Agency FAQ
1. How many service hours should I require for my service learning students?
Unlike many Service Learning Programs across the country, our Service Learning
Office has not set an hours requirement for your students. Instead, we offer
the faculty the flexibility of determining the hours requirements for your
service learning students, in order to best meet your learning goals. As you
choose your hours requirements, you will want keep some things in mind:
- The student will need to serve enough hours to have a meaningful service experience, yet not so many that they are unable to fulfill the requirements. On average, most successful Service Learning programs require 15 to 20 hours of service for their students.
- Many agency sites have hours requirements for service learning students. If the agency site requires more hours than you request for your course, the student is bound to the agency site's requirements.
2. Who do I contact at NMSU Grants for program information or
concerns?
- Genevieve Humenay, Service Learning Program Coordinator, can be contacted at (505) 287-6634 (office), or by e-mail at ghumenay@nmsu.edu
3. What can service learning students do at the agency site?
- Service learning students may work on any number of projects at the agency site. Each project MUST be related to what the student is learning in your corresponding Service Learning course at NMSU Grants. Please check with the student before you sign the Student Service Learning Agreement and Enrollment Form to ensure that the service the students is providing to the agency is complementing the material being learned in your course. Students working on a project that isn't related to their coursework MAY NOT RECEIVE CREDIT for the learning experience.
4. Should I take the time to reflect with the student on what they are doing
and how the service related to the coursework?
- Yes, as any time given to the student for reflection upon what they are doing for you and how it relates to their coursework is beneficial. Students will learn more and will further integrate their experiences from both the classroom and their service with the agency
5. Can agencies be removed from the NMSU Grants Service Learning
Agency list?
Yes. An agency can be removed for the following:
- At the agency's request
- Unresponsive to the calls of students and/or NMSU Grants Service Learning Office
- Student evaluations indicated a difficulty learning environment (research and facts-gathering are gathered prior to making a decision)
- Agency is deemed unsafe for students
- Failure to provide necessary documentation
- Not attending required agency orientations
6. What forms should the student bring to the interview at the agency?
Each service learning student should bring the following forms to their
interview:
- A copy of their course syllabus, which will allow you an opportunity to plan their work at your site.
- The Student Service Learning Letter of Agreement and Enrollment. If you accept the student for placement at your agency site, both the agency supervisor and the student must sign this Enrollment Agreement. The student then takes their form to their instructor for their signature. The form is then routed to the Service Learning Office for data entry. A student is not enrolled in service learning until the forms have been processed.
- The Student Time Sheet. The Timesheet is the documentation that records the student's work at the agency site. It needs to be signed by the agency supervisor each time the students serves hours at the agency site, and should remain on the agency premises until the required service learning hours are fulfilled by the student. (The number of service learning hours required may vary between instructors and agency sites.) It is important that the timesheet be returned to the student before the term ends so that they can receive credit for their Service Learning experience.
7. How do I contact the Service Learning Office?
- The office number is (505) 287-6634.
You can also choose to e-mail: - Genevieve Humenay, Program Coordinator, Service Learning
ghumenay@nmsu.edu - Linda Marion, Project Director, Service Learning
lmarion@nmsu.edu
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"This information has been adapted with permission from the Center for Community Programs and Partnerships, Central New Mexico Community College." |