Frequently Asked Questions

How much time does a service-learning course take?

Service-learning courses often take more time than other courses due to time spent on transportation to and from the community site, but the hours you spend in your community service placement will be counted towards the amount of time you should normally be spending on the course by your instructor.

How come I'm getting credit for volunteering?

Your instructor is not giving you credit for the time you spend working with an organization, you are receiving credit for the learning connected to your experience in the community. Think of your experience as a text you are learning from, but instead of reading it, you are living it. Unless you are able to articulate and connect the theories you learned from your course texts, from lectures, or from your experience in the community to the course concepts in an acceptable way to your instructor, you will not get credit for your work.

What if I don't feel like my work is contributing to the community?

Although you may feel like your work is not contributing to the organization in a meaningful way, it more than likely is in ways you may not be conscious of. If you are helping to entertain a child while his/her parent's are taking a break from the hospital or are in a parenting class, for you it may seem like babysitting, but for the parents you are doing a wonderful service. If you are helping a small organization put out a newsletter their staff would not have the time to do otherwise, you are contributing valuable skills and time. So while you may not automatically see how you are contributing is meaningful, take a look at the larger context or ask the organization to share how what you are doing contributes to the overall picture.

How does my work contribute to the community?

Sometimes human beings struggle to see how our work impacts the community, especially when social issues seem overwhelmingly large. We want to ensure that our work is contributing to the organization in a meaningful way and we want to see results, but we forget that community change requires us to be in it for the long haul. While you may not automatically see how your contribution is meaningful, take a look at the larger context or ask the organization to share how what you are doing contributes to their overall mission.