s commitment to education for civic responsibility. It gives students the opportunity to integrate academics with service. As Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress, once said “Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth.” But perhaps even more significant for our purposes is noted anthropologist Margaret Mead’s remark, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Your experience in this course is intended to give you a small glimpse into how you personally might change the world. Because all community organizations have their own perspectives and investments in the future (our course subject), any organization you choose to serve will have an appropriate connection to our topic.

Objectives:
At the end of this course, successful students will accomplish the following measurable objectives:

● Develop a stronger sense of themselves as empowered citizens whose own education can be used in service to the community in important and significant ways;

● Strengthen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills through various written and oral assignments based on their service learning experience;

● Gain skills and experience in community-based research;

● Expand their formal writing and research skills;

● Develop a stronger understanding of social issues important in the community; and

● Expand their ability to collaborative effectively with many different types of constituents.

Texts:
Occasional readings may be placed on E-Reserve.