This year the committee selected to focus discussion on issues such as community partners, liability, and resources. In addition, to gain a better understanding of district SL initiatives, each of our monthly meetings was at a different campus. The host campus began the meeting by sharing information about their programfaculty and staff presented program overviews, students shared their writings and comments, faculty described how they were incorporating service learning into courses.
During the fall semester, Maria Hesse and Alan Levine designed the Maricopa Service Learning Web site. In addition to having an extensive resource section and information about the committee, the site contains links to the other Maricopa College's service learning Web pages.
At our meeting devoted to service learning resource materials, participants brought copies of books, newsletters, evaluation instruments, syllabi, faculty handbooks, agency handbooks, grant packets, etc. A collaborative activity engaged people in finding out more about 1-2 resources they wanted to study, verbally sharing the information and then completing a worksheet about their resources that is the starting point for an annotated bibliography on service learning to be posted to our Web site. During the second part of the meeting, participants used Netscape Navigator to browse through various service learning materials available through this mode.
Dick Young, general counsel for MCCCD, and Lois Bartholomew, from the Deans of Students Council, spoke at one meeting on "good practices" colleges should follow to minimize liability and keep students safe. They emphasized that faculty, staff and students involved in SL have a responsibility to behave ethically, rationally and carefully. Their specific recommendations on minimizing liability, as well as generic legal statements, such as the Assumption of Risk form, are available on our Web site.
February's Service Learning Dialog Day chaired by Liz Warren involved 60 faculty and staff. The event included two tracks: one for people who were new to service learning, and one for people who had experience in teaching service learning classes or organizing service learning programs. Sessions included basic program organization, working with community partners and the rationale for service learning with students providing testimonials and reflections at both the beginning and end of the day. Of particular interest was the session that included a panel of community partners from the Pappas School, Senator John McCain's office, and the Chandler Compadre Branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Late this spring, some SL members met informally with ASU faculty and staff involved in service learning. Discussions touched on a variety of topics including faculty/staff development, joint grant funding, using ASU students to supervise Maricopa students at community sites, providing Maricopa students with "next steps" in service learning at ASU, and developing a state organization to support service learning.
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