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The Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service

Pamela Kirwin Heintz, Director
237 Schine Student Center, 315-443-3051
CPCS@.syr.edu
students.syr.edu/depts/cpcs

The Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service (CPCS) provides support for faculty to integrate service learning experiences into academic coursework for undergraduate and graduate students. It does this by furnishing organizational information about placements for those seeking community service opportunities; creating new opportunities; and supporting ongoing academic opportunities that foster community service on the local, national, and international levels, coordinating activities where appropriate. Since opening in 1994, CPCS has provided assistance to faculty in the form of training and orientation, ongoing support, monitoring, and evaluation.
    Additionally, CPCS offers a variety of curricular and cocurricular service opportunities. Every college within the Univer­sity offers service learning opportunities for students.

The program
Service learning components of courses provide opportunities for students to put the value of learning into action through community service placements. The students can connect theory and practice as they train for life, enrich their moral character, and develop their sense of civic responsibility. This educational opportunity deepens the students’ sense of connectedness and responsibility to others and includes elements of vocation and avocation.
    Students participate in the community service components of their courses by completing a predetermined number of service hours at a community site. Under the direction of the course professor, teaching assistants, academic managers, and CPCS, students keep journals, write papers, and present projects and reports to reflect on and process the community service experience. The course professor assumes grading responsibility. Academic credit for the service learning experience is awarded by the professor through credit for the course.
    CPCS works with students, faculty, teaching assistants, academic administrators, and community site supervisors to assist in successfully implementing service learning opportunities. CPCS provides information about placement options; orientation to the community; assistance when there are questions; transportation (on a first-come, first-served basis to the extent resources allow); and evaluation of the community service component of the course for future improvement.

Courses
Students are invited to visit the CPCS office or web site at students.syr.edu/depts/cpcs/ to check the list of the courses known at this time to include a service learning component. Students are encouraged to discuss courses that interest them with the appropriate faculty advisor before registering. Students can, with the approval of the professor, request individual placements within courses to embellish assignments or course goals. CPCS will work to help the student develop and implement an appropriate placement, as well as assist with the reflection and processing of the experience if appropriate.