Academic Service Learning at The University of Texas at Austin Expanding knowledge and taking responsibility for effecting positive change throughout Texas communities are core values at The University of Texas at Austin. The Academic Service-Learning Program furthers these core values by facilitating the collaboration of students, instructors, and community partners on service projects that are mutually beneficial to the university and its students and to community partners.
The staff of the Academic Service-Learning program provides resources and support for faculty who are currently teaching or would like to teach an academic service-learning (ASL) course, for students who are interested or enrolled in an ASL course, and for community partners who are interested in collaborating with UT faculty and ASL students.
Our office is located in the Volunteer and Service Learning Center in the Student Services Building, 4th Floor, 100 E. Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78712.
To contact our office, please email us at utasl@austin.utexas.edu or call the Volunteer and Service Learning Center at 512.471.6161
What is Academic Service-Learning?
Academic service-learning is
- A form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address community needs.
- A program of study that integrates service with goal learning outcomes.
- A method of pedagogy in which service and learning are equally critical components.
Two critical components of an ASL course may distinguish academic service-learning from volunteerism or an internship.
- Reflection activities help students connect what they learn through their service with the theoretical background that is set forth through course materials.
- Reciprocity between the organization being served and those engaged in service promotes a sense of mutual responsibility and a situation in which students feel a sense of belonging in the community and community partners feel empowered to bring in the help they need to meet a priority.
Without reciprocity and reflection, the service-learning activity is at-risk for becoming a one-time activity in which individuals serve the immediate needs of the community instead of collaborating with community partners to create sustainable long-term solutions to complex problems.
Benefits of Academic Service-Learning
Students, instructors, and community partners may benefit from an academic service-learning course.
- Students. Engagement in academic service-learning can enhance students’ interpersonal, cognitive, moral, and intellectual development, as well as a sense of civic responsibility. Students may also begin making deep connections between coursework and real-world application in employment or community service.
- Instructors. Faculty members have the opportunity to develop courses that facilitate student learning and encourage strong collaborative relationships between students and instructors.
- Community Partners. Eager, enthusiastic student learners enable organizations to meet their goals as well as represent the link between the partner and the intellectual resources at The University of Texas at Austin. The initial service-learning relationship may potentially grow into an ongoing relationship between the university and the partner.
Please contact the Academic Service-Learning Program at utasl@austin.utexas.edu or 512.471.6161 for more information on ASL class development or offerings.
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