Texas Campus Compact
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state
officePatricia Paredes, M.A. Executive
Director Jim Conditt Assistant Director Lynn Prince Director
of Operations executive boardDr. Charles
Cotrell, Chair President, St. Mary's University Dr. Steve Kinslow,
Vice Chair President, Austin
Community College District Dr. Juliet Garcia, Immediate Past Chair President, The
University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Dr. Max
Castillo President, The University of Houston - Downtown Dr. Ana
Guzman President, Palo Alto College Dr. Cary Israel President,
Collin County Community College District James Spaniolo,
J.D. President, The University of Texas at Arlington Dr. George
Wright President, Prairie View A&M University
Texas Campus Compact
702
Colorado
Suite 1.118
Austin, Texas 78701
Building
Communities. Educating Citizens
our website
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TxCC Notes-From the Assistant Director
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We have been busy people at your compact office. We have
 submitted a concept proposal for a grant that will allow TXCC to bring
financial advisors to participating school to work with upper classmen
regarding issues such as credit, savings, and leveraging degrees into careers. The 2009-2010 TXCC VISTA Recruitment is in
full swing and we are busy tweaking applications and sending out candidate
resumes to potential host sites. TXCC is especially delighted to have received
two health related service learning project applications for VISTAs this
year. If your school would like to
submit an application to become a VISTA host site, but you fear the deadline,
please contact us ASAP. We can't make any guarantees, but we are committed to
using up every possible VISTA slot we have been allotted.
The STEM in Action pilot project that TXCC is currently
collaborating with Austin Community College on has just finished the urban
cohort and is gearing up for the rural cohort. Initial raw data indicates that
the project has had a positive effect on TAKS math scores in participating high
schools with about a 30% improvement of scores from the pre-program baseline.
Along with that program comes a Texas Workforce Commission audit and we have
been burning the midnight oil preparing for that.
We continue to upload helpful information to the TXCC blog
at www.education.meetup.com/96,
including RFPs for funding. The service is free and the system easy to
navigate. Please take advantage of it.
Best regards,
Jim Conditt
Assistant Director
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Looking for Service Learning Curricula? Training?
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Texas Campus Compact (through our affiliation with the  National Campus compact), can help you find the curricula or training for use at your Campus, as a benefit available to our members.
Here's what is offered to member faculty and CAO's:
- "More than 700 exemplary service and service-learning program models searchable by subject.
- A searchable database of more than 250 service-learning syllabi in 48 disciplines.
- Toolkits, curriculum guides, and other cutting-edge publications on topics ranging from creating an engaged department to assessing service-learning." -National Campus Compact
Want to know more or become a member of Texas Campus Compact? email lynn@texascampuscompact.org. We will be happy to discuss your civic engagement, and service learning planning. Becoming a member is easy, inexpensive and a fantastic resource to help meet your student's needs. |
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Highlights in Texas Service learning Spotlights Irene Arellano, Service Learning Coordinator,  Texas Tech University |
* ed. note -Beginning this week, TC2 you is highlighting a Service Learning Coordinator from one of our Texas Schools. We at TxCC would like to express our appreciation and gratitude for all these wonderful educators do for higher education, our students, and our communities.
about Irene:
As coordinator of the Service Learning Program, Irene consults
with faculty and departments on service-learning course instruction and
integrating service-learning into their academic curriculum. She serves as
intermediary between faculty and community agencies in building partnerships
for service-learning. In addition, she works directly with the members in the
Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Program and the Service-Learning Advisory
Council to engage in service-learning scholarly activities. Irene received her
undergraduate degree from St. Mary's University in San
Antonio while simultaneously working at StMU's Service Learning
Center. She is currently
enrolled in the Master of Education Program in Higher Education at Texas Tech
University.
* We asked irene a few questions related to herself, and her work in service learning/community engagement. We are sharing her answers with you. Irene has our deepest thanks for participating and sharing her experience!
Where
were you before coming to Texas Tech?
Prior
to Texas Tech, I worked at St. Mary's University-Service Learning
Center for eight years gaining
experience in working with service-learning classes, community service projects,
and civic engagement programs as well as with the community agencies.
Where
did you attend college?
Graduated
from South Plains College-Levelland with an Associate's Degree
Graduated
from St. Mary's University-San Antonio with a Bachelor's degree in Business
Currently pursuing a Master's
Degree in Higher Education at Texas Tech University-College of Education
How
does service-learning fit in college?
Service-learning
is a pedagogy in which students learn and develop through participation in thoughtfully
organized service within the academic curriculum that is conducted in and meets
the needs of the community. Service-learning is integrated into and enhances
the academic curriculum of the students through opportunities for critical
reflection. It links academic theory with hands-on practical experience and
encourages students to apply their education to respond to community needs.
What
is your idea of the college experience?
A
college experience should derive from a institute of higher learning that
fosters and develops a campus culture that provides programs and opportunities that
educate an active and responsible community, a curriculum that is based on
theory and practice, and external agencies that foster ethical and moral values
in community affairs.
What's
your vision for service learning and civic engagement within higher education?
Working
in higher education, I have the experience working and socializing with a
diverse group of students, faculty, and staff. I have learned different aspects
of an institution of higher learning. Based on my extraordinary experience with
service-learning, I believe an institution of higher education should strive to
foster and develop a campus culture that provides service-learning and civic
engagement programs and experiences that educate an active and responsible
community. These opportunities should address applicable and moral behaviors in
community affairs. It is my belief that the principal approach to a civic
minded citizen is one in which the engaged citizen has compassion, dedication,
and a willing spirit to actively participate in society to affect change. I believe
the service-learning and civic engagement should support the personal
development and academic growth of all students.
What
programs are available now at Texas Tech for service learning and civic engagement?
Service-learning
at Texas Tech University
provides faculty opportunities to create dynamic learning environments for
their students. Texas Tech faculty from diverse academic disciplines report
that service-learning enhances their teaching and student's interest in course
material, and connects both faculty and students to the community.
Texas
Tech Service Learning Faculty Fellows Program, modeled after the Montclair
State University Program, nurtures faculty to become ambassadors of
service-learning. The goals of the program are to entice faculty to integrate
service-learning theory and practice into their scholarship and teaching.
Texas
Tech offers service-learning classes in various disciplines which enable
students to apply theories and concepts discussed in class to the real
world. Connecting course content, while simultaneously meeting community
needs, often facilitates students learning, diversity appreciation, and civic
awareness and responsibility.
The
TTU-Service Learning Program also provides a means for collaboration between
the university and surrounding communities. Local agencies and organizations
welcome the opportunity to interact with Texas Tech students and
faculty. These dynamic partnerships provide much needed  services to
individuals and families they serve.
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| | Youths' Civic Engagement Seen to Rise
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The good news, according to researchers presenting findings here
last week, is that after waning for years, civic participation among
young people appears to be on the rise.
The bad news is
that students who are members of racial or ethnic minorities, who live
in poor neighborhoods, or who are tracked into low-achieving classes
get fewer opportunities to exercise their civic muscles than their
better-off peers.
The mixed findings comes from research presented April 15 during the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, a Washington-based group with 25,000 members.
The
scholars said studies have documented a steady rise this decade in the
percentages of young people who vote in primaries and general
elections.
The percentage of 18- to 29-year-olds who voted
in national elections, for example, rose from 37 percent in 1996 to 52
percent in 2008, according to Joseph E. Kahne, an education professor
at Mills College, in Oakland, Calif. And, in some states, such as
Georgia and Iowa, the youth vote in presidential primaries tripled over
the same period.
Read More of this Story...
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| | Read Barbara Jacoby's Paper on "Professionalizing the Community Service/Service-Learning Director Role"
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*ed. note- Barbara Jacoby is the Director of the Office of Community Service-Learning, University of Maryland. This paper was written for Campus Compact as a resource for members.
What does it really mean to be a professional community service or service-learning director? I was challenged to address this topic by Barbara Canyes, Executive Director of Massachusetts
Campus Compact, in a daylong institute preceding the New England Campus Compact (NECC) conference in April 2003. As I pursued the topic in conversations with the conference planning team and colleagues around the country who serve along with me in this demanding position, the need to focus on community service directors (CSDs) and service-learning directors (SLDs) as professionals became increasingly clear.
Read the Rest of the Paper... (.pdf format)
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Sincerely, 
Lynn Prince,
Director of Operations,
Texas Campus Compact
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