It has been said before and, especially with Student Senate re-evaluating it and other differential tuition programs now, it needs to be said again.
Service-learning should not be a graduation requirement for UW-Eau Claire students.
Although, it is a nice option for students to choose whether or not to use as with other differential programs, such as internships and collaborative research.
Yet, despite the academic and social experiences that supporters of the requirement stress to students, service-learning is forced volunteer work – a major contradiction.
The Center for Service-Learning’s report to Senate about its program states that service-learning is “a method which promotes student learning and development through participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences … (that) offer students” a chance to apply their education to community service, “which enhances their appreciation, understanding, and respect for others.”
If this statement were completely true on “offering” students an “opportunity,” things would be fine and there would be no requirement. That’s obviously not the case.
A study was conducted from 1993 to 1999 by a few Vanderbilt University faculty called, “Research at a Glance: What We Know About the Effects of Service-Learning on Students, Faculty, Institutions and Communities.”
The report lists several positive outcomes for students who participate in service-learning, such as giving one a feeling of self-worth, personal identity, spiritual growth and moral development. It also states that service-learning has “a positive effect on sense of social responsibility and citizenship skills.” It also stated that service-learning helps people with their career aspirations.
These may all be true but to get the real feeling of these personal growth qualities (especially social responsibility and being a good, moral citizen) people do volunteer work without being told. These feelings come from knowing they made an effort on their own to help others and the community.
That’s the way to get the most out of community service and to give back to society.
When considering the numerous other outlets available to students to get these same experiences that service-learning is supposed to provide, it becomes more evident the requirement isn’t needed.
Differential tuition already supports internships, capstone projects and student/faculty collaborative research – programs that are more focused on getting students career experience. They also offer many of the positive inner-qualities that service-learning is said to do.
When the university started the service-learning requirement in 1995-96, it found a new group of recruits to help its public relations. Thousands of students get forced into the community to “volunteer” with a smile and make the city proud of its local university. It also distorts annual statistics that now show almost all Eau Claire students “volunteering,” which makes the school look better.
The kicker is that students are paying the majority for this PR campaign. Their money should be used, instead, to offer service-learning as another differential tuition option – available when students or groups want to take advantage of it.
This would be the proper and more meaningful way to do it.