Campus Community
Service Report
University
of California, Santa Cruz
2004-05
Volunteer Community Service is a crucial part of undergraduate education at UCSC and is thriving in a wide-variety of forms and practices across campus. Students become engaged in volunteer community service through an equally wide-range of staff and faculty advisors as well as the ten residential colleges, Student Affairs units (e.g. Resource Centers, Career Center, Academic Resource Center, OPERS, SOAR, etc.) and student organizations. Merrill College, Oakes College and Colleges 9 and 10 for example, have service learning built into the ub general missions, goals, and objectives and a number of student organizations and fraternities and sororities have community service requirement for their members.
Student Volunteer Connection
The Student Volunteer Connection serves as a central clearinghouse for students looking for opportunities to participate in short-term community service projects. These projects range from one-day community service projects such as cleaning a local beach, to quarter-long projects mentoring/tutoring “at risk” youth in local schools. Housed in the Academic Resource Center under the supervision of the Executive Director of Student Academic Support Services, SVC is a student-run organization designed to bridge UCSC student involvement in the Santa Cruz community through meaningful volunteer opportunities. Two SVC student coordinators oversee a number of campus-wide service projects, maintain the SVC website, disburse community service project grants, and serve on the campus-wide Service Learning Task Force. The SVC website offers an online database of over 60 community based agencies/organizations hosting student community service opportunities.
The SVC office offers drop-in services, advising and referrals for students interested in service learning. The SVC coordinators also organize a yearly food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank, the Campus and Community Involvement Fair, and the Service Recognition Ceremony. This year, SVC sponsored a student holiday food drive that raised 11, 223 pounds of food for families in need. Seven student organizations volunteered 254 hours to collect food for the drive and the coordinators implemented an online meal plan donation drive that yielded $2,711 for the food bank. In addition, the Community Service Project Grant Committee provides seed monies to assist students in creating and implementing service projects benefiting the local community. The SVC Advisory Board comprised of faculty, staff and local community representatives advises organizations on how to link curricular and co-curricular activities to the campus and community.
PRAXIS
Colleges Nine/Ten sponsor a service-learning organization called PRAXIS. PRAXIS seeks to provide a sense of community for students engaged in service. By participating in PRAXIS, members can gain exposure to a variety of agencies within the Santa Cruz community. Each month PRAXIS members volunteer with community organizations providing services such as improving the quality of life for children living with cancer, preventing marine pollution or distributing food to the needy. Colleges Nine/Ten also host an “Alternative Spring Break”, a program that places 30 UCSC students in a rural community in Mexico for six days to participate in community service learning. Students assist with the construction of a home for a poor family and learn about Mexican family life, culture and community. Colleges Nine/Ten employ a full time service learning program coordinator who develops strong ties with local community agencies, supervises student placements and ensures that service is tied to experiential learning through a classroom seminar. For more information on the PRAXIS program please condact the Program Coordinator, Luis Gil, at lgil@ucsc.edu .
Oakes Serves
Oakes offers Oakes Serves, another college-based program that links students living at Oakes College with service learning opportunities in the local community such as the La Familia Center, a non-profit organization that provides a host of services for low-income Spanish speaking families. Oakes students work as tutors, office clerks, food distributors, and field trip chaperones for youth. Oakes Serves is integrated into the Oakes College Programs and Activities office and coordinated by a Chancellor's Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP) student.
OPERS sponsors community service in the area of sports and recreation. Many UCSC students volunteer as coaches for various sports at local parks and recreation centers. Likewise, students give countless hours to training young people to compete in the UCSC Special Olympics. Special Olympics strives to assist persons with mental disabilities to acquire basic skills in assorted sports, engage in appropriate social behavior and acquire functional knowledge of the rules necessary to participate in competitions.
The Community Service Programs represented above are a mere snapshot of the many community service programs offered on campus. With more time to gather data, a comprehensive report can be developed, in which all the service programs hosted within the 109 student organizations, fraternities, and sororities on campus can be surveyed. As a result of our annual Service Recognition Ceremony, we know that Sigma Omicron Pi, a UCSC sorority, put in 3000 hours in community service during the 2003-04 school year. MEChA, a Chicano student organization, is engaged in early outreach efforts (ORALE), mentoring local Latino middle school and high school students, organizing a parent conference and mentoring new incoming first year students (ChALE). The Chicano Latino Resource Center offers Service Learning linkages with a wide host of Latino community organizations including: California Rural Legal Aid, Centro Para La Gente, Barrios Unidos, and Migrant Education, to name a few. Two years ago, 240 students logged over 20,000 hours for the Academic year from this Resource Center alone.
Alternative Spring Break (ASB)
This program enables 30-50 students (a combination of
College/Nine and Ten students a number of students from the other colleges) to
spend 5 days living in a Mexican community while constructing a home (along
with a variety of other construction projects) in collaboration with Corazon, a
California-based non-profit organization. ASB is student driven and provides
participants with interactive educational workshops on subjects such as
immigration, Mexican politics, and Fair Trade in a series of meetings that take
place during the winter quarter. Students are expected to fund raise for the
trip through letter writing campaigns, selling fair trade goods, candy sales,
and manual labor. ASB builds on the
knowledge that undergraduate students have already learned through academic
classes and extracurricular college events structured around international or
social justice issues. ASB provides a
more complete and comprehensive hands on approach to understanding the inequities
of the rich and poor across the California border. For more details about these programs, see the following
website: http://collegeten.ucsc.edu/.
The Social Science Division at the University of California, Santa Cruz continues to locate itself on the cutting-edge of service learning/experiential education. Compared to the vast majority of programs new and old around the country, our division continues to be one of the few that successfully integrates service learning to regular academic departments and programs. Whereas most colleges and universities now have some type of service learning programs available to undergraduates, UCSC remains one of the few universities to have institutionalized these programs into the undergraduate curriculum. Although not required at UCSC, service learning and field studies are becoming a common experience for a growing percentage of our students. There are now permanent filed studies program coordinators in Community Studies, Education, Environmental Studies, Economics, Psychology, Latin American and Latino Studies, and Health Science. These field study coordinators are increasingly being called upon to help other departments in the division’s plan for integration of field studies into their curriculum.
In a report submitted to the Social Science Division
compiled by Mike Rotkin, Field Coordinator for Community Studies, UCSC field
study programs sponsored fieldwork equivalent to 2,033 five-unit courses. In
these courses, students average 10 hours per week over a ten-week quarter with
their organizations or approximately 203,000 hours of community service during
the year. Students work in K-12 educational placements, non-profit
organizations, federal, state and local government agencies and a host of other
service learning experiences. The largest percentage worked at the local
community level.
B. Specific Programs
Career Center
The Intern Connection is a web tool for students and employers. In the past few years, internships have become the number one preferred recruitment method in the workforce. Students are becoming aware of this and interest in internships has increased dramatically. In response to the increased demand, the Career Center is now offering a new and improved Intern Connection on-line database. The Intern Connection allows employers all over the world to post their internships with our easy on-line form. Registered UCSC students can access listings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In partnership with a growing number of academic departments, the Intern Connection provides students and employers access to more information about campus internship programs in one location than ever before. We now offer employer referrals and student listings for Colleges 9 and 10 Service Learning Programs, the Economics Field Study Program, and the Psychology Field Study Program, as well as the Chancellor's Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP) and the Professions Training Program (PTP), which are offered through the Career Center. We will continue to add new programs and new internships. Our goal is to create a one-stop-shop for internship listings on the UCSC campus.
Employers post internships at: http://www2.ucsc.edu/careers/intern/employer.
Students view the Intern Connection at: http://www.careercenter.ucsc.edu/internships/.
As of September 2004 the count that has been recorded of students viewing the Intern Connection database is: 5771.
Examples where students have been placed:
The Career Center Internship Program has partnered with the University of California Office of the President to provide dedicated students from all majors an opportunity to participate in internships tailored to their goals. UCCS is an academically based internship program requiring students to enroll full time in classes while interning at the Capitol. Nine students have been placed at UCCS - 2 in Winter 2004, 3 in Spring 2004, 1 in Fall 2004 and 3 in Winter 2005. Student’s majors include: Environmental Studies and Politics, Legal Studies, Psychology, Politics, Sociology, English Literature, and Legal Studies.
The Chancellor's Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP) provides on-campus internships in administrative and academic departments throughout the UC Santa Cruz campus. Interns work with a mentor to develop personal and professional skills, and take a lead role in producing a product or result in their one year internship. Interns attend a two-unit leadership seminar throughout the academic year. The seminar, titled Leadership and Institution Building, is led by the Dean of Undergraduate Education and includes guest appearances by top campus leadership including the Chancellor. Students are introduced to the problems faced in building an institution such as the University of California and specifically, UC Santa Cruz. They learn about leadership skills, and how leaders work with constituent groups to reach consensus, develop solutions, and implement plans. Students work in teams taking turns guiding discussion of the class to learn about current campus issues and provide recommendations solicited by the administrators visiting the class. Students receive compensation in the form of a stipend, which pays their fees for the year. The stipends are funded half by the hosting unit and half by the Chancellor's Office. Each year the program hosts an average of 37 student interns. A sample syllabus is available at: http://www2.ucsc.edu/careers/cuip/course/2003_04/syllabus.pdf.
The Professions Training Program/Social Entrepreneurs Group (PTP/SEG) provides paid professional level internships in local nonprofit organizations and assistance to local nonprofit organizations in the form of a wage sharing internship program with an academic component focused on strategic management and entrepreneurship. This cutting edge program, funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, has placed approximately eighty students in local nonprofits over the past five years. The program currently hosts an average of 15 student interns per year. A sample syllabus is available at: http://www2.ucsc.edu/careers/ptp/course/syllabus.pdf.
Health Sciences Internship Program
In 2003/2004 the Molecular Cell
& Developmental Biology department introduced the University of
California's first undergraduate degree program in Health Sciences. The goal of this program was to create a
major that would prepare students for advance training in health science while
meeting the growing need for bilingual medical professionals in California. To
accomplish this, the major incorporates both a Spanish language proficiency
(including a specially designed course in medical Spanish) requirement and an
academic internship requirement.
The health sciences internship
program places students in a wide range of health related placements, locally
and regionally. Students complete
approximately 140 hours at their placement, while attending a concurrent weekly
class on campus. In addition, students
keep a reflective journal and submit a final paper at the conclusion of the
internship. The internships are
overseen by a full-time internship coordinator and by faculty.
Because of the Spanish language requirements of the major, many students choose to undertake their internship working with the underserved Latino communities of South Santa Cruz County, particularly in the Watsonville and Pajaro areas. This combination of language and internship requirements makes this program unique in the UC system. Our goal is not only to prepare future health care professionals for the emerging health care needs of California, but also to attract new students from traditionally underserved areas.
Colleges Nine/Ten
College Nine’s theme of International and Global Perspectives and College Ten’s theme of Social Justice and Community ideally lend themselves to the notion of service learning. To that end, the two colleges support a service learning program with a paid professional staff person and three student interns. The program offers a service learning course for credit (Esprit de Corps) during the fall, winter, and spring quarters; supports a student volunteer organization (Praxis); and organizes and implements an Alternative Spring Break trip to Mexico (ASB).
Participation levels: Esprit de Corps course for credit: averages 20 students per quarter volunteering in local schools and non -profits for either 2-units or 5 units.
Praxis student volunteer organization: holds weekly meetings
averaging 30 students, conducts monthly service projects in the community involving from 10-30 volunteers.
Alternative Spring Break: 2004: 51 students
2005: 30 students
Approximately 14 students per
quarter take service learning courses instructed by Roger Bunch at Kresge
College. A 3-unit (12A) and a 2-unit (12B) are offered. Students work in a
volunteer position for 48 hours (six hours a week for eight weeks) in 12A, and
for 32 hours (four hours a week for eight weeks) in 12B, examine the experience
through class discussion, keep a journal (around 2 pages per week), read
assigned articles (10-15 pages a week), write a short final essay (3-4 pages)
and a shorter reflection on their work (1-2 pages). Enrollment is limited to 15 students. There are no prerequisites, and the course may be repeated for
credit. Students have worked with the
following institutions (among many others): Animal Shelter, Barrios Unidos,
Beach Flats Community Center, Dominican Hospital, Familia Center, Homeless
Garden, Legal Aid, Life Lab (school gardens), Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary,
Public and Private Schools, Resource Center for Nonviolence, Save Our Shores, Walnut
Street Women's Center
Merrill College
Classroom Connection is a class sponsored by Merrill College and is open to all UCSC students all year. Tom Turrentine, a 30% lecturer at Merrill, and three part- time student assistants direct the program. The students in the Merrill Classroom Connection have worked in classrooms and after-school programs at Live Oak, Bay View, and Green Acres Schools Elementary Schools, located in Santa Cruz County. Students assisted their supervising teachers and worked with children one-on-one and in small groups. In addition to completing 48 (5 units) or 24 (3 units) hours in the classroom, students attend weekly discussion sections with reflective projects, produce a lesson for their placement, keep field notes and write a final paper. Approximately 100-180 students participate each quarter. Our mission goals are to provide approximately 10,000 hours of annual service to each elementary school we adopt, and to fill each time slot requested by a teacher or program supervisor at that school so as to make an overall impact on the school. The program has an annual budget of around $20,000 for Tom's salary and that of his Assistants.
Community Studies Department
Community Studies sponsors the largest number of students taking academic field studies students in the division. In fact, a six-month field placement is required for the major. Last year approximately 110 full time students and completed the field study requirement accounting for 660 hours of service learning. In addition, 307 part time students were placed in the field, accounting for 1,842 hours of service learning. Students take a series of courses including CMMV102 preparation for field placement in which they academically prepare to make the most of their experience. They keep in close contact with the field supervisor, faculty mentor and keep extensive field notes. Upon return, they prepare an in depth analysis and write up of the field experience. Students are placed in a wide-range of non-profit grassroots organizations and NGO’s working for social change throughout the Unites States as well as a growing number of international placements. Examples of placements range from the Coleman Advocacy Youth center in San Francisco, to the AIDS Housing Network in New York, to the Women’s Group for Peace in Quiche, Guatemala
Economics Department
The Economics Field Program has enjoyed an increasing number of students participating in field studies over the past several years. While the majority of students work in the corporate sector, an increasing number of field placements have been taking place in government agencies and non-profit organizations. Most of these students are placed in local community settings or other counties in California.
Education Department
The Education Field Program places the majority of its field study students through EDUC8: “Introduction to Teaching” course. All these placements occur in K-12 classrooms in Santa Cruz County. The program serves as a major resource for local schools. Students reflect on their classroom observations tying field notes to educational theory learned in the classroom.
Environmental Studies Department
Environmental Studies Field Placements link students with professionals in the field through a series of panel discussions and dialogues. The field placement opportunities are linked to particular classes (e.g. regional water policy issues, conservation issues, etc.) Over 100 students participate in these programs an average of 10 hours a week per academic quarter. The majority of these students work in either government agencies or the non-profit sector.
Psychology Department
The Psychology Field Study coordinates academic internships designed for declared psychology majors to serve the greater Santa Cruz county area. Students are required to work ten hours a week for two quarters at a local community placement, attend outside support meetings with other interns, and keep a reflective journal of their experience. Each student is matched with a department faculty member who acts as a guide and mentor for a student directed academic project. Students are encouraged to make connections between academic scholarship and the application of research in the field. Students are taught the basic skills necessary to become reflective practitioners in psychology.
During the 2003-04 year, 197 students participated in field study accounting for 995 academic credit hours. The majority of students are placed in area non-profits, government agencies or schools. Of the more than one hundred options for volunteer service, the most popular correspond to areas of popular course material, namely Psychology and Law, Developmental Psychology and Clinical Psychology. Examples of popular placements include the Santa Cruz Public Defender's Office, Friends Outside, County Office of Education, Santa Cruz City School District, Walnut Ave. Women's Center, Elderday, area Group Homes for teens and local residences for people living with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses.
A senior student with an interest in adult aging served as a volunteer intern at a day program for adults with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. She aided the activity director in implementing art classes and assisted the social worker with assessments. Based on her own observations at her placement, the student became interested in how friendships forged between adults later in life. Her faculty sponsor guided her interest toward a literature review on the subject. She wrote a final paper using her field notes as supporting data to the findings she researched in the literature. The resulting paper was given to the social worker with suggestions on how to support friendships among participants and the benefit of fostering friendships in aging adults.
Latin American and Latino Studies Department
LALS links students with field placements in Latin America as well as Latino communities in the Unites States. Students engaged in field studies take a course with the field studies coordinator that prepares them for the field as well as completing reflective written work upon return. Students have worked in programs ranging from Defense Mujeres Domestic Violence Center in Santa Cruz to a grassroots theater group in Brazil.
The above examples represent field studies programs with formal service learning courses, which include a structural course with required readings and written work and structured dialogue and guided reflection on field experience. There are also a large number of informal service learning courses in a host of academic programs.
Informal service learning programs generally require no structural class time students community service learning occurs either as individually or in a group. A faculty sponsor mentors the student, develops a working relationships with the field supervisor and assigns and grades the student work. Written assignments include reflection.
C. Best Practices
The Step to College Program, supervised by Larry Trujillo, is a Mentor-Tutor community service learning opportunity with Pescadero High School, Middle School, and/or Elementary School students.
The 2 or 5-unit service learning course is designed as a college recruitment effort. It targets students who are underrepresented at the university. This includes ethnic minorities, economically disadvantaged, and culturally and geographically isolated students. UCSC students pair up with a Pescadero High School, Middle School and/or Elementary School student(s) for mentoring and tutoring. This process entails: 1) assessing and improving basic academic skills including critical thinking; 2) developing a mentor relationship with your student; 3) improve students self-confidence and self-esteem; 4) sharing college experience and providing information about college life; and 5) broadening students horizons. Students write weekly field journals and write a final paper to fulfill the requirements of the class.