CSL Partnerships - Roles and Responsibilities
Effective community service-learning programs are based on partnerships that have reciprocal benefits for the community organizations and the students. There is a balance between the service being provided and the learning that is occurring. Clear roles and specific responsibilities are one of the hallmarks of a successful CSL experience for the partners involved.
Community Service-Learning (CSL) Specialist
Recognised by experts in the field as a very critical role within a community service-learning program, a CSL specialist acts as the primary liaison between faculty/staff, students and community organizations. This role necessarily combines a solid knowledge and understanding of both the realities of local community service agencies and the world of academic study and teaching. Acting as liaison, translator, diplomat and matchmaker, the CSL specialist brings specific talents to facilitate the partnerships between campus and community, in manners that will ensure the reciprocal benefits inherent in a sustainable, effective CSL course or co-curricular program. A CSL specialist usually plays a role in assisting with both the course/program construction, as well as the service placement design. In addition, this is the logical person to lead in evaluating existing CSL partnerships and in exploring potential new ones, both on the campus and in the community. This role is often referred to as the “bridge” between all CSL partners.
Faculty and/or Staff
As part of a course or a co-curricular program, the faculty or staff person has a very specific role as a lead educator. Responsible for design of the course or program, establishing learning goals and planning for evaluation of learning, faculty/staff also play a critical role in implementing reflection techniques to facilitate drawing meaning from the experience for the students, and in linking that experiential learning to other more formal academic learning sources within the curriculum or program. Faculty and/or staff also have a role to play in guiding students through the experiential component, in fostering a strong relationship with the community organization, and in exploring possibilities to involve staff from community organizations as co-educators. Finally, this role of lead educator in a community service-learning initiative, offers the opportunity to integrate the concepts of citizenship and social awareness within the academic content of the course. It should be noted that when the role of CSL specialist is not available, the faculty member or staff person usually assume the responsibilities of this role, as well.
Community Organization Staff
As a full partner in a CSL course and/or program, staff from community organizations provide relevant information on the service needs of the organization. Additionally, they take a lead in collaboratively designing service placements that both address real community need and meet the stated learning objectives for the students. Their specific knowledge and experience make community organization staff the best partner to take responsibility for required orientation and/or training to prepare students for active involvement, and to supervise students during their service placements. Organization staff can play an invaluable role in providing evaluation on the students’ verified sense of responsibility throughout their service placements, and in any observed learning demonstrated by students. Community organization staff should also, ideally, be prepared to collaborate as a co-educator; for example, they may be invited by the faculty member to present in the classroom on relevant subject matter.
Students
Students intentionally take on the dual role of learner and service provider. They should expect to participate in activities that prepare them for this role, to actively engage in service delivery in the community and to reflect upon the meaning of the experience to them personally, intellectually, and with respect to citizenship. Students must accept the responsibilities inherent in community engagement, including ethical helping, responsible behaviour, and respectful relationship building. In effective CSL courses or programs, students who take appropriate responsibility for their own learning and maturely approach their roles within the community not only create an environment which supports their education and development, but also establishes a context with increased capacity for their contributions to strengthen community on a variety of levels.