Pan-Canadian CSL Symposium
Friday, 9 October, 2009
Held in conjunction with the Ninth Annual International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, this was the third biennial national symposium on community service-learning in Canada, organized by the Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning and sponsored by the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and the Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton University.
While focussing on key learnings and issues of community service-learning from the Canadian experience and perspective, this event was also open to IRCSLCE delegates as a pre-conference workshop.
The Symposium featured presentations and discussions on key learnings from the development and implementation of CSL in Canadian universities and colleges, how theories of change have adapted and evolved over time, how community service-learning can contribute to the solution of community issues in difficult economic times, and an exploration of policy change at the federal, provincial, and institutional levels that is needed to support this work.
A special noon hour panel discussion featured international experts in service-learning and community-engagement providing their perspective on the conference theme: Research for What? Making Inquiry Matter and was also “broadcast” live by audio conference call as one in our series of TeleLearning Seminars.
Click here to view the detailed agenda in Adobe Acrobat pdf format.
Click here to view the participant list in Adobe Acrobat pdf format.
Click here to view images from the event.
Goals
- To provide an in-person networking and knowledge-sharing opportunity for CSL stakeholders across Canada and beyond.
- Describe challenges and opportunities for CSL in Canada and identify key stakeholders that need to be involved in positive next steps.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Symposium chaired by Ted Jackson
Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Affairs, Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton University
Click here to view the agenda slideshow in pdf format
Click here to listen to an audio recording of the morning sessions in mp3 format
The State of CSL in Canada
Part 1 – The National University-Based Community Service Learning Program
John Cawley, Senior Program Officer with the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation shared key learnings from the initiative, answering the challenge: “What are the key questions for a university that wants to build an effective CSL program?”
Part 2 – Diversity, Evolution and Growth
Panel Presentation and discussion from CSL programs from across Canada on their origins and evolution, highlighting accomplishments and key challenges ahead
Lisa Chambers – University of Toronto - Centre for Community Partnerships
Rémi Tremblay – Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières - PICOM et le carrefour
Matthew Ascah – Queen’s University – Centre for Teaching and Learning
Margo Fryer – University of British Columbia – UBC Learning Exchange
Phaedra Hitchings – University of Saskatchewan – University Learning Centre
Kate Connolly – Wilfrid Laurier University – Laurier Centre for Community Service-Learning
Barbara Harrison – Brock University – Office of the AVP Student Services
Challenges to the Institutionalization of CSL in Canada
Rhonda Lenton, Associate Vice President Academic, York University
Keynote address from an administrator’s perspective on ways in which universities are pursuing community-university engagement and how CSL is positioned in Canada. How important is community-university engagement to institutional reputation, student engagement, and educational attainment and what role can CSL play? What are the barriers and competition for CSL in terms of funding and recognition?
Click here to listen to an audio recording of Rhonda Lenton’s keynote address
Click here to view Rhonda Lenton’s presentation
Research For What: Making Inquiry Matter
TeleLearning Seminar from the 2009 IARSLCE Conference in Ottawa featuring special guests from among the leading CSL researchers in the world who were invited to present their vision in response to the conference theme Research for What?: Making Inquiry Matter.
John Saltmarsh - Chair, IARSLCE - Director, New England Resource Center for Higher Education
Andrew Furco - Associate Vice President for Public Engagement, University of Minnesota
Jeffrey P. Howard - Editor, Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning & Assistant Director for Academic and Faculty Development at DePaul University
Sarena D. Seifer - Founding Executive Director, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
Barbara Holland - Pro Vice-Chancellor (University Engagement), University of Western Sydney, Australia
Tony Chambers - Assistant Professor & Program Coordinator, Higher Education, Theory and Policy Studies & Director, Centre for the Study of Students in Postsecondary Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto
Cobie Rudd - Associate Dean-Health, Faculty of Computing, Health and Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia
Patti H. Clayton - Consultant, PHC Ventures & Senior Scholar, Center for Service and Learning, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
Click here for an audio recording in mp3 format
Click here to view images in pdf format
Promoting University Collaboration for Community Engagement
Presentation and discussion of models which support and promote collaboration by universities in community-university engagement
Barbara Holland – Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance
Sarena Seifer – Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
Pamela Proulx-Curry- Wisconsin Campus Compact
Patti Clayton – Senior Scholar, Center for Service and Learning, IUPUI
Maria Caridad Rositas Montemayor –Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico
Katherine Graham – Community Based Research Canada
Click here to listen to an audio recording of the afternoon panels
Next Steps for Community Service-Learning in Canada
Facilitated discussion led by Cheryl Rose and Todd Barr
How can we work together to ensure support for CSL in Canada?
Who will be our key partners and how can we achieve policy change for sustainability?
Are universities prepared to work together to make this happen?
What are the opportunities for funding at the Federal / Provincial / Municipal level?
Click here to view the synthesis of participant responses
Click here to listen to an audio recording of the closing comments
Click here to review the draft report on Next Steps for CSL in Canada
CACSL Presentations at the International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement
The Alliance also helped to organize two panel presentations which were made at the research conference:
The State of CSL in Canada: A Call to Action - Saturday, 10 October, 2009
Larry Gemmel Director, Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning
Kate Connolly Director, Laurier Centre for Community Service-Learning
Barbara Harrison Graduate Student, Brock University
Tania Smith Professor, University of Calgary
Community service-learning (CSL) and other forms of community engagement (CE) activities are growing in Canada, but we lack concrete evidence about the scope, extent, and quality of this work. The Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning would like to create several new research initiatives to define and measure CSL and CE activity at the post-secondary level, and is seeking to create a more comprehensive and integrated research agenda for service-learning and community engagement in Canada. This interactive workshop will explore the challenges of creating and supporting a research agenda that addresses our needs.
Click here to view the PowerPoint Presentation
Creating a Comprehensive Framework for CSL in Canada
Larry Gemmel Director, Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning
Patti Clayton Consultant, PHC Ventures & Senior Scholar, Center for Service and Learning, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
The Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning is creating a new Comprehensive Framework for CSL in Canada which defines in a Canadian context what CSL is, how it is carried out, its expected outcomes, and the criteria and indicators by which such work might be evaluated in terms of its three key constituencies: Universities and colleges, students, and communities. The panel will describe the framework and the process of research and consultation that is leading to its creation and get some help from the participants.
Click here to view the Presentation in Adobe Acrobat pdf format