Embedding Service Learning in Engaged Scholarship at Research Institutions to Revitalize Metropolitan Neighborhoods

Institutional processes to determine community engagement impact : a collective case study.

“…Colleges and universities increasingly require comprehensive and detailed reporting of community engagement as a mechanism of accountability to accrediting bodies (Norris-Tirrell, Lambert-Pennington, & Hyland, 2010;, for distinctions such as Carnegie's Community Engagement Classification (Driscoll, 2009), as well as accountability to the community itself (Mayfield, 2001). Given the growth in partnership strategies and networks (Lasker, Weiss, & Miller, 2001), the inability to effectively track and measure movement toward specific outcomes is problematic.…”

“…With historical precedence, norms, incentives, and structures all oriented toward the institution and the expectations of academe (Fisher et al, 2008;Norris-Tirrell et al, 2010), how do institutions align their work and corresponding assessment processes toward community outcomes? The shift in focus to community engagement as a central value within institutions signals an epistemological turn toward greater inclusion of "community" within education.…”

“…Reflection and reciprocity are key concepts" (p. 5). Service-learning increased significantly through the early 1990's and 2000's (Eyler, 2002;Norris-Tirrell et al, 2010), and the number of students who complete an internship at some point within their college experience has also increased (Eyler, 2009). Student volunteerism and civic participation continues to be promoted on college and university campuses, and the number of students volunteering internationally is also rising (Sherraden, Lough, & Bopp, 2013).…”

“…Morton (1995) differentiates assorted characterizations of service, suggesting activity falls into the community service paradigm of charity, projects, or social change, emphasizing the importance of social change. All efforts along the spectrum of experiential learning assist in helping college students transition from the school environment to the workforce (Eyler, 2009), and become better equipped to contribute to the communities in which they live and work (Norris-Tirrell et al, 2010). Faculty, students, staff and administration at an institution combine these various forms of research and applied learning and service in a multitude of ways.…”

“…Influenced by the pulse of this central core, incentives, roles, rewards, and opportunities for involved stakeholders in turn either stimulate or hinder subsequent activity (Norris-Tirrell et al, 2010). These elements influence the environment and iterative processes, including forming a leadership vision, responding to external demands and opportunities, and developing an internal critical mass.…”